free things to do in New York City
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City! Read More
New York attracts world's best minds to its shores: they come here to interact with each other at conferences and seminars, and while they are here they are often invited to give a talk, a lecture, to be a part of a public discussion. We at Club Free Time give you an opportunity to be a part of it: to watch how those best minds in the world work! Don't miss the opportunities that only New York City (NYC) provides!
Join the Club!
The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.
So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!
The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.
So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!
95 free talks, lectures, discussions in New York City (NYC) Thu, 11/27/2025 - and on...
In New York City, you can talk with and listen to the best minds in the world without spending a dime! Just take a look at free talks, lectures, discussion, seminars, conferences listed on this page below!
Talk | Documentary Photographer Discusses How He Conceptualizes & Realizes His Projects
From the arrangement and science linked to how we process various harmonies, documentary photographer Chris CHu will discuss his workflow, from conceptualizing projects to crafting printed collections and landing clients with his unique approach to the art. Photography is about a feeling and, although a visual medium, inspiration can many times come from our other senses. For Chris, music is the driving force behind his creative vision.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 1
1:00 pm
Free
1:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Acclaimed Photographer Shares His New Book of David Bowie Photos, Collaboration
Enjoy a conversation with portrait photographer Frank Ockenfels 3 to celebrate this new collection of photographs, Collaboration, some never before published. These images tell not only the story of David Bowie's transformation, but the story of a friendship between photographer and legendary artist. He will be in conversation with editor Joe Levy, followed by a signing.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 1
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Lecture | Art Expert Reflects on Black Women's Cultural Legacy between 1800-2000
Art historian and curator Dr. Kellie Jones delivers a lecture in which she reflects on the theoretical legacy and cultural production of Black women in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, raising questions of intellectual lineage and material knowledge. Historically, women's thought has been overlooked. Yet it often does come into view later, often as organic intelligence or ascribed to others. Referencing scholars such as Julia Bryan-Wilson, Lisa Farrington, Linda Nochlin, and Deborah Willis, Jones asks: What would the long arc of art history look like through the lens of women's lives? In this light, how does what we know now and how we know it differ today? In what ways does that take into our future?
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 1
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Lecture | Learn about the "Red Orchestra" & How Artists Resisted the Third Reich
Hear a lecture by painter and filmmaker Stefan Roloff, exploring the visual art and resistance of three members of the "Red Orchestra" underground anti-Nazi group. The so-called “Red Orchestra” fought against the Third Reich within Germany from 1933 to 1942. The Gestapo labeled them as Communists and traitors, a theory that was upheld by Allied Secret Services until recently. Historians now officially recognize their work as that of the largest and most diverse civil anti-Nazi resistance group. The participants held a variety of political and religious beliefs while representing the gamut of German society. Many artists were among them and forty percent were women. Putting an end to Hitler was their common goal. In 1942, more than 50 members were betrayed and murdered. Stefan Roloff will talk about them through the stories of three young painters whose work reflects their exposure to death, atrocity, and resistance in a totalitarian empire: Katja Meirowsky, Mietje Bontjes van Beek, and Rainer Küchenmeister.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 1
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Learn about Hirschfield's Sondheim & Hear Live Sondheim Works (+ Signing)
Author and curator David Leopold will be in conversation with book critic Bill Goldstein. Leopold, who serves as archivist of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, has compiled the best of Hirschfeld in a new book of detachable posters, Hirschfeld’s Sondheim, that includes an introduction by Broadway star Bernadette Peters. Come hear Leopold as he talks about Hirschfeld’s passion and process for drawing scenes and characters from Sondheim’s many works. Tonight’s event also includes a performance of Sondheim songs by the cabaret couple, Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, who will pair Sondheim’s Broadway compositions with Hirschfeld’s illustrations. A book signing follows the performance.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 1
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Taking Back Control from Everyday Algorithms (Online!)
Join Dr. Arthur Benjamin and author Noah Giansiracusa for a conversation about how algorithms shape everything from government systems to the apps we use daily. Learn how your personal data is used, how algorithmic decisions impact your life, and how math can become a tool for empowerment rather than control. This virtual discussion offers an accessible look at the hidden systems influencing modern life.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 1
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Discussion | Threads of Power: Cotton and the Making of American Identity (Online!)
This talk brings together historians Anna Arabindan-Kesson and Chloe Chaplin to examine how cotton shaped American culture, industry, and identity in the 19th century. Using quilts and textiles as a point of departure, the speakers explore cotton as a material and economic force, its ties to the Black community, the emergence of whiteness as an industrial ideal, and the broader social histories embedded in everyday fabrics. The program considers how the production and maintenance of cotton textiles reveal deeper histories of race, labor, and power in America.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 2
1:00 pm
Free
1:00 pm
Free
Talk | Whitney Museum-Featured Interdisciplinary Artist Discusses Her Craft & Career
Hear from interdisciplinary artist Antonia Kuo, whose work has been exhibited at Metropolitan Museum of Manila, PH; Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Chapter NY, New York; James Cohan, New York; Adams and Ollman, Portland; among others. Kuo has performed and screened her work at Pioneer Works, Brooklyn, NY; Knockdown Center, Queens, NY; MoMA PS1, Queens, NY; and the Musee d'art contemporain de Montreal, among others. Kuo's work is included in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Frye Museum, Seattle; and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara, Indonesia, among others.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 2
3:00 pm
Free
3:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Bestselling Author Discusses New Nonfiction book, The Gods of New York
Bestselling author Jonathan Mahler (The Bronx is Burning) will discuss his sweeping new chronicle of four tumultuous years in 1980s New York with The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990. This era changed the city forever and anticipated the forces that would soon divide the nation.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 2
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Experts Discuss Trailblazing Feminist Critic Lise Vogel's Work, Celebrating New Colelction
Celebrate The Contested Domain, a new collection of essays by Lise Vogel edited by Kirstin Munro. A trailblazer of feminist art criticism and social theory in the 1970s, Vogel's unitary theory of exploitation and women's oppression planted the seeds for contemporary Social Reproduction Theory by insisting that Marxist theory can accommodate not only class, but also race and gender. Aaron Jaffe (Associate Professor of Philosophy and Liberal Art, Juilliard), Rachel Schreiber (University Professor, The New School), Robyn Marasco (Henry A and Louise Loeb Professor of Political and Social Science, The New School for Social Research), Alyssa Battistoni (Assistant Professor of Political Science, Barnard) and Kirstin Munro (Assistant Professor of Economics, The New School for Social Research) will discuss the significance of Vogel's contributions and why her ideas remain vital for a new generation of thinkers and activists.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 2
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Lecture | The Story Behind America's Most Iconic Songs (Online!)
