ART

THE HIGHWAYMAN For his map paintings series, Matthew Cusick used as his canvas pieces of vintage 20th-century maps embedded in wood panels. The paintings include a recreation of a famous portrait of Sitting Bull, a dying Bonnie Parker, and an aerial view of one of the first freeways in Texas. A map of New York City features a profile of Robert Moses gazing toward the city from Long Island. Mr. Cusick also displays a series of drawings that he made by burning lines into paper with a heated needle. The exhibit is Kent Gallery’s first in its new Chelsea location. Through Saturday, December 4, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Kent Chelsea, 541 W. 25th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-627-3680, free.

NATURAL BEAUTY Luis Serrano creates his layered drawings in Riverside and Morningside parks. The pieces in his exhibit “Primacy Through Experience,” which closes this weekend, capture the gradual growth of nature with a technique of slowly accumulating pencil marks. Through Sunday, tomorrow-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Wave Hill, 675 W. 252nd St. at Independence Avenue, Bronx, 718-549-3200, $4 general, $2 seniors and students, free for members and children under 6, free for all on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon and all day Tuesdays.

BENEFITS

TOASTING RUBIN The New-York Historical Society’s “History Makers” gala honors the one-time secretary of the Treasury, Robert Rubin. Tonight, 6 p.m., New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, between 76th and 77th streets, 212-873-3400 ext. 297, $1,000-$5,000 gala, $200 dessert and dancing only.

BOOKS

COOL NIGHT John Leland reads from his book “Hip: A History” (Ecco) at a hip hotel. The book analyzes cool from Al Jolson to Williamsburg hipsters. Tonight, 6 p.m., W New York – Times Square, 1567 Broadway at 47th, studio 4-6, 888-718-4764, free.

POLITICS IN PERSON The newly elected senator of Illinois, Barack Obama, reads from his memoir “Dreams of My Father” (Crown). Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble Union Square, 33 E. 17th St. at Broadway, 212-253-0810, free.

DANCE

BALLET BEGINNING The opening night program of the New York City Ballet includes the New York premiere of Peter Martins’s “Octet.” George Balanchine’s “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux,” set to act III of “Swan Lake,” is also on the program. Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m., Lincoln Center, New York State Theater, Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street, 212-870-5570, $15 tickets available with purchase of $20 Fourth Ring Society membership.

DESIGN

CAN-DO ATTITUDE At the Canstruction design competition, builders construct huge sculptures out of cans of food. Admission is one can of food – to benefit the Food Bank of New York City. Through Wednesday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., New York Design Center, 200 Lexington Ave. at 32nd Street, 212-679-9500, free admission with one can of food.

REIMAGINING THE VOTE “The Voting Booth Project” has been extended until December 5. Fifty artists and designers reimagined actual Votomatic voting booths from the 2000 presidential election in Florida for the exhibit. Hotelier Andre Balazs bought dozens of the booths at a Miami flea market. The project was hatched when the dean of Parsons, Paul Goldberger, heard about Mr. Balazs’s find and approached him about exhibiting them. Participants include Milton Glaser, Robert A.M. Stern, and graphic designer Abbott Miller. Exhibit: Through Sunday, December 5, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Parsons School of Design gallery, 2 W. 13th St. at Fifth Avenue, 212-229-8987, free.

FILM

IMMIGRATION IMAGES George Stevens’s 1948 film “I Remember Mama,” which tells the story of an early-1900s family that immigrates to San Francisco from Norway, screens as part of an ongoing series examining the immigrant experience in America. A discussion precedes and follows the screening. Today, 2 p.m., Queens Museum of Art theater, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, 718-592-9700, free with museum admission, $5 general, $2.50 seniors and children, free for members and children under 5.

GET RICH QUICK The comedy “Bob, Verushka & the Pursuit of Happiness” opens today in a limited run at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater. Michael Waite plays Bob Friends, who dreams of quitting his sales job and starting Baby-Food, a fast-food company “just for kids.” When he meets a Russian woman from the Moscow mafia, she gives him a crash course in hustling. Writer-director Roger Stigliano was inspired by American-style get-rich-quick schemes that proliferated in the former Soviet Union after the fall of communism. The film premiered at the Long Island Film Festival. Tonight through Monday, 9 p.m., no show on Thursday, Two Boots Pioneer Theater, 155 E. 3rd St. at Avenue A, 212-591-0434, $9 general, $6.50 members.

FOOD & DRINK

MEAL AND MOVIE Suba restaurant’s Dinner and a Movie nights pair Spanish cuisine with Spanish cinema. Diners watch a film by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar while enjoying prix-fixe meals cooked by chef Alex Urena. Up next is the 1986 film “Matador,” about a disturbed ex-bullfighter. The menu includes pan seared sea bass, rice pudding, and a variety of tapas. Tonight, 7:30 and 8 p.m. seatings, 8:30 p.m. film, Suba, 109 Ludlow St., between Rivington and Delancey streets, 212-982-5714, $29 prix-fixe meal, individual items also available.

MUSIC

LIVE FROM VERONA Composer Galt McDermot conducts “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” his newly arranged musical version of Shakespeare’s comedy. Playwright and lyricist John Guare joins the ensemble for a discussion as part of the Guggenheim Museum’s “Works & Process” series. Tonight, 8 p.m., Guggenheim Museum, 1079 Fifth Ave. at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, $20 general, $15 seniors, students, and members.

BACH TO THE FUTURE Bachanalia Festival Orchestra performs a Thanksgiving concert titled “Days of Peace and War.” Bachanalia performs without a conductor and opens each performance with a piece by Bach. The program includes works by Shostakovich and Grieg, as well as Ernest Bloch’s solo violin piece “Nigun.” It opens with Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins in D minor.” Tomorrow, 8 p.m., Kaufman Center, Merkin Concert Hall, 129 W. 67th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-501-3330, $35 general, $18 seniors and students.

