Photo By Keith Miller

Keith Miller's "Mayan Elephant Princess" on view at the Mockbee

Valentine's Day might be a distant memory, but don't miss art that's truly heart-warming at ARTWORKS TIME WARNER CABLE GALLERY (811 Race St., Downtown). We Come in Peace: Collaborative Works by Visionary Artists features pieces by more than 20 artists in collaboration with VISIONARIES AND VOICES, a studio gallery for self-taught artists with disabilities. The V&V artists exhibit their own individual work, as well as pieces created with local professional artists. The result is a rich and vibrant texture of varying media, including paint, ink, fabric, collage, wire, even sugar. One particularly enjoyable piece, "Heaven" by Bill Ross, features paint, wood, thrift-store fabric and mud to convey the commonalities he shares with several other artists. Another favorite, "Kiss Destroyer" uses fabrics, a plant and a bag of sugar, to highlight artist Patsy Collins' obsession with the Rock group Kiss. And you won't want to miss "Mona Lisa Overdrive," a clever interpretation of DaVinci's masterpiece with a little tribute to Andy Warhol. Stop by to see this energetic and inspiring exhibition. Through March 4. ...

You might have blinked and missed it, but you still have a few days left to check out Summerfair's 2005 Emerging Artist Exhibition at THE MOCKBEE (2260 Central Pkwy., Brighton). The exhibition offers a sneak peek at some of the city's up-and-coming artists, offering a diverse showing of work from 18 senior art students at area universities. Sculpture, photography, metalworking, fabric and more are all here, housed in the Mockbee's raw confines. The distinctiveness and skill of each artist is boundless, and you'll want to spend some time exploring it. Be sure to witness STEPHANIE KOENIG's installations, including a complete fireplace constructed to display a series of intricate bronze sculptures. KEITH MILLER employs a remarkable "dripping" technique to some of his works. Coupled with fantastical animal/human imagery, it's not to be missed. I was drawn the most to TIRZAH DECARIA's installations which use old doors as a base. A human torso seems destined to remain trapped inside forever, surrounded by hundreds of keys -- none of which appear to open the door. The effect is both stunning and haunting, emanating the edgy anxiety many feel when confined to one space. These and more are worthy of your attention -- and soon. Friday, 5-7 p.m. and Saturday, noon-5 p.m. ...

Jump in the car for a pleasant drive to southeastern Indiana and locate the RISING SUN PENDLETON ART CENTER at 201 Main St. to celebrate the coming of spring. The cousin to Cincinnati's Pendleton Art Center has its own resident artists, and they're exploring Secret Places. Artists have created pieces in painting, sculpture, pottery and glass that investigate their own secret places, places where they dream and fear, where they hide and even where they dare to aspire. The opening reception (4-8 p.m. March 5) will feature Blues and Folk sounds by musical guest Roy Gentry, and refreshments from the River Valley Winery. Secret Places sounds intriguing, even a little mysterious -- and we all can use a little mystery. Through March 30.

MINI REVIEWS
NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY is hosting Six by Six: Miniature Art by various artists and Cityscapes and Selected Works by ART WAGNER. Six by Six comes from artists all across the country. The exhibition is a reminder of how multifaceted art truly can be. The key strength doesn't lie within the degree of talent of view, but in the quantity of work that is being presented. Wagner's Cityscapes is truly awe-inspiring. His mezzotint prints are exquisite. It's amazing how realistic the prints look and feel. Using shadow and compositional detail, he mirrors how the human eye would record an image. Through March 4. (Jacquelyn Vaughn) Grade: A