ART

NOTHING LASTS FOREVER “Let Everything Be Temporary, or When Is the Exhibition?” opens at apexart. Curated by Elena Filipovic, the group show features pieces that explore the temporariness or the possibility of instability, whether motivated by political, aesthetic, economic, or intimate forces. Featured artists include Joëlle Tuerlinckx, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, and Tomo Savic-Gecan. Tonight, 6 p.m., exhibit through, Friday, February 17, Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., apexart, 291 Church St., between Walker and White streets, 212-431-5270, free.

AMERICAN ART DEBUT The Mitchell-Innes & Nash Gallery presents the opening of an exhibit of works by Veron Urdarianu. The Romanian-born artist’s works explore the relationships between sculpture, architecture, and painting, using such materials as wood, plastic, and metal. Tomorrow, 6 p.m., exhibit through Friday, February 17, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Mitchell-Innes & Nash Chelsea, 534 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-744-7400, free.

BIG PAINTINGS Eight new works by Julian Schnabel are on view, with the exhibit sponsored by the real estate company Tishman Speyer. Through an open run, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., the MetLife Building, 200 Park Ave. at 45th Street, 212-715-0300, free.

BOOKS

ESCAPING WEST Borough resident Colum McCann reads from his novel “Zoli” (Random House), about a Gypsy poet who avoids the communism of 1930s Eastern Europe to escape West. Tonight, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 33 E. 17th St., between Broadway and Park Avenue, 212-253-0810, free.

SENCHA AND MATCHA Ellis Avery’s novel “The Teahouse Fire” (Penguin) follows a young girl in the 1860s as she travels to Japan from New York, and learns the art of Japanese tea ceremonies from an adopted guardian. Tonight, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 4 Astor Place at Broadway, 212-420-1322, free.

DANCE

MOVES INSPIRED BY WAR Yoshiko Chuma and the School of Hard Knocks dance company present “A Page Out of Order: M,” based on the experiences of arts in war-torn and first world countries, including America, Albania, Japan, and Macedonia. The dance is based on 1920s Japanese cinema. Tuesday–Saturday, January 20, 7:30 p.m., Dance Theater Workshop, 219 W. 19th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, 212-924-0077, $25 general, $15 members.

FILM

CRITICS SLUG IT OUT Makor presents a panel discussion of the Best and Worst films of 2006. A writer for New York magazine, David Edelstein, and a film critic at Entertainment Weekly, Owen Gleiberman, are among featured panelists. Clips — from “Babel” to “Borat” — are shown and debated. The creator of TheReeler.com, blogger Stu Van Airsdale, is moderator of the event. Tonight, 7:30 p.m., 92nd Street Y, Makor, Steinhardt Building, 35 W. 67th St., between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, 212-601-1000, $10.

THE JEWISH DIASPORA The New York Jewish Film Festival, presented by the Jewish Museum and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, features 31 productions documenting the international Jewish experience, from countries including Sweden, Switzerland, England, and Germany. The series begins with screenings of Jes Benstock’s English film “The Holocaust Tourist: Whatever Happened to Never Again?” (2006), Christian Delage’s French film “Nuremberg: The Nazis Facing Their Crimes” (2005), and the premiere of Alejandro Springall’s “My Mexican Shivah” (2006), a comedy about an eclectic family who mourns the passing of a patriarch. Today, 1 p.m., FSLC, Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St., between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, 212-875-5600, $10 general, $7 students, $6 members of FSLC and the Jewish Museum, $5 seniors.

WE ARE FROM ICELAND The 2006 Nordic Oscar Contenders series features films with a northern touch that might receive a best foreign film Oscar nomination this year. The series continues with a screening of Ragnar Bragason’s “Börn” (“Children”) (2006), about how a a group of dysfunctional people in Reykjavík struggle to survive. Tonight, 6:30 p.m., Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave., between 37th and 38th streets, 212-879-9779, $8 general, $6 members.

BRENT GETS ANIMATED The IFC Center and Filmmaker Magazine present “An Evening with Brent Green,” a talk and screening of hand-drawn works by the artist and animator, including “Paulina Hollers,” a 2007 Sundance Film Festival selection. An editor and film producer, Scott Macaulay, is moderator of the event. Special guests are also featured. Tonight, 7:30 p.m., IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave. at West 3rd Street, 212-924-7771, $10.75 general, $7 seniors and ICP members.

FOOD & DRINK

GAME AT HIGH SPEEDS Chef Franck Delatrain of Café Centro guides students through a fivecourse menu aimed to tackle fears that home cooks might have toward wild game. Dishes include sturgeon saltimbocca with sage, smoked duck, and beluga lentils, pappardelle with wild boar, and venison with white polenta and juniper berry sauce. Saturday, 11 a.m., MetLife Building, Café Centry, 200 Park Ave. at 45th Street, 212-584-4308, $75.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

THE DREAM IN MUSIC “Come Share the Dream” is the 21st annual Brooklyn tribute to the civil rights leader, presented by the office of the president of Brooklyn and the City University of New Year. Featured speakers include Marty Markowitz, deputy president Yvonne Graham, the president of BAM, Karen Brooks Hopkins, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and the president of Medgar Evers College, William Thompson Jr. Performers include folk singer Rutha Harris, the Black Rock Coalition Orchestra, the rapper Will Power, and the Full Effect Gospel Ministries Mass Choir. Monday, 10:30 a.m., BAM, 30 Lafayette St., between St. Felix Street and Ashland Place, 718-636-4100, free, tickets required. Ticket distribution begins at 8 a.m.

