Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Ogle orchids in the Bronx and more things to do this week in NYC
By
Steve Smith
Published Feb 17, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Courtesy New York Botanical Garden
By
Steve Smith
Published Feb 17, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Seven Picks a Week is our guide to what’s worth catching in arts, culture and activities during the week ahead, with contributions from reporters throughout the WNYC/Gothamist newsroom and colleagues from WQXR and "All of It."
See NYC’s most beloved orchid show
If you’re looking for a fabulous flower fest to feast your eyes upon, we’ve got you covered: The New York Botanical Garden’s 20th annual orchid exhibition returns this weekend. “The Orchid Show: Natural Heritage,” which opens on Saturday, was created by landscape artist Lily Kwong. Inspired by paintings of Chinese mountainscapes passed through her family from Shanghai, the exhibit will explore Kwong’s familial heritage, medicinal traditions and the immersive world of nature, with dazzling colors and arrangements. The exhibit is open through April 23, and tickets are on sale now.
– Ben Yakas
Chill out with gorgeous choral music in a sublime setting
I am an unabashed choral geek, singing in groups all through school and even now. So sign me up for the Miller Theatre’s presentation of The Gesualdo Six, offering the delights of English Renaissance vocal music — heavy on the William Byrd and Thomas Tallis — sung by a superb ensemble in the acoustics and setting of St. Mary's Church in the theater district (or Smokey Mary's, as it's called, because of the high church rituals with incense during services). I know it might sound terribly esoteric, but this is ravishing and calming music. Couldn't we all use some of that right now? It's happening on Saturday at 8 p.m.; learn more here.
– Ed Yim, WQXR
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is planning a slate of activities to coincide with public schools' winter break.
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Check out 'Kids Week' at the Intrepid Museum
Looking for some fun during winter break? The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is planning eight days of STEAM-inspired activities to coincide with NYC public schools’ winter break, with a series that runs from this Saturday to the next. Kids can learn about space suits and telescopes from NASA scientists and engineers; on Tuesday, Feb. 21, they can enjoy a performance from the Blue Man Group; Skye from "PAW Patrol Live" will make a guest appearance on Saturday, Feb. 25. Kids Week programming is included with museum admission. Tickets start at $36 for adults; $13 for children; and kids under 4 are free. You can learn more about Kids Week here.
– Kerry Shaw
Participate in a family-friendly creative approach to Black history and culture
For parents seeking upbeat activities to occupy the kids while New York City schools are on break next week, Brooklyn Children’s Museum will celebrate people of the African diaspora in its Black Future Festival. A week-long roster of events running Feb. 19 to Feb. 26 includes interactive dance presentations, collage activities, farming workshops and a double dutch jump-along. Tickets are $13 per day, $12 for grandparents and free for children aged 5 and younger. To view the schedule and purchase tickets, visit here.
– Precious Fondren
Russell Gunn and his Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra celebrate Amiri Baraka's "Blues People" on Saturday night at the Apollo Theater.
Courtesy of the artists
Celebrate 'Blues People' at the Apollo Theater
The late author and poet Amiri Baraka published "Blues People," his foundational study of Black music and its decisive place in American culture, in 1963. Now, to mark the book's 20th anniversary, the Apollo Theater in Harlem presents "The Blues and Its People," a star-studded musical event built around trumpeter, composer and bandleader Russell Gunn and his omnivorously swinging, funky Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra. Gunn & Co. will be joined by a slate of pan-generational jazz luminaries, including Oliver Lake, Craig Harris, Jazzmeia Horn and Stefon Harris, for an evening of jazz, spirituals and the blues. It's happening on Saturday at 8 p.m., and you can grab your tickets here.
– Steve Smith
Revisit an all-time literary classic, reset in Harlem
The new play from Obie-winning playwright Marcus Gardley uses the story of "The Odyssey" as inspiration for a new tale, following a Black soldier attempting to reunite with his family in modern-day Harlem. Gardley and actor Harriett D. Foy joined us this week to discuss their production, "black odyssey," which runs through March 26 at Classic Stage Company.
– Alison Stewart and Jordan Lauf, "All of It"
See and hear an performing artist's evolution
Anyone who regularly attends classical music concerts grows accustomed to a steady diet of well-polished masterpieces served up in a state of high refinement, but it can be even more satisfying watching an artist working with material over a span of a few seasons or years, witnessing a journey toward a destination the artist might not even have envisioned at the start. Pianist Eunbi Kim has been working with the compositions heard on her latest album, “it feels like,” for a while now, and even showcased some of the material as an artist-in-residence last year at the Greene Space, the arts and culture venue operated by New York Public Radio. The pieces Kim will perform next Thursday night at the Baryshnikov Arts Center are works she’s played and recorded before, composed by Sophia Jani, Angélica Negrón, Daniel Bernard Roumain and Pauchi Sasaki, based on themes of childhood, family and memory. But what makes this concert a world-premiere event is that Kim is collaborating with a musically astute filmmaker and video artist, Xuan. It isn’t just a concert with video, but a more fully immersive multimedia experience designed specifically for the space. It's happening on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m., and you can learn more here.
– Steve Smith
Tagged
new york city
nyc events
Steve Smith
Steve Smith is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
Before they attempt to fend off LeBron James and the 76ers on Tuesday, the Knicks will have a chance to show off their winning mentality through their tunnel fits.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 19, 2026
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .