Local waterways do much more than sustain. They are natural and aesthetic miracles that nourish communities while inspiring the people within. Visions of the Verde, a breathtaking new exhibition, captures art inspired by the Verde River. Visions of the Verde opens Tuesday, Aug. 20, and runs through Friday, Oct. 11, at Yavapai College’s Verde Art Gallery on the Verde Valley campus in Clarkdale.

Visions of the Verde reflects upon the role that the 192-mile waterway plays as it weaves its way from Chino Valley to the Salt River and through daily lives. Inspired by the Smithsonian Institution’s Water|Ways exhibit and developed in collaboration with the Friends of the Verde River, Visions of the Verde is the juried result of a statewide call for original works that “depict, address and celebrate the Verde River.”

Yavapai College’s Verde Art Gallery will host an opening reception for Visions of the Verde on Friday, Aug. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m.  Artists will be on hand to discuss their work amidst hors d’oeuvres and wines from the college’s Southwest Wine Center.

Visions of the Verde is one compo­nent of the Smithsonian’s Water|Ways exhibit. Related Yavapai College events and exhibits, designed to celebrate local watersheds, include:

• WaterSim Arizona. An app, created by Arizona State University’s Decision Center for a Desert City, that shows users the dynamics of water consump­tion in their own community. At Yavapai College’s Verde Campus Library, Friday, Aug. 26, through Saturday, Sept. 7.
• Book Discussion: “The Emerald Mile.” Kevin Fedarko’s ground-breaking book on the Colorado River is discussed Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m., Yavapai College Verde Campus Library.
• “Wrenched.” Film screening and discussion hosted by Yavapai College’s School of Film and Media Arts Program, Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 6:30 p.m., in Room 137, Building M, on the Verde Campus.
• Visions of the Verde closing recep­tion, Friday, Oct. 11, from 5 to 7 p.m., Verde Art Gallery, Building F, Verde Valley campus.

Made possible by Arizona Humanities and Arizona State University, the Water|Ways exhibit is designed specifically for small-town museums and libraries. Water|Ways began touring in 2018.
Yavapai College’s Verde Art Gallery is located in Building F on Yavapai College’s Verde Valley campus at 601 Black Hills Drive in Clarkdale. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday. Admission is free. Call 649-5479