•ART

Abstract Art in South Carolina: 1949-2012 will open February 24 in the Lipscomb Art Gallery, S.C. State Museum and run through August 26. 898-4921 or southcarolinastatemuseum.org.

Columbia Museum of Art will host the 2012 Gala, the CHAIRity Ball, Friday, April 27, 7 p.m.-midnight to celebrate opening night of the museum’s spring exhibition, The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design. columbiamuseum.org/gala.

•BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Prada will celebrate her fifth birthday Saturday, February 18, with paw-tying all day long 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Pupcakes, 625 Harden Street. Cake will be provided for you and your pets (not the same cake, of course)! And, if you come in and say the magic password: “Prada Rules, Blue Drools” you will be able to enjoy 30% off all merchandise (excluding treats). www.pupcakespetboutique.com or 461-0236.

•CHILDREN/ FAMILY

Girls Night Out, sponsored by EdVenture Children’s Museum and Coplon’s, a night of fashion, music, food, and fun, will be held March 1, 7 p.m., 701 Whaley Street. www.edventure.org or 400-1162.

Early Adventure programs offered by Historic Columbia Foundation, created for private groups of 10 or more children ages 3-8 years old, will be held March-August. 252-1770 ext. 24 or reservations@historiccolumbia.org.

Great Backyard Bird Count at Carolina Children’s Garden will be held February 18, 8:30-10 a.m. 459-3212 or carolinachildrensgarden@gmail.com.

•CHURCH/ CHARITY

First Presbyterian Church Wednesday lunch and speaker series is held 11:30 a.m.-12:50 p.m., Jackson Hall, 1324 Marion Street. Free parking. 799-9062.

Xpress Faith Columbia, a 100 voice praise and worship choir and orchestra, will be presented at Spring Valley Baptist Church, 91 Polo Road, March 23, 24, and 25, 7:30 p.m. 736-0624 or www.xpressfaithcolumbia.com.

IHOP restaurants will offer each guest a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes on National Pancake Day to raise awareness and funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Tuesday, February 28, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. at participating IHOP restaurants in the Columbia area.

•CLEANUP

Good Clean Fun Saturday Cleanup will be held February 18, 9 a.m.-noon, 2768 Decker Blvd. 733-1139.

•CONFERENCE

2012 Palmetto Affordable Housing Forum, sponsored by the S.C. State Housing Finance and Development Authority will be held April 18-19, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. 896-9182 or www.RegOnline.com/SCHousingForum.com.

Ashland UMC Women’s Retreat,What’s In Your Purse? will be held Saturday, March 3, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Ashland UMC, 2600 Ashland Road. 798-5350, ext 14 or www.ashlandumc.com.

The New Path to Profit, developing a sustainability plan for your business seminar, presented by Sustainable Midlands and the Darla Moore School IMBA Net Impact Organization, will be held February 27, 2-4:30 p.m., Darla Moore School of Business, Lumpkin Auditorium, 8th floor, 1705 College Street. www.sustainablemidlands.org.

Healthy Kids Expo 2012, sponsored by Junior League of Columbia, Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital, and USC Pediatric Institute Diabetes and Obesity – Healthy Lifestyles will be held Saturday, February 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Drew Wellness Center, 2101 Walker Solomon Way. 803-296-KIDS (5437).

•DANCE

Friday Night Dances are scheduled for winter/ spring 2012, 7:30-10:30 p.m., February 17, 24, March 9, 23, April 13, and 27, Capital Senior Center, Maxcy Gregg Park, 1650 Park Circle. 779-1971 or www.capitalseniorcenter.com.

•FESTIVAL

St. Andrews Woman’s Club will host its 31st Annual Bridal Showcase Sunday, February 26, 12-5 p.m., Cantey Building, South Carolina State Fairgrounds. www.SAWC-SC.org.

International Mother Language Day organized by Bangladesh Student Association at USC, will be held February 18, 6 p.m., Russell House Ball Room. bsa-sc@googlegroups.com or 719-7425.

•FOOD

The Palladium Society’s annual Chili Cook- Off will be held February 25, 5-8 p.m., SC State Fairgrounds, Ellison Building, 1200 Rosewood Drive. www.historiccolumbia.org.

•FUNDRAISERS

Sandlapper Singers will host a pancake breakfast Saturday, February 25, FATZ Restaurant, 5590 Forest Drive. 381-5461 or www.sandlappersingers.org.

