GALLERIES Galleries A Taste of Art 147 Duane St. ...

A Taste of Art 147 Duane St. (W. B'way),212-964-5493. Mon.-Fri. 12-8; Sat. 12-6. Free. "Writings on the Wall," Andrea Bonifacio explores commuting in New York using collages of pennies, plexiglass, MetroCards & more [through 4/21].

AXA Gallery 787 7th Ave. (51st St.),212-554-2015, www.axa-financial.com Mon.-Fri. 11-6; Sat. 12-5. Free. "Edward Weston & Margrethe Mather: A Passionate Collaboration," showing of photographs taken by two great, pre-WWII American artists. Exhibition runs in conjunction w/curator Beth Gates Warren's publication of the same name [through 4/19].

Ceres 584/588 B'way #306 (betw. Prince & Houston Sts.),212-226-4725. Tues.-Sat. 12-6. Free. "Light in the Season," 10 airy oil & pastel paintings by artist Vivian Tsao [through 3/29].

Claire Oliver Fine Art 529 W. 20th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.),212-929-5949, www.cofa.info Tues.-Sat. 11-6. Free. "BegoÒa Montalb·n: Reflections in the Mirror," Spanish artist's first U.S. show. Real surreal photos & videos of elegant science-fictiony super-humans [through 5/10].

The Cuban Art Space 124 W. 23rd St. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.),212-242-0559, www.cubanartspace.net Tues.-Fri. 11-7; Sat. 12-5. Free. "Women Artists of Cuba," group show of leading Cuban female artists. Mediums range from small prints & large oils to mixed media [through 4/26].

Exit Art 475 10th Ave. (36th St.),212-966-7745, www.exitart.org Mon.-Sat. 12-8; Sun. 12-6. Min. contrib. $2. "Exit Biennial: The Reconstruction," Exit Art celebrates its new location with 34 site-specific installations by 46 artists [through 5/4].

Eyejammie Fine Arts Gallery 516 W. 25th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.),212-645-0061, www.eyejammie.com Mon.-Sat. 12-6. Free. "Michael Benabib Solo Show," inaugural show at new space devoted to hip-hop culture. Sixty images of "the greatest hiphoppers at large" from 1987 to the present [through 4/19].

Gallery 292 120 Wooster St. (betw. Prince & Spring Sts.),212-431-0292, www.gallery292.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6. Free. "William Klein: Tokyo 1961," stark photos expose Tokyo's contradictory regimented yet chaotic nature [through 5/3].

Hirschl & Adler Galleries 21 E. 70th St. (Madison Ave.),212-535-8810, www.hirschlandadler.com Tues.-Fri. 9:30-5:15; Sat. 9:30-4:45. Free. "John Moore: Recent Works," artist's eighth solo show feat. 16 urban still lifes in oil [through 4/26].

Howard Greenberg Gallery 120 Wooster St. (betw. Prince & Spring Sts.),212-431-0292, www.howardgreenberg.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6. Free. "Art Photography in Japan 1920-1940," pre-WWII photos by various artists ranging in style from pictorialism to early modernism [through 5/3].

Jim Kempner Fine Art 501 W. 23rd St. (10th Ave.),212-206-6872, www.artnet.com/jkfa.html Tues.-Sat. 10-6. Free. "Robert Rauschenberg: Prints & Unique Works," show of the artist's works from the 1960s to the present [through 4/26].

Kaufman Arcade 139 W. 39th St. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.),212-964-2671. Mon.-Fri. 8-8; Sat. 8-5. Free. "Art for Fashion," downtown gallery, A Taste of Art, curates mixed-media show feat. American & European samples [through 4/5].

Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation 127-B Prince St. (Wooster St.),212-673-7007, www.leslielohman.org Tues.-Sat. 1-6. Free. "Deliciously Depraved," exhibition of naughty art by the Hun, Michael Kirwan, Howard Cruse, Rob Clarke & Adam [through 4/19].

