READINGS

OKAY, COMPUTER McNally Robinson Booksellers presents a reading by Lee Siegel, the author of “Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob” (Spiegel & Grau). Mr. Siegel, who is also a contributor to The New York Sun, discusses the Internet and how it has reshaped culture, even in ways that many observers have not yet realized. The Web is morphing old-fashioned notions of art as self-expression and changing how privacy is perceived among new generations, the author argues. Tonight, 7 p.m., McNally Robinson Booksellers, 52 Prince St., between Lafayette and Mulberry streets, 212-274-1160, free.

ART

LOOP DE LOOP “From the Studio: Agnes Jacobs,” an exhibit presented by Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts, focuses on works the artist created between shows, and that have never before been on view. Ms. Jacobs’s signature style features colorful, seemingly spontaneous loops and squiggles. Through Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts, 3 Jay St. at Hudson Street, 212-925-9424, free.

YOUNG AT HEART Khalif Kelly makes his New York debut with his first solo exhibit, “Recess.” Mr. Kelly counts Jacob Lawrence and George Pal among his influences, and his brightly colored figures bear that out. The images on view recall the artist’s early childhood interactions with youngsters his own age, and the rituals that make those experiences memorable, if a bit awkward. Through Sunday, February 10, Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Thierry Goldberg Projects, 5 Rivington St., between Chrystie Street and the Bowery, 212-967-2260, free.

IN THE ABSTRACT Born in 1930, Robert Natkin is considered to be one of a pioneering group of abstract painters who flourished in Chicago during the 1950s and ’60s. In recent years, he has increasingly focused on painting portraits. Still, he has not abandoned entirely his signature abstract works, which feature oblong shapes painted with soft lines. A selection that reflects both genres is currently on view.

Through Saturday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., David Findlay Jr. Fine Art, 41 E. 57th St. at Madison Avenue, 212-486-7660, free.

ANTIQUES ENTHUSIASTS “An Eye Toward Perfection: The Shaker Museum and Library,” a loan exhibit that highlights Shaker furniture design during the last quarter of the 19th century, is the centerpiece of the 54th Winter Antiques Show at the Park Avenue Armory. The antiques show features American, English, European, and Asian fine and decorative arts. All net proceeds from the show benefit the nonprofit East Side House Settlement. Today and Friday–Saturday, noon–8 p.m., tomorrow and Sunday, noon–6 p.m., Park Avenue Armory, 67th Street at Park Avenue, 718-292-7392, $20 (includes show catalog). For complete information or to purchase tickets to Young Collectors’ Night on Thursday, go to winterantiquesshow.com.

THE WORLD OUTSIDE An artist of Cuban-Dominican heritage, Quisqueya Henriquez, has her first major survey, at the Bronx Museum. The show features a selection of sculptures, installations, drawings, photographs, videos, and light/sound works created between 1991 and 2007. The artist’s pieces frequently explore themes such as environment and its role in how cultural clichés are produced. Ms. Henriquez aligns herself with an avant-garde group of Cuban artists that rose to prominence in the 1980s. Through Sunday, Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street, 718-681-6000, $5 general, $3 students and seniors.

DANCE

CONTROLLED CHAOS A New York-based dance troupe, Armitage Gone! Dance, performs “Connoisseurs of Chaos,” an evening-length work choreographed by the group’s artistic director, Karole Armitage. The work is set to composer Morton Feldman’s “Patterns in a Chromatic Field,” and forms part three of “The Dream Trilogy,” which Ms. Armitage began creating in 2004.

Tonight, 7:30 p.m., tomorrow, 7 p.m., Friday–Saturday, 8 p.m., and Sunday, 7:30 p.m., Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Ave. at 19th Street, 212-242-0800, $25–$44.

MULTIMEDIA

MELVILLE IN MINIATURE Art 101 presents the opening of an exhibit of paintings and essays by Jane Freeman, inspired by Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.” Ms. Freeman is best known for her painstakingly intricate miniatures, some of which are also on view. Highlights of “Melville, Miniatures, and More” include two 19th-century theme pieces that were created exclusively for this show: “The Spouter Inn; The Creaking Sign” and “The Spouter Inn; The Patchwork Quilt.” A reception for the artist is on Sunday at 4 p.m. Opens Friday, through Sunday, February 17, Friday–Sunday, 1–6 p.m., or by appointment, 101 Grand St. at Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718-302-2242, free.

