Jan. 17
Art Exhibits Opening Reception
CONWAY — The Baum Gallery of Fine Art at the University of Central Arkansas announces four upcoming shows: 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. A public reception for the exhibitions’ openings will be held from 5-7 p.m. today. The shows will be on display through Feb. 24. For more information, visit www.uca.edu/art/baum.
Small Business Workshop
RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Tech University Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present Risk Management and Insurance for Small Business from 9 a.m. to noon. The workshop will be at Arkansas Tech. Business owners and those who want to start a business are encouraged to attend. Participants will learn to identify situations and warning signs that may cause risk in order to create and implement a risk-management plan for their small business. The cost is $30 to attend. To register, call (479) 356-2067.
Beginning Bridge Class
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will offer a beginning bridge class at 11 a.m. The free class, taught by Endrea Carroll, will cover the basics of the game and is open to the public. Class size is limited. To register, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.
Jan. 18
Fantastic Friday
RUSSELLVILLE — Fantastic Friday, a literary and musical evening, will be held the third Friday of each month at River Valley Arts Center, 1001 E. B St. The inaugural event will be from 7-8 p.m. and will feature readings by Wetzel LaGrone of the three true stories he was chosen to read at the Starving Artist Cafe in North Little Rock for Tales From the South. Betty LaGrone will read poetry remembered from her schooldays. Refreshments will be served. Reservations are required, and space is limited. Donations of $10 each will be accepted. For more information, call (479) 968-2452 or email artscenter@centurytel.net.
Jan. 19
Diabetes Boot Camp
CONWAY — Arkansas Heart Hospital will hold a free diabetes boot camp from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Emeritus at Trillium Park, 1160 Hogan Lane. The boot camp will cover carbohydrate counting and meal planning, as well as discussions about medications and exercise. Registration is required. For more information, call (501) 219-7050.
Jan. 21
MLK Celebration
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will be closed Monday to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There will be a march from downtown to the library, followed by a special program at the library, but there will be no regular library services on that day. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482.
Holiday Closing
RUSSELLVILLE — The Hughes Community Center will be closed Monday for observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For more information, call (479) 968-1272.
Jan. 22
Interfaith Dialogue
MORRILTON — The Interfaith Dialogue Series will begin at 6 p.m. at Morrilton’s Rialto Theatre Gallery, 213 E. Broadway. Jay McDaniel, professor of religions at Hendrix College, will introduce the series, which will be an effort for “justice and peace throughout our world, beginning in our own community.” The dialogues will continue each Tuesday for six weeks. A member of each of the following religions will speak on succeeding Tuesdays: Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Light refreshments will be served, and the public is invited.
Author’s Reading
CONWAY — Local author and Hendrix professor Tyrone Jaeger will read from his latest work, The Runaway Note, at 7 p.m. at the Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler St. Jaeger was born and raised in the Catskill Mountains, and his work has been published in The Oxford American, the Toad Suck Review, The Literary Review, the Indiana Review, the Southern Humanities Review and many others. The free event is open to the public, and refreshments will be served. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.
Ongoing
Class Registration
CONWAY — Beginning Tuesday, the Conway Adult Education Computer Training Department will accept registration for classes. For more information, contact the center at (501) 450-4810, or visit www.caec.org.
Upcoming
Email Basics Classes for Adults
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library in Conway will offer email basics classes at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Jan. 24, Feb. 7 and 21, and March 7. The hands-on, one-hour classes will cover how to set up an email account with a secure username and password, as well as some do’s and don’ts when using email. To register, call the library at (501) 327-7482, or email nancy@fcl.org. There is no charge and a limit of three students per hour-long class.
Book Signing
CONWAY — Tyrone Jaeger, author of The Runaway Notebook, and Mark Spitzer, author of Monstropocalypse Opus IV, will sign copies of their books from 1-3 p.m. Jan. 26 at Hastings Books and Music. Jaeger is a professor of English at Hendrix College, and Spitzer is a professor of writing at the University of Central Arkansas. This literary partnership of the creators of two bizarre and fantastic fictions fuses a seductive dream world with mutant nightmares. Hastings is at 1360 U.S. 64 W. in Conway. For more information, call (501) 329-1108.