LFL Gallery 531 W. 26th St., 4th fl. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.),212-631-7700, www.lflgallery.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6. Free. "Happenstance," Holly Coulis' installation of ghost paintings, brings to life a selection of ghost stories [through 4/5].

Littlejohn Contemporary 41 E. 57th St. (Madison Ave.),212-980-2323, www.littlejohncontemporary.com Tues.-Sat. 10-5:30. Free. "Recent Paintings," dreamy self-portraits by Julie Heffernan [through 4/19].

92nd St. Y Milton J. Weill Art Gallery 1395 Lexington Ave. (92nd St.),212-415-5500, www.92y.org Mon.-Sun. 9:30-5. Free. "Sima Ariam: Portraits," portraits of Israeli & American cultural figures incl. Shimon Peres, Bill & Hillary Clinton, Ehud Barak & Susan Sontag [through 4/18].

Paul Rodgers/9W Gallery 529 W. 20th St. (10th Ave.),212-414-9810, www.paulrodgers9w.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6. Free. "Transfigurations," five heat-generating sculptures by Buffalo's Michael Dominick [through 3/29].

Plum Blossoms Gallery 555 W. 25th St. (11th Ave.),212-719-7008, www.plumblossoms.com Tues.-Sat. 10:30-6:30. Free. "Ellen Kaplowitz: A World of Decent Dreams," over 20 large photographs of the people & culture of Vietnam. "Le Thiet Cuong: Unspoken Dialogue," internationally acclaimed Vietnamese artist's show of paintings & sculptures [through 4/19].

Robert Mann Gallery 210 11th Ave., 10th fl. (betw. 24th & 25th Sts.),212-989-7600, www.robertmann.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6. Free. "Flesh Tones: 100 Years of the Nude," examines the nude as captured by some of the most noted photographers of the 20th-century incl. Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Brassaï, Sally Mann & Man Ray [through 4/19].

Smack Mellon Studios 56 Water St. (Front St.), Bklyn,718-834-8761, www.smackmellon.org Weds.-Sun. 12-6. Free. "RAW," group show addresses social awareness & urban space through photography, video, drawing & performance [through 4/6].

Sterilemind Gallery 230 Mulberry St. (betw. Prince & Spring Sts.),212-941-6767, www.sterilemind.com Tues.-Sat. 12-7. Free. "The Photography of Gerrit Sievert Osnabrück," images of German urban landscapes [through 4/26].

Synchronicity Fine Arts 106 W. 13th St. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.),646-230-8199, www.synchronicityspace.com Tues.-Sat. 12-6. Free. "New Works on Paper," abstract mixed media by Vita Petersen mingles urban landscape w/still lifes [through 3/29].

Westbeth Gallery 55 Bethune St. (betw. West & Washington Sts.),212-989-4650, www.westbeth.org Fri.-Sun. 1-6. For private appts. call 212-691-0595. Free. "Then and Now," bright & cheerful still life paintings by Sandra Caplan [through 3/30].

Museums/Cultural Inst.

American Museum of Natural History Central Park W. (79th St.),212-769-5100, www.amnh.org Daily 10-5:45. $12, $9 st./s.c., $7 child. The First Europeans: Treasures from the Hills of Atapuerca," nearly 70 ancient hominid fossils, stone tools & artifacts from northern Spain, dating as far back as a million years [through 4/13]. "Einstein," comprehensive exhibition on dude synonymous with e=mc2, creating "special theory of relativity" & proving the existence & size of molecules. Displayed in five parts ("Einstein's Revolution," "Life and Times," "Light," "Time," "Energy") this presentation incl. photos, cartoons & documents never-before-seen by the public [through 8/10] "Vietnam: Journeys of the Body, Mind & Spirit," comprehensive exhibition on Vietnamese life today [through 1/4/04]

Asia Society 725 Park Ave. (70th St.),212-517-2742, www.asiasociety.org Tues.-Thurs., Sat. & Sun. 11-6; Fri. 11-9. $7, $4 st./s.c., child. under 16 free. "Montien Boonma: Temple of the Mind," first retrospective on Thai artist (1953-2000) incl. charcoal sketches, soul drawings, perfume paintings, sculptures & mixed-media works [through 5/11]. "The World of Buddhism," exhibition exploring important concepts and imagery of Buddhism [through 10/19].

