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Are you ready to apply for personal loans? If so, there are some steps you need to take first, especially if you are applying for a large loan such as a home mortgage. Taking these steps will ensure that you have an easy application process and may possibly raise the chances that you will be approved for the loan you want on the terms you set forth.

The first step to take when you're applying for personal loans is to check your credit rating. As your credit rating is the single biggest determining factor on whether or not you will receive a personal loan and you should review it at least once a year. Factors such as how much outstanding debt you have, your income, whether or not you have any late or missed payments, and what your overall credit limit is with all of your existing loans will all be taken into account. The higher your credit rating is, the better the loan terms available to you will be.

The second step in applying for personal loans is finding the right lender. Just as you wouldn't go to a plumber for an electrical problem, there are some lending houses that you wouldn't apply to for certain types of loans. In addition, shopping around for the best lender will allow you to find the repayment terms, interest rates, fee schedule and potential credit limit that you want.

Once these two steps have been taken, you can start the search for personal loans in earnest. The application process is different between each loan. While all loans will require basic information such as income and job status, the more in depth the loan becomes, the more information will be needed. Applications for personal loans range from a single foldout sheet that can be filled out in minutes to a multi-page packet that takes weeks to finish. Also remember that applying for personal loans does not have to be a long and drawn out task. Take the time to know the steps beforehand and your experience will go much faster.

SAN BENITO Cameron Countys animal control program cannot keep up with the population explosion of stray dogs and cats in rural areas, officials say.

Most dogs or cats picked up by a county animal control officer will be euthanized within 72 hours, county officials say.

Harlingen businessman Dial Dunkin, who went looking for a lost dog with a friend recently, said he was shocked to see dozens of dogs awaiting euthanization.

When he saw the high number of dogs confined in small cages at the county shelter, he felt sick, Dunkin said.

The cages are full of really nice dogs, Dunkin said. Im really upset, Ive been up all night.

Something must be done to stretch out the time an animal is held for owners to retrieve them, or for the animal to have a chance to be adopted, Dunkin said.

He did not know the shelter exists or where it is located, Dunkin said. He said he doubts many other people know they should check there for their lost pet, as well as at city shelters.

He wants to donate a video camera and equipment so that every dog picked up by a county animal control officer can be photographed, he said. Then the photos should be posted on the Cameron County website so people can look for the pets or select one to adopt, Dunkin said.

Ill pay for it, he said. If thats what it takes, Ill buy the food so they can keep them longer.

Luckily, he and his friend did find the dog they were looking for, Dunkin said.

We went to the vet and the county animal control officer brought it there and we paid for the shots, we got the tags and got him a new collar and we took him home, he said.

But many other lost dogs are not so lucky, said Cameron County Health Administrator Yvette Salinas. She oversees the animal control department.

Its really a sad story, but there are a lot more dogs than there are responsible pet owners, she said. A lot of the dogs we receive or pick up are given by people who dont want them anymore, or cant take care of them anymore.

Many dogs picked up by animal control officers got loose or were abandoned by their owners and are in bad condition with injuries or have diseases such as mange when they are brought to the shelter, she said.

Those dogs are euthanized soon after they are examined because they cant be allowed to suffer, she said. Most are euthanized within 72 hours of arriving at the shelter.

A nearby incinerator is used to dispose of the euthanized animals.

If a dog looks like it is a pet, like its been well kept, well keep it longer, Salinas said.

Animals are examined to see if they have identification tags or implanted microchips in hope of finding their owner, she said.

The county does have a program to put dogs up for adoption if they are healthy and not aggressive, Salinas said.

But having enough food for the animals is not the reason they cant keep them longer, she said. Local stores are very generous and donate all the pet food the shelter can possibly use, Salinas said. She says the shelter is way too small to house animals for longer than 72 hours.

Salinas and Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos on Thursday refused to allow a Valley Morning Star photographer to enter the animal shelter to take photographs, citing a Health and Human Services Department policy. County officials have allowed photographs to be taken in the past.

