OPENINGS/RECEPTIONS Openings/Receptions Anton Kern Gallery 532 W. 20th St. ...

Anton Kern Gallery 532 W. 20th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-367-9663, www.antonkerngallery.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Commerzbank," German artist Manfred Pernice creates bench shaped sculptures for his double entendre named show. Commerzbank is to Germany as Citibank is to the US & bank means both bank & bench [reception 2/21 from 6-8, through 3/20].

Asia Society 725 Park Ave. (70th St.), 212-517-2742, www.asiasociety.org Tues.-Sun. 11-6; Fri. 11-9, $7, $5 st./s.c., child. under 16 free "Paradise Now? Contemporary Art from the Pacific," dreaming of a better life in the Pacific Islands? Check out this counter narrative on 'environmental degradation, land rights & contemporary modifications of indigenous traditions' [opens 2/18, through 5/9].

AXA Gallery 787 7th Ave. (51st St.), 212-554-2015, www.axa-financial.com Mon.-Fri. 11-6; Sat. 12-5, Free "They Still Draw Pictures: Children's Art in Wartime from the Spanish Civil War to Kosovo," beautiful, haunting ones at that made by those who understand the least about war & generally suffer the most from it [reception 2/18 from 5:30-7:30, through 4/3].

Eyejammie Fine Arts Gallery 516 W. 25th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-645-0061, www.eyejammie.com Mon.-Sat. 12-6, Free "Work It! Images of Women in Hip Hop," respect goes out to the females of hip hop who w/stereotypes, sexism & the terms biatches & hos being flippantly thrown at their hard working heads. See the fruits of their labor [reception 2/19 from 6-9, through 3/13].

Feigen Contemporary 535 W. 20th St. (10th Ave.), 212 929 0500, www.feigencontemporary.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "Nicky Hoberman," exhibits large drawings & 1 oil painting showing little girls & cats who have lost touch w/gravity. "Jeanne Dunning" meanwhile swathes her models in black cloth, creating an anatomical peek-a-boo show [reception 2/19 from 6-8, through 3/27].

Kim Foster Gallery 529 W. 20th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-229-0044, www.artnet.com/kfoster.html Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "Still," as in quiet, calm, immobile perfectly describes Sarah Leahy's contemplations on water & reflections [reception 2/21 from 6-8, through 3/27].

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology 7th Ave. (27th St.), 212-217-5800, www.fitnyc.suny.edu Tues.-Fri. 12-8; Sat. 10-5, Free "Temptation, Joy, Scandal: Fragrance and Fashion 1900-1950," nothing like a sexy smell & a short skirt to stir things up... [opens 2/24, through 4/10].

Paul Rodgers/9W Gallery 529 W. 20th St. (10th Ave.), 212-414-9810, www.paulrodgers9w.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "Music Marking Making Music," group show about the 'm' word, that being music not what you were thinking [reception 2/21 from 6-8, through 3/20].

Posteritati Movie Poster 239 Centre St. (betw. Broome & Grand Sts.), 212-226-2207, www.posteritati.com Tues.-Sat. 11-7; Sun. 12-6, Free "Orson Welles," showcase of one man's creative endeavors (acting, directing, producing) as witnessed through the posters that advertised him [opens 2/20, through 4/15].

Galleries

A Taste of Art 147 Duane St. (W. B'way), 212-964-5493, www.atasteofart.com Mon.-Fri. 12-8; Sat. 12-6, Free "Izak," fashion-y ink drawings of sexy people [through 2/23].

Annina Nosei Gallery 530 W. 22nd St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-741-8695. Tues.-Fri 11-6, Free "Ieva Mediodia: Biomorphic Automata," Lithuanian artist's first solo show. She works w/mylar, vinyl & canvas to create dreamy & intricate large scale pieces [through 3/30].

Art Moving 166 N. 12th St. (Bedford St.), Williamsburg, 917-301-6680. Fri.-Mon. 2-6, Free "Halliburton," sublime paintings by Adam Simon that kind of, maybe, resemble paper cuts? [through 3/8].

Bonni Benrubi Gallery 52 E. 76th St. (betw. Park & Madison Aves.), 212-517-3766, www.bonnibenrubi.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "Timeless Places," artists Richard Ehrlich & David Fokos take us away to places without time?maybe they can tell us how it came to be 2004 [through 2/21].