Heart Failure Workshop
CONWAY — The Arkansas Heart Hospital will hold a free Success With Heart Failure workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 26 at Emeritus at Trillium Park, 1160 Hogan Lane. The workshop will cover symptoms of heart failure, lifestyle changes and how to prevent hospital visits. Registration is required. For more information, call (501) 219-7050.
Punch Brothers Performance
CONWAY — The Punch Brothers will perform at 8 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Worsham Student Performance Hall in the Student Life and Technology Center at Hendrix College. The show, sponsored by Hendrix Special Events, the Office of Student Activities and KHDX, is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m., and limited seating is available. For more information, call (501) 450-1291.
Health and Fitness Fair
GREENBRIER — The City Event Center in Greenbrier will hold its seventh annual Health and Fitness Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 26. There will be free health screenings, cooking demonstrations, exercise demonstrations, and a pickleball clinic in the afternoon. The event is sponsored by the Road Runners Extension Homemakers Club. For more information or to become a participant, contact Emily Harris at (501) 733-2409 or Emily.Harris@windstream.net.
Made From Scratch Workshop
MORRILTON — Budding chefs, foodies, breakfast fans and seafood lovers are invited to participate in the second class in the Made From Scratch workshop series from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 26. The class, which will feature 2008 Summer Olympics Chef Robert Hall, will be at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, 1 Rockefeller Drive. Space is limited, and advance registration is required. The cost is $80 per participant. For more information or to register, visit LiveTheLegacy.org.
Old-Time Concert
CONWAY — Dana and Susan Robinson of North Carolina will give a concert at 2 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Faulkner County Library. The group will perform a blend of original music and old-time songs. All library events are free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.
Kindergarten Roundup
CONWAY — Conway Christian School will hold a kindergarten roundup at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 29. The school, at 500 E. German Lane, admits students of any race, color, nationality and ethnic origin. For more information, contact registrar Kim Roberson at (501) 336-9067, ext. 106, or visit www.conwauchristianschool.org.
Bible Study
MAUMELLE — The women of Maumelle and surrounding areas are invited to participate in a Bible study by Beth Moore, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 29. The study, facilitated by Linda Obremski, will focus on “breaking free” of anything that hinders women from attaining an abundant and effective spirit-filled life. The cost of the workbook is $16. For more information or to register for this 11-week study, call (501) 851-3547.
Retrospective of Jim Thorpe
CONWAY — Dr. Bob Reising will return to the Faulkner County Library at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 with a video retrospective on Jim Thorpe, the man who made the Super Bowl possible. Thorpe was known as the greatest athlete of the 20th century. He was an Olympian, a professional baseball player and a professional football player. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.
Sweetheart Saturday
RUSSELLVILLE — Arkansas Hospice’s ninth annual Sweetheart Saturday will be held from 1-3 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Hughes Community Center, 1000 E. Parkway Drive. Local food vendors, bakeries and restaurants will supply a selection of sweet and savory treats. An assortment of items for silent and live auctions will be available for bidders. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home. Tickets are $10 each or $18 for two and may be purchased at the Arkansas Hospice Russellville office, 2405 E. Parkway, Suite 3, or by calling (479) 498-2050.
Symphony Guild Fundraiser
RUSSELLVILLE — The Talk of the Town Tables fundraiser will be hosted by The Russellville Symphony Guild on Feb. 9. The annual event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Lake Point Conference Center with heavy hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and live music, followed by a steak dinner at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds will be used to bring the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra to Russellville for a concert on April 6. Proceeds are also designated for the guild scholarship funds that provide scholarships to local high school music students. Tickets for the event are $60 and may be purchased from any board member or by calling Judy Murphy at (479) 967-1177.
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.