Chamberosity, a dynamic chamber music ensemble, opens  the spring 2012 season of The University of Akron's Kulas Concert Series with a  3 p.m. concert Feb. 26 , in Guzzetta Recital Hall, 157 University Ave. The program includes a commissioned work by Cleveland native Eric Ewazen, a faculty member at Juilliard.

Chamberosity features Linda Sinanian, violin; Jeffrey Forden, horn; and Christine Doré, piano. The Feb. 26 program also includes Debussy's "Sonate pour violon et piano," Brahms' "Trio for Piano, Horn and Violin," "Opus 40 in E-flat," and Tartini's "Dido Abbandonata Sonata in G minor, Opus I No.10."

Chamberosity has been the ensemble-in-residence at the Stony Brook Summer Music Festival, the Music At Greenlawn concert series and the Siena Spirituality Center in the Hamptons.

Jerry Seinfeld will make a stop in Akron for an upcoming tour that finds the TV star reaching back to his roots as a stand-up comedian. He'll appear at the Akron Civic Theatre April 20 at 7 p.m.

Hailed as “the master stand-up comic of his generation” and “the best comedian of our time” in a Washington Post article by Tom Shales, Seinfeld has an uncanny ability to joke about the little things in life that relate to audiences everywhere.

Tickets go on sale Feb. 24 at 10 a.m., and prices are $77, $62, and $47. Tickets are available at the Akron Civic Theatre Box Office, by calling (330) 253-2488, online at www.akroncivic.com, or by calling TicketMaster at (800) 745-3000.

The University of Akron's theatre department will tackle Shakespeare as the "The Merchant of Venice" opens Feb. 23 at Sandefur Theatre in Guzzetta Hall.

Presented by the university's Theatre Program and directed by part-time faculty member Aubrey Caldwell, performances are Feb. 23 through 25 and March 1 through 3 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. Talk-backs will follow the performances on Feb. 23 and March 1. Sandefur Theatre in Guzzetta Hall is at 157 University Ave., across from E.J. Thomas Hall on the university's campus.

One of Shakespeare’s tragi-comedies, "The Merchant of Venice" shares the tale of the merchant Antonio, who funds the quest of his friend Bassanio to win the heart of Portia by taking a loan from his longtime enemy, Shylock. Should Antonio fail to pay, Shylock will take a pound of his flesh. The tale features the Bard’s classic themes of romance and mistaken identities while also painting a picture of the politics, gender roles and anti-Semitism of the Elizabethan era.

Gospel Meets Symphony returns to The University of Akron’s EJ Thomas hall for its 19th annual performance on Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. For one night only, the Akron Symphony’s 200-voice Gospel Meets Symphony Choir fuses with the full Akron Symphony Orchestra to perform gospel and classical music.

Gospel Meets Symphony is considered Akron’s premiere collaborative concert, bringing the greater Akron community together for an evening of inspiration and celebration under the direction of the Akron Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director and Conductor Maestro Christopher Wilkins. Gospel Meets Symphony also features appearances by special guests The LeGrair Brothers. Chorus Master Jennifer Mekel Jones will lead the choir.

“Gospel is all about good news. Symphony brings musical genius to life. Each can stand alone, but it's pure magic to see them come together,” said Jones. “This year we will tell the stories and breathe new perspective into old tradition. It's all about a promise, and I assure you won’t be able to stay in your seat.”

The Akron Symphony Orchestra celebrates the best of Beethoven and Brahms with "Ode to Joy" Feb. 18 at The University of Akron’s EJ Thomas Hall at 8 p.m. Led by Maestro Christopher Wilkins, the Akron Symphony Orchestra will be joined by the Akron Symphony Chorus in a concert that showcases great works by Beethoven and Brahms and four amazing soloists, including soprano Dina Kuznetsova, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong, tenor Timothy Culver and bass-baritone Peter van de Graaff.

Community members will have increased access to free digital media training and equipment, thanks to a new partnership between Akron Community Foundation and the Akron-Summit County Public Library.

The Akron Digital Media Center, funded by Akron Community Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, reopened today in a newly created space on the first floor of the downtown Main Library, offering another resource for library patrons and increased community visibility for the media project that has trained more than 500 residents.

The media center was launched in 2010 to help cultivate local storytelling and community news gathering. It offers free multimedia workshops in blogging, news writing, photography, videography and video editing, as well as one-on-one mentorships that train community members to serve as journalists and neighborhood storytellers in the digital age.

A look at food donations from the ground level

Arlington Memorial Baptist Church recently gave away 18,000 pounds of food to residents in need, thanks to a donation given by the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank.

Every week, the Foodbank donates food to this church, as well as to many other agency members across the county. Mary Coppenger, 72, and her husband Jack, 75, have been giving out food at Arlington Baptist for four years now.

The happily married couple of 50 years arrives at the church at 5 a.m. every Tuesday morning to set up, staying until 1:30 p.m. "When we first started there was only about 15 people coming. We'd sit here, read the paper and have coffee," Mary said of their beginnings.
Now they average 100 to 150 people each time.

The Akron Racers professional softball team will get third pick each round of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) College Draft March 7 at 6 p.m.

The 2012 Draft which is presented by Miken, will take place at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tenn. The Memphis Sports Council will host the event in conjunction with the Peabody Hotel. All four teams of the NPF will take part in the draft, which consists of 20 overall athlete selections that are divided into five rounds. Each round consists of four picks.

After finishing in second place during the 2011 regular season, the Akron Racers are scheduled to select third in each round of the draft. The first overall pick in the 2012 NPF College Draft belongs to the USSSA Florida Pride, a position that resulted from a mid-season trade in 2011 with the NPF Diamonds.

Info Line, Inc. seems self-explanatory. The agency is, by all accounts, a source of information, but the organization does more than just give out information to the public. And Sue Pierson, vice president of Info Line, Inc., is proud of this fact.

The nonprofit is the place to call in Summit County if you need info or referred to just about anything.

“We receive about 95,000 calls in our program a year,” Pierson said. “If more funds were available we could answer even more calls. If you need to find shoes for a job interview or new winter clothes for your kids, call us. You name it.”

The Akron Art Museum offers a series of Kids Art Classes, which are ideal weekend activities for the remaining winter months. Children will get a chance to experience the museum's renowned art collection and create masterpieces of their own.

The classes are designed for children ages 6 to 12 years old, and adults are welcome but not required to attend with children. The cost for each class is $10 for each member child, and $15 for each non-member child. Pre-registration is required and space is limited, according to the museum.

Sculpture: Cast Away is Feb. 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Participants will add a third dimension to their art skills by viewing the newly installed sculpture "Seer (Alice I)" by artist Kiki Smith then creating their own sculptures with magically messy (and fast-drying) plaster casting cloth.