Bruce Silverstein Gallery 504 W. 22nd St. (10th Ave.), 212-627-3930, www.brucesilverstein.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "KNOCKOUT!," Kathy Suder's photo show on boxing knocks you out?or so mama said [through 3/13].

Caren Golden Fine Art 526 W. 26th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Sts.), 212-727-8304, www.carengoldenfineart.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Susanna Starr, McKendree Key," two solo shows, only one stop. Ms. Starr is showing sculptural pieces that 'straddle the line between sculpture & abstract painting'?she stacks paint-soaked sponges. Ms. Key's work investigates the natural vs. artificial, in an installation of 15,000 red balls [through 2/21].

ClampArt 531 W. 25th St. (10th Ave.), 646-230-0020, www.clampart.com Tues.-Fri. 11-6, Free "Bill Armstrong: Spirit," crazy collages give way to fuzzy photos that may put you in a zen-like trance [through 2/28].

DCA Gallery 525 W. 22nd St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-255-5511, www.dcagallery.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Leif Kath: At the Last Moment," paintings & works on paper building on 'vibrating lines & random dots'?sounds trippy [through 2/21].

Deitch Projects 18 Wooster St. (betw. Grand & Canal Sts.), 212-343-7300, www.deitch.com Tues.-Sat. 12-6, Free "Suburban House Kit," this installation realizes a full scale suburban environment. Comes w/ house, garden, driveway & car?dog & batteries sold seperately [through 3/27].

Denise Bibro Fine Art 529 W. 20th St. 4th fl. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-647-7030. Tues.-Sat. 11-5, Free "About Face," group photo show feat. greats incl. Jed Devine & WIlliam Eggelston [through 3/6].

Dia:Chelsea 548 W. 22nd St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-840-7470, www.diacenter.org Wed.-Sun. 12-6, $6, $3 st./s.c., child. under 12 free "Prototype," Jorge Pardo shows an environment-adaptable plywood structure. Also showing, Rosemarie Trockel's Spleen & Robert Whitman's Playback [through 2/29].

The Dollhaus 37 B'way (betw. Dunham Pl. & Wythe Ave.), Williamsburg, 917-667-2332, www.dollhaus.org Weds. 7-12, Sat. & Sun. 12-5, Free "Hil Cato," Brooklyn artist "propels the universality of her ideas into the realm of myth" [through 3/6].

The Drawing Center 35 Wooster St. (betw. Broome & Grand Sts.), 212-219-2166, www.drawingcenter.org Tues.-Fri. 10-6; Sat. 11-6, Free "Helena Almeida: Inhabited Drawings," 'innovative approach' to drawing can lead to many things incl. your forehead buried in charcoal on the floor... [through 3/6].

80 Washington Square East Galleries 80 Washington Sq. (betw. W. 4th St. & Waverly Pl.), 212-998-5747.. "Small Works," A group show feat. "1502" & "The Spanish Lesson" [through 3/12].

Gagosian Gallery 555 W. 24th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-741-1111, www.gagosian.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Franz Gertsch," paintings & large scale woodcuts, incl. some of Patti Smith in concert [through 2/28].

Gallery Onetwentyeight 128 Rivington St. (Norfolk St.), 212-674-0244. Weds.-Sun. 12-6, Free "Jugalbandi," South Asian & American Indian artists cross borders to create art inspired by each other's land [through 3/6].

Guild & Greyshkul 22 Wooster St. (betw. Grand & Canal Sts.), 212-625-9224, www.guildgreyshkul.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "MUTE!," Lisa Rosendahl curates exhibit about sound & image, feat. Pierre Bismuth, Ceal Floyer, Douglas Gordon, Jonathan Monk & Fernando Ortega [through 2/21].

Haim Chanin Fine Arts 210 11th Ave. 2nd fl. (betw. 24th & 25th Sts.), 646-230-7200, www.haimchanin.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Winds," group show w/one common element (guess what it is) incl. video pieces, wax & oil paintings, soot on glass paintings & paintings done by trees [through 3/13].

Henry St. Settlement Abrons Arts Center 466 Grand St. (Pitt St.), 212-598-0400, www.henrystreet.org Mon.-Sat. 10-6. "Balancing Act," group exhibition by "artists working on both sides of the world" [through 2/24].

Howard Scott Gallery 529 W. 20th St. 7th fl. (betw. 10th &11th Aves.), 646-486-7004. Tues.-Sat. 10:30-6, Free "Francisco Castro Le-ero: Displacements," geometric compositions by Mexico City based artist [through 2/23].