South Carolina’s Most Wanted Motorcycle Club is partnering with the South Carolina Autism Society to host the Second Annual Poker Run March 31, 10 a.m., Jack’s Custom Cycles in Lexington. 397-3117 or www.scautism.org.

•JOB FAIR

Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce will sponsor Hiring Our Heroes hiring fair Tuesday, March 6, 9:45 a.m.-4 p.m., MG Robert. B. Solomon Center, 6510 Strom Thurmond Blvd., Fort Jackson. www.ColumbiaChamber.com.

•MEETINGS

Business Network International St. Andrews Chapter meetings are held Tuesdays, 7:15-8:45 a.m., Lizard’s Thicket, 7569 St. Andrews Road. 941-3650 or www.bni-scga.com.

Business Network International Capital City Referrals Chapter meetings are held Thursdays, 7-8:30 a.m., Clarion Hotel, 1615 Gervais Street. 309-8475 or www.bni-scga.com.

Business Network International Elite Professional Alliance Chapter meetings are held Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Marinoni’s, 7001 St. Andrews Road, Irmo. 261-8771 or www.bni-scga.com.

Business Network International Midlands Chapter meetings are held Wednesdays, 12-1:30 p.m., Brookland Baptist Church Conference Center, 1066 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia. 673-0214 or www.bni-scga.com.

Business Network International Our Net Works Chapter meetings are held Wednesdays, 7:30-9 a.m., Café Chartier, 711 E. Main Street ( The Old Mill), Lexington. 957-3023 or www.bni-scga.com.

Business Network International Referral Resource Group Chapter meetings are held Thursdays, 12-1:30 p.m., Holiday Inn Express, 131 Innkeeper Drive, Lexington. 941-3650 or www.bni-scga.com.

•MILITARY

Spend An Afternoon With the Columbia Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen Saturday, February 25, 2:30-4 p.m., Jim Hamilton-L.B. Owens Airport Terminal Lobby, 1400 Jim Hamilton Blvd. 576-2065.

•MUSIC

Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra & the USC Dance Company will present The Joy of Dance performance art program Sunday, February 19, 3:30 p.m., Harbison Theater at Midlands Technical College. LMSO.org.

The Arts at Shandon will present Angela Blalock & Friend in concert 7:30 p.m., Friday, February 17, Shandon Presbyterian Church, 607 Woodrow Street. 771-4408.

Columbia Community Concert Band will present a Winter Concert Friday, February 24, 7:30 p.m., White Knoll High School Platt Springs Road, Lexington.

Palmetto Mastersingers will host “The Festival of Choirs” concert at 7 p.m., Friday February 17, First Baptist Church, 1306 Hampton Street. www.palmettomastersingers.org.

CMA will team up with SC Philharmonic for a discussion featuring the works along the Hudson River followed by musical illustrations from the Philharmonic in the Garden Terrace Tuesday, February 21, 7 p.m., Columbia Museum of Art, 1515 Main Street. columbiamuseum.org.

Living Fountains, a Christian singing group from Lexington, will host a Southern Gospel concert Saturday, February 25, 7 p.m., Round Hill Baptist Church, 230 Persimmon Lane, Lexington. 996-2181.

•MUSEUM

Sidewalk Stargazing returns Saturday, March36p.m.,SouthCarolinaState Museum, gather at 900 Main Street. www.southcarolinastatemuseum.org or 898-4944.

•OPEN HOUSE

Midlands Technical College will host a Spring Open House Saturday, February 18, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on the college’s Airport Campus. 822- 6714 or www.midlandstech.edu/openhouse.

•RECYCLING

Keep the Midlands Beautiful, sponsored by AT&T Real Yellow Pages & Sonoco Recycling, encourages encourages Midlands residents to bring last year’s phone books to Midlandsarea drop-off sites recycled, February 15- March 31. For a list of drop-off sites, visit www.keepthemidlandsbeautiful.org or call call 733-1139.

•SPORTS/ FITNESS

The 13th Annual CAPS (child and parent) Soccer Clinic will be held Saturday, February 25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., USC Outdoor Soccer Complex, Stone Stadium, 1300 Whaley Street. 254-5996 or www.childrenschance.org.

