ART

SUMMERTIME PAINTINGS The summer group show season swings into full gear with “Representation” at Jenkins Johnson Gallery. The gallery’s two outposts, in New York and San Francisco, feature paintings and photographs by the gallery’s collective artists. Selections include D.J. Hall’s “Skylark” (2006), above. Through Saturday, July 21, Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Jenkins Johnson Gallery, 521 W. 26th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-629-0707, free.

DANCE

TAPPING WITH HAPPY FEET An American dancer and choreographer, Savion Glover, performs a summer season at the Joyce. Mr. Glover is the force behind the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, “Bring in the Noise, Bring in the Funk” (1996), and the choreographer for the tap dancing penguin featured in the animated film “Happy Feet” (2006). For this show, Mr Glover delivers an energetic program including his signature style of tap, “hitting,” and footwork that appears to double as musical accompaniment. Tonight 7:30 p.m., through Saturday, July 14, Monday–Tuesday 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, 2 and 7:30 p.m., Thursday–Fri day, 8 p.m., Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m., Joyce Theater. 175 Eighth Ave., between 18th and 19th streets, 212-242 0800, $44 general, $33 members.

FILM

THE ARTY POLITIC The apexart gallery presents a three-day film series, “Terror Tactics,” featuring films that focus on how the visual arts are able to investigate culture and its relationships to politics, wealth, power, desire, and autonomy. Filmmakers include Mark Boswell, Jordan Crandall, Jim Finn, Jenny Perlin, Martha Rosler, and the Speculative Archive. On Thursday night, independent curator and art critic Olga Kopenkina presents a panel discussion about the same issues with Messrs. Boswell and Finn, and a professor of politics at the Université de Paris, Anton Koslov. Film series, today–Thursday, noon–5 p.m., panel discussion, Thursday, 8 p.m., apexart, 291 Church St., between White and Walker streets, 212-431-5270, free.

MUSIC

UPRIGHT JAZZ BRIGADE Bassist Christian McBride performs at the Village Vanguard for the first time in a decade. He celebrates the arrival with the formation of a new band, the Christian McBride Quintet, featuring pianist Eric Reed, alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, and drummer Carl Allen. The Philadelphia-born bassist began his career in New York as a shortterm student at Juilliard, but was quickly absorbed into the downtown jazz scene. Tonight through Sunday, 9 and 11 p.m., Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. South at Perry Street, 212-255-4037, $35.

BANJO PLUCKING The sisterly duo Rising Appalachia, featuring musicians Leah and Chloe Smith, play both traditional and contemporary bluegrass and country. The band performs songs from its second release “Scale Down.” Tonight, 9 p.m., Think Coffee, 248 Mercer St. at Grand Street, 212-228-6226, free.

CASUAL CONCERT SERIES The New York Philharmonic performs as part of its Summertime Classics series, indoor and outdoor concerts highlighting popular and themed repertoire. This week’s program, “On the Beautiful Blue Danube,” features works by Franz Liszt and Johann Strauss II. A guest conductor, Bramwell Tovey, leads the orchestra, and pianist Markus Groh has his debut with the Philharmonic. Concertgoers are invited to arrive early for a drink on the piazza by the fountain. Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Friday, 8 p.m., New York Philharmonic, Avery Fisher Hall, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, Broadway and 65th Street, 212-875-5900, $24–$54.

READINGS

SNIFFING OUT TROUBLE Partners & Crime Mystery Booksellers hosts the author of “A Dog About Town” (Random House), J.F. Englert. The novel tells the tale of Harry, a neurotic Manhattan resident who is mourning the loss of a girlfriend. When Harry becomes entangled in a circle of would-be occultists, his loyal Labrador, Randolph, takes on the task of guarding his hapless owner. Mr. Englert reads from and signs copies of his book. Pets are welcome. Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Partners & Crime Mystery Booksellers, 44 Greenwich Ave. at Charles Street, 212-243-0440, free.

CONFESSIONS OF A BIOGRAPHER Author Meryle Secrest reads from her memoir, “Shoot the Widow: Adventures of a Biographer in Search of Her Subject” (Knopf). A career biographer — nine under her belt, including Stephen Sondheim and Frank Lloyd Wright — Ms. Secrest details the hazards of the genre, from reluctant spouses of dead subjects and permissions withheld, to inaccessible archives and interviews denied. Among the highlights is a poignant interview with an ailing Salvador Dalí, and glimpses of the author’s own life growing up in Bath, England. A book signing follows the talk. Thursday, 7 p.m., Strand Bookstore, 828 Broadway at 12th Street, second floor, 212-473-1452, $35 includes a signed copy of the book.

WAKE UP AND READ 3 AM magazine, published in Britain, features fiction, author interviews, poetry, and criticism both on the Web and in print form. The magazine hosts a party night, featuring readings from authors including Ellen Kennedy, Zachery German, Ned Vizzini, and Tao Lin. Thursday, 7 p.m., KGB Bar, 85 E. 4th St. at Second Avenue, 212-505-3360, free.

SOIRÉES

SURVIVAL INSTINCTS TamarindArt gallery presents a sale of 52 watercolor paintings created by Sri Lankan child survivors of the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami. The sale is cosponsored by the nonprofit organization AmeriCares. After the sale, the artwork is displayed in a hanging exhibit between Wednesday and Saturday. Sale, tomorrow, 6 p.m., exhibit, Wednesday–Friday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday, noon–6 p.m., TamarindArt gallery, 142 E. 39th St., between Third and Lexington avenues, 203-658-9556, free, reservations required.

TALKS

POWERFUL WOMEN The New-York Historical Society’s annual Strawberry Benefit marks the beginning of its “Women in Public Life” series, featuring talks by prominent women in politics and society. This year’s featured speaker is the wife of presidential candidate Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, who is an attorney and the vice president of community and external affairs at the hospitals of the University of Chicago. Previous Strawberry Festival speakers include playwright Wendy Wasserstein, Hillary Clinton, and Anna Quindlen. Today, 12:30 p.m., NYHS, 170 Central Park West at 77th Street, 212-873-3400, $300–$1,000.

PRETTY PARKS The Citizens Budget Commission and the nonprofit organization New Yorkers for Parks hosts a panel discussion in conjunction with the release of a new CBC report on “Making the Most of Our Parks,” which offers a blueprint for improving city public parks. Panelists include the commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation, Adrian Benepe; the executive director of the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation, Dan Biederman, and the chairwoman of the New York City Council Committee on Parks and Recreation, Helen Foster. Tomorrow, 8:15 a.m., Municipal Art Society, 457 Madison Ave., between 50th and 51st streets, 212-279-2605, free.

JAZZ FOR THE INTELLECT As part of its “Live at Lincoln” series, Barnes & Noble hosts Yusef La-Teef, a multi-reedist, composer, and arranger. Mr. LaTeef’s groundbreaking career in jazz dates back to the 1950s. He performs selections from recent albums and discusses his newly published memoir, “The Gentle Giant” (Morton). Thursday, 7 p.m., Barnes and Noble, Lincoln Center Triangle, 1972 Broadway at 66th Street, 212-595-6859, free.

THEATER

SOLO STAR Theater icon Elaine Stritch performs in a one-night-only special presentation of “Spalding Gray: Stories Left To Tell,” which revisits many of the late monologist’s most famous writings. Ms. Stritch joins regular cast members Kathleen Chalfant, Hazelle Goodman, Frank Wood, and Darnell Williams. Tonight, 8 p.m., Minetta Lane Theatre, 18 Minetta Lane, between Sixth Avenue and MacDougal Street, 212-420-8000, $35–$65.

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