Explore the remarkable life of Irving Berlin, from escaping antisemitic violence in imperial Russia to growing up in New York's immigrant neighborhoods and launching his career as a street performer. Follow his rise through Tin Pan Alley to Broadway and Hollywood, and learn how his music shaped American culture. This talk features original recordings, film clips, and rarely seen archival photographs, plus a look at how songs like "God Bless America" have evolved.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 2
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Learn about Historic Italian Fashion Designer & Activist Rosa Genoni, with Experts
Costume designer Eva Coen in conversation with Grazia d’Annunzio, Università Statale di Milano, about Rosa Genoni and the Early Italian Divas. Rosa Genoni (1867–1954), a Milanese fashion designer, feminist, and social reformer, played a pivotal role in promoting Italian fashion as a cultural and economic asset at a time when French couture dominated the industry. Genoni's clientele spanned from the most notable aristocratic ladies of the times to the most acclaimed silent movie and theater actresses. Beyond her contributions to fashion, she was also a dedicated activist advocating for workers’ rights, women’s rights, and peace. A graduate of Art History from Rome’s La Sapienza University with studies at Harvard and the Sorbonne, Eva Coen has been working for film, television, theatre, dance, and opera with notable collaborations.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 2
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Tue, Dec 2
6:30 pm
Regular: $45
Member: $0
6:30 pm
Regular: $45
Member: $0
Join the Club!
Lecture | Bold Visions in Color and Commerce
Dive into a world of striking imagery where creativity meets commerce. This talk highlights how visual artists turn advertising into art through inventive use of color, form, and emotion.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 2
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Talk | Commercial & Advertising Photographer for Major Clients (Google, Apple, The New Yorker, & More) Discusses Her Craft
Enjoy a talk with commercial and advertising photographer Jessica Pettway. Pettway's over-the-top, colorful, and lighthearted food, still life, and beauty images engage her audiences from the first big, beautiful bite. Tactile and hands-on, her process is 3D and multi-layered—constructed in both the real world and post-production. Ever the curious, discerning artist, Pettway can tell a complete short story in a movie minute, in a single photograph, and in a rhythmic compendium of stills, utilizing her own eclectic voice in the service of clients that include major American retailers, global brands, and esteemed editorial outlets. Clients run the gamut from Google, Apple, Chase, Facebook, Target, Jose Cuervo, Nespresso, and Uber, to Bon Appétit, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, Wired, and The New York Times Magazine.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 2
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Creative Experts Discuss NYC's Contribution to American Cultural Voice
As New York City celebrates its 400th birthday, a panel of creators, performers, and scholars explores the city’s contribution to the American cultural voice in the performing arts and in literature. The springboards for the conversation are three iconic instrumental works created in New York that have left an indelible mark on the U.S. musical landscape: a symphonic suite from the shore-leave musical On the Town by former NY Phil Music Director Leonard Bernstein; Gershwin’s Concerto in F, which the NY Phil commissioned in 1925; and Dvořák’s omnipresent New World Symphony, unveiled by the NY Phil in 1893. The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A. There are two ways to access this event: 1. General Admission, first-come first-served. Just show up! 2. Fast Track opening the Monday before the event at noon.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 2
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Art Under the Nazi Regime: Suppression, Control, and Survival (Online!)
Join Rachel Stern for a discussion on how the National Socialist regime controlled artistic production in Germany from 1933 to 1945. The talk explores the system of fear and censorship imposed by the Nazis, its impact on the country’s cultural landscape, and the strategies artists used to endure and resist.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
12:00 pm
Free
12:00 pm
Free
Lecture | Expert Discusses How Russians Experience the War with Ukraine in Everyday Life (In Person AND Online!)
Social anthropologist Yakov Lurie discusses how Russians experience the war with Ukraine in everyday life, across social and geographic contexts. When asked whether Russians support, oppose, or ignore the war in Ukraine, the temptation is to look for simple answers: yes or no, for or against. But such framing overlooks the diversity of Russian society and the complexity of how people actually experience the war. Since February 2022, the Public Sociology Laboratory has documented these experiences through more than 500 in-depth interviews and 1,500 pages of ethnographic observations across places in Russia, including border regions directly affected by military actions. This in-depth research has shown that geographic closeness to the fighting does not determine how “close” or “real” the war feels. Social factors—community ties, cultural background, economic position, or personal identity—often play a greater role. A person living thousands of miles from the front may interact daily with soldiers, follow frontline news, and see the war as a defining event in his or her life. Meanwhile, someone whose street shakes from nearby shelling may convince themselves that the war is distant and irrelevant.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
5:00 pm
Free
5:00 pm
Free
Talk | High-Impact Portrait Photographer Discusses His Creative Process & Its Nuances
Photographer and director Ben Franke discusses his creative process and the nuance of approaching photography at different speeds. In a world where photography has become so popular it can be a challenge to standout from the crowd, some photographers push through the sea of redundancy with a signature style that's as refreshing and authentic as it is engaging and unique. Franke is one such photographer. As comfortable capturing the excitement of parkour as he is crafting intimate portraiture, Ben's work is full of energy and passion.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
5:00 pm
Free
5:00 pm
Free
Lecture | Whitney Museum-Featured Photographer/Artist Discusses Her Career & Craft
Artist and photographer Zoe Leonard gives an artist talk about her work. Zoe Leonard’s exhibition Al río / To the river was recently on view at the Chinati Foundation, Marfa from 2024-2025 after traveling to the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney; MUDAM, Luxembourg; and Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris in 2022 and 2023. A survey of Leonard’s work was held at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles in 2018. Other solo exhibitions have occurred at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna; Dia: Beacon, New York; Villa Arson, Nice; Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus; Philadelphia Museum of Art; The Renaissance Society, Chicago and other museums. Her work was included in Documenta IX in 1992 and Documenta XII in 2007 and in the Whitney Biennial in 1993, 1997 and 2014 for which she won the Bucksbaum Award. Leonard was a Guggenheim Fellow in 2020 and received an Anonymous was a Woman Award in 2005.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
5:30 pm
Free
5:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | A Turning Point in Church–State Debates: The Great Christmas Boycott of 1906 (Online!)
This virtual book talk with historian Scott D. Seligman examines the 1906 protest that ignited a major public battle over religion in American schools. Sparked by a Brooklyn principal urging Jewish students to “be more like Jesus Christ,” the ensuing community-wide boycott challenged proselytizing in public classrooms and forced the city to reconsider religious content in school celebrations. Seligman traces how the controversy shaped long-term efforts to limit Christian influence in public life. The talk explores the broader struggle over religious neutrality in American education and the lasting legacy of this pivotal moment.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
6:00 pm
Pay-what-you-wish, registration required
6:00 pm
Pay-what-you-wish, registration required
Lecture | Expert Disucsses Masculinity in Indian Media
Dr. Ethiraj Gabriel Dattatreyan, Associate Professor of Anthropology at New York University, will deliver a lecture on masculine intimacies and race in Indian media.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Quiet Reading Meet Up
Bring a book or check one out of the library to read to yourself for one hour. After that, spend an hour socializing with those around you!
