Tis the season for e-holiday cards from galleries and fewer shows. From all reports, the art market is in a more optimistic position than it was a year ago, and, as you may have seen friends already announce, the Whitney Biennial's 2010 artist list has been published.

This week check out SVA's MFA open studios on Thursday (Friday or Saturday) -- it's a great way to see new art and have direct conversations with artists in the early stages of their careers. The week closes out with the Guggenheim's annual free Holiday Concert.

Happy holidays to you from Artcards -- it has been a pleasure keeping you updated on all the art events in NYC for another year and we are excited for what lies ahead!

Thursday:
+ Open Studio: "MFA Fine Art Open Studios" at SVA
+ Helio Oiticica "Drawings, 1954-58" at Galerie Lelong
+ Dorothy Robinson, Jenny Burgos "Art Stumble" curated by Austin Thomas at EFA Gallery

Friday:
+ Art Fair: "The Degenerate Craft Fair" curated by Amy Wilson, Shannon Broder at BravinLee programs

Saturday:
+ "Giftland X: Happy House" curated by Apartment Show at Printed Matter, Inc.

Sunday:
+ Performance: "Free Holiday Concert" at The Guggenheim Museum

Tuesday, December 15

Book launch: "Book Party!" at Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation
Soho: 26 Wooster street, 6-8pm

Ganesh Haloi, Indrapramit Roy, Krishna Reddy, Nitin Mukul "Discerning Form" at Aicon Gallery
4 Street: 35 Great Jones street, at W 25 street, 6-8pm

Rathin Kanji "Unfold the Truth" at Aicon Gallery
4 Street: 35 Great Jones street, at W 25 street, 6-8pm

Lecture: Barney Kulok, James Hyde, Svetlana Alpers "Paintings/Photographs/Problems/Possibilities" at SVA (Visual Arts Theater)
23 street: 333 W 23 street, 7pm

Benefit: "Benefit reception for the Cornish Colony Museum" at Spanierman Gallery, LLC
58 street: 45 E 58 street, $50, RSVP to fionna@spanierman.com, 6-8pm

"The Drawing Room" at Mireille Mosler Ltd.
67 street: 35 E 67 street, 6-8pm

Wednesday, December 16

Lecture: Line Halvorsen, Niels Van Tomme "Winter Guest" at apexart
Downtown: 291 Church street, b/w Walker & White, 6:30pm

"Rock Garden" at Salon 94
Chinatown/LES: 1 Freeman alley, 6-8pm

Chris Berens "The Only Living Boy in New York" at Sloan Fine Art
Chinatown/LES: 128 Rivington street, 6-8pm

Performance: Tamara Wyndham at Creon Gallery
24 street: 238 E 24 street, suite 1B, 7pm

Dean Lent "1.3 Megapixels" at Rogue Space (Chelsea Arts Building)
26 street: 508 W 26 street, 9E, 6-9pm

Screening: Diana Sutherlin, Paula Ewin "Look Here: A Portrait of Sylvia Sleigh" at SoHo 20 Gallery
27 street: 547 W 27 street, suite 301, 6:30-8:30pm

"PopRally Presents MoMA By Night" at MoMA
53 street: 11 W 53 street, $10, 6:30-10pm

Artist Talk: Rania Matar "Ordinary Lives" at Cabinet
Brooklyn, Misc.: 300 Nevins street, free, 7-9pm

Thursday, December 17

"The 9th Annual Red Show" at Cheryl Hazan
Downtown: 35 North moore street, 6-8pm

"Annual Portfolio Projects" at Dispatch
Chinatown/LES: 127 Henry street, 1-6pm

"Monthly Salon Party" at Gilles Larrain Studio
Soho: 95 Grand street, $30, 6-11pm

Dieter Kuhn, Gabriela Mazza, Max Yawney, Seline Baumgartner, Theres Berner "Sixtoe Group Show" at Red House Gallery
5 Street: 317 E 5 street, 6-9pm

? Olu Amoda "Template" at Skoto Gallery
20 street: 529 W 20 street, floor 5, 6-8pm, (event & time not confirmed, check with gallery)

+ Open Studio: "MFA Fine Art Open Studios" at SVA
21 street: 133 W 21 street, at 6 avenue, 5-9pm

