OPENINGS/RECEPTIONS Openings/Receptions Apexart 291 Church St. (White St.), 212-431-5270, ...

Apexart 291 Church St. (White St.), 212-431-5270, www.apexart.org Tues.-Sat. 11-6, free "The Future of the Reciprocal Readymade (The Use-Value of Art)," show asks the question, "What happens when art crops up in the everyday, not to aestheticize it, but to inform it?" [reception 3/17 from 6-8, through 4/17].

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. requested "Landscape and Memory," two artists examine the ups & downs of the landscape from urban measurements to architecture, check Ken Fukushima & Wei Jane Chir [reception 3/19 from 5:30-8:30, through 4/30].

55 Mercer Gallery 55 Mercer St. (Broome St.), 212-226-8513. Tues.-Sat. 10-5. "Esme Thompson: New Paintings," if you remember what the skin of an onion looked like under a microscope in high school biology, you might have an idea as to Esme's paintings [reception 3/27 from 6-8, through 4/17].

Gallery of the French Institute Alliance FranÁaise 22 E. 60th St. (betw. Park & Madison Aves.), 212-355-6100, www.fiaf.org Mon.-Thurs. 10-8; Fri. 10-6; Sat. 9-1:30, Free "Perspectives: Photographs by Vincent Laforet," this show is divided into three parts: NYC, Pakistan & Life Aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln [opens 3/17, through 3/31].

Guild & Greyshkul 22 Wooster St. (betw. Grand & Canal Sts.), 212-625-9224, www.guildgreyshkul.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Lost Horizons," group show feat. Matias Becker, Anna Conway, Nick Lowe & modern-day snow globes by Robert De Saint Phalle [reception 3/20 from 7-9, through 4/10]..

Howard Greenberg Gallery Fuller Building, 41 E. 57th St. (Madison Ave.), 212-334-0010, www.howardgreenberg.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "Tato: Experimental Light," Tato, a member of the Italian Futurist group, shows vintage photograms. "Ukiyo-e Projections: Eikoh Hosoe's Photographic Theater" exhibits a new graphic style feat. people, projections & shadows [reception 3/18 from 6-8, through 4/24].

Jack Shainman Gallery 513 W. 20th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-645-1701, www.artincontext.org Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Zwelethu Mthethwa: Lines of Negotiation," new photographs take a look at the ongoing struggle in everyday life for South Africans on the 'edges of the global economy' [reception 3/18 from 6-8, through 4/17].

M.Y. Art Prospects 547 W. 27th St., 2nd fl. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212 268-7132, www.myartprospects.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "The Voice of Sumi," should be amazing, if what Sumi has to say is anything like Takashi Saito's art. The artist uses sumi ink on Japanese paper to create grotesque & fascinating images [reception 3/18 from 6-8, through 4/17].

Paul Kasmin Gallery 293 10th Ave. (27th St.), 212-563-4474, www.paulkasmingallery.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Andy Warhol: Kiku," 44 colorful collages on the theme of the chrysanthemum, the royal flower of Japan. (Its also good for funerals) [opens 3/18, through 4/17].

Smack Mellon Studios 56 Water St. (Front St.), Bklyn, 718-834-8761, www.smackmellon.org Weds.-Sun. 12-6, Free "The Five Outer Planets," Robert Taplin shows plaster & fiberglass resin casts of middled aged, fat mortals playing at being the planets themselves. "Die Mutter und Wohnungspfropfungen," aka "The Mother and Apartmentgrafting" by Ricoh Gerbl is a show we can really relate to, having just moved out of our German mother's home... [reception 3/20 from 6-9, through 5/2].

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 "Night Mannequins," if they are anything like Kim Catrall in Mannequin they should be coming to life & running amok in a department store, naked [through 3/29].

Alona Kagan Gallery 540 W. 29th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Ave.), 212-360-0670. Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Werner Reiterer," sculpture & line drawing feat. in first NY showing [through 4/10].

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].

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 [through 3/20].

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 [through 4/3].

Barbara Gladstone Gallery 515 W. 24th St. (10th Ave.), 212-206-9300, www.gladstonegallery.com Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Alighiero e Boetti," expressive photos on paper [through 3/27].

Bonni Benrubi Gallery 52 E. 76th St. (betw. Park & Madison Aves.), 212-517-3766, www.bonnibenrubi.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "Massimo Vitali: Landscape with Figures," photographer captures people in places like masses of bodies lying on lounges on a super-crowded beach [through 4/10].

Bronx River Art Center 1087 E. Tremont Ave. (Devoe Ave.), Bronx, 718-589-5819. Mon.-Fri. 3-6:30; Sat. 12-5, Free "Pedestrian," group show of artists "who synthesize the polar extremes of the infinite and the physical space" Eh? What? [through 4/24].

Ceres 584/588 B'way #306 (betw. Prince & Houston Sts.), 212-226-4725. Tues.-Sat. 12-6, Free "Earth's Mysteries," Roseanne Backstedt explains w/large scale paintings of landscapes [through 3/27].

Cheim & Read 547 W. 25th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-242-7727, www.artnet.com/cheim-read.html Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Lynda Benglis: A Sculpture Survey; 1969-2004," from then to now, the artist's works are comprised of 'metaphorical, sexual & biomorphic shapes' [through 4/3].

