Judy Pfaff's "Milagro" is currently on display at Carl Solway Gallery.

Lucky for you, the current exhibitions at CARL SOLWAY GALLERY (424 Findlay St., West End) will be up for two more months, giving you plenty of time to experience works by two terrific artists. In the photography gallery, CARL CHIARENZA's black-and-white photographs are hauntingly mysterious. Chiarenza's composes his "photographic imagery" by collaging torn strips of paper and foil with a multitude of carefully placed materials, resulting in a strange "mediation between the world perceived and the world unseen." At first glance, the images appear distorted, but on closer inspection I could see the objects carefully arranged in collage format. According to Chiarenza, the collages "represent visual sensations which I know from past encounters with other pictures, music, the world, dreams and fantasies." Yet the images are cloaked in shadow, evoking a sense of despair mixed with their intrigue. It's hard to pull yourself away from trying to figure them out. ...

Around a corner in the Solway space, you'll find artist JUDY PFAFF's collection of installations, prints and drawings. Although her prints and drawings show immense detail and skill, I found her three-dimensional installations the most fascinating. Using a variety of items -- including Plexiglas, wood, steel, wire, blown glass and found objects -- Pfaff has created some of the most captivating pieces I've seen of this nature. The pieces fill the vast space with their wiggling, swirling shapes and vivid colors. One piece uses only the circle, in a variety of sizes and overlaps, to create an inspiring jumble of unending rings. "Loaves and Fishes," a mixed-media piece, presses eddies of color into a flat black frame for a work of twisted genius. Give yourself a gift soon, and get over to see these shows. Through Jan. 22 ...

See some great art and contribute to a cure for breast cancer on Friday at CINCINNATI ART GALLERIES (225 E. Sixth St., Downtown) as they present an exhibition and sale of more than 100 paintings from Cincinnati's Golden Age of Art. The benefit event is supporting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Can't make it on Friday night? The exhibition runs through Dec. 31. In addition to Friday's receipts, a portion of sales throughout December will be donated to the foundation. Opening reception ($100 per person) is 5-8 p.m.; reservations required. 513-381-2128 ... Get ready for a power-full evening on Friday (8 p.m.-midnight) when POWERHOUSE FACTORIES' JIM AMANN GALLERY (30 W. Pike St., Covington) hosts a collaborative show: Jailhouse Confessions, select works by PRINT MAFIA, and Art of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion, a book by PAUL GRUSHKIN and DENNIS KING. Print Mafia, a design and marketing group, creates some of the most fascinating Rock art in the world, for such entities as Levi's, Kiss, Built to Spill and Rebel Records, to name a few. "They have the perfect balance of raw energy and sophistication. They retain purity of form." The Poster Explosion, organized by Rock historian and author Grushkin, features 500 pages of powerful work that feature over 300 artists across the world. This promises to be a must-see. Through Jan. 14.

Mini Reviews
Now at the 537 GALLERY (537 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown) is Synergism, a collection of abstract paintings by Cincinnati artists Kim Shifflett and Jennifer Grote. The goal of the exhibition is to illustrate the similar influences and the psychological effect of their shared environment. The artists share the necessity to communicate through shape and color. Synergism prompts self-reflection. Through Friday. (Jacquelyn Vaughn) Grade: B

MILLER GALLERY (2715 Erie Ave., Hyde Park) is hosting Size Matter, a collection of 32 artists who use various styles and approaches. Most of the work is series oriented and feels narrative. The moment your eyes hit these miniature works, you will be captivated. This exhibition serves as a great reminder that size, in fact, does matter. Through Dec. 31. (JV) Grade: A