The Bronx Museum recently opened an exhibit featuring Bronx "artifacts" from 1971 to present day. Urban Archives: That Was Then This Is Now is "the first of a new, multi-year series of exhibitions that look at contemporary culture as a living archive.” This one was drawn primarily from personal collections of artists that have been working in and on the Bronx for decades, and "in their collections, the testimonies of long-time residents and occasional visitors coexist in the form of mementos, documentation, artwork and other sort of cultural artifacts." Check it out sometime between now and March 1st. more ›

We've seen plenty of old images of the Bronx, but what about the current state of affairs in the borough? Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao's photographs of the Bronx document today, and are part of the upcoming Intersections: The Grand Concourse Commissions at the Bronx Museum of the Arts (running from Sunday, August 2nd through January 4, 2010). Liao is just one of the artists who will be a part of the installation; his "series features several vast and virtuosic panoramas of the Grand Concourse, including two 128-foot wide, hyper-detailed panorama of every building on the thoroughfare." Learn more about the exhibit, and other artists involved, here. more ›

THEATER: Broadway’s best show, the critically acclaimed Passing Strange, is still open for business, though struggling to compete against the usual insipid pabulum like Legally Blonde. Producers of this phenomenal rock musical were dealt another blow this week when CBS refused to broadcast their performance in the Tony Awards preview show. (The number, “We Just Had Sex,” is a cheeky, PG-13 homage to free love.) So if you haven’t seen Passing Strange yet, for crying out loud, do yourself a favor and catch it before it’s too late. You won’t have a problem getting $25 rush tickets before the show – we’ve seen it twice and would gladly pay double that amount. – John Del Signore more ›

EVENT: It's another First Friday at The Bronx Museum, where there will be free beer, music and of course art. Tonight's a "New York City rock and roll extravaganza; a musical exploration of up and coming urban rock and roll superstars with The Bangers and Dragons of Zynth." more ›

ART: The Bronx Museum of Art is getting on board the First Friday bandwagon. They'll be opening their doors every first Friday of the month for free, and add a little something extra each time. Tonight their theme is “Say it Loud! I’m Black & I’m Proud” in celebration of Black History Month. There will be a tribute to the late James Brown, and a showcase of independent artists paying tribute to black music. more ›

Brazilian art is scorching hot this winter. Hopefully you made it to the Tropicalia exhibit at the Bronx Museum before it closed this past weekend. Next stop: Ruas de São Paulo, an exhibition on Brazilian street art that begins next month at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery. But, before that gets underway, there’s going to be a must-attend benefit art auction today, January 31, at 7-10 PM, at The Newspace (530 West 21st St., Chelsea) to raise money for Brazilian street artists. more ›

Get ready to explore the city this weekend - it's open house new york time! There are various homes, parks, landmarks, studios, and more open for the public to visit and learn more. open house new york has programs, tours, and podcasts - learn more at the website. more ›

+ The New York Times' Michael Kimmelman calls the Whitney's Picasso show "a compare-and-contrast slide show." Ouch. more ›

- And the Village Voice says this year's No Pants 2K6 backfired because of the arrests more ›