Cheryl Pelavin Fine Arts 13 Jay St. (betw. Greenwich & Staple Sts.), 212-925-9424, cherylpelavin.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "The Crane and the Heron Series," monotypes & works on paper by Valentina Dubasky [through 4/3].

Cue Art Foundation 511 W. 25th (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-206-3583. Tues.-Sat. 10-6, Free "Thaddeus Mosley," sculptures created through fusion of wood & stone. Reception incl. artist's talk & poetry reading [through 4/17].

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].

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 deal w/stereotypes, sexism & the terms biatches & hos being flippantly thrown at their hard working heads. See the fruits of their labor [through 3/27].

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 [through 3/27].

The Grolier Club 47 E. 60th St. (Park Ave.), 212-838-6690, www.grolierclub.org Mon.-Sat. 10-5, Free "Volvelles: The Magnificent Art of Circular Charting," feat. marvelous "information wheels," used to calculate, record & measure the positions of the sun, moon, planets & even tides [through 4/24].

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, 2 for 1 Thurs. in Nov, $10 $7 st./s.c "Gustav Klutsis and Valentina Kulagina: Photography and Montage After Constructivism," Soviet pioneer of photomontage & his wife a poster, book & exhibition designer are pres. in this show of nearly 200 works [through 5/30].

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].

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 [through 3/27].

LFL Gallery 531 W. 26th St., 4th fl. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.), 212-989-7700, www.lflgallery.com Tues.-Sat. 11-6, Free "More Than You Want, Less Than You Need," painter Jim Meyerson likes kinetic imagery & reproduces it in his work with frantic colors & swirling paints [through 3/27].

Mitchell-Innes & Nash Gallery 1018 Madison Ave. (betw. 78th & 79th Sts.), 212-721-5350, www.miandn.com Tues.-Sat. 10-5, Free "Kojo Griffin: Now and Then," pastel colored playful creatures hold back darker dangers in seven paintings, some works on paper & an installation [through 4/24].

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 [through 3/20].

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].

Plum Blossoms Gallery 555 W. 25th St. (11th Ave.), 212-719-7008, www.plumblossoms.com Tues.-Sat. 10:30-6:30, Free "Corporate Corporeality: Chinese Artists Re-examining the Body in the Age of Global Capitalism," we are all really just pieces of meat being bought & sold by some giant butcher [through 4/10].

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 [through 4/15].

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].

Robin Rice Gallery 325 W. 11th St. (betw. Greenwich & Washington Sts.), 212-366-6660. Thurs.-Sat. 1-7; Sun. 1-6, Free "Devotions," lovely photos by Kim Reierson (not Ned! Ryerson! Neddle-nose Ned. Ned the Head. Case Western High! Ned Ryerson. Bing!) [through 4/25].

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].

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 "National Juried Krappy Kamera Exhibition," see what a doo-doo camera can do, now you can stop blaming your bad photos on a crappy camera [through 4/3].

UrbanGlass 647 Fulton St. (Ashland Pl.), Bklyn, 718 625 3685, www.urbanglass.org Daily 12-5. "Illuminating Surfaces: Bisazza and the Art of Mosaic," show of glass mosaics by the world's leading producer thereof [through 5/31].

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].

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' [through 5/9].

Cooper Hewitt's National Design Museum 2 E. 91st St. (5th Ave.), 212-849-8380, ndm.si.edu Tues.-Thurs. 10-5; Fri. 10-9; Sat. 10-6; Sun. 12-6, $8, $5 st./s.c., child. under 12 free "Shock of the Old: Christopher Dresser," the "first full-scale retrospective on the career of a pioneer industrial designer," [through 7/29].

The Gallery at the American Bible Society 1865 B'way (betw. 61st & 62nd Sts.), 212-408-1500, www.americanbible.org/gallery Mon.-Weds. Fri. 10-6; Thurs. 10-7; Sat. 10-5, Free "Threads of Faith," quilt show of 54 pieces made by the members of the "Women of Color Quilters Network" [through 4/17].

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].

Jewish Museum 1109 5th Ave. (92nd St.), 212-423-3200, www.thejewishmuseum.org Sun.-Weds. 11-5:45; Thurs. 11-8; Fri. 11-3, $10, $7.50 st./s.c., child. under 12 free. Pay-what-you-wish Thurs. after 5 "Schoenberg, Kandinsky, and the Blue Rider," work by the acclaimed artists?at 10, a cousin took us to see a Kandinsky show & we were bored out of our minds, we hope you have a better time. [through 4/1]. "Focus on the Soul: The Photographs of Lotte Jacobi" more than 80 vintage prints taken with a camera that captured the souls of Käthe Kollwitz, Einstein, J.D. Salinger, Robert Frost, Chagall & more [through 4/11].

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].

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 "Roth Time," unlike Hammer Time this show is a retrospective of the works of Dieter Roth a sculptor, not a rapper [through 6/7].

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... [through 4/10].

Museum of Jewish Heritage 36 Battery Pl. (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 Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center, 1 Bowling Green (betw. State & Whitehall Sts.), 212-514-3700, www.americanindian.si.edu Daily 10-5; Thurs. 10-8, Free "George Longfish," the artist shows large acrylic paintings & an installation inspired by a medicine wheel [through 5/23].

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].