This Volunteer Fair @ Drake University will be held on March 2 & will feature 15 local agencies that provide help for immigrants, refugees & individuals dealing with housing issues.

Dutch trumpeter Eric Vloeimans & his trio, Fugimundi (Anton Goudsmith on guitar & Harmen Fraanje on piano) bring Dutch jazz to Waukee! Learn more about Vloeimans, an award-winning trumpeter, and listen to his music at www.ericvloeimans.com.

Learn how to take care of your piece of the planet for your own peace of mind, and increase habitat in the process. Landscape your yard the natural way with Iowa-friendly native plants. Inger Lamb with Prairie Landscapes of Iowa will present this program.

Pre-registration required; deadline is Feb. 26.

Described as a “Village Gathering,” the AAIG meets the first Tuesday of each month. Learn more about your African roots with other dedicated researchers and historians. Newcomers welcome!

Introduce a young child to the outdoors with the help of a Naturalist. This special series of nature programming is for 3, 4 and 5 year olds, accompanied by an adult, and will be held at different parks in Polk County. Nature Friends programs will be held on Tuesday, March 2, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Raccoon River Nature Lodge and on Tuesday, March 23, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Raccoon River Park Nature Lodge. The March 2nd theme is Silly Sally. The March 23rd theme is Tricky Tracks. At each one-hour program you and your child will listen to a nature story, make a craft and participate in an outdoor activity. There is a $7 registration fee for each program. Nature Friends is co-sponsored by Polk County Conservation, Des Moines Izaak Walton League and West Des Moines Parks and Recreation. For information about Nature Friends, call Polk County Conservation at 515-323-5300. Pre-registration is required one week prior to the program by calling West Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department at (515) 222-3444 or go online to www.wdm-ia.com.

Heroes sought to participate in head-shaving events nationwide to raise funds for childhood cancer research! Be a hero for kids with cancer by shaving your head in return for pledges of financial support from friends/family. Participants find that shaving their head in solidarity with the 160,000 children who are diagnosed each year is a small sacrifice in comparison to what these children endure & want to raise money to help find a cure for children with cancer now & in the future. For further information: www.funnybonedm.com.

Join Polk County Conservation to learn about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Older, Wiser, Livelier Seniors (O.W.L.S.) programs are free and are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 11 a.m. in the Jester Park Lodge. An optional $7 catered lunch follows each program. Phyllis Mains’ passion for wildlife and wilderness has led her to encourage others in joining her to protect American’s last remaining pristine wilderness in Alaska. She will share a DVD of her 2007 backpacking adventure to Alaska. The presentation will show the contrasts between the harsh tundra and the more lush Denali lowland. Pre-registration is required for lunch by calling Polk County Conservation at 515-323-5300. The program luncheon registration deadline is Friday, February 26. Join us each month for a new exciting nature topic. Go online to www.leadingyououtdoors.org to see a listing of the 2010 OWLS programs.

Kevin is an amazing young photographer who will share his experiences traveling all over the world on a skateboard in his memoir, Doubletake. Born without legs, Kevin was otherwise a healthy baby and grew up like any other Montana kid. Kevin used his success as a professional skier to fund his international work on a project called, The Rolling Exhibition and in October of 2007, gave his first public presentation on the series. Since then, The Rolling Exhibition has been featured on ABC, BBC, NPR, and media outlets around the world.

The Great Frame Up is hosting a special fundraising exhibit for HOPE International thru March 31st to help rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquake. Talented local artists have joined with The Great Frame Up to create a special art exhibit to benefit Haiti. Proceeds from the sale of the originals in the collection will go directly to HOPE International for Haiti and a local charity. This is a wonderful art exhibit with proceeds benefiting Haiti. Local artists featured who have donated their artwork for the event include Jill Wells of Indianola, Bill Gordon of Clive, Jane Robinette of Urbandale and many others.

Beginning March 1, learn to skate; classes are pay as you go!
Just $12 per class! No 4-week session commitment needed...drop in as your schedule (and the weather) permits.
For further information: www.brentonplaza.com.