MUSIC

EARLY IVORIES The classical pianist Ilya Poletaev also specializes in early keyboards. He performs a program of works for the harpsichord by Rossi, Bull, Handel, and Bach. Today, 1:15 p.m., Church of St. Francis of Assisi, 135 W. 31st St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-967-9157, free.

JAZZ AROUND TOWN The NYC Winter Jazzfest, presented by the International Association for Jazz Education, is an all-night showcase of alternative jazz bands. Performers include the Rudresh Mahanthappa Quartet, Wonderful World with Guillaume de Chassy and Daniel Yvinec, and the Maurice Brown Quartet. Tonight, 7 p.m., the Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard St., between Church Street and Broadway, 212-219-3006, $25.

GIRL FROM IPANEMA Joe’s Pub and the Polish Cultural Institute present singer Gretchen Parlato, who performs Brazilian samba and world-beat originals with African guitarist and percussionist, Lionel Loueke. Ms. Parlato was the winner in 2004 of the Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocals Competition. Aga Zaryan, among Poland’s renowned jazz vocalists, is a featured performer. Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., between 4th Street and Astor Place, 212-539-8778, $15.

SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT A six-member ensemble, Eighth Blackbird, performs selections from their often harmonically dissonant repertoire. Group members include flutist Tim Munro, violinist Matt Albert, and pianist Lisa Kaplan. Tomorrow and Friday, 8 p.m., the Kitchen, 512 W. 19th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-255-5793, $10.

BRIGHT LIGHTS Saxophonist Claire Daly and the Bright Moments perform a tribute to the music and spirit of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, a blind, multi-instrumentalist whose work was rooted in hard bop and soul jazz. Band members include human beat box artist Napoleon Maddox and pianist Eli Yamin. A spoken word artist, Kirpal Gordon, is a featured performer. Tomorrow and Thursday, January 25, 8 p.m., Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, between Bleecker and Houston streets, 212-614-0505, $10 general.

JAZZ STARS OF TOMORROW “Improvisational Contemporary Jazz at the Intersection of Musical Cultures,” a concert given by the Dan Tepfer Trio, is featured as part of the “French Quarter Festival.” The ongoing festival is presented by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Double bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Richie Barshay accompany Mr. Tepfer, a pianist who formed the well-traveled trio in 2003. Friday, 8 p.m., New York University, La Maison Française, 16 Washington Mews at University Place, 212-998-8750, free.

PAINTINGS

LENS, CANVAS, AND CLAY Ragna Berlin paints her abstract works of round shapes on sometimes unconventional canvases, including the walls of various rooms. Her latest exhibit also features photographs of paintings she has completed, as well as sculptures. Through Thursday, January 18, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Björn Ressle Fine Art, 212-744-2266, free.

POETRY

HOWARD’S END An Emmy-award winning actress, Patricia Clarkson, joins the author of “Who Collects the Days” (Mosaic), poet Howard Altmann, in reading from his new collection of verse. Tonight, 8 p.m., Bowery Poetry Club, 308 Bowery, between Bleecker and Houston streets, 212-614-0505, $5.

LIFE’S FRUSTRATIONS The group performance “Mortified” features spoken word poetry by various presenters on topics such as their first kiss and fights with their parents during adolescence. Tonight, 8 p.m., Makor, 35 W. 67th St., between Columbus and Central Park West, 212-601-1000, $10 in advance, $12 at the doors.

READINGS

MOVING ON “Young Writers Write the Immigrant Experience” is a reading presented by the New York Book Club, featuring a discussion between authors Gary Shteyngart and Sigrid Nuñez, both of whom are known for their perspectives on American culture through the eyes of immigrants. Tonight, 6 p.m., the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, 108 Orchard St. at Delancey Street, free. RSVP e-mail required to agarrett@tenement.org.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER “Just Married,” a reading by Tom Hopkins and Emily Barton, is featured as part of the One Story Cocktail Hour and Reading Series. Mr. Hopkins is a contributor to Daphne Gottlieb’s “Homewrecker: An Adultery Anthology” (Soft Skull Press). Ms. Barton is the author of “Brookland: A Novel” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), about sisters who run a gin distillery in late 18thcentury Brooklyn. An editor of the journal, Hannah Tinti, is host of the event. Friday, 7 p.m., Pianos, 158 Ludlow St., between Rivington and Stanton streets, 212-505-3733, free.

WRITING BY A FLICKERING LIGHT As part of its “Voice Visiting Author Series,” the Writer’s Voice presents Stanley Ely and contributors to his book “Living Alone Creatively: How Twelve People Do It” (iUniverse), who discuss the writer’s hermetic existence. Friday 7:30 p.m., West Side YMCA, 5 W. 63rd St., between Central Park West and Broadway, 212-875-4124, free.

SOIRÉES

ALTERNATIVE SPORTS Stoked Mentoring pairs at-risk teenagers with adult mentors to learn a nontraditional sport, such as surfing or skating, to foster better relationship and societal skills. Milk Gallery is the host of a auction benefiting the nonprofit organization. The managing director of Phillips de Pury, Brook Hazelton, serves as auctioneer. Represented artists include Alex Katz and Jeff Koons. Tonight, 6 p.m., Milk Gallery, 450 W. 15 St., between Ninth and Tenth avenues, 917-597-0054, $75.

THEATER

SECRET LIVES Norman Beim’s “On a Darkling Plain” recounts the first day when accusations began flying about communists among the ranks of Broadway’s elite during the McCarthy era. The play follows the plight of one actor who struggles to support his family while deciding to act in a play directed by a whistleblower. “Darkling” is directed by John Cooper. Tonight through Saturday, January 27, Wednesday–Friday, 8 p.m., Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m., Turtle Shell Theater, 300 W. 43rd St. at Eighth Avenue, 212-868-4444, $18.

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.