Cascos said he has asked the county legal department to research whether the policy against the public in general or news media from entering the shelter has ever been voted on by the Commissioners Court.

Cascos said the main problem is the county needs a whole new animal shelter, which would cost at least $500,000.

The shelter was built in 1985 and has seven general population kennels and three quarantine kennels, a county report states.

Additional kennels are needed but the septic system cannot be expanded, the report states.

A euthanization room is needed because that is now being done in a semi-open area, the report states.

A rabies control room is also needed to collect specimens in a laboratory area rather than in a semi-open area, the report states.

Visitors cannot inspect animals in their kennels because euthanizations are conducted there, Salinas said.

Lavice Laney, who led a 2004 Brownsville chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals investigation of the county shelter, said she isnt surprised that Dunkin was upset by his visit.

Somebody needs to get mad and stay mad, she said of conditions at the countys overcrowded facility.

There is no question the county needs to build a much larger and better shelter, Laney said.

She said Salinas wants to do more, but cant

Shes interested, she cares, Laney said of Salinas.

But having only a small shelter in an industrial setting in the back of the Precinct 3 county shop, and only three animal control officers for such a vast county, is unacceptable, Laney said.

A few improvements have been made since she and other SPCA members confronted county commissioners at a 2004 meeting at the courthouse, showing many photos of the horrendous conditions at the shelter, she said.

Since then, the addition of a small office and a restroom at the shelter, as well as construction of a small exercise yard, have been completed, but conditions are still very bad, she said.

A few animal rescue groups have been allowed to take dogs and cats out of the shelter for adoption, but the ceaseless euthanization and incineration of animals continues, she said.

Precinct 3 Commissioner David Garza said the county not only has to patrol many miles of rural areas for stray animals, but also helps out small towns that have no animal control program at all.

Too many dogs are brought in having absolutely no ID, Garza said. There are too many irresponsible pet owners.

Cascos said he welcomes any suggestions by Dunkin and would like to meet with him about the stray and abandoned animal problem.

Well listen, Cascos said. But there are leash laws and we have to pick them up and, unfortunately, if they arent adopted, we have to euthanize them.

When the county recently approved a bond issue program to pay for several building construction projects, maybe a new animal shelter should have been included, Cascos said. But funds are tight for all county needs, he said.

If Mr. Dunkin wants to discuss it with us, it would be great to have a philanthropist to help us raise $500,000 for a new shelter, Cascos said. The countys open to suggestions.

The animal shelter would have to be moved to an entirely different site to be replaced or expanded, he said.

The county owns plenty of land near the county jail and sheriffs office on Old Alice Road near Olmito, Cascos said.

SHAMCEY Supsup, Ms. Universe 2011 third runner-up and PAF 2012 Ambassadress for Architecture, holds portrait sketches of her created by Nemesio “Nemi” Miranda, head of the National Committee on Visual Arts (NCVA), and Edgar Talusan Fernandez, visual artist and former head of the NCVA (extreme right). To Shamcey’s right–Felipe de Leon Jr., chair of NCCA; Gerard Lico, head, National Committee on Architecture and the Allied Arts; and Edward Perez, vice head, National Committee on Dramatic Arts.

With so many on medication, organized education, programmed information, and regulated worktoo many are accomplished sociopaths. Where have all the average people gone?

To “get ahead” in our modern culture, one must go along with the predesigned system. Choices are made for us and failure is protected under social justice. The days of running risks for individual reward are all but gone.

Corporations rule the distributive landscape and the people are all but required to work for the man. Examples of individually accomplished citizens are rare and most are absorbed by the system, eventually.

No longer are we inclined to diagnose the cure, but regulated in distributing the medicine. Our issues pile up like a log jammed river while our leaders bicker about the blame.

Cause and effect have been inverted and the people end up on bottom. Accountability is nearly absent in leadership leaving a complacent populace.

I was raised as a laborer and have always found spiritual reward in the performance of such. I have not, however, organized with my coworkers against any employer and have never accepted compensation without production.

