10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday; and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The Smart Museum of Art, 5550 S. Greenwood Ave. 702-0200. Free.

From the heroic tales of the Greeks to the lyric poetry of Ovid, ancient myths and epic narratives offered artists a wealth of subjects but also the formidable challenge of transforming written stories into compelling images. With painting, sculpture and works on paper, “The Painted Text” juxtaposes images with their literary sources to investigate how artists interpreted and transformed the stories that inspired them. Guest curator Frederick De Armas, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in Romance Languages & Literatures, received a Mellon grant for the exhibition.

4 p.m. Saturday, March 22

Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th St. 834-1654. www.hydeparkschoolofballet.org. $10 general, $5 children, seniors and students.

Directed by the Hyde Park School of Ballet’s artistic Director August Tye, this production of Alice in Wonderland features a 60-member cast, with children as young as five years old as well as adults. The performance will include dancers in the roles of the white rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Red Queen, a corps of dancing cards, and of course, Alice, both tall and small.

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday; 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Wednesday; and Noon-4 p.m. Sunday.

Oriental Institute Museum, 1155 E. 58th St. 702-9514. Free.

High school students from Kenwood Academy have created their own interpretation of ancient Egyptian culture in a series of murals, which explore ancient Egyptian motifs from a contemporary urban perspective. As participants in the after school program called the University of Hip-Hop, the students learned about the environment, history, geography, language and art of ancient Egypt in a dozen sessions led by faculty, staff and graduate students in the Oriental Institute.

International House, 1414 E. 59th St. 324-1247.

The Eastern European Spring Festival of Folk Music and Dance showcases the dance, music, food and culture of Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, including Bulgaria, Macedonia and Turkey. This year’s festival includes a screening of the acclaimed Romanian film Philanthropy at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 21; a dance workshop and party with live music at 8 p.m. Friday, March 21; a gala party, with dinner and dancing, at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 22; and dance and music workshops and culture sessions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, and Sunday, March 23.