Local Color Gallery, a co-op of women in Raleigh, is presenting "Fractured" by Christine Harvaitt. The exhibit runs Feb. 7-28.

Artspace, the Raleigh nonprofit visual art center, announced:

• Alma Leiva debuts her exhibit "Celdas" through March 7. Leiva's work focuses on violence and colonialism in Central American culture.
• Dianne Rodwell is giving one-on-one instruction in the Grecian painting form called encaustic. These workshops are for adult beginners or experienced artists in any medium and are held on Feb. 10 and 16.
• The art class Pattern and Decoration, taught by Cat Manolis, takes place through Feb. 15.

Wake County Public Libraries is hosting bookmakers in February for the monthly drop-in artisan demonstration. Featured artists include Jennifer Mahaffey and Kathy Steinsberger.

WomanCraft Gifts, a co-op of local artists, moved to 370 E. Main Street, Carrboro. WomanCraft has been in business for 40 years and more than 70 local artists contribute handcrafted items to the store.

Megan West was promoted to assistant dean of external relations at Campbell Law School, in Raleigh. West graduated from Campbell Law in 2010 and went on to become the director of alumni relations and annual giving in 2012.

The State Employees' Credit Union partnered with the College Foundation of North Carolina and the N.C. Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators to continue the tradition of FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Day. On Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon, SECU personnel are providing assistance with forms in all 100 North Carolina counties. Krista Loew, SECU vice president of IRA Services, notes, "As a credit union with a strong focus on education, this annual event offers a wonderful opportunity to expand our reach to students and their families across the state."

Sheronda Jeffries, of Research Triangle Park's Cisco Systems, was elected co-chair of QuEST Forum's Integrated Quality Group for 2014. QuEST Forum is an information and communications technology association.

Erin Smith, senior account executive at MMI Public Relations, of Raleigh, received the bronze award in the Woman of the Year Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations category from the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. Smith has been with MMI since 2010.

Sharon Decker, N.C. commerce secretary, announced:

• Mount Airy is now designated as a N.C. Certified Retirement Community.
• The Apprenticeship and Training Bureau transitioned to be a part of the N.C. Department of Commerce this year. The program combines on-the-job training with related classroom instruction to develop fully competent workers.

Regina Youngblood was named the director of the city of Durham's Human Resources Department. Youngblood replaces Alethea Bell, who retired.

WomenNC, the Raleigh-based nonprofit, is hosting a local dinner forum on Feb. 20 featuring the six North Carolina university students selected as WomenNC 2014 Student Fellows. These students will go on to represent North Carolina at the United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women.

The Women's Giving Network of Wake County, led by president Pam Dowdy, gave a $40,000 grant to Read and Feed, a nonprofit child literacy organization.

The N.C. Therapeutic Riding Center, a nonprofit in Mebane, is seeking volunteers. The organization is led by Jackie Cole, an instructor at the center for 27 years.

The V Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to raising support for cancer research, announced that it will be the beneficiary of this year's Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh marathon and half marathon. The V Foundation's chief executive officer is Susan Braun.

The ArtsCenter in Carrboro offers various performances in its spring concert series. February artists include Grace Pettis on Feb. 1, Martha Redbone on Feb. 2 and Lucy Kaplansky on Feb. 22.

The Durham-based Mallarmé Chamber Players announced the lineup for the 2014 N.C. HIP Music Festival. The music is performed on Renaissance-period instruments. The festival runs through Feb. 7. Featured musicians include Stephanie Vial, Barbara Krumdieck, Elaine Funaro and Beverly Biggs.

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, led by secretary Susan Kluttz, is hosting Black History Month programs on Feb. 7 at Morehead Planetarium. The free event focuses on storytelling legends from African cultures as well as astronomy.

Lari Hatley was selected by the Animal Protection Society of Durham as the new director of development. Hatley is known for her successful fundraising programs, including her work at the Duke Lemur Center.

N.C. State University, in Raleigh, announced:

• Researchers are developing a technique for removing lignin from the plant material used to make biofuels. This technique may help lower the cost of biofuel production, and it appears to be promising, according to Ezinne Achinivu, a Ph.D. student at the university and the lead author of a study describing the technique.
• A study found that data from CT scans can be incorporated into a forensic database to help determine the ancestry and gender of unidentified remains. Forensic anthropologists can map coordinates on a skull and use newly developed software, called 3D-ID, to compare those coordinates with a database of biological characteristics. Ann Ross, Ph.D., a professor of anthropology at the university, is the senior author of a paper on this work.

UNC-Chapel Hill received a State Implementation Grant of $900,000 from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The money is funding improvements in services for children with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Rebecca Edmondson Pretzel, Ph.D., associate director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, is a leader of the collaboration.

Wake County Public Libraries invites the public to learn about the field of hypnotherapy through the month of February. Stephanie Levine, spiritual coach and hypnotist, presents programs through Feb. 27.

Kristie Shifflette, franchise owner of Orangetheory Fitness of Morrisville, opened a club this year in the Park West Village Shopping Center.

Researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill's School of Medicine discovered a potential new weapon against HIV. The combination therapy targets HIV-infected cells that other therapies can't kill.

N.C. Children's Hospital at UNC Hospitals is now verified by the American College of Surgeons as a level one pediatric trauma center. This ranking is the highest offered by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. The Children's Hospital is the first hospital in the Triangle to receive this recognition. Dr. Kimberly Erickson is medical director of the UNC pediatric trauma program and an assistant professor of surgery and pediatrics.

Barbara Claypole White released her novel "The In-Between Hour." The book, published by Harlequin, is set in Orange County and includes local stories with a twist.

The N.C. Writers' Network has various writing and poetry events scheduled in February. Poet Alice Osborne, author of "Heroes Without Capes," speaks at Quail Ridge Books and Music, in Raleigh, on Feb. 2. Carrie Knowles and Jan Parker are attending a book-release party for "Porches Anthology" at Royal Bean Coffee House, in Raleigh, on Feb. 6.