Denver galleries know when to seize a good moment. That happens every year at the height of winter, when the temps run low and the exhibits go high, aiming to capture visitors who need their art in warm spaces. And this year, there is a particularly interesting and diverse lineup of exhibitions running through the frigid season.

Here are a few of the most promising options.

“In Club We Trust,” photos by Shadows Gather, Meow Wolf, through April 23

The street photographer who goes by the name Shadows Gather gives Denver’s nightlife the respect it deserves. She shoots relentlessly at clubs and social gatherings where the underground set converges, using her instant camera to capture candid shots that feel somewhere between formal portraits and photojournalism. One day, when the history of Denver is told about this part of the 21st century, Shadows Gather will be a primary source. See her latest work on display at the entertainment mega-plex Meow Wolf, a swell venue for images of the city’s queer, trans, drag, weirdo, whatever-goes crowd. You do have to pay the admission to get in, but maybe this is a good excuse to check out everything else Meow Wolf is up to lately.

Info: 866-636-9969 or meowwolf.com

“Confluence of Nature,” weavings by Nancy Hemenway Barton, Denver Art Museum, through Oct. 8

Nancy Hemenway Barton hailed from Maine but the world was her inspiration. The textile artist traveled the globe, from Bolivia to Benin, picking up techniques that she mixed into a historic body of work. Barton, who died in 2008, was famous for her folds and tucks, but also her use of unusual materials in creating pieces with rich textures and earthy colors. The five series featured in this show sum up both the breath of her styles and the exhibit itself: “Ancient Images of Mexico and the Andes,” “Textures of Our Earth,” “Aqua Lapis,” “New England Light” and “Late Works.”

More info: 720-865-5000 or denverartmuseum.org

“delecTABLE: The Fine Art of Dining,” Art Students League of Denver, through March 30.

The Art Students League of Denver — long the city’s treasured home of community art and education — brings back its popular “delecTABLE: The Fine Art of Dining,” a biennial ceramics exhibit that has been running since 2012. This year, the food-themed show features 81 ceramic pieces made byartists from near and not-so-far, all laid out on the traditional exhibition table. Juror Justin Paik Reese culled the contents from more than 200 submissions. Shaking things up this year is a new side attraction, “Food-tography,” which will cover the surrounding walls with local photographers’ photos of, not sure surprisingly, food in various forms. There is an artist reception, open to the public, set for March 7. Like the show, it’s free to attend.

More info: 303-778-6990 or asld.org

Month of Photography, various venues, through March 30 (and beyond)

The biannual extravaganza known as Denver’s Month of Photography technically takes place in March but has already started and will last through April. The 2025 edition of MOP, as it is known, will include 135 events spread over 75 spaces all along the Front Range. The best way to make sense of this multi-headed monster is by spending some time on the website, where you can parse through capsulized descriptions of the shows and see a few images that give the flavor of each attraction. It is all organized by the Colorado Photographic Arts Center, which will have its own exhibit titled “History Reimagined.” CPAC is always a good place to start if you want to explore MOP without doing a lot of homework. Similar to most MOP venues, it is free.

More info: mopdenver.com

“A Graphic Journey: Prints by Pablo Picasso,” Longmont Museum, Through May 4.

The Longmont Museum frequently comes up with surprises for its galleries, and this one is particularly unexpected. The traveling show features more than 60 works, from 1923 through 1972, all by the visual arts icon known mostly for his paintings and sculpture. But Picasso had great interest in both the artistic and commercial possibilities of prints, and this exhibit shows how he explored different techniques over his career and the ways that journey morphed over time. It also introduces visitors to the printmaking masters who helped him get it right, including Georges Lacourière, Fernand Mourlot and Hidalgo Arnera. There is a side show of Picasso ceramics borrowed from a local collector on display, and the museum has scheduled a lot of themed public programming of film, lectures and demonstrations to accompany the event. The admission price is not too steep: $8 for adults, $5 for students.

More info: 303-651-8374 or longmontmuseum.org

“Finding Light,” drawings by Anna Kaye, Denver Botanic Gardens, through May 20

The Denver Botanic Gardens’ art galleries offer a way to explore plants through paintings, ceramics, sculpture and, in the case of Anna Kaye’s current exhibition, detailed, lifelike drawings of nature at its wildest. “Finding Light” starts in a dark place, with Kaye’s renderings of forests that have been devastated by fire. But it ends with a bit of hope, emphasizing how nature has a way of replenishing itself even after the worst disasters. It is a sophisticated view of the planet brought forth by an artist who is deft at details, theatrical in the way she captures drama, and full of respect for the power of the planet to survive. The show is free, though you have to pay DBG admission to access the galleries.

Info: 720-865-3500 or botanicgardens.org

Ray Mark Rinaldi is a Denver-based freelancer writer specializing in fine arts.