In this fast-paced world, sometimes a dose of nostalgia is in order. Jim Schafer's images in "Icons and Incongruities: Photographs From America's Heartland" offer contemplation for the 21st-century viewer.

Twenty-six large prints at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts explore the aesthetics of small Midwestern towns. The exhibition fills two galleries, one with color and the other with black and white examples. Schafer's prints work together to tell the story of seemingly forgotten places no longer on the main drag. Abandoned businesses, grain elevators, churches, post offices and VFWs are some of the subjects he captures repeatedly. Many of the photographs are devoid of human beings, further reinforcing the emptiness of the remote locations in Kansas and Nebraska. The viewer is left to wonder whether these towns lost their populations to larger surrounding communities or if suburban sprawl has rendered Main Street obsolete.

Schafer's work shifts the focus away from contemporary images of America's Heartland -- patriotic parades and Wal-Mart Superstores -- back to more traditional, architectural scenes. Despite the lack of activity, these towns are worth visiting. Particularly intriguing are the black and white images, which take on a more documentary appearance when contrasted with the color prints. After all, ghost towns are gray, run-down places.

One of the more memorable images, "High Noon, Shadow Cross, Haven Kansas," is a dramatic vertical print documenting a grain elevator rising against the open sky. A searing noon sun strikes a protruding wooden beam, casting a shadow on the building and creating the illusion of a cross. For a moment, the majestic white structure appears more like a church than a repository for grain.

The scene of an abandoned barbershop in Wallace, Neb., with its white-washed exterior, feels so lonely. Similarly, a beauty shop in Stapleton, Neb., is closed for business. Years ago, a barbershop or beauty shop would have served as a lively gathering place in a small town, providing an essential service in a social atmosphere. Now that the businesses are gone, the buildings appear particularly empty.

Both of these images include reflections of the American flag. Along with the flag, U.S. mailboxes are a frequent sight in Schafer's images. By including them, Schafer reminds the viewer of his subject -- America's heartland. Although his destinations are off the beaten path (I couldn't find Wallace, Neb., in my atlas), they are undeniably recognizable as America.

In addition to the architecture of Midwestern towns, "Icons and Incongruities" includes some interesting old-fashioned signs. No doubt Schafer encountered many examples on his road trips. Defunct, like the buildings that display them, the signs reference an earlier generation. Today, most people prefer to get directions and points of interest digitally -- from the Internet or a mobile phone.

Spotted in Portis, Kan., a sign reads: "Eat out more. The wife you save may be your own." Pittsburghers will be familiar with the sign welcoming motorists to Breezewood. The photograph of "The Travelers Oasis" doesn't include a car or a fast-food chain -- just the large, tacky sign illuminated in all its hideous glory.

In "Binding Forces: Doug Hill and Dorothy Williams," curator and artist Tom Sarver presents two seemingly disparate self-taught artists. Sarver's pairing of their work at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts is successful and underscores a number of shared and contrasting themes. Hill creates kinetic machines, while Williams' images are personal, maternal expressions.

Hill's assembled group of cardboard constructions captivates the imagination. They occupy a large table with more examples exhibited on an adjacent wall. The mechanical gadgets and models (complete with levers, gears and weights) project a hand-made quality. Hill is quick to point out that he works trial-and-error -- preferring to eye-ball dimensions, in lieu of measuring. Generally, machines are made of sturdier material. Hill's use of cardboard provokes the viewer to consider machines in a new way.

Williams' colorful string paintings complement Hill's hard-edged creations. In an equally hands-on approach to art-making, Williams, who died in 2005, utilized brightly colored embroidery thread to illustrate themes from her life in Pittsburgh's Hill District. Her art deserves a closer look.

Also at the center are "Duets," collages by Mark & Jeff Zets; "Pittsburgh Through AAP Eyes," work inspired by the city's 250th anniversary; "Bedazzled: Stars, Pagans and the Cosmos, Suzie Silver," video; Group A's "Hide-n-Seek"; and the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts' "Regional Student Juried Exhibition."

"Icons" and "Forces" continue through April 13 at 6300 Fifth Ave., Shadyside. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Suggested donation $5, members free. For information: 412-361-0873 or www.pittsburgharts.org. Artists talks by Schafer and Silver at 6 p.m. tomorrow. Curator's talk and artist demo by Sarver and Hill at 7 p.m. March 6.