Legal or not, there is right and wrong in this world. I believe we all know the difference. Our greed and lust have blurred our knowledge of a black and white world. We are confused by rights and misled by labels.

Our judgements are undisciplined and our work is misdirected. Compensation is redistributed while our managers and regulators reign free. He who makes the rules owns the market.

Laws are exceptions to the rule. The rule is the law of the land. The laws are jungle regulations. I’d rather live off the land, than abide in the jungle.

This Saturday I will travel to Clinton, Missouri for Throwdown in C-town. Jeb Chiles and Mike Vallentine serve host for yet another pro/am at the Benson Center.

Nearly 1000 people will crowd in to see their local favorites: Aaron Mays, Brandon Jolley, Eric Crittendon and others. I will participate as usual, selling Hillbilly Fight Wear and helping ready the combatants.

Jeb and I will engage in a grappling match also. I anticipate a hard fought roll with the occasional thump. It’s good for the community.

Next Saturday, February 18th, we will be in Kansas City for Invictus Fighting Championship I. Two of my training partners will compete at the Ararat Shrine Temple on Eastwood Drive.

Andy Fleming, 3-1, is coming off a loss at Harrah’s for the Blue Corner Middleweight Title. Jason Perrotta, 3-1, is coming off a technical submission win following a brutal leg kick that broke bones.

Both men have evolved, as of late, training together at KC Premier Martial and Fitness in Riverside, Mo. Our team is growing and owner, Eric Siley, has committed to expanding the facility. The changes will provide broader accommodation for our team and continued exposure for a family friendly environment.

It is truly a blessing to work daily with my friends in pursuit of selfless gains. Discipline and honor have been on the decline for far too long. We aim to curb that reality, one stranger at a time.

Work for freedom and declare yourself as independent. Shed the parameters and blaze your own trail. Our military personnel along with our sport’s fighters are lining up to confront tyranny, and we have found our spokesman.

He is a wise old doctor from Texas. Have a listen. The gladiators can’t all be wrong, for we are closest to the fire. We know the struggle and have felt the heat. Even the toughest know when to draw back and reassess. Peace is near. Thump a stranger.

Brian Imes’ “The Human Cockfighter Blog” takes readers inside the mind and life of a pro mixed martial arts fighter. It is part of ProMMAnow.com’s ongoing series of content written by individuals involved in the MMA industry. Follow Brian online at Twitter @HillbillyFightW and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/brian.imes1.

Filed Under: Brian Imes bull; Exclusive

Tags: Aaron Mays, Andy Fleming, Brandon Jolley, Brian Imes, Eric Crittendon, featured, Invictus Fighting Championship, Jeb Chiles, Mixed Martial-Arts, Ron Paul, The Human Cockfighter Blog

REDLANDS – Their name is opposite of the role they play in the Redlands Unified School District.

The Benchwarmers is one of several groups and parent organizations who are an intricate part in fundraising to help support school activities, such as the arts, sports and other extracurricular activities.

Its all about the kids. Thats it in a nutshell, said Sam Trad of The Benchwarmers.

Providing money for these activities became more important two years ago when the state of California passed a law that made it illegal to request mandatory fees from parents.

RUSD said it never charged such fees, but asked groups and parents for donations.

This (no fees) has not changed at RUSD, but the reduction of funding from the state has made providing these activities much more difficult, said Brian Guggisberg, director of fiscal services at Redlands Unified School District.

Some parents have disagreed with Guggisberg.

Redlands High School parent Mary Anne Forrest has been paying fees for her daughters extracurricular activities since elementary school.

They include transportation, materials, music and uniform costs.

In the past, she said, it had been requested that parents pay for music and other fees.

The music department at RHS is having a more difficult time collecting fees from the parents, because they cant ask for them outright and fundraising has become more difficult because of the

The Haight Ashbury movement may seem like a thing of the past. Thats true or false, mostly depending on who you ask. But no matter how present the psychedelic spirit might still be in modern culture, its debut was art-altering, no one can deny that. Thats why I hope the dream of the Haight Ashbury Museum of Psychedelic Art and History is soon realized. Tourists flock to Haight Ashbury in San Francisco as it is–maybe we should support giving them all a destination wherein they can view art from and learn about the Haight Ashbury movement in one, respectable place. Personally, Im been using Pinterest to document my favorite pieces under the umbrella of Psychedelic Art and, as a traveler, Id love to see this sort of fixture in San Francisco. What are your thoughts?