Brooklyn Museum of Art 200 Eastern Pkwy. (Washington Ave.), Bklyn,718-638-5000, www.brooklynart.org Weds.-Fri. 10-5; Sat. & Sun. 11-6; first Sat. of the month 11-11. Free. "The Last Expression: Art and Auschwitz," more than 200 works of art created by victims of the Holocaust in death & concentration camps during WWII [through 6/15].

Children's Galleries for Jewish Culture 515 W. 20th St. 4E (10th Ave.),212-924-4500, www.jcllcm.com Sun. 2-5. $5. "From Home to Home: Jewish Immigration to America," ongoing interactive exhibition for kids ages 6-12 followed by arts & crafts. No strollers.

Dia Center for the Arts 548 W. 22nd St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.),212-989-5566, www.diacenter.org Weds.-Sun. 10-6. $6, $3 st./s.c. "Refraction," installation incorporating reflection, transparent boundaries & the meaning of art by Jorge Pardo & Gerhard Richter [through 6/15].

Freakatorium Museum/El Museo Loco 57 Clinton St. (betw. Stanton & Rivington Sts.),212-375-0475, www.freakatorium.com Thurs.-Sun. 1-7. $5, $3 child. under 12. "Cabinet of Curiosities," collection of oddities culled by sword swallower, Johnny Fox, incl. photography from the 1800s, hermaphrodites, freaks, Sammy Davis' glass eye & other strange acquisitions.

Gallery at Lincoln Center B'way, concourse level (64th St.),212-580-4673, www.lincolncenter.org Mon.-Sat. 10-8. "Starstruck!," exhibit & sale of photos feat. the great stars of opera, music, stage & film by John Lettang as presented by the Metropolitan Opera Guild [through 3/29].

Hebrew Union College Brookdale Center 1 W. 4th St. (betw. B'way & Mercer St.),212-824-2205, www.huc.edu Mon.-Thurs. 9-5; Fri. 9-3; selected Sun. 10-2. Free. "LILITH Magazine: The Voice of the Jewish Community," illustrations, manuscripts, photos & other memorabilia celebrating more than 25 years of feminist Jewish journalism [through 6/27]. "Thirty Pieces/Thirty Years: Sculpture by Ann Sperry," works contrast & compare feminism w/Jewish heritage [through 6/26].

International Center of Photography 1133 6th Ave. (43rd St.),212-857-0000, www.icp.org Tues.-Thurs. 10-5; Fri. 10-8; Sat. & Sun. 10-6. $10, $7 st./s.c. "Bronzeville: Black Chicago in Pictures," Over 120 photos from 1941-43 taken on Chicago's South Side exhibit the many facets of the black urban community during that time. Images of bustling streets, overcrowded apartments & social protests describe a struggling but vibrant society [through 5/25].

Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum Pier 86 W. 46th St. (12th Ave.),212-245-0072, www.intrepidmuseum.org Tues.-Sun. 10-5. $12, $9 vets./reservists/st./s.c., $6 child. 6-11, $2 child. 2-5, active duty/child. 0-2 free. "All Hands on the Deck," test your coding & knot-tying skills. "Intrepid Remembers 9/11," indoor & outdoor exhibit incl. 17 ft. by 10 ft. mural & two steal beams from the WTC. "Attack Cobra Helicopter," earlier version of copter deployed to Afghanistan. "Virtual Flight Simulators," 4-D experience.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Grace Rainey Rogers Aud. 5th Ave. (82nd St.),212-570-3949. Tues.-Thurs. & Sun. 9:30-5:30; Fri. & Sat. 9:30-9. $10, $5 st./s.c., child. under 12 free. "Arts of the Spanish Americas, 1550-1850," religious & secular Latin American ceramics, textiles, drinking vessels & sculpture [through 4/6]. "African-American Artists: 1929-1945," more than 80 paintings, drawings & prints taken from the museum's collection [through 5/4]. "Arms and Armor: Notable Acquisitions 1991-2002" [through 6/29].

