History Lesson

Jim Henson and pals. Photo: John E. Barrett, Courtesy of The Jim Henson Company. Kermit the Frog (c) The Muppets Studio, LLC.

“Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times.”
Discovery Times Square ; Ongoing; 226 W. 44th St., nr. Seventh Ave.; 866-987-9692
In addition to ten scrolls, the largest-ever exhibition of artifacts from ancient Israel includes mosaics, weapons, textiles, household items, and an actual three-ton stone from Jerusalem’s Western Wall.

Romare Bearden: The Soul of Blackness / A Centennial Tribute
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; Through 1/7/12; 515 Malcolm X Blvd., at 135th St.; 212-491-2200
Sketches, drawings, collages, and illustrations by the critically acclaimed artist explore the African-American experience.

Remembering 9/11
International Center of Photography; Though 1/8/12; 1133 Sixth Ave., at 43rd St.; 212-857-0000
Frances Torres, Eugene Richards, Elena del Rivero, Leslie McCleave, and Gregg Brown present photos and videos reflecting on the event. Accompanied by excerpts from Here Is New York: A Democracy of Photographs.

“CONTEXT/CONTRAST: New Architecture in Historic Districts 1967 to Present.”
Brooklyn Historical Society; Through 12/31; 128 Pierrepont St., nr. Clinton St.; 718-222-4111
A traveling exhibition of over forty projects looking at architecture in Brooklyn Heights, South Street Seaport, Soho, and the Upper East Side.

Jim Henson’s Fantastic World
Museum of the Moving Image ; Through 1/16/12; 35th Ave. at 36th St., Long Island City, Queens; 718-784-4520
Sketches, props, animations, storyboards, and original puppets—including such luminaries as Kermit the Frog and Bert and Ernie—make up this large-scale exhibition tracing the renowned puppeteer’s prolific career, from the cartoons he made in college in the late fifties through his work with eighties fantasy films like Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

History Lesson