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Urban Green Spaces: Insights from NYC’s Garden Leaders (Online!)
Join celebrated garden writer and New York Times columnist Margaret Roach for a panel with NYC’s green space visionaries. Explore innovative strategies for cultivating urban parks as thriving ecosystems, and discover how to inspire public engagement with nature and vital green infrastructure.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Actor/Activist Michael Ansara Shares His New Memoir on Activism, The Hard Work of Hope
Celebrate the release of actor and activist Michael Ansara's memoir The Hard Work of Hope, with a panel discussion with fellow activists Deepak Bhargava, Cristina Jimenez, and Amanda Litman. Moderated by Heather C. McGhee. The Hard Work of Hope takes you into the heady days of 1960s and 1970s activism, chronicling the hopes and strategies of the young people who created the movements that rocked the country. Michael Ansara was on the front lines. In this fascinating memoir, he traces an arc of discovery: from the hope and moral clarity of the Civil Rights Movement to the ten-year struggle to end the war in Vietnam, with its sit-ins, marches, confrontations, and antiwar riots.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Discussion | Art History Experts DIscusses Baroque Spanish Fashion & Its Impact (In Person AND Online!)
Learn about the designer who gave Baroque Spanish fashion its distinctive and influential look. Extraordinary dresses are front and center in Diego Velázquez’s most famous portraits of the Spanish royal family. Those dresses were created by a court tailor named Mateo Aguado, whose instantly recognizable style gives Baroque Spanish fashion its distinctive look and continues to influence designers today. Aguado’s long-lost creations are brought to life in Amanda Wunder’s award-winning book, Spanish Fashion in the Age of Velázquez. Wunder, professor of History at Lehman College and of Art History and History at the CUNY Graduate Center, discusses her research and contemporary echoes of Aguado’s aesthetic in conversation with Jonquil O’Reilly, head of sale for Old Master Paintings at Christie’s.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Editors Share Their New Book, The Sage Encyclopedia of Education and Gender (In Person AND Online!)
Watch a panel discussion detailing the editors', Sherry Deckman and Elizabeth Blair, new book: The Sage Encyclopedia of Education and Gender. There will be a Q&A, plus a reception afterwards. Book Synopsis: Gender is a prominent and often-contested issue in educational settings across the globe. While understandings of gender and academic and professional potential, roles and expectations, and opportunities and abilities have greatly expanded over the past century in various contexts, schools remain sites of intense conflict around definitions of gender and gendered access and expression.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Lecture | Expert Discusses Violence in Italian History
Professor and author David Forgacs, NYU, discusses the history of Italian violence on the occasion of the publication of the paperback edition of his book, Mesaggi di sangue: La violenza nella storia d’Italia. From the battles of the Risorgimento to the decimations of the First World War, from fascist squad violence to state or mafia-led massacres, from armed repression of protests to black and red terrorism, the history of contemporary Italy is marked by a series of violent acts. These are messages written in the blood of victims, intended to communicate power through violence. In Messaggi di sangue, David Forgacs, one of the most original and innovative scholars of contemporary Italy, examines twelve cases of violence that occurred in the country and its colonies between 1859 and 2018. The result is a book that changes the way we think not only about violence but also about Italian history over the past century and a half.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Talk | Painter & Art Professor Discusses Her Craft & Career
Artist Sophie Grant discusses her practice, which incorporates drawing and painting, observation and abstraction. Concerned with language acquisition and memory, the paintings operate as daily landscapes invoking the blurred and mutable fluidity of free-form imagery. The paintings are a synthesis of formal interruptions which include staining methods from Color Field painting, stencil manipulations picked up from printmaking, and mark-making inspired by naturalist field studies. Grant is an Assistant Adjunct Professor at Pace University and Baruch College. She recently mounted a solo show at Astor Weeks in NYC.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Talk | Film Professor Breaks Down Psychoanalysis in Storytelling
Mark Voelpel, Associate Professor of Screenwriting and Film Production at Brooklyn College, explores how psychoanalysis informs storytelling--and how filmmakers use it to spark emotional breakthroughs on screen and within their audiences.. Through stories we process trauma, desire, conflict, and identity-much like in therapy. A powerful film allows us to step into the protagonist's world and face our own emotions within its imagined space. Far from mere entertainment, films can serve as psychological tools for healing, insight, and transformation-stories as the talking cure.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 3
7:30 pm
Free
7:30 pm
Free
Symposium | Science Conference on Gravitational Waves
Ten years after the first detection of gravitational waves, this symposium brings together leading researchers to reflect on the profound scientific and conceptual transformations that have followed. In 2015, researchers first detected a gravitational-wave signal emitted by two black holes merging more than a billion light years away. This led to a new way of observing the universe. From the historic discovery of GW150914 to the birth of multi-messenger astrophysics, the study of gravitational waves has opened new windows on the universe—revealing the dynamics of compact objects, the nature of dense matter, and new frontiers in cosmology and fundamental physics. This symposium celebrates the first decade of discovery and looks ahead to what lies beyond. Through a series of talks spanning observation, theory, fundamental physics, and cosmology, leading researchers will trace how gravitational waves have reshaped modern astrophysics—and how they continue to deepen our grasp of the universe’s most fundamental forces. Program: 9:50 AM Elena Aprile (Centennial Professor of Physics; Director of the Italian Academy, Columbia) 10:00 AM Maximiliano Isi (Assistant Professor, Department of Astronomy, Columbia; Associate Research Scientist, Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute): “The LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA quest and the discovery of GW150914” 10:30 AM Zsuzsanna A. Marka (Associate Research Scientist in the Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia): “The birth of multi-messenger astrophysics” 11:00 AM Break 11:30 AM Athira Menon (Lecturer, Department of Astronomy, Columbia): “What we have learned about the sources of compact objects through cosmic history” 12:00 PM Lam Hui (Professor, Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Columbia): “What we have learned about fundamental physics and cosmology” 12:30 PM Yuri Levin (Professor, Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Columbia): “Probing the structure of dense stars with gravitational-wave observations” 1:00 PM Conclusion: Elena Aprile (Centennial Professor of Physics; Director of the Italian Academy, Columbia)
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 4
9:50 am
Free
9:50 am
Free
Lecture | Historian Discusses How Sanctions against Russia Affects Scholars & Academics (In Person AND Online!)
