The word “girl” used to be tricky: Say it to your sweetie, you’d get smooched. Say it to your co-worker, you’d get sued. Now when women everywhere say “girl” — once used as a demeaning term by men — it’s an affirmation. This evolution is examined in “Girls’ Night Out,” a new exhibit at Blaffer Gallery that showcases a group of international female artists. Photos like Sarah Jones’s The Park are sensual; images like Eija-Liisa Ahtila’s Lahja—The Present are sweet. Opening reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Exhibit runs through April 21. University of Houston’s Fine Art Building, entrance No. 16 (off Cullen Boulevard). For information, call 713-743-9530 or visit www.blaffergallery.org. Free.

Jan. 20-April 21

This article appears in Jan 19-25, 2006.