(Lexington Art League LAL Woodland Art Fair)

What’s happening in the visual arts this summer in and around Cincinnati? A lot! So let’s take a look at some of the standouts.

The exhibits and outdoor art fair we’ll mention today are free for seniors! Make this summer a beautiful one — get out and enjoy the unique perspectives, culture and inspiration that the visual arts bring.

EXHIBIT: "Do Ho Suh: Passage"

Now through Sept. 11, the Contemporary Arts Center presents a major exhibition of work by Korean-American artist Do Ho Suh.

Suh moved to the U.S. in 1993. Work displayed here has been inspired by homes he has lived in. He creates life-size installations out of free-hanging fabric, which evoke his prior domiciles and serve as meditations on the meaning of place and the legacy of migration.

Best of all? Admission to the CAC is free (for at least the next several months) thanks to the generosity of several large donors. Open Saturday – Monday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.

EXHIBITION: "Unraveled: Textiles Reconsidered"

Also at the Contemporary Arts Center is this anthology exhibit of fabric art. The artists have reimagined everyday items and reconstructed them, using processes associated with sewing and textile production.

“Artist Adrian Esparza,” for example, according to the CAC’s description, “unwinds cheap, acrylic Mexican blankets to single threads from which he creates hard-edged abstract wall drawings. Ying Kit Chan constructs abstractions of Chinese characters created from cut and torn bed sheets masked in black gesso.”

The exhibit runs through Aug. 14 and also features work by Noel Anderson, Lisa Anne Auerbach, Margarita Cabrera, Hildur Bjarnadottir, Mark R. Smith, Kari Steihaug and Marie Watt.

ART FAIR: Woodland Art Fair (Lexington, KY)

Taking place every August in the crown jewel of the Bluegrass, the Lexington Art League (LAL) Woodland Art Fair is one of the largest, best-attended juried art fairs in the United States. It has been previously named one of Sunshine Artist Magazine’s “Top 200 Fine Art & Design Shows” — a coveted honor in the visual arts community.  

With 200 artists showcasing and selling work in a variety of genres, live music, wonderful food, and a new community “Big Tent” showcasing upcoming local artists and interactive LAL programs, the Woodland Art Fair is absolutely worth a 90 minutes’ drive south.

Best of all? Admission is completely free.

 The 2016 Woodland Art Fair will take place Aug. 20-21, inside the Woodland Park grounds, 601 East High St., Lexington, KY 40502.

Parking is available in the LEXTRAN Transit Center parking garage (enter from East High Street near the Lexington Avenue and MLK Boulevard intersections). Three shuttles (including one that is wheelchair-accessible) will circulate every 10 minutes.

GALLERY OPENING: Expanded Antiquities Gallery

If you’ve been to the Cincinnati Art Museum before, you’ve undoubtedly marveled at the Antiquities Gallery — the first room you pass through after entering the museum.

For decades, Cincinnati’s seniors, young adults and students have been amazed by real examples of Egyptian funerary art, ancient Greek urns, Mesopotamian sculptures and other artifacts from various cultures around the world.

Now, the Art Museum has moved the permanent display of its Antiquities Collection to a larger space and has expanded the number of items on display. Also, for the first time, they will be thematically organized, allowing you to get a better sense both of the development of art craft in ancient times, and of the importance of art to the cultures represented in the gallery.

Some of the items now included have never been displayed to the public before. Be one of the first seniors in Cincinnati to see the newly reorganized and expanded Antiquities collection!

As always, admission to the Art Museum is free. Donations at the door are encouraged, but not required.

For art-loving Cincinnati seniors, there’s plenty more to do!

Click here to check out ArtsWave’s Cincy Arts Guide, and find your ideal summer visual art experience. The entries above are just our picks — with all the museums, art fairs and galleries in and around town, there’s no doubt you’ll find something to tickle your fancy.