In this talk, historian Dmitry Dubrovskiy examines how academic boycotts and sanctions, imposed in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, affect Russian scholars forced into exile. He explores the tension between the defense of academic freedom and the political logic of exclusion, showing how restrictions on research collaboration, funding, and institutional access reshape exiled academics’ opportunities for scholarly work and integration. The presentation situates these dynamics within broader questions of epistemic justice, highlighting the risks of silencing critical voices and the ethical challenges for host institutions seeking to support scholars at risk while responding to wartime realities. It also reflects on the emergence of Russian academic institutions in exile, which strive to preserve independent scholarship, sustain professional networks, and provide platforms for critical debate beyond the reach of state control.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 4
12:30 pm
Free
12:30 pm
Free
Lecture | Divine Feasts and Festival Mysteries of Ancient Egypt
Spend an afternoon exploring the vibrant ritual life of ancient Egypt through three expert-led talks. Learn about the Feast of Opet and its role in royal renewal, uncover the intoxicating “Festivals of Drunkenness” honoring the goddess Mut, and delve into ceremonies dedicated to Osiris that centered on rebirth and remembrance. Each session offers a distinct window into how celebration, devotion, and myth shaped everyday religious practice in the ancient world.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 4
2:00 pm
Free
2:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Artists Talk about Collective History & Media Representations of Black Life
Enjoy a conversation between artists J. Yolande Daniels NA and Alexandra Bell, moderated by Gee Wesley, on public memory, collective history, and the archival imaginaries of Black life. In this discussion, Daniels and Bell will explain how their projects craft counternarratives of Black life informed by journalism, sociological data, or historical documents. Together, the artists will discuss how they engage with and challenge these archival records to expose biases and bear witness to the past. In Bell’s “Counternarratives” series, the artist inserts corrections and redactions into the "official record” of reports from The New York Times, highlighting how news media can influence the way Black life is commemorated, misrepresented, or entirely erased. Similarly, J. Yolande Daniels’s work Calle Block employs architectural research and sociological data to uncover racial discrimination in Western spatial designs, institutions, and laws, and to illustrate how African Americans have created freedom and community by shaping their surrounding spaces.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 4
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | National Book Award Winner Susan Choi Celebrates Her New Book, Flashlight (+ musical performance)
WNYC’s Alison Stewart and author Susan Choi partake in a live conversation about Choi's newest book, Flashlight, followed by a special musical performance from Sarah Kinsley. Synopsis: One summer night, Louisa and her father take a walk on the breakwater. Her father is carrying a flashlight. He cannot swim. Later, Louisa is found on the beach, soaked to the skin, barely alive. Her father is gone. She is ten years old. Louisa is an only child of parents who have severed themselves from the past. Her father, Serk, is Korean, but was born and raised in Japan; he lost touch with his family when they bought into the promises of postwar Pyongyang and relocated to North Korea. Her American mother, Anne, is estranged from her Midwestern family after a reckless adventure in her youth. And then there is Tobias, Anne’s illegitimate son, whose reappearance in their lives will have astonishing consequences. But now it is just Anne and Louisa, Louisa and Anne, adrift and facing the challenges of ordinary life in the wake of great loss. United, separated, and also repelled by their mutual grief, they attempt to move on. But they cannot escape the echoes of that night. What really happened to Louisa’s father?
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 4
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Prize-Winning Authors Discuss the Nature of Biography & Memoir (In Person AND Online!)
Listen to a discussion on biography with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Megan Marshall, author of After Lives: On Biography and the Mysteries of the Human Heart, and Martha Hodes, Professor of History at New York University, and author of My Hijacking: A Personal History of Forgetting and Remembering.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 4
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Author/Poet Dorothea Lansky Shares Her New Book of Poetry, Memory
Dorothea Lasky and poet/playwright Ariana Reines discuss Lasky's new essay collection, Memory. A spiritual homage to Bernadette Mayer’s monumental artwork of the same title, Dorothea Lasky’s Memory is a cycle of “poet’s essays” stirred by two profound questions. What constitutes personhood and consciousness? What memories get lost, and why? Dorothea Lasky is the author of eight full-length collections of poetry. Her first novel, Katie, is forthcoming. Her writing has appeared in Poetry, The New Yorker, American Poetry Review, and The Paris Review, among other places.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 4
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Discussion | World-Building Imagineers on Storytelling, Digital Narratives, & Implementation
Art, technology, science, and the humanities converge in Nona Hendryx's installation, where she hosts an expert panel of world-building imagineers including Amy Jupiter from Walt Disney; XR immersive strategist Kathleen Cohen; and Jalina Stewart, a visionary in the XR landscape. The panelists will share invaluable insight into the creative process of immersive world-building by discussing real-world applications for traditional storytelling, digital narratives, and implementation. There are two ways to access this event: 1. General Admission, first-come first-served. Just show up! 2. Fast Track opening the Monday before the event at noon.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 4
7:30 pm
Free
7:30 pm
Free
Symposium | Visual Media and the Making of Political Narratives
This afternoon symposium brings together leading scholars and editors to examine how illustrated magazines have shaped public understanding of politics, race, and visual culture. Presentations explore subjects ranging from National Socialist photo propaganda and Spanish Civil War photo albums to the representation of Black women in mid-century publications and the early use of color in U.S. mass media. A roundtable with contemporary photo editors follows, concluding with a book signing and refreshments.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Fri, Dec 5
1:30 pm
Free
1:30 pm
Free
Gallery Talk | Tokens of Love in Medieval Europe
Explore the surprising objects once exchanged as expressions of affection in medieval European courts. Museum experts offer fresh perspectives on select works, sharing new research and little-known histories from within the collection. Participants are invited to engage closely with the objects and ask questions throughout this focused, insider-led session. Note: Space is limited; first-come, first-served.
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Fri, Dec 5
3:00 pm
Free
3:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Learn about the Legacy of NYC's Famous Restaurant: Delmonico's
Max Tucci, author of The Delmonico Way and a third-generation partner, joins Carl Raymond of The Gilded Gentleman podcast to share stories of holiday feasts and the legacy of America's first great restaurant: Delmonico's. Welcome to Delmonico's--the legendary New York restaurant that once hosted presidents, celebrities, and the city's elite, including the Astors, Schermerhorns, and van Rensselaers. Known for its opulent "Patriarch Balls" and cuisine hailed by Harper's Weekly as "an agency of civilization," Delmonico's set the standard for fine dining. Make a reservation in the dining room to sample special Delmonico-themed dishes and cocktails.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Fri, Dec 5
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Discussion | Live with the Fastest Human Calculators: Featuring a 14-Year-Old Guinness World Record Holder (Online!)