The broad adoption of anywhere anytime computing into modern culture has transformed not just office productivity and modes of communication. It has also reset expectations. We expect immediate gratification from our devices, instant responses to our texts, and in perhaps the least analyzed transformation, the promise of release from boredom. But think twice before eliminating boredom from your life – it may turn out to be your key to success.

When I worked in the mobile products group at Intel Corporation

showing ID

Five regional artists explore notions of identity, perceptions of beauty and the relationships between art and culture in Forms of ID a new exhibition opening Saturday in the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art in New Harmony, Ind.

The exhibition, which showcases work by Gray Lyons, Morgan Ford, Ben Duke, Steven Labadesa and Christopher Olszewski, will hang through March 17, with a free, public reception from 4 to 6 pm on March 10.

Work in the show will offer the artists styles, media and perspectives on body image and identity and the ways they develop in young people.

Lyons is an associate faculty member of photography at Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at Indiana University South Bend. Ford is the director of the Shircliff Gallery of Art at

Vincennes University in Vincennes, Ind. Duke teaches at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. Labadessa is an assistant professor of drawing and painting at Missouri Southern State University. And Olszewski is a professor at the School of Foundation Studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga.

The gallery, at 506 Main St., is open 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, visit www.nhgallery.com or call 812-682-3156.

gallery dedication

A historic theologian stands in bold relief and in crafted strokes in paintings, sculptures, plaques, plates, pitchers and silverware in a new gallery at the University of Evansville.

Some 300 objects relating to John Wesley, founder of the Methodist religious movement, have found a new home in the John Wesley Gallery and Methodist Commemorative Collection, located on the lower level of Neu Chapel.

R. WaynePerkins, a UE professor emeritus of philosophy and religion, and his wife, Sally Perkins, donated the objects to the university. Items in the collection, valued at about $300,000, date back to 1765, when Wesley was still making ecclesiastical waves in England.

Wayne Perkins will join UE President Thomas Kazee and the universitys chaplain, Tammy Gieselman, to speak at the new gallerys dedication, at 9:30 am Feb. 19, when the public can view the collection. The dedication ceremony is part of UEs annual Founders Day celebration of the schools history.

Once enough volunteer curators have been recruited and trained, the university intends to set regular public hours for the gallery. Until then, however, it will be open by appointment by calling Neu Chapels office at 812-488-2235.

city lights

Bright lights and big cities fill the frames in the Evansville Museums Black History Month exhibition.

The images in City Lights: the Photographs of John Dowell showcase the electric energy and the architectural dynamism of Indianapolis, Chicago and other big cities Dowell has photographed at night.

Dowell is a professor of printmaking at Temple University in Philadelphia. His prints and photographs have been featured in scores of solo shows and hang in permanent collections of 70 museums and public institutions, including New Yorks Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Dowell will discuss his work and his exhibition at a Champagne brunch beginning at 12:30 pm on Feb. 19 in the Old Gallery.

Tickets for the brunch are $35, with a $10 discount for museum members. The deadline for reservations is Wednesday. For reservations or information, visit the museum or call 812-425-2406.

singing valentines

Love will lilt in the song settings, madrigals and waltzes featured in a free, public Valentines Day concert by the University of Evansville Choir and Kantorei.

Theyll present A Celebration of Love with Music and Poems for Valentines Day at 7:30 pm Tuesday in UEs Neu Chapel.

The program to include romantic settings from the biblical Song of Solomon, Renaissance madrigals, selections from Johannes Brahms Love-song Waltzes for choir and two pianists and folk songs from the British Isles.

Bill and Jill Hemminger will read song texts on the program, presented with pianists Kristin Jones and Celia Teoh, conducted by Dennis Malfatti, UEs choral director.