Museum of Arts & Design 40 W. 53rd St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.),212-956-3535, www.americancraftmuseum.org Tues., Weds., Fri.-Mon. 10-6; Thurs. 10-8. $8, $5 st./s.c., child. under 12 free. "Libensky and His Students: 44 Czech Glass Artists," 73 decorative glass objects created by 41 pupils, plus four pieces by Libensky & his wife/collaborator Jaroslava Brychtova [through 6/8].

Museum of Chinese in the Americas 70 Mulberry St. (Bayard St.),212-619-4785, www.moca-nyc.org Tues.-Sun. 12-5. $3, $1 st./s.c., child. under 12 free. "Gotta Sing Gotta Dance!: Chinese America in the Nightclub Circuit," showcase of photographs taken during first half of 20th century capturing Asian performers defying mainstream expectations [through 5/31]. "Portraits of a Neighborhood; Family Portraits by the FIT Photography Club," images from May 2002's "Family Photo Day" sponsored by MOCA [through 5/31].

Museum of Modern Art in Queens 33rd St. (Queens Blvd.), L.I.C.,212-708-9400 , www.moma.org Thurs. & Sun. 10-5; Fri. & Sat. 10-9. $12, $8.50 st./s.c., Fri. after 4 pay-what-you-wish . "Matisse Picasso," collection addressing the relationship (both personal & artistic) between two great 20th-century artists, brings together pieces from public & private collections [through 5/19].

Museum of the City of New York 1220 5th Ave. (103rd St.),212-534-1672, www.mcny.org Weds.-Sat. 10-5; Sun. 12-5. $7, $4 st./s.c./child., $12 families. "Between Worlds?Kabul/New York, 2001: Photographs by Anthony Suau," journalist juxtaposes two cities after 9/11 [through 4/13] "Roaring into the Twenties: The New New York Woman," these fabulous women threw off social restraints by throwing on short skirts, cutting their hair & doing as they darn well pleased. See their costumes, jewelry & photos.

National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center, 1 Bowling Green (betw. State & Whitehall Sts.),212-514-3700, www.nmai.si.edu Fri.-Weds. 10-5; Thurs. 10-8. Free. "The New Old World: Antilles?Living Beyond the Myth," photographs depicting current life & culture of Taino & Caribe communities in the Caribbean [through 3/20]. "The Edge of Enchantment," photographs, multimedia installations & video footage examining the lives of Native communities in Oaxaca, Mexico [through 7/15]. "All Roads Are Good: Native Voices on Life & Culture," displays more than 300 symbolic objects [permanent].

New Museum of Contemporary Art 583 B'way (betw. Houston & Prince Sts.),212-219-1222, www.newmuseum.org Tues.-Sun. 12-6; Thurs. 12-8. Free Thurs. 6-8. $6, $3 st./s.c., child. under 18 free. "Super-Ficial: The Surfaces of Architecture in a Digital Age," architects from New York, Berlin & Los Angeles exhibit drawings & models both real & theoretical [through 4/6]. "Living Inside the Grid," 24 artists use grid motif to incite thought on overly technological world, mediums incl. computer, video, sculpture & photography [through 6/15].

