ART

THE EFFECT OF SUNLIGHT The Brooklyn Museum of Art presents “Landscapes From the Age of Impressionism,” an exhibit of about 40 paintings that includes many of the finest examples of mid- and late-19th-century French and American landscape painting in the museum’s collection. The work of artists Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet, Frederick Childe Hassam, and John Singer Sargent, among others, is featured in this broad survey. Monet is represented by several important works, including “The Doge’s Palace in Venice” (1908) and “Houses of Parliament, Effect of Sunlight” (1903). Having moved beyond the studio to pleinair painting, the Frenchman positioned himself before his subject for hours during a series of days — depicting the same motif in changing light. Soon, Monet was remarkably depicting light itself. Through Sunday, May 13, Wednesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., BMA, 200 Eastern Pkwy. at Washington Avenue, 718-399-8440, $8 general suggested donation, $4 students and seniors, free for members and children under 12.

A BIRD’S EYE VIEWING The New-York Historical Society presents “Audubon’s Aviary: Natural Selection,” an exhibit of 43 watercolor paintings by John James Audubon, drawn from the society’s permanent collection. Twenty-one bird species are represented in the show — portraits that the artist frequently reworked two or three times. The show is complemented by recorded birdcalls from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and a video that underscores Audubon’s mastery at encapsulating each bird’s personality. Through Sunday, May 20, Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., free admission and open till 8 p.m. Friday, NYHS, 170 Central Park W. at 77th Street, 212-868-4444, $10 general, $7 educators and seniors, $6 students, free for NYHS members and children under 12. For complete information, go to nyhistory.org.

COME SAIL AWAY Arden Scott hails from Greenport, N.Y., and makes sculptures of sailing vessels and their riggings. Inspired by the sea, she keeps near her home a 28-foot sailboat, Annie, which she built 20 years ago. Through Sunday, May 20, Kathryn Markel Fine Art, 529 W. 20th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-366-5368, free.

BOB THE BUILDER “Robert Moses and the Modern City: Remaking the Metropolis” is an exhibit that examines the contributions of the celebrated and often controversial urban planner and developer. The show is presented by the Museum of the City of New York. The extensive exhibit focuses on the physical transformation of the city under Moses between 1934 and 1968. Moses ushered in a network of roads and bridges, initiated attractions such as Lincoln Center, and revitalized city parks. Still, his sprawling projects drew the ire of those who believed his grand ideas disrupted neighborhoods and increased the city’s dependence on the automobile. Through Monday, May 28, Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. at 103rd Street, 212-534-1672, $9 general, $5 students and seniors.

A TOUCH OF NIRVANA The Japan Society presents the opening of “Awakenings: Zen Figure Painting in Medieval Japan,” an exhibit of 47 Japanese and Chinese works painted between the 13th and the 16th centuries. The exhibit explores the origins and traditions of painting associated with Zen Buddhist communities during an era of singular artistic merit. In many of the works, Buddhist monks are depicted in spirit-infused states, whether sleeping, dreaming, walking, or reaching enlightenment. Since World War II, there have been only two large-scale shows mounted on this subject outside Japan. Through Sunday, June 17, Tuesday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Japan Society, 333 E. 47th St., between First and Second avenues, 212-832-1155, $10 general, $8 students and seniors, free to members and children under 16.

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 that includes the jazz trumpeter’s FBI file. The Louis Armstrong House Museum hosts an opening reception on Thursday. Armstrong had come under criticism early on for playing before segregated, white audiences. But the influential singer and musician, a flashy stage personality easily recognizable in photos by an ever-present toothy smile, was also a quiet financial supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and other black activists. Through Monday, October 8, Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday–Sunday, noon–5 p.m., Louis Armstrong House Museum, 34-56 107 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.

DANCE

THE JOY OF DANCE The Brooklynbased Silver Brown Dance Company begins and concludes a brief season, this weekend. Pieces include a tango and a newly choreographed comedic ballet. Eva Silverstein is artistic director of the troupe, and Pamela James-Goodenow, Nile Russell, and Mary Glackmeyer are among featured dancers. Friday, 8 p.m., Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m., Ailey Citigroup Theater, Joan Weill Center for Dance, 405 W. 55th St. at Ninth Avenue, 212-352-3101, $100. For complete information, go to silverbrowndance.org.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME The New York City Ballet dances its final performances of Peter Martins’s “Romeo and Juliet,” about the doomed star-crossed lovers, set to the classic score by Sergei Prokofiev. The new staging of the ballet celebrates the centennial of the co-founder with choreographer George Balanchine of NYCB, Lincoln Kirstein. The production features set and costume designs by Danish painter Per Kirkeby and NYCB’s youngest talents are among those cast in the title roles. Mr. Martins is ballet master in chief of the ballet company. Friday, 8 p.m., Saturday, May 12, 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 13, 3 p.m., NYCB, New York State Theater, 20 Lincoln Center Plz., between Columbus Avenue and 62nd Street, 212-870-5570, $15–$95.

TICK, TOCK, YOU DON’T STOP “Hour Upon the Stage” is a new work by choreographer David Parker and his theater, the Bang Group. The dancers provide the “music” of the piece through percussive dancing. Performers include Jeffrey Kazin, Amber Sloan, and Emily Tschiffely. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Dance Theater Workshop, 219 W. 19th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, 212-924-0077, $25 general, $15 members.

