There were dozens of memorable visual-art exhibitions in 2004; here are some I found to be particularly competent and entertaining (in no particular order):

The "Utah 2004: Mixed Media & Works on Paper" exhibit at the Kimball Arts Center was sophisticated yet playful. With 90 pieces of art etchings, woodcuts, serigraphs, collages, pencil renderings, intaglios, monotypes, mixed media and more — the show was a veritable smorgasbord of mediums, themes, styles and techniques illustrating humor and social bite; all evidence of the superb craftsmanship of our Utah artists.

I walked through the exhibition three times.

"The Art of Earl Jones," a 30-year retrospective of his paintings, drawings and sculpture was another show at the Kimball Art Center that drew me in. As proficient in painting the human figure as in painting the landscape, Jones has continued to inspire and excite the public, as well as local artists who aspire to capture the spirit of Utah's land with the same power and finesse.

"House Guessed," a show with a very feminine point of view, was at Art Access during the summer. The artists — ceramist Heidi Moller Somsen and painter Downey Doxey — put together a well-crafted, thought-provoking and visually intelligent exhibition that treated motherhood without resentment while also demonstrating the independent thinking of the artists. It was enlightening and exciting.

"Art of the Ancient Mediterranean World: Egypt, Greece, Rome" at Brigham Young University's Museum of Art was one of the biggest shows of the year (it runs through June 2005). This exhibition, which boasts 204 pieces from the renowned collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, includes work spanning a period from predynastic Egypt, circa 5,000 B.C., to the Roman late imperial period, about A.D. 350.

Visitors see vessels, relief panels and statuary from tombs, necklaces, cosmetic jars and exquisite mirrors, made from such elements as marble, alabaster, amethyst and copper. Inner and outer coffins from the Temple of Karnak with their multicolored masks are also impressive. Art from the Greek and Roman periods include superb examples of black-figure, red-figure and white-ground vases, as well as intricately carved marble statues.

It takes a good two hours to see this exhibit, but it's worth every second as the Museum's presentation is as good as anything you'll find anywhere.