The YWCA Women’s Art Gallery was established in 1993 to empower local women artists. Although primarily serving the Greater Cincinnati area, the gallery has been proud to host several shows featuring women artists from around the world. As a forum for women’s issues relating to important YWCA programs and services, the gallery has sponsored photographic exhibits on the topics of domestic violence, breast cancer, and women and aging. It is the only gallery in Greater Cincinnati exclusively for women’s art. The Women’s Art Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call the YWCA at 513-241-7090.

Elizabeth Leal’s work involves welded organic pod-shaped three dimensional forms covered with a variety of dyed Japanese rice papers. The inspiration for her work originates from the growth of organic forms, seeking to represent how we are formed and shaped by our own experiences in the world around us.

Sara Pearce’s collage work is mostly narrative. She tells stories and rewrites history, explores gender roles and gives paper a new life. She’s inspired by the beauty of old prints, the complex and ever-changing nature of paper, as well as the challenges of cutting and layering it to achieve various effects.

Jamie Van Landuyt’s paintings are made up of layer upon layer of varying mediums. She builds depth and creates a sense of light and movement in her work. Both her peaceful “waterscapes” and her more recent bold, saturated color palettes represent explorations into the pure energy of painting, a subconscious exercise in expression.

Pieced Together: Expression, Memory & Identity opens on Friday, January 20th and runs through April 13, 2017.