PHOTOGRAPHY

SCHOOL DAYS Jona Frank spent three years visiting American high schools and taking portraits of students. The subjects in her series “High School,” on view at the Foley Gallery, include cheerleaders, marching musicians, Goths, debate teamers, and rodeo riders. Film director Gus Van Sant, who has examined high school life in films such as “Elephant,” contributed a forward to a new book of Ms. Frank’s work, also called “High School” (Arenas Street Publishing). Through Saturday, Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Foley Gallery, 547 W. 27th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, fifth floor, 212-244-9081, free.

LIFE STORIES The exhibit “Looking at LIFE,” which includes more than 200 prints from the pages of LIFE Magazine during the mid-20th century, closes this weekend. The exhibit gives a glimpse of the magazine’s coverage of war, politics, celebrities, and culture. Highlights include Margaret Bourke-White’s account of the construction of Fort Peck Dam in the inaugural issue, and images from the civil rights movement and President Kennedy’s assassination. Kennedy is explored in greater depth in the concurrent exhibit “JFK for President,” featuring photographs taken by Cornell Capa (Robert’s younger brother) during the 1960 presidential election and through the first 100 days of Kennedy’s presidency. Capa captured a pregnant Jacqueline Kennedy standing in a shower of parade confetti, Kennedy’s hands reaching into an adoring crowd, his 1961 inauguration, and behind-the-scenes White House meetings. Through Sunday, tomorrow-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., International Center of Photography, 1133 Sixth Ave. at 43rd Street, 212-857-0000, $10 general, $7 seniors and students.

POETRY

CASH AND CRAFT New York poet and memoirist Katy Lederer discusses the relationship between artists and money, examining how attitudes have developed over time and asking how artists can thoughtfully engage with the contemporary American view of money. Monday, November 29, 8 p.m., Poetry Project, St. Mark’s Church, 131 E. 10th St. at Second Avenue, 212-674-0910, $8 general, $7 seniors and students, $5 members.

READING

ZOE ZINE Contributors to Francis Ford Coppola’s literary magazine, Zoetrope, read from their work. Participants include Ben Greenman and Lara Vapnyar. Tonight, 7 p.m., the Half King, 505 W. 23rd St. at 10th Avenue, 212-462-4300, free.

WRITERS ON ROTH Writers including Molly Jong Fast, Mike Daisey, and Jennifer De-Meritt pay tribute to Philip Roth at an installment of the Fez Reading Series. Participants tell stories of sex, neuroses, and growing up in New Jersey in an homage to the man who writes about all of the above better than anyone. The show ends with a burlesque performance by Julie Atlas Muz. Free copies of Mr. Roth’s books will be raffled off to the audience. Tonight, 7 p.m. doors open, 380 Lafayette St. at Great Jones Street, 212-533-7000, $10.

TALKS

GEOGRAPHIC HISTORY A former executive editor of National Geographic, Robert Poole, gives an illustrated inside view of the American institution. Mr. Poole tells the story of National Geographic through the lives of its founding family, which is now in its fifth and last generation of guiding the organization. Tonight, 6 p.m. doors open, 6:30 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. lecture, 8:15 p.m. book signing, Explorers Club, 46 E. 70th St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-628-8383, $15 general, $5 students, free for members.

CHURCH AND STATE Archbishop Celestino Migliore gives a lecture titled “The Catholic Church and International Politics in the 21st Century.” The talk is this year’s installment of the Merton lecture series, sponsored by Columbia University’s Catholic chaplain’s office. Tonight, 7-9 p.m., Columbia University, St. Paul’s Chapel, Amsterdam Avenue at 117th Street, 212-854-5110, free.

THANKSGIVING

TURKEY TOUR The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrates its 78th year of festive holiday cheer. Parade: Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon, begins at 78th Street and Central Park West, proceeds to Columbus Circle and follows Broadway to 34th Street, early arrival suggested for best viewing, 212-494-4495, free. The night before the parade, the public can watch the balloons being blown up (Wednesday, 3 p.m., Central Park West and Columbus Avenue on 77th and 81st streets).

THEATER

PEACE IN THE PACIFIC An early taste of the upcoming revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1976 musical “Pacific Overtures” includes a performance of part of the Roundabout Theatre production. The show’s director, Amon Miyamoto, discusses the show with historian John Dower. The preview focuses on the 1853 “opening of Japan” by Commodore Perry. Mr. Dower will present artwork from both sides of the historic encounter. Tonight, 7 p.m., CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave., between 34th and 35th streets, 212-817-8215, free, $10 donation guarantees a seat.

THE MIND OF PARIS The magician Ago portrays publicity-hungry socialite Paris Hilton in Doug Field ‘s play, “I Love Paris.” The play follows “Paris” as she prepares to audition for the fifth cohost seat of the ABC daytime television talk show “The View.” Paris’s musings include topics such as “The real causes of World War II” and “Split Ends: The Environmental Impact.” Mondays through December 13, 8 p.m., Blue Heron Arts Center, 123 E. 24th St. at Park Avenue South, 212-868-4444, $20.

SECRETS THEN AND NOW A new adaptation of “Secret Agent” sets Joseph Conrad’s tale of early 20th-century terrorism in post-September 11 New York City. Through Sunday, December 5, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave., between 9th and 10th streets, 212-254-1109, $12.

To submit an event for consideration for the Calendar, please wire the particulars to calendar@nysun.com, placing the date of the event in the subject line.