Jean Scholz of Apex and Donna Schultz of Durham were the February featured artists at the Cary Gallery of Artists. The exhibit, "Places and Faces," featured oil paintings by Scholz and pastel works by Schultz.

The Village Art Center in Cary hosted a show last month featuring Chinese brush paintings by Loretta Moskal, a teacher at the studio, and her students.

"Raleigh/Rio: An Artistic Conversation," an exhibit at Artspace in Raleigh, features the works of Marty Baird, of Raleigh, and Malu Fatorelli, of Rio de Janeiro. The show, which stems from their interest in the Atlantic Ocean, is on display through March 14.

The Eno Gallery in Hillsborough featured the work of Jolene Powell earlier this year. Powell specializes in oil paintings of abstract landscapes.

The Durham Arts Council is hosting a class called In the Black: A Charcoal Drawing Workshop. The session is taught by Lara Nguyen, a guest artist, and takes place March 21.

An exhibit of Jennifer McCormick's art, "X-RAY VISIONS," was on display last month in the Allenton Gallery at the Durham Arts Council. McCormick's themes are healing, hope and acceptance. Her work is designed to create conversations about the spirituality of healing.

Sandi Sullivan is the new administrative assistant in the office of Raleigh Arts, which is part of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department. Sullivan has volunteered with partners of Raleigh Arts, including N.C. State University Theatre, Raleigh Little Theatre, Theatre in the Park and the N.C. Theatre.

The N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh will feature an exhibit called Zoosphere by Allison Hunter starting April 25. The exhibit features videos of encounters with frogs, koi fish, meerkats, komodo dragons and snakes.

N.C. Museum of Art is hosting a festival of art and flowers, Art in Bloom. The event features work by some of the best floral designers in North Carolina and beyond. Art in Bloom takes place March 19–22.

Jenny Eggleston and Meg Stein were featured last month at Artspace in Raleigh. Eggleston used images found in nature to create her compositions. Stein's sculptures, installations and animations are said to push the bounds of reality by using organic and feminine forms.

The Hillsborough Arts Council hosts "Peculiar Light," a collection of oil paintings by Debra Wuliger. The show runs through March 21.

Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh begins to offer new cosmetology and natural hair-care training this month. Pamela Little, dean of professional services and sustainability, says she is glad students have the opportunity to participate in the flexible and cost-effective program.

Jenna Robinson was named president and executive director of the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy in Raleigh. The Pope Center is an organization dedicated to improving higher education in the state and around the nation.

Judith Cone, special assistant to the chancellor and interim director of the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, was named interim vice chancellor of commercialization and economic development by UNC-Chapel Hill.

Carol Montano and her husband opened Maid Right of Raleigh, a residential cleaning service. Montano brings 17 years of experience in design, move coordination and IT financial support to her role as director, support services at the firm. She has lived in Raleigh for the past 30 years.

Shelia A. Huggins, an attorney, returned to private practice after working for the city of Durham in the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. Huggins is focusing on business, contract and entertainment law at her firm in Durham.

MMI, a communications firm in Cary, announced:

• Ashley Warren was promoted to account executive.
• Ashlee Bolding was hired as a senior account supervisor.

Happy Fix, a lifestyle brand founded in Apex, launched a meetup group to share information on living positively in the Triangle, said Stacy Menzies, president of Happy Fix.

Andrea Reusing, James Beard-award winning chef and owner of Lantern in Chapel Hill, will open a restaurant in The Durham, a boutique hotel that's opening soon in downtown.

Chelsi Hogue, of Ed's Southern Foods and Spirits in Goldsboro, is the only female chef to advance to the quarter finals in the 2015 Got to Be NC Competition Dining Series Triangle tournament in Raleigh.

Lee Newlin, a culinary educator in Chapel Hill, announced the lineup of winter/spring healthy cooking classes at the Peaceful River Farm on the Haw River.

Employees from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park raised more than $100,000 for the 2014 Combined Federal Campaign, which was donated to local charities. Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., director of NIEHS, said she is proud of the level of generosity the employees showed.

The N.C. Department of Transportation launched a website for Walk Bike N.C., a statewide plan for improving pedestrian and bicycle mobility. Lauren Blackburn, director of the bicycle and pedestrian division of the department, said walking routes and greenways are an economic asset to the state.

Iris Senzig received the 2014 Community Conservation Award. This recognition is presented to those who immerse urban and underserved children in nature. Senzig was honored by Wake Soil and Water Conservation District in Raleigh.

