Photo By Claire Darley

Emerge from your holiday cocoon to view some remarkable visual art, starting with the current exhibition at YORK STREET CAFÉ, (738 York St., Newport), Serendipitous Reflections. Art Academy of Cincinnati students LAURA MORGAN, KRISTIN SOWERS and NADINE SPALLEK explore the concept of drawing, using an assortment of strategies including scale, mixed media, sculptural forms, installation and conceptual approach. Although the pieces speak to various life experiences of each artist, they challenge the viewer to draw his or her own conclusions. It's your last chance to catch this exhibition: through Jan. 19. ...

For a first glimpse of what promises to be a captivating exhibition, get to the RUTHE G. PEARLMAN GALLERY in the ART ACADEMY OF CINCINNATI (1212 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine.) Artist and professor CLAIRE DARLEY traveled to the Amazon rainforests of Peru and Ecuador, which inspired her to create Two Watersheds: A Sabbatical Exhibition by Claire Darley. Upon her return, she completed a body of work that compares the rainforests, in their vast diversity, to her home landscape, the woodlands of Mill Creek Valley. The exhibition also includes charcoal drawings and watercolors made at the Caldwell Nature Preserve as well as accompanying soundscapes in two of the galleries. The soundscapes help Darley convey how she used her other senses, most notably hearing, to "see" her surroundings. Journey into her lush world beginning with the opening reception on Thursday, 5-7 p.m. Through Feb. 3. ...

You'll be hard-pressed to find a better way to begin your new year than catching the latest exhibitions at CARL SOLWAY GALLERY (424 Findlay St., West End). Always a space that offers fresh and provoking art, you won't be disappointed by the five new exhibitions gracing its walls -- especially if you're a photography admirer. Seeing the Light, a major exhibition, features large-scale work by 19 artists who explore optics and photographic concepts and processes. If that's not enough, feast your eyes on some of the other walls, which offer digital pigment prints by ROBERT LONGO, screen-printed photograph collages by acclaimed artist ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG and intimate photomontages by RUTH THORNE-THOMSEN. You're bound to find something that captures your eye. Opening reception is Jan. 20 at 5-8 p.m. Through April 15. ...

To change your weekend scenery, head to STUDIO SAN GIUSEPPE ART GALLERY at the COLLEGE OF MOUNT ST. JOSEPH (5701 Delhi Road, Delhi) for an exhibition by the OHIO WATERCOLOR SOCIETY. Founded in 1978, the Society, formed of a group of charter Ohio artists, seeks to advance the stature of watercolor as a major painting medium and to assist Ohio painters in the area of watercolor painting. This exhibition highlights over 40 selected works from the Society's annual exhibition in Mansfield, Ohio, including all the award winners. Revealing the scope and beauty of this medium, the show offers a chance to find out more about one of the most prolific visual art media. Opening reception is Jan. 22 from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Through Feb. 19.

Mini Reviews
Currently on view at the 537 GALLERY (Midland Building, 537 Pete Rose Way, Downtown) is Historical Present, featuring works by JENNIFER GROTE, SANDY THOMAS and DORTHY MAE WIETHE GROLL. The exhibition, although diverse in medium and subject, is an excellent hybrid of a shared creative vision. Grote explores geometric and organic shapes via drawing, sculpture and painting. Her work feels as though she's wading through extremely personal memories. Grote's oil pastels explore "random" circles collapsing onto each other. Thomas' documentary photographs serve as time capsules. Taken between 9/11 and the present, they back the tragic event with a power beyond words. Groll's fashion illustrations are of formal wear and evening gowns from the 1940s. Using graphic and ink washes, the detailed and line work is impeccable. Through Jan. 31. (Jacquelyn Vaughn) Grade: B+

Caldwell by Claire Darley, on view at the Art Academy´s Pearlman Gallery.