Jim Kempner Fine Art 501 W. 23rd St. (10th Ave.), 212-206-6872, www.artnet.com/jkfa.html Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "The Kennedys: Photographs by Jaques Lowe," b&w photos from the classy Camelot . Also, "Masterworks from the Life Magazine Photo Collection" by a nice selection of photographers incl. Margaret Bourke-White & Andreas Feininger [through 3/20].

Kerrigan Campbell art + projects 317 E. 9th St. (2nd Ave.), 212-505-7196, www.kerrigancampbell.com Wed.-Sun. 12-7, Free "Weaving Pain," Seongmin Ahn uses strips of burnt, ripped & woven rice paper to create almost sculptural pieces [through 3/7].

LFL Gallery 531 W. 26th St., 4th fl. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-989-7700, www.lflgallery.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "Gallery Swap: Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin at LFL Gallery," Chiho Aoshima, Mr. & Aya Takano show their anime-gone-awry art?picture naked prepubescents in a cemetery & at the apocalypse.

Littlejohn Contemporary 41 E. 57th St. (Madison Ave.), 212-980-2323, www.littlejohncontemporary.com Tues.-Sat. 10-5:30, Free "Nothing By Mouth," cubes covered in patterns & textures by Mary Hambleton [through 3/6].

Paul Kasmin Gallery 293 10th Ave. (27th St.), 212-563-4474, www.paulkasmingallery.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Barry Flanagan," showing 23 bronze sculptures feat. animals particularly hares engaged in various acrobatics in combination w/inanimate objects like computers & anvils [through 3/13].

Pierogi Gallery 177 N. 9th St. (Bedford St.), Bklyn, 718-599-2144, www.pierogi2000.com Thurs.-Mon. 12-6, Free "Kim Jones: Escape from the Flatlands," retreat! Runaway! Flee! Graphite on paper drawings with such titles as Untitled War Drawings [through 3/15].

Plane Space 102 Charles St. (betw. Hudson St. & 7th Ave.), 917-606-1268, www.plane-space.com Wed.-Sat. 10-6; Sun. 1-5, Free "Meghan Scribner," picture a cream colored water balloon lying, post explosion, over furniture, intrigued aren't you? [through 3/21].

Ricco Maresca Gallery 529 W. 20th St. 3rd fl. (10th Ave.), 212-627-4819, www.riccomaresca.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "Andrea Stern: Inheritance," and to you dear reader, I bequeath a free visit to this gallery to see highlights from a photographic journey through one woman's family tree [through 3/20].

Robert Mann Gallery 210 11th Ave., 10th fl. (betw. 24th & 25th Sts.), 212-989-7600, www.robertmann.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6., Free "Jem Southam," the artist's first US show brings you images of the tranquil yet ever changing landscapes of England [through 3/20].

Robert Steele Gallery 511 W. 25th St. (10th Ave.), 212-243-0165, www.robertsteelegallery.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "Erhan's Babies," Aussie artist Erhan uses airbrush to recreate the female in a pop art hyper style [through 3/13].

SculptureCenter 44-19 Purves St. (Jackson Ave.), L.I.C., 718-361-1750, www.sculpture-center.org Thurs.-Tues. 12-6, Free "In Practice Projects," works commissioned through the In Practice program, created to support works by innovative emerging artists [through 4/11].

Sepia International 148 W. 24th St. (betw. 6th & 7th Aves.), 212-645-9444, www.sepia.org Thrs.-Sat. 10-6, Free "identity," three concurrent solo shows. Sunil Gupta shows a series of large photos entitled "Homeland" on the subject of being a gay HIV positive man in India, England & Canada. Annu Palakunnathu Matthew looks at staged photos & cultural stereotypes. Tomoko Sawada disguises herself in a series of Omiai (arranged marriage process) photos [through 3/20].

Socrates Sculpture Park B'way (Vernon Blvd.), LIC, 718-956-1819, www.socratessculpturepark.org. "Winter Light," illuminating light-based works to guide your way through the winter's darkness?projects viewable from across the water & outside the park only [through 2/29].

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 "Coney Island," Eileen Yaghoobian shows us she likes Coney Island in the wintertime. Eric Cato's "Industrial Paint and Facade" is a collection of imagery concentrating on the landscape-like patterns created in old walls, graffitti & torn posters. Colleen Healy shows works from her "Gorgon" series that explores the stereotype of the monstrosity that is female power [through 2/28].