The Gallery Show of Timothy Florer will be on display during the month of March at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 1115 Grand Avenue in West Des Moines, Room 113 in the east lobby, as part of its Fine Arts Program. The display is open to the public during office hours and during worship services, Saturdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. and Sundays, 8:30 a.m. – noon. His medium is black and white photography; on display will be works from his first two books: Rural Iowa Ruins and Against The Current. Tim began a serious endeavor into fine art black-and-white photography in 2000. Since 1974, Tim sold life insurance and annuities in rural Iowa and in his travels, he witnessed the decline of rural structures and small towns. He felt the need to capture images of these structures before they became extinct. This mission evolved in 2002 into Tim’s first book, Rural Iowa Ruins. Using the same format, Tim’s second book, Against the Current, was published in 2003; a photographic study of the Upper Mississippi Valley. Tim has had solo shows on the west coast and Midwest, and his works are on display at major corporations and museums. He has been the featured photographer in The Iowa magazine 2005 calendar. He is also the co-founder and director of the 4-H Camera Corps.

IGHSAU Girls State Basketball Tournament presented by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union

Des Moines Women's Club presents the 102nd Annual Art Exhibition! Mark your calendars for these exhibition events, throughout the week. Feb. 25-28: Entries accepted, judged, installed & prizes awarded. Feb. 28-March 7: Exhibition opens to public - FREE! March 5: Gallery Night from 5-8pm. Bring your friends! Enjoy complimentary wine & cheese & great art! For further information: www.hoytshermanplace.org.

Robyn O'Neil: The World Has Won. A Final Bow Was Taken is a survey exhibition devoted to the Omaha-born, Houston-based artist's work.

Finding themselves suddenly orphaned, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden band together and make a home for themselves in an abandoned railroad car. Based on the book by Gertrude Chandler Warner.

First Steps Dance classes are designed to introduce children to the fundamental skills of dance at a cost and time commitment that is minimal to parents. All classes are led by Jennifer McCullough, an instructor who has taught dance for over 12 years. Let your child learn basic dance movements in a non-threatening, recreational environment! Beginning Tap Class NEW! Bring in the Noise!!! Students are introduced to the fundamentals of tap and the foundation of rhythm. The focus is on basic technique and terminology. Students develop body awareness and the ability to express themselves through movement. The program fee covers all 6 weeks of instruction and a long-sleeve t-shirt. Basic children’s tap shoes are available for purchase at The Theatrical Shop in Valley Junction, Mark’s Dancewear in Johnston, or on-line through many retailers. Date(s): Mondays, February 22-April 5 (no class on March 15) Time(s): 6-6:30pm Program #: 10761 Time(s): 6:45-7:15pm Program #: 10762 Location: Raccoon River Park Nature Lodge Ages: 4-6 Fee: $30 PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED!

Olson-Larsen Galleries will host an opening reception for a group show of artwork by Blair Benz, Karen Chesterman, Mary Koenen Clausen, Peter Feldstein, and Jeanine Coupe Ryding. This event is free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on display through April 3. Butterflies, moths and flowers populate the intricate charcoals of Blair Benz. Benz achieves impossible depth and richness in his small still lifes, which sometimes include landscape elements. His work has been shown in the Gallery of Art in Eugene, Oregon, the Iowa Artists Exhibit at the Des Moines Art Center, and the Midlands Invitational 2000 at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha. Karen Chesterman’s recent oil paintings feature hints of unreadable script, Asian symbols and geometric elements. These components both contrast with and complement their backgrounds—the rich, vibrant color fields Karen creates using layers of thin oil paint. Karen’s works hang in Midwestern galleries, private collections, and institutional collections in banks, hospitals, and corporate offices, including those of American Republic Insurance and Kirke Financial Services in Des Moines. Mary Koenen Clausen’s collages are complex and contemplative. Figures composed of mismatched heads and bodies float among animals, icons, musical notes, and foreign texts on backgrounds of thickly layered paint. She was part of the Iowa Artists show at the Des Moines Art Center in 1991 and has been in group shows in Kansas City, Boston, and New York as well as at the Davenport Art Museum and Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. The most recent series of Peter Feldstein’s inkjet prints feature layers of abstract shapes that appear to be moving and morphing into new configurations. Peter writes that his images “provide an anchor for reflection upon, and hopefully understanding of, my place in my macro community.” Peter’s work has been exhibited at The Center for Creative Photography in Tuscon, the Walker Art Center and the Rhode Island School of Design. In Jeanine Coupe Ryding’s woodcuts, layers of colors, patterns, and shapes are arranged into rhythmic compositions. Her most recent series emphasizes natural imagery such as vines, flower blossoms and leaves. Her prints are in the collections of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Des Moines Art Center, New York Public Library, Amoco Corporation, Marshall Fields Company, and Hallmark, Inc. All exhibition works can be viewed at www.olsonlarsen.com on the EXHIBITS page.

