NYPL Events

NYPL Events: What's Happening 2/6-2/20

Elizabeth Bishop
Elizabeth Bishop.

Welcome to our biweekly update on events happening during the next two weeks at The New York Public Library. With 92 locations across New York City, a lot is happening at the Library. We're highlighting some of our events here—including author talks, free classes, community art shows, performances, concerts, and exhibitions—and you can always find more at nypl.org/events. If you want our round-up in your inbox, sign up here. We look forward to seeing you at the Library.

Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

2/15: Intimate Geometries: The Art and Life of Louise BourgeoisIn a career spanning nearly 75 years, Louise Bourgeois created a vast body of work that enriched the formal language of modern art while expressing her intense inner struggles with unprecedented candor and unpredictable creativity. Join art historian and artist Robert Storr at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building for a discussion of Intimate Geometries, his comprehensive survey of Bourgeois' life and art, with Deborah Kass and Irving Sandler, moderated by Christopher Lyon. Celeste Auditorium, 6:30 PM.

2/16: Conversations from the Cullman Center: Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast: Megan Marshall and Rosanna Warren discuss Marshall's new biography, Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast. A student of Bishop's at Harvard, Marshall includes passages of memoir and newly discovered letters to create a fascinating portrait of one of America's most revered poets. Berger Forum, 7 PM.

 The Journey of John Lewis
Get In the Way: The Journey of John Lewis

The Schomburg Center

2/15: Get In the Way: The Journey of John Lewis: Congressman John Lewis has been a leader in the fight for racial justice for over half a century, dating back to his activism in the Civil Rights Movement in 1963. The Schomburg Center is hosting a free screening of this documentary, which tells the story of Congressman Lewis' journey from the streets to the Capitol, and the lasting contributions he made to social justice and human rights along the way. 6:30 PM.

2/20: Theater Talks: August Wilson EffectAmidst a moment of vibrant reimaginings of August Wilson’s work, both on stage and screen, this conversation will explore Wilson's legacy and imagine the future trajectory of black storytelling. Producer Kamilah Forbes, playwright Chisa Hutchinson, writer, actor, and recording artist Carl Hancock Rux, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson, director of August Wilson’s Jitney on Broadway, will participate in a conversation moderated by the Director of the August Wilson Society, Dr. Sandra G. Shannon. 6:30 PM.

Library for the Performing Arts

2/9: Embodied: Dances for the SoulClassical ensemble Chamber16 presents works from the classical repertoire, as well as original improvisations, coupled with dances by choreographer Hannah Barnard. This interdisciplinary performance coupling sight and sound features violinist Sharon Gunderson, pianist Mary Bopp, and cellist Leah Coloff. Bruno Walter Auditorium, 6 PM.

2/11: ModernMedieval: Sanctum et Saeculare: ModernMedieval’s Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek and Elizabeth Weinfield come together to offer a program that combines medieval chant and song with music by 20th and 21st century composers.  With few surviving musical settings of secular Middle English texts, contemporary composers set these poems to music as part of an ongoing project to preserve and revive these historic texts. Bruno Walter Auditorium, 2:30 PM.

2/18: Ciname Sounds on Stage: NoMa Ensemble plays Herrmann and Mozart: Composer Bernard Herrmann is best remembered for his brilliant motion picture scores, including Psycho, North by Northwest, and Taxi Driver, but he also wrote scores for concert music, many of which can be found in the manuscript collections of the Library for the Performing Arts. NoMa Ensemble presents Souvenirs de Voyage (1967), the last chamber music work of Bernard Herrmann, plus the much-loved Mozart Clarinet Quintet. Bruno Walter Auditorium, 2:30 PM.

 Strategies for Creating Life-Enhancing Landscapes
Wild by Design: Strategies for Creating Life-Enhancing Landscapes.

Mid-Manhattan Library

2/15: Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine with Sarah Lohman: Black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and Sriracha: these eight flavors have shaped and united American cuisine from the beginnings of its culinary identity to today. Historical gastronomist Sarah Lohman discusses her new book on the history of American flavor, drawing from forgotten recipes to modern-day cookbooks to explain why our food tastes the way it does. 6:30 PM.

2/22: Wild by Design: Strategies for Creating Life-Enhancing LandscapesMargie Ruddick, the pioneering landscape designer, discusses her new book Wild by Design, which offers strategies for landscapers and architects to welcome nature into the urban environment. She will be joined by architect Robin Elmslie Osler and moderator Annette Rose-Shapiro, managing editor of MODERN magazine. The Corner Room, 6:30 PM.

Science, Industry, and Business Library

2/8: Reclaim Control and Get It DoneSome days you can bask in the feeling of accomplishment that comes with having checked off every task on your to-do list. But other days, you might not be so lucky. Stephany Shalofsky, a professional organizer, will share strategies that will help keep you on task and make chaos, confusion and anxiety a thing of the past. Conference Room 018, 6 PM.

2/15: Estate Planning Basics: As life expectancy has increased, the meaning of estate planning has grown more complex, expanding beyond the typical boundaries of laying out one's will. Daniel Timins, Esq., comes to SIBL to explain trust, powers of attorney, and how best to title assets that are transferred without the means of a will in this informative seminar. Conference Room 018, 3 PM.

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More Events

Note: Visit nypl.org/events or call ahead for the latest information, as programs and hours are subject to change or cancellation.