This week's events-RVO

Feb. 17

Rigoletto Live From the Met

CONWAY — A new production of Verdi’s Rigoletto will be broadcast to conclude the 2012-13 season of Captured Live From the Met @ UCA at 2 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas. General-admission tickets are $15 for the public and $5 for students with a valid ID. To order, visit www.uca.edu/reynolds. For more information, email jdmiller@uca.edu, or visit www.uca.edu/cfac or www.metopera.org.

Feb. 18

AARP Meeting

CONWAY — Conway AARP 796 will meet from 11 a.m. to noon at the Conway Senior Center, 1620 Donaghey Ave. The speaker will be Debbie Wheeler of the Hospice Home Care in Conway. This will be a meeting only (no lunch) because of Presidents Day. Annual dues will be collected at the meeting. All are welcome.

Feb. 19

Seminar on Government Contracting

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present a First Steps to Government Contracting seminar from 1-5 p.m. at Arkansas Tech University. Participants will learn about government-contract types, as well as state and federal procurement processes to find out how businesses can register to sell to the government. A variety of websites and sources of information will be provided. The course will benefit companies that have no experience in government contracting or are relatively new to the process. The cost is $40, and seating is limited. To register, call (479) 356-2067.

Interfaith Dialogue

MORRILTON — Sophia Said of Little Rock will present a Muslim practice of meditation at the Interfaith Dialogues series from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Rialto Gallery, 213 E. Broadway. The public is invited for discussion and refreshments.

Retired Teachers Meeting

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Retired Teachers Association will meet at 1:30 p.m. in the Activity Center of First Baptist Church. The program will be presented by Joan Hanna, director of the Faulkner Academy of Arts and the Conway Women’s Chorus. Anyone who has retired from any position in education is invited to attend.

Feb. 20

David Coleman Presentation

CONWAY — Hendrix College will present David Coleman, known as the dating doctor and America’s real-life Hitch, at 7 p.m. in Reeves Recital Hall in the Trieschmann Building. Coleman travels the nation and tackles the issues of dating, romance and relationships in a humorous and candid manner. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (501) 450-1263 or email clark@hendrix.edu.

Genealogical Society Meeting

MORRILTON — The River Valley Genealogical Society will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Conway County Library. The group meets the third Thursday of every other month.

History Lecture

CONWAY — The Hendrix College Department of History will host “Past Obsessions: World War II in History and Memory,” a lecture and discussion by Dr. Carol Gluck, at 7 p.m. in the Worsham Student Performance Hall-South in the Student Life and Technology Center.

Feb. 22

Festival of Winds Deadline

CONWAY — Friday is the deadline for students to be nominated by their band director or private teacher to participate in the Festival of Winds Honor Band for high school students on May 4 at Hendrix College. Approximately 90 students from Arkansas and surrounding states will gather for a day of rehearsals and present a concert at 7:30 that evening in Staples Auditorium on the Hendrix campus. Sharing the concert with the honor band will be the Little Rock Wind Symphony, conducted by Karen Fannin, associate professor of music at Hendrix. The concert is free and open to the public. The Festival of Winds Honor Band is open to students in grades 9-12. For nomination forms, visit www.hendrix.edu/festivalofwinds.

Ongoing

First Baptist Church Maumelle

MAUMELLE — Pastor Tony Auxier invites the community to Bible classes for all ages at 9 a.m. Sundays at First Baptist Church Maumelle, at the corner of Millwood Circle and Maumelle Boulevard. Worship services follow at 10:15 a.m. in the main sanctuary. AWANA clubs will not meet today, but will resume at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 24. Evening worship services are held Sunday at 5 in the main sanctuary. Women are invited to Bible studies that meet Tuesday mornings and evenings. Wednesday fellowship, contemporary worship and youth activities are held in the Activities building beginning at 5 p.m. For more information, call the church office at (501) 851-3547 or visit www.fbcmaumelle.org.

Art Exhibit

LITTLE ROCK — Beauty in the Natural State, a collection of oil paintings by Jeannie Stone of Russellville, will be featured through March 2 at the Community Bakery in Little Rock, a few blocks from the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion and part of the historic downtown district. Stone plans to graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Arkansas Tech University. For more information, visit www.communitybakery.com or email dj@djstoneart.com.

Spring Art Exhibitions

CONWAY — The Baum Gallery of Fine Art at the University of Central Arkansas will present four exhibitions to be on display through Feb. 24: Swishbone: New Paintings by Julie Evans; Under the Influence: New Ceramic Work by Curt LaCross; Alternating Currents: A Mixed Media Art Installation by Mario Marzan; and Before and After: An Exploration of the Art Conservation Process. The gallery’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday; and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Entry to the exhibitions is free.

Upcoming

Book Signing

CONWAY — Regional author Nancy Powell will sign copies of her new book, Dark Secrets, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Faulkner County Library; and on March 2 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Damascus Library and from 2-4 p.m. at the Greenbrier Library. The book is the first in a series of historical novels based on the life of Ollie McNew. The free event is open to the public. She will give a $3 discount on books purchased by students or members of a writing group. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.

Public Art Lecture

CONWAY — Julie Evans will present a public lecture about her exhibit, Swishbone: New Paintings, at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in McCastlain Hall, Room 143, at the University of Central Arkansas. Her paintings, which are on display in the Baum Gallery, are characterized by organic forms that swish and swirl with color and texture. For more information, call (501) 450-5793.

Volunteer and Funding Workshops

HEBER SPRINGS — The Division of Community Service and Heber Springs Parks and Recreation will present two workshops Feb. 28. From 9 a.m. to noon, the session will offer an overview of searching for funding opportunities and how to fund a grant for nonprofits. The second workshop, from 1-4 p.m., will be an interactive session on the keys to a successful volunteer program, including volunteer management, techniques, tips and tools. The free workshops will be at the Heber Spring Community Center, 201 Bobbie Jean Lane. For more information or to register, contact Beth Jacks at (501) 320-3981 or bethjacks@arkansas.gov. Preregistration is required.

Charity Ball

RUSSELLVILLE — The 48th annual Junior Auxiliary of Russellville Charity Ball will be held March 2 at the L.V. Williamson Boys and Girls Club of the Arkansas River Valley, 600 E. 16th St. The black-tie-optional event will start at 6 p.m., and activities will include hors d’oeuvres, Southern cuisine by Opal Mae’s Café, a live auction and dancing. Mr. Lucky will provide musical entertainment. Tickets, at $70 per person or $130 per couple, may be purchased by calling (601) 467-1735 or (479) 890-1381.

Chase Race and Paws

CONWAY — The eighth annual Chase Race and Paws will begin at 8 a.m. March 9, starting and finishing at Simon Park, 805 Front St. The two-mile state championship race awards a $100 cash prize to any male or female who breaks the present course record. A complimentary 2014 entry form will be awarded to anyone who breaks an age-group record. Each registrant will receive a T-shirt. The event will include a one-mile fun or competitive event for runners/walkers with leashed pets, a best costume contest for all pets and pet adoptions. The event promotes and raises funds for nonadopted pets and research for adolescents with traumatic brain injury. Proceeds will benefit Friends of the Conway Animal Shelter and Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Online race registration is open at www.chaserace.info/. Entry forms are also available at The Sporty Runner, 1016 Van Ronkle St. in Conway, and at Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center, 700 Salem Road.

To submit an item for the Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, River Valley & Ozark Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR, 72203; fax to (501) 378-3500; or email to rvonews@arkansasonline.com. Deadlines for calendar-item submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.

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