Join Dr. Arthur Benjamin for a conversation with two of the world’s fastest human calculators. Aaryan Shukla, the 14-year-old Guinness World Record–breaking mental math prodigy, appears alongside Sam Engel, the fastest mental calculator in the United States and founder of the Mental Calculation League. Hear how they discovered their talents, how they train, and what it’s like to perform mind-bending feats of calculation.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Dec 6
11:00 am
Free
11:00 am
Free
Symposium | Exploring the Legacy of Theater Innovator Ping Chong: Archival Works
Join a full-day symposium celebrating the artistic legacy and archival work of pioneering theater artist Ping Chong. Featuring conversations, panels, artistic activations, and screenings of Chong’s work, the event explores his groundbreaking interdisciplinary practice, pedagogical influence, and ongoing impact on performance and community-centered art.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Dec 6
12:00 pm
Free
12:00 pm
Free
Symposium | Illuminating How Ping Chong's Theatre Practices Transformed Performance
The symposium brings together artists, scholars, students, and the public for a day of conversation, panels, artistic activations, and celebration—illuminating how Ping Chong’s groundbreaking interdisciplinary practice as a theatre director has transformed the landscape of performance in America and beyond.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Dec 6
12:00 pm
Free
12:00 pm
Free
Gallery Talk | Close Looking: Discovering a Medieval Work of Art
Slow down and explore a single artwork through guided observation and shared discussion. This session encourages thoughtful engagement with a medieval object and welcomes learners of all backgrounds. Stools are provided for comfort. Note: Space is limited; first-come, first-served.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Dec 6
2:00 pm
Free
2:00 pm
Free
Lecture | Art Historian Discusses the Impact of Choreographer Mary Glass
Carol Mavor, Professor Emeritus of Art History at the University of Manchester and writer, provides a lecture in celebration of her new publication, Like the Sea: Dancing with Mary Glass. Mary Glass (1946–2021) was an innovative modern dancer and choreographer, quietly instrumental to the San Francisco Bay Area art scene of the 1960s and 70s—barely known today—admired for her experimental movements based on sounds and images of the Pacific. Mary Glass’s lifestyle, her anxieties, and her dance reflect the human geography of Northern California: Happenings, Zero Population Growth (ZPG), feminism, same-sex love, civil rights, Vietnam, environmentalism. Cascading in the waves of the politics of the time was Mary Glass’s anorexia, an unexpected pregnancy and her life-long love with the Black painter Eliza Vesper. Today Mary Glass is remembered by an increasingly diminishing handful of devotees. The lecture will be followed by a reception.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 8
5:00 pm
Free
5:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Former Congressman Shares His New Novel: The Einstein Conspiracy (+ Q&A and Signing)
Former U.S. Congressman Steve Israel to celebrate his book The Einstein Conspiracy: a gripping historical thriller, rich with haunting reminders of a moment in American history when the line between foreign enemy and domestic threat was perilously thin. After a conversation with Bradley Tusk and an audience Q&A, Israel will be signing books. Books will be available for purchase at the event.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 8
6:30 pm
$5, tickets required
6:30 pm
$5, tickets required
Discussion | Mathematics, Equity, and Education (Online!)
Join Dr. Arthur Benjamin for a conversation with Dr. Dave Kung, a leader in mathematics education and equity. From modernizing math pathways in high school and college to directing national teaching initiatives, Dr. Kung shares insights on how to make math accessible and engaging. The discussion highlights his decades of work as an educator, policy leader, and advocate for inclusive math learning
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 8
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Discussion | NYTimes Best-Selling Author Clint Smith on Immigration and American History (Online!)
Join Clint Smith for a discussion on immigration, Black history, and the contested meaning of being American. Through personal stories and historical insight, the conversation will explore how immigrant, migrant, refugee, and Black communities have shaped the nation's identity. Smith's books will be available at a special price.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 8
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto: Five Young Women Who Led the Resistance (Online!)
Holocaust historian Elizabeth R. Hyman tells the untold story of five courageous young women who fought in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, sabotaging Nazis, aiding Jews in hiding, and leading the resistance. Known as "the girls" by fellow fighters and "bandits" by the Nazis, they were central to the Jewish resistance as fighters, commanders, couriers, and smugglers.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 8
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author & Physician Discusses His Book, The Emperor of All Maladies (In Person AND Online!)
Pulitzer Prize-winning author and physician Siddhartha Mukherjee discusses the updated edition of his groundbreaking book on cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies, with physician Dhruv Khullar. Originally published in 2010, The Emperor of All Maladies is a humane "biography" of cancer, tracing the disease from its first documented appearance thousands of years ago through the 20th century's battles to cure, control, and understand it. Siddhartha Mukherjee expands on his Pulitzer Prize-winning book in an updated edition, including four new chapters that illuminate extraordinary developments in cancer detection, prevention, and what the future may hold in the fight against this complex disease.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 8
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Colloquium | The Hidden Science of Textile Conservation
Discover cutting-edge approaches to preserving historic and culturally significant textiles. Experts share recent case studies, scientific findings, and evolving methodologies presented at major national and international conferences. Designed for professionals and enthusiasts alike, the program highlights new research, emerging technologies, and the practical challenges shaping the future of textile conservation.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 9
11:00 am
Free
11:00 am
Free
Forum | Harvard Economist Insights on Fixing What's Broken in Personal Finance (Online!)
Economist John Campbell discusses his new book Fixed: Why Personal Finance Is Broken and How to Make It Work for Everyone. Drawing on decades of research, Campbell reveals how today's personal finance system favors the wealthy and well-educated while steering ordinary consumers toward costly mistakes. From student loans and mortgages to retirement savings and insurance, he explores how these inequities shape people's lives and offers evidence-based solutions to restore fairness and trust in the financial system. This program includes a discussion and audience Q&A. The first 100 registrants will receive a complimentary electronic copy of the book.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 9
12:00 pm
Free
12:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Uncovering the Workers Behind the Empire State Building (Online!)
A virtual talk exploring Glenn Kurtz’s new book Men at Work, which reexamines the construction of the Empire State Building through the lives of the workers who built it. Drawing on Lewis Hine’s iconic 1932 photographs, Kurtz uncovers the identities and stories of the largely immigrant craftsmen, who were long treated as anonymous symbols.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 9
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Maus and Mark Podwal’s Illustrated Book of Lamentations: Holocaust Memory in Graphic and Visual Art (Online!)
