Fight The Winter Doldrums At A Museum This Weekend

As the temperature outside reaches bone-chilling levels, try warming the body and the soul with a visit to a museum. There are many exhibits at area art museums that are worth some attention.

The winter season brings a new exhibition to NCMA. Building on the resounding success-among children as well as adults-of "Four Originals: Cassatt, O'Keeffe, Nevelson, Frankenthaler" (which closed Jan. 4), the museum unveils "Explosive Photography," opening, Sunday, Jan. 18."It's been an exciting time for the museum," said NCMA Director Constance Schwartz, referring to the popularity of the now-closed Four Originals. "We have done exceedingly well with it and we're very excited about that," she said. "We knew going in that this would be an exciting show for the viewing public. Now we are moving a different, but equally exciting, direction."Visitors to Explosive Photography will see the large-scale works of nine contemporary photographers-Bernd and Hilla Becher, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, Gregory Crewdson, Cindy Sherman, John Baldessari, and Gilbert and George-over the past quarter century. "The American and European artists represented have produced dynamic bodies of work that have meaningfully contributed to the burgeoning growth of photography as an art form," Schwartz explained. "They use different subject matter but the same scale to create dramatic impact."A companion exhibition, "Photorealism: Paintings and Sculpture," opens next week, Jan. 25, in the Second Floor Galleries. This exhibit showcases a younger generation of American artists, who, beginning in the 1970s, expanded upon Pop Art's recognizable imagery to create paintings using photography as the basis of an illusionary work. "This is a young and vibrant show," Schwartz noted, "that we expect will attract young people, who have a new interest in the photographic medium." As is the tradition at NCMA, the museum is presenting a range of lectures, workshops and performances in conjuction with the two exhibits to enhance the viewing experience, including programs geared to NCMA's youngest visitors."Explosive Photograhy," and "Photorealism," will both be on view through April 27. Nassau County Museum of Art is located at One Museum Dr., Roslyn Harbor. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors over 62, and $4 for children 12 and under. For further information call (516) 484-9337.

See a unique reflection of American culture in the exhibit "The Banjo: The People and the Sounds of America's Folk Instrument, which runs through Feb. 22. More than 60 instruments are on view, as well as banjo-related lithographs, photographs, books, sheet music, and fine art. The exhibit pays particular attention to the rise of the banjo in American music and culture in the mid to late 1800s. It also explores the changes in the instrument and their players in the 20th century. This portion discusses the contributions that a diverse group of musicians, including the Dixie Chicks, and even Kermit the Frog, have made in keeping the banjo vibrant.A companion to "The Banjo," "The Power of Music: Works by William Sidney Mount" explores Mount's artwork as well as his personal collection of musical instruments.It is also time for the museum's popular annual student art exhibition, "The Colors of Long Island: Student Expressions, which opened Dec. 20 and runs through Feb. 8. The exhibit includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, and dioramas from elementary and secondary schools throughout Long Island. Last year's show boasted a record participation from 105 schools and 600 students.The Long Island Museum is at 1200 Rte. 25A, in Stony Brook. It is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for students. For further information contact (631) 751-0066.

The traditional art of gilding is on display, through Jan. 25 at "All That Glitters." The paintings, sculptures and mixed media works all feature precious metals as a prominent ingredient.The artists represented include Mary Boochever, Daniel Dueck, Max Gimblett, Martin Cary Horowitz, Paul Hunter, and Marietta Patricia Leis. The Islip Art Museum galleries are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, noon-4 p.m. The museum is located in Brookwood Hall, 50 Irish Lane, East Islip. For further information contact (631) 224-5402.

Hofstra University is another resource for art lovers. The current exhibit, "By the Hand of Jean Cocteau,"which ends Jan. 23, includes ceramics, drawings and posters created by Jean Cocteau. All part of the museum's permanent collection, the selections were put on exhibit to complement the conference, "A Pen of Light: The Films of Jean Cocteau," which was presented at Hofstra this past October. The exhibit is shown in Hofstra University's Axinn Library, Hempstead. For further information contact (516) 463-5672.