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Dorothy & Lewis B. Cullman Center, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, 65th St. (Amsterdam Ave.),212-870-1630, www.nypl.org Thurs. 12-8; Tues., Weds., Fri. & Sat. 12-6. Free. "Vaslav Nijinsky: Creating a New Artistic Eradisplay," more than 250 artifacts incl. photographs & dancer/choreographer's diary. [through 5/3]. "Original Cast Recordings," more than 100 years of musicals, operettas & productions from Robin Hood to Bombay Dreams [through 6/7].

The New-York Historical Society 2 W. 77th St. (Central Park W.),212-873-3400, www.nyhistory.org Tues.-Sun. 11-6. $6, $4 st./s.c., child. under 12 free. "Julz Rulz: Inside the Mind of Jules Feiffer," survey of works by multitalented New Yorker who is probably best known for his cartoons & satirical look on modern culture [through 5/18]. Aforementioned exhibition runs in conjunction w/"Feiffer's Family Tree," feat. comic strips & cartoons that influenced Feiffer [through 6/1]. "The Games We Played" displays over 150 board games, many of which were manufactured here in the city, from 1865 to present [through 6/30]. "Presidential Manuscripts," series of exhibitions feat. one President at a time [long term]. "Beals, Hervey, and Hewitt: Women Pioneers of Architecture and Design Photography," three pioneering female photographers' photos of NY. [through 7/13]. "Bella C. Landauer: Collector of Enterprise," one of the premier collections of trading cards, lottery tickets, matchbooks & more [through 6/1]. "Enterprising Women: 250 Years of American Business" tells the stories of American business women from the colonial era to now [through 6/1]. "Eva Zeisel" installation by industrial design & ceramics creator whose career spans most of the 20th century [through 6/1].

NY Transit Museum Gallery Annex, Grand Central Terminal, 42nd St. (Park Ave. S.),718-694-5100, www.mta.nyc.ny.us/museum Mon.-Fri. 8-8; Sat. & Sun. 10-6. Free. "Travel by Train: The American Railroad Poster, 1870-1950," approximately 20 over-sized prints (30" long x 20" wide) documents the thrill of train travel [through 6/22].

P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center 22-25 Jackson Ave. (46th Ave.), LIC,718-784-2084, www.ps1.org Thurs.-Mon. 12-6. $5, $2 st./s.c. "Yoko Ono: Freight Train," bullet hole riddled freight train installation inspired by death of Mexican workers attempting to enter United States. "After Matisse/Picasso," New York-based painters pay homage to Matisse & Picasso on stretched canvas in conjunction w/MOMA QNS exhibit [through 5/17].

Queens Museum of Art New York City Bldg., Flushing Meadows (), Corona Park,718-592-9700, www.queensmuse.org Tues.-Fri. 10-5; Sat. & Sun. 12-5. Contrib. $5, $2.50 st./s.c., child. under 5 free. "Secret Games: Wendy Ewald Collaborative Works with Children 1969-1999," explores social issues by seeing them through the eyes of children [through 6/8].

Whitney Museum of American Art 945 Madison Ave. (75th St.),212-570-3676, www.whitney.org Tues.-Thurs., Sat. & Sun. 11-6; Fri. 1-9. $10, $8 st./s.c./groups 10 or more; Fri. 6-9 pay-what-you-wish. "Dennis Oppenheim: Aspen Projects," first group of nine short films [through 5/25]. "Scanning: The Aberrant Architectures of Diller & Scofidio," retrospective on husband/wife team whose projects combine architecture, performing arts & visual arts [through 5/25].

Openings/Receptions

Allen Sheppard Gallery 135 W. 24th St. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.),212-989-9919, www.artbackroom.com Tues.-Sat. 12-6. Free. "In Earth There is Heart," hand embossed copper collages by Nancy Scheinman [reception 3/27 from 6-8, through 5/3].

Art in General 79 Walker St. (betw. B'way & Lafayette St.),212-219-0473, www.artingeneral.org Tues.-Sat. 12-6. Free. "Reconfiguring Space: Blueprints for Art In General," show of proposed designs for renovation of this art space's, um, space?see Around Town listing for opening info. [opens 3/29, through 5/31].