Explore two groundbreaking works of Holocaust testimony with artist and author Richard McBee. Art Spiegelman’s Maus presents survivor narratives through the lens of a second-generation adult child in a pioneering graphic novel format. Mark Podwal’s Illustrated Book of Lamentations (1974) pairs a complete English translation with 28 spare black-and-white reflections, blending illustration and spiritual reflection.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 9
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Artist and Editor Alejandro Cartagena Talks about His New Monograph
Enjoy a special conversation between artist and editor Alejandro Cartagena and writer Álvaro Enrigue. The two will discuss Cartagena’s new monograph, Ground Rules (Aperture, 2025). Ground Rules is the first comprehensive, fully bilingual survey charting the career of the prolific photographer Alejandro Cartagena. Celebrated for his photobooks Carpoolers (2014) and A Small Guide to Homeownership (2020), Cartagena is known for his formally engaging and socially incisive images that span the politics of the US-Mexico border, suburban sprawl, and the increasing wealth disparities in North America. Ground Rules deploys a diverse array of photographic formats, from documentary and collage to the appropriation of vernacular photographs and AI-generated imagery, all unified by Cartagena’s commitment to addressing Mexico’s most pressing social and environmental issues with humor and pathos.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 9
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Read & Analyze the Poetry of Paul Celan with a Group
For this meeting, the group will read selections from Paul Celan's 1952 poetry collection, Poppy and Memory, translated from the German by Michael Hamburger and Christopher Middleton. Celan is regarded as one of the most important figures in German-language literature of the post-World War II era and a poet whose verse has gained an immortal place in the literary pantheon. Celan’s poetry, with its many radical poetic and linguistic innovations, is characterized by a complicated and cryptic style that deviates from poetic conventions. You can find a copy of the reading attached to the linked page. Please bring your printed copy to the discussion! the group will be reading aloud and interpreting the poems as a group.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 10
4:30 pm
Free
4:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Celebrate the World Monuments Fund's 60th Anniversary & New Book
Celebrate the World Monuments Fund's 60th anniversary publication, Irreplaceable: 60 of Humanity's Most Treasured Places, a call to safeguard some of the most important monuments of our shared cultural heritage. Enjoy a conversation with president and chief executive officer of World Monuments Fund ,Bénédicte de Montlaur, New York Times best-selling author André Aciman, and Director of the Robert Capa and Cornell Capa Archive at the International Center for Photography, Cynthia Young, to celebrate this new book.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 10
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Quiet Reading Meet Up
Bring a book or check one out of the library to read to yourself for one hour. After that, spend an hour socializing with those around you!
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 10
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Gallery Talk | The Art of Exploring the Creative Process
Join artists Greg Carideo, Naudline Pierre, and Rose Salane for a conversation on the ideas and processes shaping the exhibition As Above, So Below. The discussion brings together three distinct artistic perspectives to explore themes within the exhibition and the inspirations behind their work.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 10
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Translator Discusses Her Upcoming, Prize-Winning Book, The Jaguar's Roar
Juliana Barbassa will discuss her soon-to-be published English translation of the award-winning Brazilian novella, The Jaguar's Roar. Originally published in Portuguese as O Som do Rugido da Onça, the novella by acclaimed Brazilian author Micheliny Verunschk won Brazil's prestigious Jabuti Award in the Literary Novel category in 2022. At the event, Barbassa will talk about the novel’s central themes and how she worked to bring such a quintessentially Brazilian story to a new audience. Synopsis: The Jaguar's Roar takes as its starting point the real story of two Indigenous children taken from the Amazon to the Bavarian court in Munich in the early 1800s for display and study. The two German "scientists" who took them to Europe wrote extensively about Brazil, its flora and fauna, and included illustrations in their publications, so the images of the children are known in Brazil and beyond and part of the permanent display at the Itaú cultural institute in São Paulo. But the researchers noted nothing else about the children themselves, not even their names.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 10
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Discussion | A Long Table Conversation on Democracy & Community
Join neighbors and local arts organizers for an open discussion exploring how everyday interactions can strengthen democratic life. Guided by urban planner and cultural organizer Dr. Andrew Zitcer, participants will consider how cultural spaces can foster civic engagement and collective responsibility. The Long Table format, created to encourage non-hierarchical, community-driven dialogue, invites you to take part in a shared practice of democratic co-creation.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 10
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Historian Shares her New Book: Queen Mother: Black Nationalism, Reparations, and the Untold Story of Audley Moore (+ Signing)
Enjoy an evening of conversation and reflection with historian Dr. Ashley Farmer, author of Queen Mother: Black Nationalism, Reparations, and the Untold Story of Audley Moore, a groundbreaking portrait of one of the most influential yet overlooked figures in twentieth-century Black freedom movements. Through Queen Mother, Farmer reintroduces audiences to Audley “Queen Mother” Moore, whose decades of activism helped shape movements for reparations, Black nationalism, and Pan-African liberation from Harlem to Ghana. Farmer’s work reframes Moore as a political visionary whose ideas remain foundational to current struggles for racial justice, self-determination, and repair. Dr. Farmer will be joined in conversation with Dr. Brandi T. Summers, Associate Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University. A book signing will follow.
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Wed, Dec 10
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Talk | Musician & Scholar Discuss Bad Bunny's Music & Impact (+ Listen to His Tracks) (In Person AND Online!)
Listen to Bad bunny's key tracks and learn about the style and significance of this extremely popular artist, guided by a scholar and a musician. This event invites audiences to listen — really listen — to artists who have shaped our musical imagination, focusing on Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican reguetonero, in his latest album (DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS), encapsulates powerful messages of cultural resistance, joy, and resilience. To better understand the historical and political resonances in Bad Bunny’s music, organizers welcome scholar Jorell Meléndez-Badillo and musician Miguel Zenón, who will guide the audience through selected tracks, offering a deep dive into the artist’s sound, style, and significance. Meléndez-Badillo, who collaborated with Bad Bunny on his recent album and tour, is associate professor of Latin American and Caribbean History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and author of the award-winning book, Puerto Rico: A National History. Zenón, a masterful saxophonist and composer, and a former MacArthur Fellow, has released 17 albums, including the Grammy-winning El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 10
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Writer Sheung-King Talks about His New Novel, Batshit Seven
Writer Sheung-King (author of You Are Eating an Orange. You Are Naked., a finalist for the 2021 Governor General’s Award and the 2021 Amazon Canada First Novel Award), discusses his new novel, Batshit Seven. He speaks with translator Jeremy Tiang. The novel is about a millennial living through the Hong Kong protests, as he struggles to make sense of modern life and the parts of himself that just won’t gel. Inventive and utterly irresistible, with QR codes woven throughout, Sheung-King’s ingenious novel encapsulates the anxieties and apathies of the millennial experience. Batshit Seven is an ode to a beloved city, an indictment of the cycles of imperialism, and a reminder of the beautiful things left under the hype of commodified living.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 10
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Gallery Talk | Exploring Art and History with Museum Expert
Join museum curator Jennifer Farrell for a deep dive into selected works on view. Discover the stories, contexts, and creative processes behind the art, as Schnitzer shares new insights and invites discussion on the connections between art, history, and cultural identity.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 11
3:00 pm
Free
3:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Photo Collectors Discuss Thier New Book, Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s –1950s
Attend a conversation with collectors Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell, a couple of 34 years, for their second installment of Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s –1950s. This book is a collection of photographs that convey the unadulterated joy of being in love, starting from the earliest years of photography.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 11
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Learn about the Life of Activist Jessica Mitford (In Person AND Online!)