OPERA

SALUTING THE MASTERS The magazine Opera News hosts its third annual awards presentation at the Pierre Hotel. Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham and actress Sigourney Weaver are co-hosts of the event. (Ms. Graham most recently appeared in the Metropolitan Opera’s “Iphigénie en Tauride.”) A cocktail reception precedes the gala dinner and ceremony. Among the honorees are an American conductor, Julius Rudel; a dramatic mezzo who first became known while creating roles in Russia’s Mariinsky Theatre, Olga Borodina, and the pioneering black American soprano, Leontyne Price. All of the honorees are expected to be on hand to accept their awards; soprano Deborah Voigt is one of the event’s presenters. Tomorrow, 6 p.m., the Pierre Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 2 E. 61st St. at Fifth Avenue. For information on how to purchase tickets, call 212-769-7009, or go to metoperafamily.org/guild.

READINGS

MOTHERS AND SONS In “Swimming in a Sea of Death” (Simon & Schuster), writer David Rieff’s memoir and tribute to his mother, Susan Sontag, readers are given a window into the last nine months of the critic and essayist’s life. Sontag died in December 2004 after a prolonged battle with cancer. Mr. Rieff takes a frank approach, producing an intense portrait of a mother-son relationship during a difficult period. The author reads from his book and discusses what it means to face death in contemporary America. Tonight, 7:30 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 1972 Broadway at 65th Street, 212-595-6859, free.

TALKS

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

The New York School of Interior Design hosts a talk with the head gardener for His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, David Howard. The discussion, the first of four, is presented in conjunction with the exhibit “Watercolors From the Highgrove Florilegium,” a collection of botanical paintings. Mr. Howard, who has tended the gardens at Highgrove for Prince Charles for seven years, discusses the varieties of plants, fruits, and vegetables growing on the 15-acre, wholly organic green. The exhibit opens tomorrow at the Gallery of the New York School of Interior Design. Tonight, 6 p.m., NYSID, Arthur King Satz Hall, 170 E. 70th St., between Lexington and Third avenues, 212-472-1500, $35 general, $125 series ticket for four lectures.

IT AIN’T PRETTY The 92nd Street Y hosts “The Bad and the Ugly: Jack Cafferty in Conversation with Sue Simmons.” A commentator for CNN’s political program “The Situation Room,” Mr. Cafferty is an outspoken and often provocative voice in the din that can be characteristic of the 24-hour news channels. His “The Cafferty Files” segments regularly draw the ire and praise of loyal viewers. Ms. Simmons, a veteran broadcast journalist with more than 30 years in the field, is a co-anchor of New York’s highly rated “News Channel 4/ Live at Five” and “News Channel 4 at 11” newscasts. The CNN personality engages in a debate about his newly published “It’s Getting Ugly Out There: The Frauds, Bunglers, Liars, and Losers Who Are Hurting America” (Wiley), in which he denounces poor leadership, press and broadcast shortcomings, and government missteps with the exasperated, satirical tone that is his signature. Iraq, immigration, terrorism, and President Bush are all up for discussion. Tomorrow, 8:15 p.m., 92nd Street Y, Kaufmann Concert Hall, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, $26.

THEATER

TEMPERS WILL FLARE The Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College presents “The Tempest,” Shakespeare’s classic drama. When a shipwrecked group is marooned on an island populated by mythical creatures, a magician with a grudge sets out to avenge his misfortunes. The play, widely believed to be the last Shakespeare wrote entirely on his own, blends romance, tragedy, comedy, and the supernatural. Davis McCallum directs this multicultural staging.

Sunday, 2 p.m., Brooklyn College, Whitman Theater, 2900 Campus Rd. at Hillel Place, Brooklyn, 718-951-4500, $20–$30.

SCULPTURE

OUT OF THIS WORLD “Lived Live Evil Devil,” Diana Puntar’s new collection of architecturally inspired sculptures, is on view at Oliver Kamm/5BE Gallery. The artist uses mass-produced materials such as foam, plywood, and lawn ornaments to create an otherworldly aura. Her pieces — suspended from the ceiling or placed on the gallery floor — actually glow in the dark with the help of phosphorescent paint. Selections include an untitled sculpture from 2007, above. Through Saturday, February 16, Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Oliver Kamm/5BE Gallery, 621 W. 27th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-255-0979, free.

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