Memento Mori: Contemporary Manifestations, Jan. 21 to Feb. 18 at Morehead State University Claypool Art Gallery, Morehead: Memento mori is a Latin phrase that roughly translates to “remember you are mortal” and refers to a genre of art that reminds the viewers of their mortality. Curated by nationally recognized contemporary art critic and scholar Eleanor Heartney, a contributing editor to Art in America and Artpress, this juried exhibit features new interpretations on the precious nature of life from more than 40 artists across the country. (www.morehead-st.edu/art. (606) 783-2766.)
Jeweled Objects of Desire, Feb. 15 to July 31 at the Headley-Whitney Museum, 4435 Old Frankfort Pike: A traveling show from the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Jeweled Objects of Desire features the fantastical work of San Francisco jeweler Sidney Mobell. Called the “jeweler to the stars,” Mobell is best known for his use of the everyday in the creation of extraordinary jeweled objects. One highlight of the exhibit will be his Monopoly set, with a 23-karat gold board set with 165 gemstones ($7 adults, $5 students, children and seniors. (859) 255-6653. www.headley-whitney.org.)
Tara Donovan, Feb. 7 to May 11 at the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati: A rising star in the art world, contemporary American sculptor Tara Donovan was awarded a 2008 MacArthur Fellowship. Lucky for us, she'll be nearby. This Cincinnati exhibit was organized by the Institute for Contemporary Art, Boston, and is the first major museum survey of the sculptor. Taking as her materials mass-produced items such as foam cups, packing tape and toothpicks, she produces sculptures and installations that feature the repetitive use of a single object. ($4.50-$7.50. (513) 345-8400. www.contemporaryartscenter.org.)
Fay Moore: A Woman Artist in a Sporting World, March 13 to May 31 at the International Museum of the Horse, 4089 Iron Works Parkway: One of the first recognized female sporting artists in the United States, Moore is best known for her Thoroughbred racing paintings. Her style, which she calls “neo-pointillism,” uses layered inks, watercolors, gouaches and pastels to capture the fast-paced, colorful world of racing and sports. This retrospective exhibit is conducted in collaboration with the Heike Pickett Gallery in Versailles. (Admission is included in Horse Park ticket. (859) 233-4303. www.imh.org/museum.)