The University Choir performs major choral-orchestral masterworks, a cappella music and songs from the Renaissance to contemporary times.

Last year the choir joined singers from around the country to perform at Carnegie Hall with the New England Symphonic Ensemble conducted by Malfatti.

Arts Beat looks on the scene and behind the scenes of Evansville’s cultural landscape. Contact Roger McBain at mcbainr@courierpress.com or call 812-464-7520.

BIBLE HILL – The harness racing industry in Colchester County could be in store for a big shot in the arm.

The Millbrook First Nation, along with Harness Racing Nova Scotia, is exploring the idea of building a racino – a harness racing track and casino – in the Truro Power Centre.

We want to enhance our site, said Lloyd Johnson, Millbrooks economic development officer. We want to make the Power Centre a destination. Its on the map and we want to build on that.

Although the project is simply an idea at this stage, Johnson said Millbrook would like to construct a five-eighths-mile oval, complete with casino and a parking lot to accommodate 1,300 vehicles. The project would accompany a new hotel development in the Power Centre.

The band is drawing inspiration from the racino built in Charlottetown in 2005, a project that came with a $25-million price tag.

Although no estimate is in place for the Power Centre project, Johnson said the development would be a big boost to the harness racing industry throughout the province and the rest of the Maritimes because a percentage of the profits would be injected back into racing. Its already proven itself successful in Charlottetown.

And the drawing area here is much bigger than PEI., Johnson said. Were right in the middle of the Halifax to Moncton corridor, so it fits and I think its a doable thing.

The plans do not include barns for resident horses, only paddocks to house animals during race days. In such a case, Truro Raceway could still house its horses and the half-mile oval could be used as a training track.

Johnson said Millbrooks plan has been met with optimism from the racing community and the band has spoken to the provincial government and a company called Great Canadian, which operates several successful facilities in Ontario.

Weve been getting a lot of feedback urging us to keep going, Johnson said.

But Johnson acknowledged the project is going to need the co-operation of all parties involved, including the province, the Truro Harness Horse Owners Association, the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Commission, which currently operates Truro Raceway and Harness Racing Nova Scotia.

There are so many players involved and were going to need everybody behind us, Johnson said.

Truro Raceway general manager Andrew Kenny said he would be happy to get on board.

Harness racing is in a difficult position so I think we need some innovative ideas and we want to be in the loop.

Central Baptist College will host its annual Homecoming activities on Friday, Feb. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 18.

Events will begin on Friday evening with a Family Fun night beginning at 4:30 pm Activities will include face painting for the kids, free hot dogs and hamburgers, free CBC T-shirts to the first 100 people, and more. All alumni, friends of CBC, parents and students are invited to attend.

On Friday evening, the Lady Mustangs will play York College at 5:30 pm and the Mustang men will take on York College at 7:30 pm Games will be held in the Reddin Fieldhouse.

The CBC Alumni Luncheon will be held on Saturday the 18th at 11:15 am in the Mabee Student Services Dining Hall. Reservations for the luncheon can be made by calling Chris Vines at 501-329-6872 ext. 114.

The highlight of the Saturday will be the Mustang Basketball games beginning at 3 pm with the Lady Mustangs taking on College of St. Mary and the Mustangs will play Bellevue at 5 pm All games will be held in the Reddin Fieldhouse.

At 6:30 pm, the 5th annual Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction will be held in the Mabee Student Services Dining Hall. All proceeds from the banquet and auction will go towards the Alumni Project in the new Signature Academic Building. Tickets for the dinner are $50 each.

For more information on any or all of the CBC Homecoming activities, contact Chris Vines at 501-329-6872 ext. 114 or at cdvines@cbc.edu.

THEATER

#x201C;The Spitfire Grill,#x201D; musical version of an inspiring 1996 movie about a young woman recently paroled from prison who begins a new life in a small Wisconsin town, presented by the Guild Hall Players. Performance 7 pm today, St. James Episcopal Church, 3750 E. Douglas. Tickets $10, $5 students. Call 316-683-5686.

