George Dergalis' "Time Stood Still" is part of the current NKU exibition.

In cooperation with the opening of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, NKU Fine Arts Center's MAIN and THIRD FLOOR GALLERIES (Nunn Drive, Highland Heights) present the biennial juried underground railroad exhibition with the theme, ¨Visual Journey: Enslavement, Underground Railroad, Freedom.' The exhibition, curated by nationally acclaimed artist Michael Ray Charles, includes the work of more than 30 artists from across the country who commemorate universal human struggles, triumphs and sacrifices through their pieces. Upon entrance, the exhibit commands a degree of introspection: The thoughtfulness and vision presented by each artist is a privilege to behold. But be sure not to miss NICHOLE HALL's mixed media piece ¨Preservatives.' She uses silk flower petals and old photographs in the form of patchwork pieces to convey that buildings decay and bodies turn back into dust but memories will always remain, so they should be celebrated. SUZANNE BROUGHEL gives us ¨Conceal As You Heal', a 6-by-9 foot palette of Band-Aids, a veritable web of pink- and white-flesh-toned healing patches that mask not only the darker shades of Band-Aids underneath but photographs of random people wearing dark Band-Aids, symbols of our society's tendency to ¨cover up' the unpleasant. ALLEN MOSS kept three found beer bottles together, adding different light bulbs to the top of each to symbolize separate thought processes. He calls his mixed media arrangement ¨Homie Huddle,' a tribute to the various interpretations of what the beer drinkers might have represented: a homeless trio, victims of a drive-by, etc. These and many more introspective pieces await you. Through Sept. 24. ...

Meanwhile, A Choice of Weapon II, currently taking over the walls at ARTWORKS TIME WARNER CABLE GALLERY (811 Race St., Downtown), shows painter and printmaker THOM SHAW providing a figurative slap in the face -- the good kind -- with confident visual directness. His pieces, bold and assertive in technique, scream with social commentary on human experience: pain, survival and everyday reality. The stark black and white of the relief prints, as well as their considerable size, force your undivided attention. With meticulous detail, Shaw depicts universal human struggle and asks the viewer to contemplate with him. His piece ¨The "N' Word, Mightier Than Dirt' is a sarcastic jab in the form of an advertisement for a product that can ¨help' people who discriminate against others. His tongue-in-cheek is sleekly effective, a joy to behold. Through Sept. 17. ' Just in time for school's auspicious start, the ART ACADEMY'S CHIDLAW GALLERY (951 Eden Park Drive, Eden Park) presents Origination Design, a compilation of the area's best graphic design, with pieces chosen from more than 200 submissions from professionals and design students throughout the Midwest. The American Institute of Graphic Artists sponsors this juried show, which will include advertising, packaging, multimedia and identity and publication design. Some of our very own Art Academy alumni and students had work selected, so head over and see what promises to be a stunning exhibition of graphic design. Opening reception: Thursday, 5-7 p.m. Through Sept. 26. É Head north on Saturday to MAC'S FARM AND SCULPTURE CENTER (10538 Plainfield Road, Blue Ash) for its annual outdoor sculpture exhibition, Without Walls 04. In its fourth year, the show includes a mix of abstract, figurative and site-specific sculpture from 11 area artists. The distinctive outdoor venue promises a memorable experience, and rumor has it that dead tree trunks, rope, twine, cement and ceramic -- among many other materials -- will be a part of these sculptures. Add to your artistic sphere. Opening reception: 6-9 p.m. Saturday. Through Nov. 14. 513-379-5920.

MINI REVIEWS
Through Aug. 31, Price Hill photographer Michael Wilson -- best known for his album covers -- presents his quieter works at Scribbles in Mainstrasse. In this show, Wilson's evocative black-and-white photography features animals, humans and objects in solitary moments. Most striking is ¨Opossum Playing Dead.' The thunderous visual silence of winter in this landscape calls to mind Belle & Sebastian's ¨Fox in the Snow.' No wonder he's famous for album covers. (Stacey Recht) Grade: B+

George Dergalis' ¨Time Stood Still' is part of the current NKU exibition.