Columbia

There is so much constant movement in our world that it takes an artist to translate some of that motion into a lasting image. In the aptly titled exhibit "Motion" at the Artists' Gallery in Columbia, painters Rana Geralis and Nancy Lee Davis encourage you to linger and look at the animals, people and cars that ordinarily don't slow down for inspection. This pairing of two artists is at its most concentrated in the side-by-side installation of two very small works that amount to portraits of individual animals: Columbia resident Geralis has a watercolor, "Paint Pony," and Clarksville resident Davis has an oil painting, "Cow Eating.

These groups meet regularly. Bereavement Support Group - Fourth Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. This group is for adults who are mourning the loss of a loved one. All are welcome. St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Room 105, 8300 Old Columbia Road, Fulton. 410-792-0470, Ext. 214. Family support group - Fourth Monday, 7:30 p.m. For family and friends of adults with mental illness. First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3604 Chatham Road, Ellicott City. 410-772-9300 or http://www.nami.org/sites/namihowardcounty.

Four new stores will be coming to The Mall in Columbia, including Lululemon Athletica and True Religion, mall officials said Thursday. Lululemon, a yoga-inspired athletic apparel store, and denim apparel brand True Religion are opening as part of the center's 70,000-square-foot redevelopment and expansion. The stores will flank a new entrance leading from the mall to the new open-air "lifestyle center. " Lululemon will open this summer in 3,200 square feet on the upper level across from Michael Kors.

Nordstrom Rack will open its planned store in Columbia today at 9 a.m. The discount format of upscale department store Nordstrom Inc. celebrates the opening of a 41,000-square-foot space with "Rally at the Rack. " The retailer promises music, breakfast treats and gift card prizes. When the store opens, the first 1,000 shoppers to buy something will get a free tote bag. (While supplies last.) The Columbia store , in the former Room Store space, will be the fourth Rack in the state, joining others in Annapolis, Gaithersburg and Towson.

Chamber music players typically spend so much time together that it can seem like a professional marriage. In the case of Duo Amaral, it's an actual marriage. These husband and wife guitarists perform for the Sundays at Three series on May 19 at Christ Episcopal Church in Columbia. Mia Pomerantz-Amaral and her husband, Jorge Amaral, started their guitar duo in Baltimore in 2008. Mia is from Israel, Jorge is from Mexico, and they separately were drawn to this city by the Peabody Institute's highly regarded guitar program.

Driving past The Ale House Columbia on a warm Thursday evening, the first thing we noticed was the crowded patio; it looked fun. The second thing we noticed was the valet. Valet parking isn't an unusual sight outside a busy restaurant, but this was the first time we'd seen valet in a moderately crowded shopping center parking lot. It's all about service, explained Greg Keating, managing partner of The Ale House. The restaurant wants to make their guests as comfortable as possible, right down to the parking experience.

The Candlelight Concert Society has presented so many chamber music groups that it's fitting that it has assembled a diverse roster of performers for its 40th anniversary gala on Saturday, May 18, from 3 to 6 p.m., at Howard Community College's Smith Theatre. "We're very proud of the variety and depth of our programming," says Candlelight artistic director Holly Thomas. She adds that the upcoming gala will be "celebrating what we've been doing to bring exciting and innovative works here.

Ski club meets The Columbia Ski Club meets at 7 p.m. Monday, May 13, at Union Jack's, 10400 Little Patuxent Parkway. New members enjoy a 50 percent reduction in fees. Light appetizers will be provided. Open to the public. Information: 410-740-5225. 'The Full Monty' Silhouette Stages presents the story of six unemployed steelworkers who decide to form a strip act. Shows at 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, May 17-18; 24-25, and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at Slayton House, 10400 Cross Fox Lane in Columbia.

I harbor high hopes that Columbia can blossom to the next level in creating a "go to" environment that supports and nurtures art and artists. Recently the Columbia Association has stepped up offering public forums on this and Jane Dembner of the Association has been doing a wonderful job. But Columbia needs just a little bit more than just the enthusiasm. We need more residents to spread the support around. Redevelopment is helping this with new residences downtown. I have sat in Barbara Kellner's "Columbia Archives" and watched old grainy films of James Rouse lecturing a group of urban architects at a conference in the '70s - saying he full well expected Columbia's population to be around 300,000 residents by the late 1990s.

The Columbia Orchestra knows how to fill the stage with musicians, but it also knows that a much smaller ensemble also can be music to the ears. That's why its season provides a mix of concerts deploying the full orchestra and other concerts that adopt a chamber music format. Where the latter format is concerned, you'll only count three musicians when the Columbia Orchestra Piano Trio performs a free concert on Saturday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, in Columbia.