FESTIVALS

COLORFUL SPREE The H&M High Line Festival, curated by David Bowie, features a weekend performance by the symphonic rock ensemble the Polyphonic Spree, led by co-leader and songwriter Tim DeLaughter. The group consists of 16 instrumentalists and eight choir members, all of whom perform from the Spree’s latest album, “The Fragile Army.” Friday, 8 p.m., Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom, 311 W. 34th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues, 212-840-3890, $35.

FILM

WAR-TORN NATIONS The 2007 Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival, presented by the nonprofit organizations Voice of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Academy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlights contemporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian cinematography and provides a platform for the exposure of up-and-coming and internationally renowned Bosnian-Herzegovinian filmmakers. The festival begins with screenings of Marko Santic’s “Good Luck Nedim” (“Sretan put Nedime”) (2006), about two brothers who struggle to enter Slovenia so that one brother, who suffers from terminal cancer, can die in his home country; and Ognjen Svilicic’s “Armin” (2007), about a Bosnian father and son who travel to Croatia to kick-start the son’s acting career. Friday, 7 p.m., Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick St., between Laight and Beach streets, 212-941-2001, $12.

MOTHER’S DAY

MOTHER’S DAY SMORGASBORD “Munch Around the Village,” a scavenger hunt organized by Watson Adventures, takes guests to a variety of Greenwich Village eateries. The gourmet delights of the area are on offer for Mother’s Day, from cheese and kebabs to chocolate and gelato. Along the way, participants are invited to sample dishes, and solve as teams a list of comical, challenging trivia about the streets and destinations they encounter. Sunday, 2–5 p.m., RSVP for meeting location, 877-946-4868, $12–$24. For complete information and to purchase tickets, go to watsonadventures.com.

MUSIC

KIND OF BLUE As part of its Music of the Masters series, Jazz at Lincoln Center presents “The Many Moods of Miles Davis,” an evening of performances of works by the visionary trumpeter. On Friday, a young trumpet player with the JALC orchestra, Ryan Kisor, and a Grammy-winning composer and trumpeter, Terence Blanchard, perform a program of Davis’s bebop and hard-bop selections, as well as pieces from his modal jazz album, “Kind of Blue.” On Saturday, a former bass guitarist for Davis, Marcus Miller, and a New Orleans-based trumpeter, Nicholas Payton, mine the music of the jazz great’s 1960s quintet and experiments with jazz fusion. Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., JALC, Frederick P. Rose Theater, 33 W. 60th St. at Broadway, 212-258-9800, $30–$120.

SINGING ON HIGH The Choral Society and Orchestra of Grace Church’s “Concert for Peace” features the choral music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, best known for his piece “Dona Nobis Pacem,” which was composed in 1936, and draws from the work of Walt Whitman, the Latin Mass, and the pacifist John Bright. The society is directed by John Maclay, and features more than 140 voices. Friday, 8 p.m., Grace Church, 802 Broadway at 10th Street, 212-254-2000, $20.

TWO TIMES AROUND Singer, pianist, and composer Gabriel Kahane performs his “Craigslistlieder” song cycle, in which he took postings from the Internet site and set them to his own style of rhythmically dense avant-garde jazz. After his performance, jazz pianist Dan Tepfer and his trio perform a reinterpretation of Mr. Kahane’s exact performance. Monday, 9:30 p.m., Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., between Broadway and Astor Place, 212-967-7555, $12.

PHOTOGRAPHY

BEFORE THE TEARS Photographer Erwin Olaf describes the subjects in his latest exhibit, “Grief,” as being captured during the “half-second after you receive bad news but before you react.” Selections from the exhibit include “Grace” (2007), above. Through Saturday, June 2, Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Hasted Hunt, 529 W. 20th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, third floor, 212-627-0006, free.

READINGS

AFTERNOON TEA WITH GILBERT & GEORGE In celebration of the publication of “The Complete Pictures, 1971–2005” (Aperture), British performance artists Gilbert & George host a book signing and traditional tea. A collaborative team who were pioneers in exploring performance as an art form, the pair mingled photography and graphics in a style that recalled advertising forms to address sexual identity and other controversial issues. The two-volume set is published on the 40th anniversary of the artists’ meeting and on the eve a major retrospective that will tour six venues around the world, including the Tate Modern, the Brooklyn Museum, and the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Saturday, 4 p.m., Lehmann Maupin Gallery, 540 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-255-2923, free.

TALKS

KING OF REGGAE A writer and recognized authority on reggae music, including the life and work of the legendary Bob Marley, Roger Steffens, leads “The Intimate Bob Marley,” a discussion and slide show about the musician. The event is presented with GlobeSonic Entertainment. Mr. Steffens is an author of “Bob Marley and the Wailers: The Definitive Discography” (Rounder), a compilation of all recordings made by Bob Marley, and former Wailers Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh that details album information such as accompanying musicians, engineers, studios, master tape information, and recording dates. Mr. Steffens has also participated in extensive tours of Israel, Guam, Canada, and other locales, where he brings his scholarship on all things Marley to fans. Sunday, 9:30 p.m., Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., between East 4th Street and Astor Place, 212-967-7555, $20.

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.