Nine of Milwaukee's most promising young photographers come together Saturday at "Fabled," a narrative photography exhibit featuring a diverse group of emerging artists.

Curated by Naomi Shersty, an adjunct assistant professor of photography at UWM, "Fabled" pieces together works that suggest loose and fragmented stories; the kind that linger in thought long after you've left the gallery.

"Each of the artists included in this show created images that inspire awe and wonder, perhaps as a nod to the fables and stories that often bring magic and mystery to our daily lives," Shersty said.

While the photographers explore a wide range of styles, all the work uses "character, gesture and atmosphere to point the viewer towards the bigger picture beyond the photographic frame," Shersty said.

The show, which opens 6 p.m. Saturday at the Jackpot Gallery, 825 E. Center St., includes work from: Amber Schwalenberg, Lindsey Mueller, Michael Goelzer, Amber Blanchard, Ally Santiago, Jessica Farrell, Jean Yang, Cassandra Hansen and Brian Slawson.

"It's exciting to me because I think that there is a lot of potential in this young group of artists," said Shersty. "It's the most impressive student work I have seen in a long time."

Several of the students already show their work actively around town. For others this will be their first gallery exhibition experience, not that you could tell by their work, Shersty said.

"If people were to walk in it really wouldn't come across as work made in a classroom. It's gallery quality work," Shersty said.

Whether in content or composition the artists at "Fabled" all show comfort and advancement in their work that that defies their relative rawness.

"Michael Goelzer and another artist Brian Slawson have complete control over their characters, their lighting as far as working in that directorial mode. Their images are really refined," said Shersty.

"Allie Santiago and Amanda Blanchard are working with ideas of performance and gender that are serious but really sort of imaginative and humorous. Those are mature ways of dealing with that subject matter where typical undergraduate work won't make it there."

The show, which runs through March 26, is put on in conjunction with Art:Site -- public events presented by the UWM's Department of Art and Design -- and will also feature the Living Photo Booth Project a group that creates a live photo booth and later posts the pictures on its Web site. Saturday's opening runs 6 until 10 p.m.