Author of Trouble Maker: The Fierce Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford Carla Kaplan discusses the life of Jessica Mitford with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Diane McWhorter. Jessica Mitford, fifth of the six famous “Mitford Girls,” was brought up to marry well and reproduce her wealth and privilege, not to advocate for the less advantaged. Her five beautiful sisters have been subjects of books and movies dedicated to their naughty, glamorous lives. Jessica—known as Decca—ran away to America to forge a wilder rebel’s life. As this richly researched book details, Decca broke the Mitford mold—fighting fascism in the Spanish Civil War, becoming an American Communist and pioneering witty, wildly popular journalism, including her blockbuster, The American Way of Death, placing her at the heart of social justice battles. Decca relentlessly injected laughter into her politics, encouraging the activists she influenced to do likewise. From famed baby doctor Benjamin Spock to best friend Maya Angelou, her anti-authoritarian irreverence had a profound impact on American culture. Mining extensive, untapped sources, Kaplan’s passionate biography of an unlikely life demonstrates that Decca’s social empathy was hard-won and self-taught, a model with particular relevance today and a powerful, modern example of female adventure and freedom.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 11
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Lecture | Simplifying Derivatives: A Fresh Look at Risk and Valuation
Founder Keith Lewis presents a fresh perspective on derivative valuation. Revisiting Stephen Ross’s breakthrough, Lewis demonstrates how cash flows and prices can be used to model and manage risk without complex probability theory. This talk offers an intuitive framework for understanding modern finance, whether you’re experienced in quantitative markets or simply curious about the mathematics behind money. Note: Please arrive 10 to 15 minutes before the event starts to complete check-in.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 11
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Editor & Poet Discuss Re-Issue of John Wienser's Book, Behind the State Capitol: Or Cincinnati Pike
Editor Raymond Foye and poet Peter Gizzi discuss the reissue of John Wieners' Behind the State Capitol: Or Cincinnati Pike. John Wieners (1934–2002) was a founding member of the “New American” poetry that flourished in America after the Second World War. Available in print for the first time in 50 years, Behind the State Capitol: Or Cincinnati Pike has long enjoyed cult status. It is the record of a poet whose life has been shattered by poverty, drug addiction, and mental illness. Wieners creates a complex schizo-analysis of language, capitalism, incarceration, and state power, while reflecting on unpopular themes of aging and loneliness in the gay world. It is also a paean for his beloved city of Boston, as he witnessed its destruction by the onerous forces of urban renewal. Considered by many to be his masterpiece, the book was met variously with indifference and outrage when it was published in 1975. In 1982, most remaining copies of the book were destroyed in the arson fire of Fag Rag/Good Gay Poets offices.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 11
7:00 pm
Free
7:00 pm
Free
Conference | Political Conversations about World Crises
Experience a day of political conversation on two current world crises, led by experts. Morning Session - 10 am-1 pm The World After Gaza The conversation will be inaugurated by Adi Ophir, David Shulman, Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, and Omri Boehm. Afternoon Session - 2 pm-5 pm The World After Trump The conversation will be inaugurated by Susan Buck-Morss, Michael Sawyer, and Bruce Robbins.
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Fri, Dec 12
10:00 am
Free
10:00 am
Free
Gallery Talk | Tokens of Love in Medieval Europe
Explore the surprising objects once exchanged as expressions of affection in medieval European courts. Museum experts offer fresh perspectives on select works, sharing new research and little-known histories from within the collection. Participants are invited to engage closely with the objects and ask questions throughout this focused, insider-led session. Note: Space is limited; first-come, first-served.
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Fri, Dec 12
3:00 pm
Free
3:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Street Noise Books Anniversary Celebration Roundtable
Comic book publisher Street Noise Books as celebrates their 5 year anniversary with a panel featuring their top creators! Dissidence and activism are core foundations of Street Noise Book's graphic novel publishing program. Dedicated to raising up the stories and voices of BIPOC, queer, neurodivergent, and disabled people, the publisher celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. This roundtable with Street Noise publisher and authors Makee (Call Me Emma), Jesse Mechanic (The Last Time We Spoke), Bishakh Som (Spellbound), and Tracy White (Unaccompanied) will feature discussion on what it means to be an activist publisher and author today — and how they all work to change the world for the better on local and global fronts.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Fri, Dec 12
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Gallery Talk | Art in Focus: Slow Observance and Conversation
Take a moment to slow down and connect with a single work of art through guided observation and group discussion. No background in art is needed--just curiosity and openness. This relaxed, welcoming program invites all adult learners to engage deeply with one piece at a time. Note: Space is limited; first-come, first-served. Stickers are distributed 15 minutes before the program starts.
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Fri, Dec 12
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Gallery Talk | Art in Focus: Slow Observance and Conversation
Take a moment to slow down and connect with a single work of art through guided observation and group discussion. No background in art is needed--just curiosity and openness. This relaxed, welcoming program invites all adult learners to engage deeply with one piece at a time. Note: Space is limited; first-come, first-served. Stickers are distributed 15 minutes before the program starts.
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Fri, Dec 12
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Discussion | Death Cafe Discussion Group
An informal, group-directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. The purpose of Death Cafe is "to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives." This is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Dec 13
3:30 pm
Free
3:30 pm
Free
Talk | DJ Pete Rock Speaks about His Craft & Performs a DJ Set
Experience a visit from one of the true living legends of the art, Soul Brother #1, DJ Pete Rock. After his sudden rise to fame in the early 1990s, Pete Rock has gone on to produce hit tracks for the biggest names in Hip-Hop, including Jay-Z, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mac Miller, and Common. Pete Rock will be in conversation with curator Xavier “X” Jernigan as they get to the living heart of Pete’s most iconic beats. Following this spirited conversation, stick around for an hour-long DJ set by the legend himself. There are two ways to access this event: 1. General Admission, first-come first-served. Just show up! 2. Fast Track opening the Monday before the event at noon.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Dec 13
7:30 pm
Free
7:30 pm
Free
Talk | Internationally-Acclaimed Photographer Discusses His Craft & Shares His Photos
Long-time Greenwich Village resident and internationally-acclaimed photographer Edward Hillel takes attendees on a visual journey of his projects in New York City and beyond. Delving into his wide-ranging practice comprising documentary, conceptual, and public participation, Hillel activates the built environment as both backdrop and protagonist, to explore larger questions that confront our shared pasts and common futures.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sun, Dec 14
2:00 pm
Free
2:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Live Podcast Interview with Tony-Winning Playwright/Director Richard Nelson
Enjoy a live podcast where Emmy award-winning writer Randy Cohen will interview acclaimed American playwright and director Richard Nelson. Richard Nelson is known for his intimate plays that foreground household conversations against historical events. His major works include the decade-long project, The Rhinebeck Panorama, a collection of play cycles where three fictional families talk over meals, and his Tony Award-winning stage adaptation of James Joyce's The Dead. His latest play, When the Hurlyburly's Done, premiered in Kyiv during the war and was recently performed at the Public Theater.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 15
2:30 pm
Free
2:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Data Experts Share Their New Book, Speak Data (+ Signing)
Enjoy a conversation with information designers Giorgia Lupi and Phillip Cox to celebrate their new book, Speak Data. It's a uniquely interdisciplinary and humanizing look at how data in every form shapes our lives. They will be in conversation with Maggie Gram, followed by a signing.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 15
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Cartoonist Katie Fricas Discusses Her New Book, Checked Out
Cartoonist Katie Fricas sits down with NYPL Librarian Rachel Crook to discuss her book, Checked Out. A graphic novel set against a perfectly cartoony NYC backdrop—complete with landmark haunts, street fashion, and quintessential characters of the city—Checked Out is at once a valentine to libraries and New York, and the story of an artist working to make her dreams come true. Drawn in a delightfully vivacious style, Checked Out buzzes with Katie Fricas’s vibrant energy, quick wit, and storytelling aplomb.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 15
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Pulitzer Prize Finalist John Cassidy on Capitalism and Its Critics (Online!)