Bonni Benrubi Gallery 52 E. 76th St. (betw. Park & Madison Aves.),212-517-3766, www.bonnibenrubi.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6. Free. "Jean Gaumy: Men at Sea," photos from adventures on deep-sea trawlers depicting the daily life of commercial fishermen [reception 3/27 from 6-8, through 5/10].

Clockwork Apple Gallery 32B Gansevoort St. (Hudson & 9th Ave.),212-229-1187, www.clockwork-apple.com Mon.-Sun. 11-6. Free. "Bridging Memories," ink-jet printed architectural images by Eitan Vitkon

& Lila Chitayat of Litko Lab [through 5/3].

Cooper Union Foundation Bldg. E. 7th St. (3rd Ave.),212-353-4214, www.cooper.edu Mon.-Fri. 11-7; Sat. 12-5. Free. "Canon Digital Creators Contest Exhibition," exhibit of award winners' work from Canon's recent global contest [opens 3/27, through 4/12].

Fredericks Freiser Gallery 504 W. 22nd St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves. ),212-633-6555. "Zak Smith," pop artist presents his mixed media photochemical processed works [reception 3/29 from 6-8, through 5/3].

Haim Chanin Fine Arts 210 11th Ave. 2nd fl. (betw. 24th & 25th Sts.),646-230-7200, www.haimchanin.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6. Free. "Oteiza," geometric sculptures made from alabaster & iron by Basque artist Jorge Oteiza [reception 3/27 from 6-8, through 5/31].

Hirschl & Adler Galleries 21 E. 70th St. (Madison Ave.),212-535-8810, www.hirschlandadler.com Tues.-Fri. 9:30-5:15; Sat. 9:30-4:45. Free. "Observation and Creation: 200 Years of the Still Life," all sorts of still lifes featuring (traditionally) fruits, veggies & pottery, sometimes even pretzels [opens 3/27, through 4/26].

The New-York Historical Society 2 W. 77th St. (Central Park W.),212-873-3400, www.nyhistory.org Tues.-Sun. 11-6.. $6, $4 st./s.c., child. under 12 free. "African American Masters: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum," sixty-one paintings, sculptures & photos by artists exploring their bicultural heritage [opens 4/1, through 6/1].

The Painting Center 52 Greene St. (betw. Broome & Grand Sts.),212-343-1060, www.thepaintingcenter.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6. Free. "The Morula Series recent paintings by Sarah Lutz. A morula is "the scientific term for a mass of dividing cells at an early stage of embryonic development." "Ilene Sunshine: mending sculpture collage made from found objects, like leaves [opens 4/1, through 4/26].

Paul Kasmin Gallery 293 10th Ave. (27th St.),212-563-4474, www.paulkasmingallery.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6. Free. "James Nares: New Paintings," fluid brushstroke paintings made in one motion with self-made brushes seem to dance and sway on the canvas [opens 3/27, through 4/26].

Soho Photo Gallery 15 White St. (betw. 6th Ave. & W. B'way),212-226-8571, www.sohophoto.com Thurs. 6-8; Fri.-Sun. 1-6. Free. "Spray-Can Art: Graffiti Artists in Action" photos by Chris Welles of graffiti artists at work on a factory in Queens. "Subway Project" consists of nine toned gelatin silver prints investigating NY subway station architecture. "Things I Have Not Seen Today" Jessica Cooney's photos remind us to look up and see what is around us. Jean Mogerley presents her work on documenting life in Hong Kong [reception 4/1 from 6-8, through 5/3].

Synchronicity Fine Arts 106 W. 13th St. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.),646-230-8199, www.synchronicityspace.com Tues.-Sat. 12-6. Free. "Recent Paintings from New York," scenes from quiet, unique lives in oil on linen by John Smith-Amato [opens 4/1, through 4/19].