ARCHITECTURE

BUILDING HISTORY Cooper Union’s exhibit of architect Louis Kahn’s original sketches and documents has been extended. “Coming to Light” features Kahn’s plans for a Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial for Roosevelt Island, including an original architectural model for the posthumously developed project. The show also includes Kahn’s personal sketchbooks, which have never before been exhibited. This week Cooper Union also hosts a lecture by architect Toshiko Mori, which kicks off a new series dedicated to women in architecture (Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Cooper Union Great Hall, 212-353-4220, free). Exhibit: Through Friday, February 18, Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday, noon-7 p.m., Cooper Union, Arthur A. Houghton Jr. Gallery, 7 E. 7th St. at Third Avenue, second floor, 212-353-4232, free.

DANCING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE Architect Ben Jacks collaborated with poet Annie Finch to curate the exhibit “Walking, Poems & Buildings.” It features poems and architectural models of a bus shelter, a nature center, and a “writer’s hut” created by students at Miami University. The show connects the disciplines by exploring how both architects and poets “build and inhabit durable and harmonious forms.” Through Friday, February 25, Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Poets House, 72 Spring St., between Lafayette and Crosby streets, second floor, 212-431-7920, free.

ART

COLD CASE Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz collaborated on a series of sculptures and photographs of skewed snow globe scenes for “Cold Front,” their sixth joint exhibit at P.P.O.W. The globes’ miniature inhabitants are usually not dressed for the weather: A businessman wearing only a suit trudges toward a mountain pass carrying his briefcase. In another scene an angry mob marches through a storm with only short-sleeve shirts and a torch to warm them. The globes themselves are on display, along with photographs that capture the scenes in a picturesque whirl of snow. Through Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., P.P.O.W. Gallery, 555 W. 25th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-647-1044, free.

SPANISH VIEWS Twenty-one Spanish drawings by 19 artists, including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Juan Gris, are on display at Instituto Cervantes through the weekend. Through Saturday, today-Friday, 12:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Instituto Cervantes, 211 E. 49th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-308-7720, free.

GRAVE MATTERS A collection of Chinese tomb objects will be on display for the first time in America at an exhibit at the China Institute Gallery. All of the items, including terra cotta figures, gilded chariot ornaments, jade masks, and bronze vases, are from China’s Shandong province. Thursday through June 4, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., China Institute Gallery, 125 E. 65th St., between Park and Lexington avenues, 212-744-8181, $5 general, $3 seniors and students.

BENEFITS

PARTY FOR PLAYWRIGHTS Betsy von Furstenberg chairs the Theater for the New City’s “Love ‘n’ Courage” event, which benefits its emerging playwright’s program. The evening includes readings and performances by Zoe Caldwell, Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson, John Tartaglia, and Marion Seldes. Dinner will be followed by dancing to the reggae band Liv-I-Culture. The benefit will honor the late Robert Whitehead, a longtime supporter. Monday, 7 p.m., Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. at 10th Street, 212-254-1109, $100.

BOOKS

LAWS AND LETTERS Edith Kurzweil discusses her book “Nazi Laws and Jewish Lives: Letters From Vienna” (Transaction) at a reception celebrating its publication. Tonight, 7 p.m., Center for Jewish History, 15 W. 16th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 917-606-8200, $5.

CRIME CONVENTION The Black Orchid Bookshop hosts the Winter Cavalcade of Crime in conjunction with the Mystery Writers of America meeting. Authors scheduled to appear include Linda Fairstein, Leslie Glass, Reed Farrel Coleman, and Gary Phillips. Thursday, 7 p.m., Black Orchid, 303 E. 81st St., between First and Second avenues, 212-734-5980, free.

DANCE

DRINKS AND DANCE The Dancenow/NYC series dancemOpolitan opens its new season with a pair of performances this weekend. The series is known for its laidback atmosphere – audience members can enjoy drinks and a meal – and for its unusually broad program of contemporary dance. Friday and Saturday, 9:30 p.m., Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St. at Astor Place, 212-239-6200 for tickets, 212-539-8778 for dinner reservations, $15, reservations recommended.

