Are people who FaceTime while walking down the street literally insane?

You have a few more weeks to take a fresh look at one of America’s most complicated artistic chroniclers with Thomas Hart Benton: A Picture of America in Its Entirety. It's the first solo exhibition of the artist’s work in New York in more than 10 years. Spanning five decades of Benton’s career, the free Schoelkopf Gallery exhibition brings together major paintings, rarely seen works and studies for his celebrated murals, offering a sweeping look at his depictions of American life, labor, politics, race, industry and popular culture. The show also goes Hollywood, with two studies made for the 1955 Burt Lancaster film The Kentuckian, an original movie poster and a later Beam’s Choice bottle featuring Benton’s artwork. Coinciding with Schoelkopf Gallery’s 25th anniversary and the United States Semiquincentennial, the exhibition runs through October 16.

Rare works by French master Pierre Soulages are coming to the Upper East Side in a new exhibition at the Lévy Gorvy Dayan gallery (19 E. 64th St.). Organized with the artist’s widow, the show features more than 20 paintings on paper, including works drawn directly from Soulages’s estate that have never been exhibited publicly. Spanning decades of work, the exhibition explores a medium he prized for its immediacy and unforgiving nature, using walnut stain, gouache, ink and improvised tools to experiment with light, texture and transparency. 

Forget space—the ocean is the final frontier. And see why as you dive hundreds of feet beneath the ocean’s surface without leaving Chelsea at Twilight Zone: Hidden Wonders of the Ocean, opening September 19 at ARTECHOUSE NYC (439 W. 15th St.). Created in collaboration with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the immersive exhibition uses real deep-ocean footage, biological research, sound, interactivity and ocean technology to explore the mysterious “twilight zone,” a rarely seen region where creatures produce their own light and billions of animals migrate each night. The experience highlights the deep sea’s role in ocean health and carbon movement while bringing its otherworldly ecosystems to life on a massive scale. 

Oktoberfestivities have kicked off at bars and beer halls all across New York City. Grab your beer stein, rev up your appetite and head on over to one of the many celebrations that are already underway.

Find your weekday, weekend or even weeklong plans on our list of the best Oktoberfest events happening this year.

Textiles are a lot more than couture or the fabric you're sitting on right now—assuming you're on the couch. Untethered Works, a new exhibit at the Textile Art Gallery (529 W 20th St, 6th Fl.), brings together contemporary artists exploring what happens when fiber escapes its traditional boundaries. Artists Peggy Black, Julia Graziano and Sarah Pavlik showcase works that push fabric, thread and other materials into sculptural, tactile and often unexpectedly expressive territory. Forget what you think you know about embroidery—these artists treat textiles as a serious medium for abstraction and experimentation.

There are also two special events on September 10 in celebration of New York Textile Month XI: a talk with the artists midday, and the opening reception in the early evening. All events are free, just register online.

Sometimes karaoke just doesn't cut it. For those who want the joy and release that singing provides, but maybe need to feel a little more confident doing it, there's The Sing Easy. An 80-minute guided group voice session led by NYC voice educator and artist Jess McAvoy, the evening uses breathwork, vocal play and easy-to-learn original songs to help participants explore their voices. No singing experience or music reading abilities required—just show up and make a joyful noise. Sessions take place at Sprout Society (26 Scott Ave.) in Brooklyn and on 150 West 28th Street, suite 303, in Manhattan through December. 

Every Saturday at Xanadu, combine two of the best (and most fun) things to come out of the '70s: disco and roller skating. Starting at noon, the Bushwick roller rink becomes your daytime playground for a glittery afternoon of skating, disco and general good times on wheels. The all-ages skate sesh runs until 6pm, with a soundtrack of disco, house and pop keeping the rink moving. Bring your own skates or rent a pair on-site to boogie down on Xanadu’s 7,000-square-foot maple floor. Olivia Newton-John not included.

Trying to make it a group hang? If you've got seven or more people tagging along, you can reserve a booth.

Opened July 14 and on view through December 27, "Unbound" is a new, free exhibition by Brooklyn artist and acclaimed children's book author Christopher Myers that transforms the library into a vibrant celebration of storytelling. Spanning the Central Library's façade, Grand Lobby, Youth Wing and second-floor balcony, the installation features towering 40-foot tapestries alongside luminous stained-glass sculptures inspired by Myers' forthcoming picture book, Night Ride, due out this September.

Rather than saints or biblical scenes, Myers’ stained-glass work consists of jewel-toned panels depicting kids on bicycles racing through New York City after dark, capturing the excitement of a summer evening ride. The exhibition, however, goes deeper than the beautiful artwork; it's also a timely meditation on the freedom to read.

Before the sun starts to set at 4pm and we all plunge into seasonal woes, take advantage of every hot summer night by heading to Sunset Beats at Ink 48 Hotel's Hudson VU Rooftop Lounge (653 11th Ave.). The party runs on Saturdays and will be happening well into September this year. Dinner and drinks kick off at 6pm as the resident DJ gradually turns the tempo up while the sun goes down. It’s a low-key way to start the night—or a perfectly acceptable way to spend a Saturday not on your couch. Come for the sunset, stay for the music and let the city provide the scenery while the DJ handles the soundtrack.

Five years after being charged with ‘saving cinema’ with Tenet, Christopher Nolan is back to take the strain again—this time with his most epic undertaking yet. Homer’s great homecoming tale remains a foundational text for big-screen storytelling and Nolan’s boundless ambition will celebrate it in IMAX-enhanced style. Matt Damon plays wandering hero Odysseus, with Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron and Jon Bernthal joining Nolan’s pantheon of gods and humans.

In cinemas Jul 17