ART

UNDER PRESSURE Peer Gallery presents “Melting Point,” an exhibit of 16 largescale pigment prints by Jeff Jacobson, which through visual anomalies depict personal tragedy and global discord. Through Saturday, January 6, Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Peer Gallery, 525 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, suite 208, 212-741-6599, free.

A STARK GARDEN Howard Greenberg Gallery presents an exhibit of flowers and vegetable still-lifes by the recently discovered British photographer Charles Jones, who frequently draped a dark cloth behind his specimens as if shooting studio portraits. Through Saturday, January 6, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Howard Greenberg Gallery 41 E. 57th St. at Madison Avenue, 212-334-0010, free.

OIL IN MOTION “What Visions Burn” and “What Birds Remember if They Do Remember” are two animated videos by Ezra Johnson, who used canvases as backdrops for his painted animated characters. Through Saturday, January 6, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, 526 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, #213, 212-243-3335, free.

POLITICAL AWARENESS Kevin Christy’s paper collages feature scenes concerning political issues, such as the divide between blue- and white-collar communities and the recent elections. His work is on display in the exhibit “The Victory of Variables.” Through Saturday, January 6, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Monya Rowe Gallery, 526 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, #605, 212-255-5065, free.

PLANT LIFE The New York Botanical Garden presents “Buried Treasures: The Nature and Art of Bulbs,” an exhibit of plant-related drawings and paintings from the collection of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library. Featured artists include Georg Dionysius Ehret, Pierre-Joseph Redouté, and Walter Hood Fitch. Through Sunday, January 7, Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., New York Botanical Garden, Bronx River Parkway and Fordham Road, the Bronx, 718-817-8700, $13 general, $11 students and seniors, $5 children.

MUTED PALETTE The Museum of Modern Art presents “Brice Marden: A Retrospective of Paintings and Drawings,” an exhibit of more than 50 paintings and drawings, which reflect the American minimalist painter’s exploration of light, color, and surface. Through Monday, January 15, Wednesday-Monday, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., MoMA, 11 W. 53rd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-708-9400, $20 general, $16 seniors, $12 students, free for children under 16.

FROM PAPER TO CANVAS “First in Line: Preparatory Drawings for Paintings in the Collection” is an exhibit of seven paintings from the Brooklyn Museum’s collection that displays line studies next to complete paintings. Selections include Daniel Ridgway Knight’s “At the Well” (1880) and “Peasant With Water Jug: Study for ‘The Well'” (c. 1880). Through Sunday, January 28, Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway at Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-638-5000, $8 general, $4 students and seniors, free for children and members.

RAY OF LIGHT The Rubin Museum of Art presents “Humanitas II,” an exhibit of 26 photographs by Frederic Roberts, who depicts his spiritual trek through Asia from 1986–2006. Deborah Willis is curator of the exhibit. Through Monday, February 26, hours vary, Rubin Museum, 150 W. 17th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-620-5000, $10 general, $7 seniors, students, artists, and museum neighbors, free for children and members. For complete information, go to rmanyc.org.

FAMILY

AGAINST THE ICE Cookie Magazine’s Citi Lounge, next to the ice rink in Bryant Park, presents singer-songwriter Lou Gallo, who is also a member of the Imaginary Workshop Band. Children are able to participate in his interactive performance art. Saturday, 2–4 p.m., Bryant Park, 40th and 42nd streets and Fifth and Sixth avenues, free.

FILM

FROM THE STREETS Carol Reed’s “Oliver!” (1968) is a musical based on Charles Dickens’s classic tale about an orphan and his adventures with his rogue gang of friends. The Museum of the Moving Image screens the film with a new 35 mm print. Through Monday, 1:30 p.m., Museum of the Moving Image, 3601 35th Ave. at 36th Street, Long Island City, Queens, 718-784-0077, $10 general, $7.50 students and seniors, $5 children.

INDEPENDENT PICTURES Jack Garfein’s “Something Wild” (1961) follows a young woman as she struggles to recover after a violent attack that occurred while she was walking home in the Bronx. A featured actor includes Carroll Baker. The film is remarkable for its examples of method acting. Friday through Thursday, times vary, IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave. at 3rd Street, 212-924-7771, $10.50 general.

HOLIDAYS

LITTLE MARIE AT THE CHRISTMAS PARTY Lincoln Center presents the New York City Ballet, which dances George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” a classic holiday piece about a young girl who receives a magical gift on Christmas Eve. Through Saturday, dates and times vary, Lincoln Center, NewYork State Theater, 20 Lincoln Center Pl., Amsterdam Avenue at 65th Street, $30–$110. For complete information, go to nycballet.com.

REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS TIME NYC Discovery Tours revisits Christmas with a tour of sites specific to Victorian Christmases of the 19th century. Sites include Gramercy Park, the Ladies Mile, and Chelsea. Saturday, 2 p.m., meeting point disclosed at reservation, 212-465-3331, $14.