#x201C;The 39 Steps,#x201D; comic farce adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock, 7 pm today, Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. Tickets $12, $10 military, seniors and students. Call 316-686-1282.

#x201C;Round and Round the Garden,#x201D; comedy about a dysfunctional group of characters who storm the stage with a zeal for life but comically succumb to the human need for love, 2 pm Wed.-Sat., 2 pm Feb. 19, Wichita Center for the Arts, 9112 E. Central. Tickets $20, $18 for seniors, $10 students. Call 316-315-0151.

#x201C;Wizard of Oz,#x201D; join Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Toto as they travel the universe of Dorothy#x2019;s imagination, Fri.-April 7, Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre, 3207 E. Douglas. Show times are 7:30 pm Thu.-Sat. (doors open at 5, dinner service at 5:15); 6 pm Sun. (doors open at 3:30, dinner service at 4); select matinees at 12:30 pm (doors open at 11 am, lunch service at 11:15). Tickets $38.95 Thu.-Sat. evenings; $35.95 Sun. evenings; $29.95 select Thu. matinees; $18.95 children under 12; $55 VIP Lounge. Show only $20.24-$24.48. Information, 316-612-7696 or www.crownuptown.com.

#x201C;Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,#x201D; show noon Feb. 22 (pizza served at 11:30 am); show only 10 am and 1:45 pm Feb. 23; shows 10 am, noon and 6:30 pm Feb. 24 (pizza served at 11:30 am and 6 pm), show noon Feb. 25 (pizza served at 11:30 am), Wichita Children#x2019;s Theatre Dance Center, 201 Lulu. Cost $5.50, pizza and show $7. Call 316-262-2282.

#x201C;The Music Man,#x201D; musical, presented by McPherson College and McPherson High School, 7:30 pm Feb. 23-25, McPherson College, 1600 E. Euclid. Tickets $5, $3.50 ages high school and younger and seniors. Contact 620-242-0444 or theatre@mcpherson.edu.

#x201C;The Sausage,#x201D; improvised dialogue based on a given scenario, celebrates the Renaissance commedia dell#x2019; arte form, 7:30 pm Feb. 23-25, 2 pm Feb. 26, Wilner Auditorium, Wichita State University. Admission $10, $8 seniors and military, $6 students. Call 316-978-3233.

#x201C;The Dukes of Haysville or the Hazzards of Going Down South #x2026; of Wichita,#x201D; melodrama, through March 24, Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Dinner 6:15 pm Thu.-Sat., curtain at 7:50 pm Dinner/show $27, $17 show only. Senior and child discounts available. Call 316-263-0222.

ART EVENTS

#x201C;Those Were the Days,#x201D; prints by Rachel Epp Buller, on exhibit through Fri., Newman University, Steckline Gallery, 3100 McCormick. Hours 9 am-4 pm or by appointment Mon.-Fri. Free. Call 316-942-4291, ext. 2199.

Exploring a New Field in Collecting: Black Visual Art, featuring artist, curator and professor Samella Lewis, discussion, tour of exhibition, reception following, 2 pm Sat., Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. Free. Dinner available by reservation only. Call 316-268-4921.

Bob Benson and Wint Harris, photographs and glass works on exhibit through Feb. 21, Gallery XII-412 Arts Center, 412 E. Douglas. Hours 10 am-4 pm Mon.-Sat. Free. Call 316-267-5915.

#x201C;Keepers: A Collection of Medical School Photographs,#x201D; exhibit of digital photographs by Mike Shepherd, through Feb. 24, KU School of Medicine, William J. Reals Gallery of Art-West, 1010 N. Kansas. Hours 8 am-5 pm Mon.-Fri. Free. Call 316-293-2643.

Martha Wherry Art Exhibit and Reception, 5:30-7:30 pm Feb. 24, Friends University Riney Fine Arts Center Gallery. Free. Call 316-295-5677.