Lou Reed "Romanticism" at Steven Kasher Gallery
23 street: 521 W 23 street, 6-8pm

? David Maljkovic, John Miller, Robert Longo "Ongoing Projects" at Metro Pictures
24 street: 519 W 24 street, 6-8pm, (event & time not confirmed, check with gallery)

Martin Denker "Absolute Zero" at Bruce Silverstein Gallery
24 street: 535 W 24 street, 6-8pm

"The Odyssey Within: Fine Art by Greek & Italian Artists" at Agora Gallery (chelsea)
25 street: 530 W 25 street, 6-8pm

Paul Kolker "The Dialogue Continues: Paintings, Photographs, and Sculpture" at Studio 601
25 street: 511 W 25 street, 6-8pm

"Art Party: 1st Edition Zines available" in support of Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art at Robert Miller Gallery
26 street: 524 W 26 street, 7-11pm

+ Helio Oiticica "Drawings, 1954-58" at Galerie Lelong
26 street: 528 W 26 street, 6-8pm

+ Dorothy Robinson, Jenny Burgos "Art Stumble" curated by Austin Thomas at EFA Gallery
39 street: 323 W 39 street, floor 2, 6-8pm

Marcus Spearman at St. Paul the Apostle Church
60 street: 1 W 60 street, at Columbus avenue, 6:30-8:30pm

"In Time For The Holidays" at AES Gallery
Queens: 44-02 23rd street, 6-8pm

Norma Markley "Day n Nite" curated by Cecilia Jurado at Y Gallery
Queens: 32-70 85th street, at Northern boulevard, 7-9pm

Friday, December 18

Al Wadzinski "The Greatest Show on Earth" at NY Studio Gallery (NYSG)
Chinatown/LES: 154 Stanton street, at Suffolk street, 8pm-2am

Benefit: "Fluxus Christmas Party" at Stendhal Gallery
20 street: 545 W 20 street, RSVP, 8pm

Open Studio: "MFA Fine Art Open Studios" at SVA
21 street: 133 W 21 street, at 6 avenue, noon-8pm

+ Art Fair: "The Degenerate Craft Fair" curated by Amy Wilson, Shannon Broder at BravinLee programs
26 street: 526 W 26 street, suite 211, noon-9pm (7-9pm reception)

Michelle Hinebrook, Nicki Stager "Exposure" at Like The Spice
Brooklyn, Williamsburg: 224 Roebling street, 6-10pm

Johanna Heldebro "To Come Within Reach of You" at 3rd Ward
Brooklyn, Bushwick: 195 Morgan avenue, 7-10pm

Rebecca Suss at Work Gallery
Brooklyn, Misc.: 65 Union street, 7-9pm

Saturday, December 19

Corin Hewitt, Molly McFadden "Double Room" at Recess Activities, Inc.
Soho: 41 Grand street, 6:30-8:30pm

Open Studio: "MFA Fine Art Open Studios" at SVA
21 street: 133 W 21 street, at 6 avenue, noon-6pm

+ "Giftland X: Happy House" curated by Apartment Show at Printed Matter, Inc.
22 street: 195 Tenth avenue, at w 22 street, 5-7pm (holiday party)

Art Fair: "The Degenerate Craft Fair" curated by Amy Wilson, Shannon Broder at BravinLee programs
26 street: 526 W 26 street, suite 211, noon-6pm

Open Studio: "ICP-Bard Open Studios 2009" at ICP-Bard
Queens: 24-20 Jackson avenue, (timeframe unknown)

Sunday, December 20

+ Performance: "Free Holiday Concert" at The Guggenheim Museum
89 street: 1071 Fifth avenue, at 89 street, 6pm

Reading: "An evening of readings with authors: Scott Geiger, Micaela Morrissette, and Shya Scanlon" at 440 Gallery
Brooklyn, Misc.: 440 Sixth avenue, 4:40-6:40pm

Monday, December 21

Performance: "Free Holiday Concert" at The Guggenheim Museum
89 street: 1071 Fifth avenue, at 89 street, 6pm

Artcards New York is a weekly email publication led by editor Morgan Croney. Email event submissions to submit@artcards.cc
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+ = Editor's pick
? = Opening not confirmed - check site for updates.