Turquoise Tortoise Gallery opens Women Create and honors Women’s History Month by putting the spotlight on the gifted women artists the gallery represents. This new exhibition opens with a reception on Friday, March 3, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The loosely executed acrylic views of the Southwest painted by new artist Shari Ubechel will be introduced with an exciting twist: Ubechel spent close to 20 years developing a proprietary technique that allows her paintings to gain an extra dimension when viewed with 3-D glasses. It is as though her colorful paintings, when hanging on a wall, can hold their own little secret that you may share if you like.

The exquisite figurative painter Sharon Brening offers several new works to enchant gallery-goers. Brening captures young, traditionally dressed American Indian children in precise moments of activity or discovery. Their excitement and innocent joy radiates from the canvas and viewers cannot help but find those emotions within themselves.

Local artist Mariann Leahy offers her glorious Southwest-themed ceramic wall hangings: Bowls, plates and shapes such as horses, turtles or javelinas. Leahy has been honing her artistic skills since childhood when she enjoyed early lessons at the Art Institute of Chicago, returning — after many years spent as an art teacher in the multicultural Chicago area — with a scholarship for graduate work to study ceramics.

Stop by Turquoise Tortoise Gallery on First Friday evening, enjoy the works of these and other women artists, and help the gallery honor women in history and women today.

Turquoise Tortoise Gallery is located at Hozho, 431 SR 179. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For information, call 282-2262 or visit TurquoiseTortoiseGallery.com.