Don’t Miss February Events in New York City

Among the most exciting things to do this February in NYC: museum exhibitions (including Warhol works and a kid-friendly celebration of Muslim cultures); concerts by the likes of Hall & Oates, Maxwell and Nas; and, beloved by fans of our four-legged friends, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Read on for details about these and our other picks.

Metropolitan Opera Winter Season
January 21–May 6
The Metropolitan Opera shines this winter with hundreds of performances, including the return of Pagliacci (through February 26), crowd favorite Madama Butterfly (February 19–April 12) and Puccini'sManon Lescaut (February 12–March 11). The company premiere ofRoberto Devereux (March–April) and a take on Strauss' Elektra (April–May) will be staged later in the season.

The Illusive Eye
February 3–May 21
This exhibition at El Museo del Barrio is an international survey of kinetic art and op art, which use movement and optical illusion. It's dedicated to the 50th anniversary of MoMA's innovative 1965 exhibition The Responsive Eye and includes Latin American artists who were instrumental in the art form at the time but were excluded from that show. Thus works from artists such as Lygia Clark and Horacio Garcia Rossi will be displayed in the same halls as pieces by Frank Stella and Josef Albers, who were part of the original expo.

Warhol by the Book
February 5–May 15
Everyone knows about Andy Warhol's soup cans and soporific films, but the pop artist's work in book publishing has remained understudied. Not only did he self-publish books, he designed book jackets and illustrated other people's literature. This Morgan Library exhibition gathers most of Warhol's book projects, including rare drawings, publications and archival materials dating from his early student days through his peak as a cultural icon.

Kamakura: Realism and Spirituality in the Sculpture of Japan
February 9–May 8
Japanese sculpture has gone through many phases in its thousands of years of existence. The Kamakura period—from the late 1100s to the early 1300s—is considered the renaissance era of this art form, and was a time when sculptors mainly utilized wood and bronze in their creations. Asia Society has assembled more than 30 such pieces for this new exhibition, which analyzes the relationship between the "realism and the sacred empowerment" of the sculptures on display.

Dance on Camera Festival
February 12–16
Now in its 44th year, the Dance on Camera festival celebrates the intersection of dance and film with documentaries, shorts, features, experimental works, music videos, panel discussions and artist Q&As. This year's festival opens with Tom Moore's film The Flight Fantasticand closes with Jack Walsh's Feelings Are Facts: The Life of Yvonne Rainer—and, in between, explores the worlds of ballet, jazz and contemporary dance.

Beauty—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial
February 12–August 21
This installment of the Triennial focuses on design as it applies to the mind, body and senses. Featuring over 250 works from more than 60 designers, the series is organized into seven themes: extravagant, intricate, ethereal, transgressive, emergent, elemental and transformative. These themes highlight fashion, architecture and other mediums that present the many forms and functions of beauty. Works from makeup guru Pat McGrath, hair stylist Guido Palau and fashion designer Giambattista Valli will be on view.

Lunar New Year Parade & Festival
February 14
Check out Chinatown's annual Lunar New Year celebration for stunning visuals, tantalizing treats and impressive performances. This street party features all sorts of vendors, food and festivities to help revelers of all ages welcome the Year of the Monkey. The parade wends its way through the main streets of Little Italy and Chinatown, and festivities start at 1pm. A related celebration, the Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival, takes place February 8, the first day of the Lunar New Year—things get going at 11am, with the fireworks scheduled for noon. Queens' Chinatown in Flushing and Brooklyn's in Sunset Park also celebrate the Year of the Monkey.

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
February 15–16
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a favorite of dog lovers worldwide, showcasing some of the most beloved (and rarest) breeds in the world. This year, breed judging and benching will once again be at Piers 92/94; more than 3,000 dogs participate. Junior showmanship finals and group and best-in-show judging will take place evenings at Madison Square Garden. The winner of last year's show was a beagle named Miss P .
Munch and Expressionism
February 18–June 13
Norwegian artist Edvard Munch is best known for The Scream, at one time the world's most expensive piece of art. Much loved and imitated, the image captured the growing angst and alienation of the modern age—making Munch an inspiration for the expressionist movement. This exhibition, comprising works by Munch (including The Scream) and those from younger German and Austrian artists (like Max Beckmann and Oscar Kokoschka), will explore his influence on them—and, in turn, their influence on his later work.

Amateur Night at the Apollo
February 17–ongoing
Since 1934, Amateur Night at the Apollo—a theater where black performers and patrons were once banned—has served as the golden ticket to a big break for many performers; meanwhile, the theater has become a landmark of African-American culture. The 2016 season of Amateur Night will feature a slate of new artists from all backgrounds looking to win over the capricious Apollo crowd each Wednesday night.

New York International Children's Film Festival
February 26–March 20
Helping to redefine the idea of "kids' movies" since 1997, the New York International Children's Film Festival shines a light on some of the most unique, engaging and thought-provoking independent films (as well as previews of some big-budget Hollywood flicks) for young people. From obscure animated shorts to full-length, live-action dramas, the festival has offerings in nearly every genre for kids of all ages and backgrounds. Screenings routinely sell out, so you'll want to order your tickets well beforehand; the lineup is set in January.

Open Plan
February 26–May 14
From February through May, the Whitney Museum of American Art dedicates its massive fifth-floor space to this five-part exhibition. Without walls to obstruct them, the galleries on this level measure over 18,000 square feet and have floor-to-ceiling windows that provide views east into the City and west overlooking the Hudson River. That will be the backdrop for the work of five artists, whose installations will appear throughout the winter and spring. The initial entry (February 26–March 13) will be by Andrea Fraser; her sound installation Down the River focuses on correctional facilities. Exhibitions from Lucy Dodd, Michael Heizer, Cecil Taylor and Steve McQueen will follow.

Orchid Show
February 27–April 17
The New York Botanical Garden's Orchid Show, which celebrates its 14th anniversary in 2016, is the largest of its kind in the country. Expect thousands of brilliantly colored orchids and plenty of cultural events, as well as Q&A sessions with experts, musical entertainment, lectures and guided tours. This year's show is titled Orchidelirium, harking back to a time a couple of centuries back when orchid collection and appreciation exploded into an obsession among the Victorian elite.

Concerts
February's live-music lineup spans all genres and tastes. At Brooklyn's Barclays Center, hear R&B and rap from Maxwell and Nas (February 14), or take in a show from hair-metal icons Def Leppard and arena rockers Styx (February 16). Madison Square Garden plays host to radio-ready rock 'n' soul favorites Hall & Oates (February 19) and, later in the month, the super-heavy Black Sabbath (February 25–27). Brazilian singer-songwriter Seu George performs the second half of the month at Blue Note Jazz Club (February 16–28), and the annual Tibet House Benefit Concert—with Iggy Pop and FKA Twigs highlighting the lineup—will once again take place at Carnegie Hall (February 22).