Senior Resources will participate in the national 2012 March For Meals campaign beginning with the 9th annual 5K Run & Walk at Riverbanks Zoo March 3, 7:30 a.m. www.seniorresourcesinc.org.

Red Bank 5K – Lexington will be held Saturday, May 19, 8 a.m. to benefit Lexington YMCA’s Partners with Youth Campaign. www.runredbank.com or 348-1984.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society has opened registration for this year’s walk in Columbia. Walk MS: Columbia will be held Saturday, May 5, State Museum, 301 Gervais Street. To register, visit WalkingForMS.org, or call 1-800-FIGHT-MS.

•SUPPORT GROUP

Columbia Parkinson’s Support Group meets the third Sunday of every month (except June) 3-4 p.m., Lexington Medical Center Hospital, Lexington Medical Park Auditorium, 2720 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia. www.columbiaparkinsonsupportgroup.org or 604-0061.

NAMI Mid-Carolina, The National Alliance on Mental Illness, will offer “Family to Family,” a free series of 12 weekly classes structured to help caregivers understand and support individuals with serious mental illness while maintaining their own well being, beginning Tuesday, February 28, Dorn VA Hospital, Garners Ferry Road, 6:30 p.m. and Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Lexington at 6 p.m. 206-2916.

•THEATRE

Present Laughter, presented by USC Theatre and Dance, will be held February 17-25, Longstreet Theatre, 1300 Greene Street, Wednesday-Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 7 p.m.; first Sunday, 3 p.m., 11 p.m.; half-price performance February 25. 777-2551.

•TOUR

Guided Nature Tour of Cayce Riverwalk Park hosted by Dr. Rudy Mancke, will be held Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 796-9020 or www.cityofcayce-sc.gov.

•VOLUNTEERS

Birthright of Columbia a pro-life emergency pregnancy service staffed by volunteers, will begin training for office volunteers beginning Tuesday, February 21, 6:30 p.m. and will run two successive Tuesdays, 1405 Gregg Street. 765-0165 or agillhorton.birthrightcolumbia@gmail.com.

Researchers at the University Of South Carolina are recruiting volunteers for a 14 week sleep study. Participants should be between 60 and 80 years of age and will be asked to fill out questionnaires, keep a sleep diary, and have physical exams, including blood draws on several occasions. Participants will receive $700 for completion of the study. 777-7296 or speiran@email.sc.edu.

•WORKSHOPS/ LECTURES

“Lunch and Learn” is being held at the Capital Senior Center, 1650 Park Circle, second Thursday, 11:30 a.m. 779-1971.

Iota Omicron Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. will host its 8th Annual Youth Symposium Saturday, March 10, John H. Adams Gymnatorium on the campus of Allen University. 331-6761.

City of Columbia Art Center, 1932 Calhoun Street, will host a workshop on the essentials of Japanese pottery Saturday, March 24, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. bloliver@columbiasc.net or 545-3093.

Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands will offer a free, day-long training to help define the spectrum of sexual violence, list the effects of sexual violence, including symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, describe the manifestation of sexual violence in the rural and Latino communities, including the needs and barriers experienced by survivors of sexual violence in those populations, and understand cultural competence, specifically one’s own beliefs and how that manifests itself in the work that he/she does and its effects on survivors Friday, March 30, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Hal Kohn Memorial Library 1100 Friend Street, Newberry. bva@stsm.org or 790-8208.

S.C. Bar Pro Bono Program will sponsor a free legal clinic about wills and probate Monday, February 27, 6-7:30 p.m., Windsor United Methodist Church, 9500 Windsor Lake Blvd. www.scbar.org/clinics or 799-6653, ext. 158.

Spring “Pottery Basics” course offered by the City of Columbia Parks and Recreation Department will be held Tuesdays, March 6-April 10, with a second six-week session May 8-June 12. 545-3093 or boliver@columbiasc.net.

Columbia Opportunity Resource (COR) will host its 2012 annual meeting and call to action Tuesday, February 28, 6:12 p.m., Tapp’s Arts Center, 1644 Main Street. www.ourcor.org

•ZOO

Spring Break Zoo Camp will be held April 3–5 and 10–12, for kids ages 5 to 9, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.; extended play and stay options are available. Register online at www.riverbanks.org or call (803) 978-1113.

Springtime at the Garden Festival will be held at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden March 24, with Master Gardeners from Clemson Extension. 779-8717 or www.riverbanks.org.