ART

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM Artalks hosts a guided tour of “Spanish Painting: El Greco to Picasso: Time, Truth, and History,” an exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum. Led by Deb Markow, an art lover who earned a Ph.D. in art history as a second act, Artalks offers participants an experience that is perhaps more connected than museum-issue audio guides. All are encouraged to stop and ask questions during the 90-minute tour. Today, 1 p.m., tomorrow, 5:30 p.m., exhibit through Wednesday, March 28, Saturday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.–5:45 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m.–7:45 p.m., Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave. at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, $43-$50, includes museum admission. For complete information and for reservations, go to artalks.com.

JAZZ

WHAT DID I DO TO BE SO BLACK AND BLUE? “Breaking Barriers: Louis Armstrong and Civil Rights” is an exhibit of film clips and artifacts from the 1950s. The Louis Armstrong House Museum hosts an opening reception tonight. Armstrong had come under criticism for playing before segregated audiences, but the influential singer and musician, a flashy stage personality, was also a quiet financial supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and other black activists. Tonight, 6 p.m., exhibit through Monday, October 8, Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday–Sunday, noon–5 p.m., Louis Armstrong House Museum, 34-56 107th St., between 34th and 37th streets, Corona, Queens, 718-478-8274, $8 general, $6 seniors, students, children, and group rate, free for members. For complete information, go to louisarmstronghouse.com.

MUSIC

BURNING An emerging indie-pop band, the Harlem Shakes, performs a concert in celebration of the release of its debut EP “Burning Birthdays.” The band’s music has been described as lo-fi, tinny, garage-rock, referencing decades of New York’s underground, not unlike another local group hailed as leaders of the rock revival — the Strokes. Tonight, 8 p.m., Canal Room, 285 W. Broadway at Canal Street, 212-941-8100, $8–$12.

POETRY

DRIVE ON The Queens Borough Public Library presents a reading by Davidson Garrett, a poet, actor, and taxi driver. He reads from his collection of poetry, “King Lear of the Taxi: Musings of a New York City Actor Taxi Driver” (Advent Purple Press). Today, 1:30 p.m., Bay Terrace Community Library, 18-36 Bell Blvd. at 23rd Avenue, 718-423-7004, free.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Galway Kinnell is best known for rejecting the poetic tradition of escaping reality to ease personal pain, writing poems about dealing with life through examination and meditation, such as “After Making Love We Hear Footsteps.” His 80th birthday is celebrated at the Cooper Union with a gala reading. Featured authors include E.L. Doctorow, Edward Hirsch, Mark Doty, Cornelius Eady, and Sharon Olds. The event is cosponsored by Poets House. Tonight, 7 p.m., the Cooper Union, Great Hall, 7 E. 7th St. at Third Avenue, 212-353-4195, free.

READINGS

EVERYDAY PEOPLE Cartoonist Danny Gregory reads from “Everyday Matters” (Hyperion), his illustrated memoir recounting how he learned to cope after his wife was hit by a no. 9 subway train and subsequently paralyzed from the waist down. Mr. Gregory found comfort in teaching himself to draw. The book includes poignant sketches of the author, his wife, and their son, Jack, as they adjusted to a new life in their downtown neighborhood. Tonight, 7 p.m., McNally Robinson Booksellers, 52 Prince St., between Mulberry and Lafayette streets, 212-274-1160, free.

TALKS

A VISION FOR THE CITY’S FUTURE The Museum of the City of New York hosts “Lessons From Robert Moses,” a panel discussion to address such topics as regional planning, open space initiatives, sustainable development, and the enduring legacy of the New York municipal official whose ambitious public works helped to transform the city. Featured panelists include Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff, and the executive director of Sustainable South Bronx, Majora Carter. An architecture critic for Bloomberg News, James Russell, is moderator of the talk. Tonight, 5:30 p.m., Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., MCNY, 1220 Fifth Ave. at 103 Street, 212-534-1672, free with museum admission, $9 general, $5 students and seniors.

PHOTOGRAPHY

DIFFERENT LOOKS The group show “Faces” consists of eight photographs and eight drawings, all depiciting a single sitter and a study of a visage. Artists include Balthus, Picasso, Manet, and David Hockney. Selections include Matthew Barney’s “Cremaster 3: Oonagh Maccumhail” (2002), above. Through Tuesday, February 27, Cook Fine Art, 1063 Madison Ave., between 80th and 81st streets, 212-737-3550, free.

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