Last November, Lu Magnus, a salon-style gallery on Hester Street, opened for an inaugural evening of mingling, art-gazing, and cultural cross-pollination: the right sort of mix for an arts space that hopes to challenge the fusty, chardonnay-and-cashmere-scarves ethos of most traditional galleries. Then, two weeks ago, winter storms ripped through the city - and Lu Magnus' ceiling.

The walls, ceiling, and mezzanine were badly damaged. But rather than let the leak dampen the gallery's early success -- bizarrely, the exhibition on show was called "What the Thunder Said" -- co-founders Amelia Abdullahsani and Lauren Scott Miller sent out an exclamation point-inflected SOS. "We want to take this destructive thing and turn it into something positive,” wrote Abdullahsani in an email, “to mobilize our community of friends and artists/creatives & create some evenings/happenings over the next couple of weeks. We are thinking about screenings, talks & performances.” Starting next week, Lu Magnus will be doing just that with "A Call to Arms," an exciting program of events that includes a "stirring defense of James Franco."

"A Call to Arms" is a collaboration between Lu Magnus and Etta Place, a "Brooklyn-based art and curiosities house." It's exciting to see creatives helping creatives, and so damn fast. The schedule, which is still evolving, was put together in about a week. All events are free and take place at Lu Magnus at 55 Hester.

Below, a list of confirmed events (more to come):

Thursday February 17 7-9pm Panel discussion with artists of "What The Thunder Said": Fawad Khan, Natalie Frank, Nathaniel Rackowe & Jean-Pierre Roy Artists will speak about the inspiration behind their work & how their works ties in to the theme of the exhibition: destruction and re-emergence.

Saturday February 19 7-9pm Reading of 6 pieces of fiction Participants: Joe Millar is the publisher of Brooklyn Art Press. Jason Covert is a Brooklyn-based artist known primarily for his visual work, will be premiering a 10-part poetic tale of life and loss (accompanied by projected illustrations). Ann DeWitt is a Founding Editor of Gigantic and text-based artist interested in the implications and applications of visual language. Kristen O’Toole’s is an associate editor for online literary magazine Anderbo. Keith Meatto is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, teacher, and musician. He has an MFA from the New School and is a graduate of Yale College. Adam Wilson's first novel, Flatscreen will be published by Harper Perennial in Winter 2012. He is a Founding Editor of the International online newspaper. Amelia Abdullahsani, Co-Curator of What The Thunder Said

Saturday February 26 7-9pm An Evening of Fashion Showcasing 5 emerging designers and their models. Participating designers: Upashe, The Sway, Stephen Zerbe, Guy French & Afterlife Music by DJ Ursula 1000

Sunday March 6 2-5pm Performance by Jennifer Dalton & William Powhida Inspired by Mira Schor’s essay “On Failure and Anonymity”, Dalton and Powhida will encourage gallery visitors to participate in an interview/discussion/brainstorming session in a sequestered area in the gallery about the topic of failure.

Tuesday March 8 7-9pm Performance by The Bushwick Book Club “It’s an hour-long orgy of book-related songs and book-inspired food and drink.”

Friday March 11 7-9pm Short Film & Photography Screenings + performance by The Brooklyn Ladies Choir Screening of: Another You by Remy Bennett and Monroe Robertson. Another You depicts women on the run against the stylized backdrop of seedy motels and Hitchcockian doppelgangers. RUFUR by Émilie Richard-Froozan. We follow the dreamscape of a young girl through a series of fractured memories and hallucinations. Richard-Froozan uses the influence of dreams to explore how repressed experiences manifest themselves. The Brooklyn Ladies Choir unite with soft siren-like vocal harmonies, bringing us songs by the likes of John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, and ABBA. Some of the members are featured in Remy Bennett's short film, Another You. Accompanied by a slide show of photographic works, On The Lam, by Kelsey Bennett.