There are five reasons to visit Freo and they're all at the Arts Centre.  Four fine art exhibitions by very different  artists and one beautiful display of craft offer more than meets the eye.

Our first encounter is with Bevan Honey's 'Wood Cuts and Charcoals'.  Here cut pieces of inch-square wood are charred or stained and constructed into large wall pieces that baffle and beguile.  At first they appear to be mere geometric abstractions until we link the patterns with their titles (Lapis crucifix, Diamond, Pyrite, Garnet) to realize they are two-dimentional drawings of the named gem's facets - in the instance of Graphite, molecular composition - presented in a three dimentional medium.  Honey's play with visual, representational and real volume is fascinating.  My only regret is I couldn't stand back far enough to better appreciate these large pieces.

The main gallery presents '50 Reasons', a collaborative exhibition by Rox De Luca and Jo Darbyshire.  The works reference insignificant moments during a lifetime, that together, construct a sense of pleasure and meaning in life.  This is a broad brief, one that could easily have grown out of hand considering the artists are working on opposite sides of the continent and have different cultural heritages.  However, as the works are of equal size and related colour and are exhibited side by side, they produce a sense of continuity like random thoughts that come to mind when two friends reminisce about the past.

De Luca's works on polished aluminium consist of either embossed designs or painted images.  The former hold interest if only for the fact the artist can write Italian backwards in longhand.  The latter is more appreciated when the subject is a repeated image such as  Aglio, Zucchini, or Farfalle.  Darbyshire's paintings are much stronger than those of her co-exhibitor, and the dual imagery on each canvas offers both a narrative and a contemplative space for the viewer.

In some instances, both artists fall back on old photos to capture the past.  De Luca paints grey images on metal surfaces and though they are beautifully drawn they seem cold, distant.  Meanwhile, Darbyshire's Holy Communion is a warm and inviting image depicting a cracked and faded photo, which appears to have been kept lovingly in a wallet and often viewed.

While still on the ground floor the Centrepiece Gallery showcases a variety of furniture, functional objects and sculptural pieces of turned or carved wood, by artists from the south coast of WA.  It is always a delight to see such fine craftsmanship as well as to bathe in the warmth that radiates from wood which has been lovingly redirected from timber to treasure.

Upstairs in the Kathleen O'Connor Gallery, Marzena Topka-Nevin presents charcoal and mixed media drawings that play with words and concepts in both a serious and 'punny' manner.  'Post Partum' examines the term post as referring to 'after' or 'mail' (male) which extends to female, which is a carrier or envelope that holds something, until it is delivered and emptied.  The associations flow trough a convoluted logic while the exhibits retain a beautiful symmetry between sensuous and stoic, the jest and the genuine.  Topka-Niven's excellent drawings appear simple but include layers of interpretations.  For example, in Post Erotic a sensitive black line draws a partially open envelope that exposes its blood red interior. The small papier-mache constructions are a delight, like Post Natal where a baby's legs have gone beyond pushing the envelope to kick their way out.

Last but far from least, are the bright and beautifully constructed paintings by Nina Danko in her exhibition 'The Disappearance of the Snake'.  The named reptile twists through these crowded images either suggested, as a patterned serpentine shape, or obviously, as the creature reaches for its own tail.  Mythological, cultural and religious associations are juxtaposed in a clash of the icons.  These exhibits would have sent the eye and mind whirling if they were not so well controlled in colour and imagery.

Viewing all the exhibitions in one visit is a tour de force but well worth it.  Perhaps you should plan two trips to fully appreciate these displays.  Each is a singular experience to be enjoyed.