Center’s Dome will be filled with brightly colored bulbs, including tulips, daffodils, alliums, hyacinths and a variety of unusual bulbs, February 15-March 31. The garden design is inspired by There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe and will include a giant shoe, porch swing and children’s toys. Easter lilies will be incorporated for the holiday and children can visit with the Easter Bunny and live animals including bunnies, chicks and ducklings on March 20. Visitors to the Des Moines Botanical & Environmental Center in 2010 will be welcomed with a new horticultural and educational experience as the gardens transform throughout the year, all inspired by popular children’s stories, including Dr. Seuss, Charlie Brown and Eric Carle books. “Story Time in the Gardens” includes seven plant bed changes in the Dome – many bringing the stories alive with life-size props – educational activities, theme-related gift shop items, Riverwalk Café menu choices and special events, all inspired by children’s books. The theme continues into the Show House, with four unique, seasonal designs, and outside to the Herb Garden which is open May through September. Please visit the Des Moines Botanical & Environmental Center throughout the year to see each new garden. The Des Moines Botanical & Environmental Center is a family-friendly environment with plenty of free parking and wheel chair accessible. The Des Moines Botanical & Environmental Center is open daily, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Des Moines Botanical & Environmental Center is one of the most popular cultural attractions in Iowa, providing educational, recreational, and community resources to thousands. More than 150,000 visitors visit the Des Moines Botanical & Environmental Center to see over 200 different kinds of tropical and household plants in the Dome. The Des Moines Botanical & Environmental Center is operated by Des Moines Water Works.

Running out of ideas for winter entertainment for the kids? Your Altoona Hy-Vee has the perfect solution. Every Monday from February 15 until March 15, we will be holding Fun-Day Mondays upstairs in the Club Room from 5-6:30 pm. There will five, themed sessions that will include fun activities, crafts, snacks and games. Your kids will also come home with instructions on how to make the crafts/snacks on their own for a later date! Feb 15- Winter Olympics Feb 22- Oscar Night March 1- PJ Party March 8- Spring Fling March 15- St. Patty's Day Party Please call 967-7676, or stop by Customer Service to register. Please register by 5 p.m. the Saturday before the session you wish to sign up for to ensure we have plenty of supplies and food. Payment is due at time of registration.Classes will be held on the second level of the store in the Club Room. Please drop off your child five minutes early, and pick-up no later than 6:45 p.m. at the Club Room.

Schedule too busy for a 13 week course? Come try our new and exciting mini courses. A wide variety of materials are used in each course to create one complete work of art. The possibilities are endless! Each course meets for TWO Saturday sessions. Ages 6-8 and 9-12 African Masks - February 13 and 20 Gnome Homes and Fairy Houses - February 27 and March 6 Papier Mache Animals - March 27 and April 3 Impressionistic Landscapes - April 10 and 17 Puppet-Making - April 24 and May 1

Artists of the Saturday afternoon Sketch Club.
RECEPTION: Sunday, Feb. 28, 1 - 3 p.m.

“The Dolls of Japan: Shapes of Prayer, Embodiments of Love is sponsored by The Japan Foundation. Japanese dolls reflect the customs of Japan and the aspirations of its people, possess distinctive regional attributes, and over the centuries have developed in many diverse forms. Dolls also provide a showcase for traditional Japanese craft products, such as textiles. In “The Dolls of Japan,” dolls are grouped according to particular events in the Japanese calendar, their method of manufacture, their design and regional characteristics. Included are Japan’s representative dolls, including Hina ningyo (Girls’ Festival dolls) and Gogatsu ningyo (Boys’ Day dolls), which have their origins in ancient customs; dolls connected to traditional performing arts like noh, bunraku and kabuki; regional dolls from throughout the country; and “creative dolls” produced by contemporary craftspeople.

The exhibit traces the history of ACT, Inc. – originally known as American College Testing Program – to a meeting of co-founders E.F. Lindquist, a University of Iowa professor and national expert in educational measurement; Ted McCarrel, UI Director of Admissions and Registrar; and 16 state representatives who met in Iowa’s Old Capitol on the University of Iowa campus on Aug. 21, 1959. That event founded the American College Testing Program, now known as ACT, Inc. The display includes a timeline of major events in ACT history and artifacts from ACT’s past including test documents and components from early test scoring machines. Visitors can also view an audio-video display with recordings from early leaders describing how the organization evolved.