CULTURAL CELEBRATION Kwanzaa is an annual holiday celebrating African and African-American cultures. The American Museum of Natural History presents an all-day Kwanzaa celebration, featuring performances by the Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble and Broadway actor Tsidii Le Loka. Saturday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., American Museum of Natural History, 79th Street and Central Park West, 212-769-5100, $14 general, $10.50 seniors and students, $8 children, free for members.

EIGHT DAYS “Light x Eight: the Hanukkah Project” features works by eight contemporary artists who explore the transformative qualities of light. Artists include Teresita Fernández, Spencer Finch, and Kirsten Hassenfeld. Through Sunday, February 4, Saturday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-5:45 p.m., Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., the Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-423-3200, $12 general, $10 seniors, $7.50 students, free for children and members.

MUSEUMS

HOLIDAY HOURS The Metropolitan Museum remains open until 9 p.m. during the New Year’s weekend in order to accommodate holiday crowds (Through Saturday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m., 1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd Street, 212-570-3961, $20 donation suggested, $10 students and seniors, free for members and children). The Guggenheim Museum also keeps special holiday hours, remaining open on Monday (Through Monday, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–5:45 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m.–7:45 p.m., Monday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., 1071 Fifth Ave. at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, $18 general, $15 students and seniors, free for children and members), and the American Museum of Natural History keeps late hours until Sunday (Through Saturday, 10 a.m.–6:45 p.m., 79th Street and Central Park West, 212-769-5100, $14 general, $10.50 seniors and students, $8 children, free for members).

MUSIC

OFF THE BEATEN PATH Avant-garde jazz guitarist Dave Weiner began performing at the age of 22 with Steve Vai’s band, playing more than 350 concerts with the band. He performs with guitarist Rob Balducci, Vernon Reid, and the band Masque. Friday, 8 p.m., Tonic, 107 Norfolk St., between Rivington and Delancey streets, 212-358-7501, $15.

PHOTOGRAPHY

LEAVING THE LOWER EAST SIDE “A Mexican Wedding & Kano & Lagos, Nigeria” is an exhibit of photographs by Gary Weingarten, who traveled to the two countries this summer to document scenes of ordinary life. Selections include “Mariachi Band” (2006) and “Looking Out” (2006). Through mid-January, Sunday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-4 a.m., Verlaine, 110 Rivington St., between Essex and Ludlow streets, 212-614-2494, free.

MANY FACES “A Couple Ways of Doing Something” is a joint exhibit of portrait photographs by Chuck Close and poems by the founder of the Bowery Poetry Club, Bob Holman. Featured faces include Cindy Sherman, Elizabeth Peyton, Robert Wilson, and Lisa Yuskavage. Through Thursday, January 4, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Aperture Foundation, 547 W. 27th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 4th floor, 212-505-5555, free.

THEATER

MOLTO DARIO Italian actor and playwright, and former professional soccer player Dario D’Ambrosi directs his new play, “A Crazy Sound,” about six patients in an asylum who create a symphony using their beds as instruments. Featured actors include Sheila Dabney, Lucy Alibar, and Meredith Summers. Through Saturday, 7:30 p.m., La MaMa E.T.C., 74A E. 4th St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery, 212-475-7710, $20.

A HUT ON THE EDGE OF THE FOREST The nonprofit theater company Urban Stages presents Eugene Schwar tz’s “The Magical Forest of Baba Yaga,” a contemporary staging of the Russian fairy tale about children freed from impossible chores and the clutches of a fearsome witch. The musical is directed by Aleksey Burago and features a modern translation by playwright Stanton Wood. Through Sunday, January 7, dates and times vary, Urban Stages, 259 W. 30th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, 212-307-7181, $20. For complete information, go to urbanstages.org.

THE PENTHOUSE New York City Center presents Paul Rudnick’s comedy of manners “Regrets Only,” about marriage and friendship among a high-powered Park Avenue social circle. The play is directed by Christopher Ashley, and featured actors include Diane Davis and Christine Baranski. Through Sunday, January 7, dates and times vary, City Center, 130 W. 55th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-247-0430, $67.50. For complete information, go to citycenter.org.

MUSIC SAVES ME “The Big Voice: God or Merman?” follows the lives of a Baptist from Arkansas and a Catholic from Brooklyn who find eternal salvation in the temple of musical theater. The play is written and performed by Jim Brochu and Steve Schalchlin and is directed by Anthony Barnao. Saturday through an open run, Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m., Saturday, 3 and 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 and 7 p.m., the Actors Temple Theatre, 339 W. 47th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues, 212-239-6200, $35–$55.

PAINTINGS

OPERA ART The Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met in the Metropolitan Opera House presents its first exhibit,”Heroines,” which features paintings inspired by lead female figures in operas. Selections include Maikiko Kudo’s “Princess Yue-yang” (2004), left, and Sophie von Hellermann’s “Rosina” (2006). Through Wednesday, May 30, Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–11 p.m., Sunday, noon–6 p.m., Lincoln Center, Met Opera House, Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met, 66th Street and Broadway, 212-799-3100, free.

To submit an event for consideration for the Calendar, please wire the particulars to calendar@nysun.com, placing the date of the event in the subject line.