Thomas Erben Gallery 516 W. 20th St. (10th & 11th Aves.), 212-645-8701, www.thomaserben.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Fang Lijun: Woodcuts," world renowned Chinese artist brings his gorgeous, yet painful woodcuts to our city [through 2/21].

White Columns 320 W. 13th St. (Horatio St.), 212-924-4212, www.whitecolumns.org Weds.-Sun. 12-6, Free "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," named after a folktale this exhibit revolves around the concepts & archetypes everpresent in folklore [through 3/14].

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 "Milstein Hall of Ocean Life," you have to see the redone hall of fishy life. "Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites," wear protective head gear to the hall dedicated to rocks that rain down from the sky?Chicken-Little was right! "Petra: Lost City of Stone," once upon a time, the Nabateans created a city called Petra, then they lost it, now we've found it [through 7/4].

The Asian American Arts Centre 26 Bowery St., 3rd fl. (betw. Bayard & Canal Sts.), 212-233-2154. Mon.-Weds. Fri. 12:30-6:30; Thurs. 12:30-7:30, Free. Don. req. "dream so much 2," group show on street culture, expression & its effect on Japanese youth. Artists incl. Dalek of space monkey character fame [through 2/20].

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. "Only Skin Deep: Changing Visions of the American Self," group show curated by Coco Fusco & Bran Wallis, incl. works by Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans & Cindy Sherman [through 3/28].

Japan Society 333 E. 47th St. (betw. 1st & 2nd Aves.), 212-832-1155, www.jpnsoc.org Tues.-Fri. 11-6; Sat. & Sun. 11-5, $5, $3 st./s.c "Isamu Noguchi & Modern Japanese Ceramics," survey of Isamu & his Japanese contemporaries' postwar ceramics [through 2/29].

Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 5th Ave. (82nd St.), 212-535-7710, www.metmuseum.org Tues.-Thurs. Sun. 9:30-5:30; Fri. & Sat. 9:30-9, $12, $7 st./s.c., child. under 12 free w/adult "Chuck Close Prints: Process & Collaboration," retrospective of more than 100 pieces, incl. Chuck's first ever print, intaglios, woodcuts, silk screens, lithos & editioned pulp paper pieces (say that three times fast) [through 4/18].

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, $12, $7 st./s.c., child. under 12 free "Celebrating Saint Petersburg," oodles of Russian & European art from the 1700s through the early 20th century, for the 300th anniversary of the 'Burg [through 3/14].

MOMA QNS 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 "Kiki Smith: Prints, Books, and Things," a survey of this print master's achievements from lithographs & etchings to books [through 3/8].

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology 7th Ave. (27th St.), 212-217-5800, www.fitnyc.suny.edu Tues.-Fri. 12-8; Sat. 10-5, Free "Dressed For Thrills," see costumes w/photos by Phyllis Galembo [through 2/19].

Museum of Jewish Heritage 36 Battery Place (betw. 1st Pl. & B'way), 646-437-4200, www.mjhnyc.org, $7, $5 st./s.c., child. under 5 free "Ours to Fight For: American Jews in the Second World War," inaugural exhibition of the new wing at the museum looks at the part Jewish men & women played in the American war effort abroad [through 10/26].

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 "Glass and Glamour: Steuben's Modern Moment, 1930-1960," first exhibition ever to explore the avant-garde chapter in the story of the glass maker, Steuben [through 6/20].

National Academy of Design 1083 5th Ave. (betw. 89th & 90th Sts.), 212-369-4880, www.nationalacademy.org Weds. & Thurs. 12-5; Fri.-Sun. 11-6, $8, $5 st./s.c. "George Innes and the Visionary Landscape," 40 beautiful & enthralling landscapes by Innes [through 2/22].

The New-York Historical Society 2 W. 77th St. (Central Park W.), 212-873-3400, www.nyhistory.org Tues.-Sun. 11-6., $8, $5 st./s.c., child. under 12 free "Children at Risk: Protecting New York City's Youths 1653-2003," save the children! Exhibit documents the last 350 years of efforts to help NY's kids?you'd think they'd be alright by now [through 4/4].

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 "Daniel Greene: Subway Paintings," paintings of funny little cars that run underground & take you places [through 4/11].

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, $8, $6 st./s.c./groups 10 or more; Fri. pay-what-you-wish 6-9 p.m "Inside Out: Portrait Photographs from the Permanent Collection," this show explores portraiture looking at vanity, scrutiny & the roles of the sitter & artist [through 5/23].