The State Employees' Credit Union, based in Raleigh, partnered with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services – Division of Social Services. The SECU hopes it can find permanent homes for foster youth. "We are excited to partner with State Employees' Credit Union on a project that will help open a dialogue in our local communities about foster care and adoption" said Jamie Bazemore, an adoption program manager with the department.

The V Foundation for Cancer Research, based in Cary, is the official charity partner of the Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon & 1/2 Marathon. Susan Braun, CEO of the V Foundation, said this race gives the community the opportunity to say, "We are with you in the fight to end cancer." The race takes place April 12.

The Jandy Ammons Foundation in Raleigh gave almost $235,000 to help nonprofits in the Triangle and across North Carolina fund projects that will support active lifestyles, youth development and exploration in 2015. Jan Ammons, the foundation's co-founder and president, said nonprofits that received the grants included:

• Clubs in the City, Raleigh
• Lands of Water South, Carrboro
• Museum of Life and Science, Durham
• Artspace, Raleigh
• Friends of Hemlock Bluff, Cary
• Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities, Raleigh
• The Daniel Center for Math and Science, Raleigh
• Orange County Partnership for Young Children
• Raleigh Little Theatre
• Miracle League of the Triangle

Registration opened for the 2015 Komen Triangle Race for the Cure. The annual fundraiser takes place June 13 at Meredith College in Raleigh. Early registration ends March 15 at midnight.

Stephanie Kirby was promoted from volunteer coordinator to volunteer manager at the Animal Protection Society of Durham.

The Cary Women's Giving Network is accepting grant requests for community projects until March 17, according to Karen Mills, grants chair.

Advocates for Health in Action presents the sixth annual Dig In! on March 7 at Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh. Sara Merz, director of the group, said the event provides ideas for creating gardens around the community.

The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University awarded Jen Kinney the Lange-Taylor Prize for "City Under One Roof." The $10,000 award is given to encourage collaboration in the tradition of photographer Dorothea Lange and writer Paul Taylor. Kinney's project was inspired by Whittier, Alaska, a town she describes as an "unlikely crossroads of community and solitude, isolation and claustrophobia."

The ArtsCenter in Carrboro presents a variety of events this month, including:

• Jeanne Jolly, a singer/songwriter from Raleigh, performs March 7.
• "Linnaeus Forgets," a play by Marianne Gingher, a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Debby Seabrooke, a professor at UNC-Greensboro, is featured in the Redbird festival. The festival of one-act plays takes place March 13-22.
• "Saints Have Mothers," a play written by Jane Holding, a resident of Chapel Hill, is also staged during Redbird.

The Burning Coal Theater Company in Raleigh produced a condensed version of William Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet." The play was directed by Emily Ranii and starred Emily Rose White.

Theater in the Park in Raleigh began its 2015 season last month with "Black Pearl Sings!" The story follows two women on their quest to obtain their portion of one of life's happy endings. The musical starred Rozlyn Sorrell and Lynda Clark.

Annmarie Moore joined Triangle Real Estate Group in Raleigh as a closing coordinator. Moore has lived in the Triangle for the past 30 years.

Melyssa Kemp, a new-home sales consultant for M/I Homes in Cary, was named the top producing agent in the company.

Gina Miller, a relator at RE/MAX United in Cary, earned the certified luxury home marketing specialist designation.

Mia Shannon, owner of Orangetheory Fitness in Holly Springs, announced that it is opening this month. The studio offers high-intensity interval training.

Chiropractors Shannon Bigbie and Avery Garrabrant opened Ignite Wellness Chiropractic Center in Chapel Hill and are accepting patients.

Julie Coraccio, owner of Reawaken Your Brilliance in Raleigh, announced that her podcast, "Clearing the Clutter Inside & Out," was
in the top 5 percent of podcasts downloaded nationwide in January. The podcast focuses on how to declutter the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual areas of one's life.

Joan Holub, of Raleigh, announced the publication of her "Mini Myths" board-book series, which puts a modern spin on Greek mythology for preschoolers. Holub is a New York Times bestselling author of 130 children's books. The series hits stores this month.

Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh, owned by Lisa Pool, announced its author events for this month including:

• March 9 - Mary Doria Russell, "Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral"
• March 10 - Joanne Fluke, "Double Fudge Brownie Murder"
• March 11- Holly LeCraw, "The Half Brother"
• March 15 - Madeleine Kuderick, "Kiss of Broken Glass" and Linda Phillips, "Crazy"
• March 24 - Liza Wieland, "Land of Enchantment"
• March 25 - Cat Warren, "What the Dog Knows"