FAMILY

ARTY PARTY The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual family benefit includes art projects, gallery activities, and games. Monday, 5:30-8 p.m., Metropoli tan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd Street, 212-570-3948, $100 general, $50 children.

FILM

MAN OF THE WEEK The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents “Our Man of the Hour,” a 12-film screening series focusing on Italian actor Sergio Castellitto. Highlights include “L’Uomo delle stelle” (“The Star Maker,” 1995), in which Mr. Castellitto plays a con man who pretends to be a movie producer (today, 1 and 9 p.m.) and “Padre Pio” (2000), a miniseries made for Italian television in which he plays the Franciscan monk believed to have stigmata (tomorrow, 1 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, 2:30 p.m.). Series: Through Monday, times vary, Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theater, 65th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-496-3809, $10 general, $7 students, $6 members, $5 seniors on Monday-Friday before 6 p.m. and children ages 6 to 12.

LOVE AND MONEY Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang’s “Yi Yi” (2000), a tangled story of love and business, screens as part of an ongoing retrospective of his work. Nathan Lee wrote of the film in The New York Sun, “This shattering masterpiece about modern city living could be the richest emotional experience you’ll have at the movies all year.” Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave., between 1st and 2nd streets, 212-505-5181, $8 general, $5 members.

FOOD & DRINK

MORE MEIJI A forum focuses on Japanese food culture during the Meiji era, the period following Commodore Perry’s 1853 arrival in the country, which opened it to the West. The Japanese then began to incorporate meat and bread into their diet, creating fusion dishes like deep-fried breaded pork and omelets stuffed with fried rice. The evening includes an illustrated talk and a tasting of dishes that combine Japanese and Western ingredients. Tonight, 6:30 p.m., Japan Society, 333 E. 47th St., between First and Second avenues, 212-832-1155, $20 general, $17 seniors and members, $15 students.

MUSIC

AMERICAN MUSIC Lincoln Center’s “American Songbook” series draws a wide variety of vocalists to Frederick P. Rose Hall. To kick off the series, actress Jane Krakowski (of “Ally McBeal” and Broadway’s “Nine”) makes her solo concert debut with a program of racy songs from the period between the Prohibition era and the introduction of the 1930 Hays Code in Hollywood. Sinful selections include “When I’m Low I Get 753 1436 862 1446High,” “But in the Morning No,” Billie Holiday’s “Gloomy Sunday,” and Noel Coward’s “Mad About the Boy” with its original lyrics (tonight, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $40-$70). Darius De Haas performs a program of Stevie Wonder songs (Friday, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $20-$45), Ann Hampton Callaway hosts “Cafe Society” with Bobby Short and Julie Wilson (Friday, February 25, 8:30 p.m., $30-$60), and old soul Nellie McKay performs her original songs (Tuesday, March 1, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $20-$40). All shows: Frederick P. Rose Hall, Time Warner Center, Broadway at 60th Street, 212-721-6500. Please go to www.lincolncenter.org to see a full schedule.

SWEET AND LOW The mellow Minneapolis band Low headlines two concerts this week. Witty rockers Pedro the Lion open the shows (Thursday and Friday, 8 p.m., $15). At the same venue later in the month, Luna has added a matinee show to its farewell tour – both evening shows have already sold out (Sunday, February 27, 2 p.m., $25 in advance, $30 at the door). Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. at Bowery, 212-533-2111.

STARRY JAZZ Jazz lovers can enjoy live music under the stars at the American Museum of Natural History’s Rose Center for Earth and Space. Ray Vega and his Latin jazz quintet are the next performers in the series. Tapas and wine will be served. Friday, 5:30-6:30 p.m. and 7-8 p.m., American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, 212-769-5100, $12 general, $9 students and seniors, $7 children.

SOWETO SOUNDS The Soweto Gospel Choir performs in six of South Africa’s official languages, accompanied by drumming and dancing. Friday, 10 p.m., Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, 212-247-7800, $30-$42.

PARENTING

OH, BABY(SITTER) The Web site www.sittercity.com hosts a “speedsitting” event – it’s like speed dating for parents who are looking for a babysitter. Employers can conduct a series of 5-minute live interviews with potential employees from the site’s database, receive a discount on the full database of babysitters, and snack on free candy. Today, 8-10 a.m. and noon-2 p.m., Dylan’s Candy Bar, 1011 Third Avenue and 60th Street, free.

