Art exhibition and sale
The Maryland Art League hosts an exhibit and sale of original paintings and photographs through May 17 at the Howard County Conservancy Gallery, 10520 Old Frederick Road in Woodstock. Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays. Admission is free. Information: marylandartleague.com.
Asian heritage month
Howard County General Hospital will host an Asian Pacific-American Heritage Month Celebration and Health Fair on Saturday, May 5, from noon to 4 p.m. at the North Laurel Community Center, 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel. Sponsors include the Korean American Community Association, the Columbia Chinese Language School, the Howard County Chinese School, Howard County government, the Lorien Health System and the Asian American Health Care Center. Blood pressure screening, cholesterol and glucose screening, dental screening and hepatitis B information will be available. For information, call 410-884-0888.
'Viva Mexico'
Howard County Friends of Latin America host a screening May 4 of "Viva Mexico," a film that shows two sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Event is free. Refreshments start at 7 p.m.; movie will begin at 7:30 with a discussion to follow. Howard County Central Library, 10375 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. For more information, call Leslie Salgado at 410-381-4899.
Spring art programs
Registration is under way for the Howard County Arts Council's spring programs at the Howard County Center for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Road in Ellicott City. The programs, for those ages 5 and older, are open to the public and begin this week. Classes range from one-day workshops to six-week classes. Registration and class listings are available at hocoarts.org. Information: 410-313-2787.
Donations needed
Books, records, DVDs, CDs and videos are needed for the annual media and book sale taking place at Shepherd of the Glen Lutheran Church, 14551 Burntwoods Road in Glenwood, on Sept. 13-15. Donations may be place on a bench near the side door off the parking lot. (Please, no encyclopedias, National Geographic magazines or Reader's Digest condensed books.) Information: 410-442-2475.
Camp volunteers
The Howard County Arts Council is accepting applications for camp volunteers (unpaid) for this year's Visual and Performing Arts Summer Camps. Applications are available for download on the council's website, hocoarts.org.
Duties include preparing classrooms and materials for the day's activities, supervising campers in art-related activities as directed by the classroom instructor, and monitoring campers during breaks, lunch, etc. There is at least one volunteer per class. Volunteers must be at least 15 years old by Sept. 1.
Camps are will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 25-Aug. 17 and before- and after-care are offered 8 a.m.-9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m. Opportunities may be available to work extended hours during before- and after-care.
Cancer fund exhibitors
The Children's Cancer Foundation Inc., a local nonprofit that awards grants to fight childhood cancer, is seeking exhibitors for its annual "Child-Fest," from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at Reservoir High School in Fulton. For more information on being an exhibitor, call Diane Perry at 410-486-4744 or email her at dperry@childrenscancerfoundation.org.
Call for artists
The Bernice Kish Gallery at Slayton House is accepting applications for artists to exhibit in the galleries for the 2013 season. The Gallery Screening Committee will begin reviewing applications in the spring. Deadline for applications is June 1. For applications and more information, go to wildelake.org. Mail applications to gallery director Carole Black at Bernice Kish Gallery, Slayton House, 10400 Cross Fox Lane, Columbia, 21044; or send email to cjblack@columbiavillages.org.
Support groups
National Alliance on Mental Illness of Howard County offers several support groups each month. Sessions include groups for family and friends of adults with a mental illness, groups for parents of school-age children with mental health issues, a group for young adults (18-30) living with a mental illness and a weekly group for adults of any age living with a mental illness. For times and locations, call 410-772-9300 or go to nami.org/sites/namihowardcounty.
Tutors needed
A-OK (Assist Our Kids) Mentoring-Tutoring Inc. seeks adult volunteers to work in Howard County public schools and in after-school programs. Volunteers may work with individual students or small groups during and after school. Volunteers are asked to commit for one hour a week for a minimum of one school year. Among the schools the organization is associated with are Atholton, Bryant Woods, Cradlerock, Longfellow, Phelps Luck, Running Brook and Stevens Forest elementary schools, along with several new partner schools in North Laurel. Information: 410-730-6030 or 410-740-3850.
Guided hikes
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The Howard County Conservancy offers free guided hikes and talks on the second Saturday of the month. Visitors can enjoy an easy walk in the meadows and woods of the conservancy, 10520 Old Frederick Road in Woodstock. Information: 410-465-8877 or go to hcconservancy.org.
Kindred Spirits
Kindred Spirits, a social club for people diagnosed with early memory loss or dementia, will meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays in the 50+ Center at the Gary J. Arthur Community Center at Glenwood. Highlights include speakers, discussion of current events, yoga, meditation and art therapy. A daily fee of $26 includes snacks, lunch, coffee and tea. The program is sponsored by the Howard County Office on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Maryland. Information: Judy Miller at 410-313-5441 or jumiller@howardcountymd.gov.
Recycling cans
Habitat for Humanity and the Boy Scouts of America have placed a collection bin for aluminum cans at the entrance to the parking lot of Christ Memorial Presbyterian Church, 6410 Amherst Ave., in Allview Estates. Information: 410-997-4949.
Spanish speakers
The Foreign-Born Information and Referral Network, 5999 Harpers Farm Road, Suite 200-E, Columbia, needs Spanish-speaking volunteers to greet clients, answer basic questions, make appointments and support the staff. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday; other times may be considered. Information: 410-992-1923, ext. 14.