Join Pulitzer Prize finalist John Cassidy for a discussion of his sweeping new history, Capitalism and Its Critics. Examining global capitalism through the voices of its detractors, Cassidy traces a lineage from early industrial resistance movements to contemporary debates on inequality, ecological crisis, technological change, and authoritarianism. Blending biography, historical analysis, and economic theory, the talk offers an expansive look at the thinkers and movements that have challenged capitalism across centuries.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 16
12:00 pm
Free
12:00 pm
Free
Gallery Talk | Inside the Exhibition: A Curator’s Perspective
Explore select works in the exhibition with museum experts, including curators, conservators, scientists, and scholars. Gain fresh insights and uncover lesser-known stories behind the objects on view, with time for close looking and conversation. Participants are invited to ask questions throughout this focused, insider-led session.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 16
3:00 pm
Free
3:00 pm
Free
Book Club | Discuss I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Enjoy a discussion over the heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy. It's about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life. Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died, is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 16
4:00 pm
Free
4:00 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Inside the Legacy of NYC's Iconic Music Club
Join award-winning music journalist Billy Altman for a conversation about Positively Fourth and Mercer: The Inside Story of New York's Iconic Music Club, The Bottom Line. Altman will discuss the club's unexpected rise from a quiet industrial pocket of the city to a cultural landmark that shaped New York's musical identity for three decades. Hear how two childhood friends built a venue that became beloved for its intimate setting, artist-centered vision, and unforgettable performances.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Tue, Dec 16
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Club | Novella Discussion Group: Thirst for Love by Yukoi Mishima
This month, the group will discuss Yukoi Mishima's 1950 book, Thirst for Love, translated from the Japanese by Alfred H. Marks. In this masterpiece of the sexual Gothic, Yukio Mishima creates a portrait of obsessive love and corrosive jealousy among a young widow, her father-in-law, and a domestic servant. Although Mishima was nominated three times for the Nobel Prize for Literature, he never received it. Nevertheless, he is considered by many critics as one of the most important Japanese novelists of the 20th century.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 17
4:30 pm
Free
4:30 pm
Free
Book Discussion | Quiet Reading Meet Up
Bring a book or check one out of the library to read to yourself for one hour. After that, spend an hour socializing with those around you!
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Wed, Dec 17
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Talk | Tracing Refugee History in the South Village (Online!)
Explore the immigrant past of the South Village in a talk by an archivist and historian specializing in Catholic communities. Learn how a small committee formed to support Catholic refugees fleeing Nazi persecution grew into a global postwar network. The story highlights how Village neighborhoods provided crucial support and helped early waves of refugees find their footing.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Dec 17
6:00 pm
Free
6:00 pm
Free
Book Club | Discuss The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford with Other Book Lovers
Enjoy a group discussion of The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. This classic novel is the first in a trilogy about an upper-class English family in the interwar period focusing on the romantic life of Linda Radlett, as narrated by her cousin, Fanny Logan. Although a comedy, the story has tragic overtones.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Thu, Dec 18
4:30 pm
Free
4:30 pm
Free
Gallery Talk | Tokens of Love in Medieval Europe
Explore the surprising objects once exchanged as expressions of affection in medieval European courts. Museum experts offer fresh perspectives on select works, sharing new research and little-known histories from within the collection. Participants are invited to engage closely with the objects and ask questions throughout this focused, insider-led session. Note: Space is limited; first-come, first-served.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Fri, Dec 19
3:00 pm
Free
3:00 pm
Free
Discussion | Starring Math: Exploring Creativity and Mathematics in Performance (Online!)
Join Dr. Arthur Benjamin for a monthly online series exploring how mathematics inspires and shapes film, theater, music, magic, juggling, and more. Each session features hour-long conversations with Dr. Benjamin and special guests, including discussions of pre-viewed works or live performances. Discover the hidden math behind creative storytelling, staging, and spectacle, and gain fresh ways to see the connections between mathematics and the arts.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 22
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Gallery Talk | Tokens of Love in Medieval Europe
Explore the surprising objects once exchanged as expressions of affection in medieval European courts. Museum experts offer fresh perspectives on select works, sharing new research and little-known histories from within the collection. Participants are invited to engage closely with the objects and ask questions throughout this focused, insider-led session. Note: Space is limited; first-come, first-served.
New York City, NY; NYC
Join the Club!
Fri, Dec 26
3:00 pm
Free
3:00 pm
Free
Book Club | Romance Book Discussion
Calling all romance book lovers! If you love romance or want to get into it, come to this romance book club! The group will be discussing their favorite romance books, current reads, and more! No registration required.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Sat, Dec 27
10:15 am
Free
10:15 am
Free
Talk | Ask a Mathematician Anything! (Online!)
Join Dr. Arthur Benjamin for a one-hour interactive online session. Bring your questions about math, ideas, or curious concepts, and hear Dr. Benjamin share insights from his work as a mathematician, magician, NYT bestselling author, and TED speaker with over 50 million views.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Mon, Dec 29
6:30 pm
Free
6:30 pm
Free
Talk | Surviving the Arctic’s New Climate: Science and Sámi Reindeer Knowledge
Conservation scientist Mary Blair and Anders Oskal share a personal account of their collaborative research and family ties in the Arctic North. They explore how Sámi reindeer herders are confronting rapid climate change, from ice layers that block grazing to development pressures that restrict migration routes. Their work highlights a partnership model that uses satellite data to support, not replace, generations of Indigenous expertise. For ages 21+ only.
New York City, NY; NYC
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Wed, Jan 7
7:00 pm
pay-what-you-wish for New...
7:00 pm
pay-what-you-wish for New...
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Complimentary Tickets
to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)
Musical | Broadway Actors in a Musical Comedy, "Must-See"
Regular Price: $92CFT Member Price: $0.00
Concert | Vivid Sonic Landscapes and Inventive Multimedia
Regular Price: $30CFT Member Price: $0.00
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