PHOTOGRAPHY

SOUTH AFRICAN SCENES Artist Stuart O’Sullivan photographed friends and family in his native South Africa for the exhibit “How Beautiful This Place Can Be.” Most of the pictures, taken after the end of apartheid, focus on wealthy white Europeans. He trains his camera on domestic interiors – capturing mosquito netting, ornamental bars protecting windows, and bowls of fresh fruit – and on young women sunbathing, friends chatting in a garden, and an old man feeding a pet crow. Clockwise from above are the 2003 photographs “Family in Dunes,” “Beneath the Tree,” “Bronwen and Verity,” and “Andries in Pool.” Through Saturday, February 26, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Daniel Cooney Fine Art, 511 W. 25th St. at Tenth Avenue, no. 506, 212-255-8158, free.

POETRY

BATTLE OF BROOKLYN The Battle Hill Reading Series has a Southern flavor this week. Alabama residents Joyelle Mc-Sweeney and Johannes Goransson read their poetry and Virgina native Jeff Brodnax plays acoustic tunes. The series is presented by Lungfull magazine, which prints rough drafts of in-progress literature and art. Tonight, 7 p.m. music, 8 p.m. reading, Kili, 79-81 Hoyt St., between State Street and Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, $5.

TALKS

GARDENS OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS Landscape historian Tracy Ehrlich gives a lecture about the role of garden design in 17th-century social hierarchies. She explores on how pastoral design – as opposed to formal fountains and statues – became a symbol of the elite. The talk will focus on the country residence of Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1576-1633), a nephew of Pope Paul V. Thursday, 6-7:15 p.m., Bard Graduate Center, 38 W. 86th St., between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, 212-501-3011, $17 general, $12 seniors and students.

RENAISSANCE MAN Howard Bloom’s rapturous fans gush that he is the new Stephen Hawking, “a modern-day prophet,” and the heir to Einstein and Freud – skeptics can judge for themselves at a lecture given by Mr. Bloom this weekend. He began his career as a publicist working with Michael Jackson and Billy Joel and has gone on to become the author of big-idea books about philosophy and science. The lecture, about consumerism’s power to further creative civilization, is part of the “Voices from the Edge” series sponsored by What Is Enlightenment? magazine. Saturday, 8 p.m., the Next Stage, 312 W. 11th St., between Hudson and Greenwich streets, 212-741-9940, $25 in advance, $27 at the door, reservations strongly recommended.

THEATER

TOO LATE The White Horse Theater Company presents a production of Sam Shepard’s “The Late Henry Ross.” Mr. Shepard wrote the play, about two brothers reunited at their destitute father’s deathbed, in response to his father’s 1984 death due to a drunken accident. Cyndy Marion directs the production, which comes on the heels of several other Shepard plays produced by White Horse. Through Sunday, Wednesday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., the Creative Place Theatre, 750 Eighth Ave., between 46th and 47th streets, suite 602, 212-868-4444, $15.

TWO BY PINTER The T. Schreiber Studio performs the Harold Pinter plays “The Homecoming” and “The Birthday Party” in rotating repertory. One performance of each play will include food, wine, and a talk with the cast, crew and director (“Homecoming”: Saturday, February 12, 8 p.m, “Birthday”: Saturday, March 5, 8 p.m., $50). Tomorrow through Sunday, March 13, Wednesday-Friday, 8 p.m., Saturday, 3 and 8 p.m., Sunday performances vary, T. Schreiber Studio, 151 W. 26th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-352-3101, $15 general, $10 seniors and students, $20 for two Saturday productions.

FAST FRIENDS The Jewish Community Center in Manhattan presents a staged reading of a new collaboration between playwright Wendy Wasserstein and composer Deborah Drattell. “Best Friends,” which has a female cast and a male chorus, tells the story of a married mother of three, her opera-star friend, and the saleswoman at Barneys who comes between them. Thursday, 8 p.m., Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th Street, 646-505-5708, $20 general, $15 members.

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