#x201C;Through My Eyes,#x201D; drawings and paintings by Michael Yates, on exhibit through Feb. 28, Heritage Gallery of the McPherson Opera House, 219 S. Main, McPherson. Hours 9 am-5 pm Mon.-Fri. Information, 620-241-5774.

Through the Lens, landscapes captured by Gary Behrens in a series of digital images then merged into a composite panorama, on exhibit through Feb. 29, Derby Public Library, 1600 Walnut Grove Road, Derby. Free. Call 316-788-0760.

Tides of Provincetown, art from what was at one time one of the world#x2019;s largest and arguably most influential art colonies, over 100 artists, featuring Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol and Edward Hopper, today-April 29, Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. Hours 10 am-5 pm Tue.-Sat., noon-5 pm Sun. Admission $7, $5 for seniors and students, $3 children ages 5-17. Saturdays free. Information, 316-268-4921.

#x201C;A Family Affair,#x201D; exhibitors from families with more than one artist displaying paintings and artwork, through March 31, Art Room 114, 114 N. Main, El Dorado. Free. Call 316-321-3223.

Chuck Close: A Couple of Ways of Doing Something, works from daguerreotypes presented in a variety of media including colossal tapestries and photogravures, paired with poems by humorist Bob Holman, on exhibit today through April 15, Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. Hours 10 am-5 pm Tue.-Sat., noon-5 pm Sun. Admission $7, $5 for seniors and students, $3 children ages 5-17. Saturdays free. Information, 316-268-4921.

The Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art and Artist Samella Lewis, exhibit of 69 works on paper by influential African-American artists from the 19th through 21st centuries, Feb. 19-May 19, Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W. Museum Blvd. Hours 10 am-5 pm Tue.-Sat., noon-5 pm Sun. Admission $7, $5 for seniors and students, $3 children ages 5-17. Saturdays free. Information, 316-268-4921.

Made in America: Celebrating American Designers, a celebration of American designers from the 1950s-1980s featuring the work of Geoffrey Beene, Bill Blass, James Galanos, Rudi Gerneich, Halston, Claire McCardell, Norman Norell and Pauline Trigere, on exhibit through May 31, Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. Hours 11 a.m-4 pm Tue.-Fri. 1-5 pm Sat.-Sun. Admission $4, $2 ages 6-12, children under 6 free. Information, 316-265-9314 or wichitahistory.org.

MUSIC

Friends University Band Concert, guest trombone soloist Harry Watters with the United States Army Band, 3 pm today, Friends University Sebits Auditorium. Admission $5, $3 students and seniors. Call 316-295-5677.

#x201C;Wagner#x2019;s Gotterdammerung,#x201D; star-crossed lovers doomed by fate, encore 2 pm today, Louise C. Murdock Theatre, 536 N. Broadway. Tickets $24, $20 seniors, $18 students. Call 316-440-4711.

Vienna Boys Choir, presented by Arts on Broadway, 7:30 pm Fri., First Methodist Church, 300 N. Broadway. Tickets $20-$40. Information, 316-684-1019, 316-267-2574, 316-648-0234 or artsonbroadwaywichita@gmail.com.

19th Annual Jazz Festival, featuring Matt Wilson and Jennifer Barnes, 7:30 pm Sat., Friends University Sebits Auditorium. Tickets $15, $12 students and seniors. Call 316-295-5677.

Mozart#x2019;s Great Symphony, underwritten by the Naftzger Fund for the Arts, 8 pm Sat., Century II Concert Hall. Tickets $21-$45, discounts available. Call 316-267-7658.

#x201C;Verdi#x2019;s Ernani,#x201D; opera, 11:55 am Feb. 25, encore 2 pm Feb. 26, Murdock Theatre, 536 N. Broadway. Tickets $24, $20 seniors, $18 students. Call 316-440-4711.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Art for Arthritis Auction Gala, silent and live auction to support public awareness to find a cure for arthritis and celebrating the lives of children living with arthritis by pairing them with local artists and giving them a voice through diverse mediums of arts, 6 pm March 8, Abode Venue, 1330 E. Douglas. Tickets $60. Information, 316-263-0116 or www.arthritis.org.