Two weeks ago when I was working on the spotlight, I had a conversation with Sam, between friends, about the future of the gallery. At that time it looked like they would close their doors at the end of the month. In a rush to do something to help I made mention of the fact in that week&squo;s article.

However, art and business are slippery things and as it turns out the Gallery&squo;s Coop will continue to occupy the space as a small gallery, studio and classroom. Working with a small, yet devoted crew, the gallery&squo;s open hours have shifted to just Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the month of March.

Fine handcrafted jewelry and photo art greeting cards by Sam Lovelace are among the treasures available this month. The Coop invites new artists with new ideas to join them in keeping Your Arts Desire alive as they look for innovative ways to use the space for art. So please, take a moment this weekend to enjoy a daylight drive up beautiful 176, grab one of Debi&squo;s pastries, and give them a visit.

Friday at 7p.m. catch a free performance of internationally lauded storyteller and singer Pat Mendoza with flamenco style guitarist Miguel Espinoza at Isothermal Community College-Polk Campus.

If you enjoy good political discussion with your art, visit the Democratic Headquarters on Ward Street in Columbus at 7:30p.m. for Polk County&squo;s Democratic Community Action League&squo;s free screening of Michael Moore&squo;s most recent Oscar nominated documentary &dquo;Sicko.&dquo; The film takes a look at the US health care industry in relation to universal systems available in Canada, the UK, and France.

Need a good laugh? Catch the hilarity of Patrick Combs at Tryon Fine Arts Center on Friday or Saturday night at 8p.m. in Man 1, Bank 0. This powerful solo performer will take you for a fun filled ride based on the true story of what happens when you deposit a junk mail check in your bank account.

Saturday at 7:30p.m., enjoy a fun-filled show with &dquo;The Cadets Spectacular&dquo; at Polk County High School auditorium featuring dancers, musicians, and entertainment from not only the students, but also local entertainers sharing their talents in support of the Polk County Band&squo;s &dquo;Journey to China.&dquo;

If you just can&squo;t keep still, get out your dancing shoes and head on over to the Saluda Mountain Jamboree for Sound Factory&squo;s blues and rock favorites. They&squo;ll keep you movin&squo; to their groovin&squo; from 8-11p.m.

If you missed the opening last weekend, don&squo;t forget to visit the Upstairs Artspace for their current exihibit of the twentith century artist and illustration icon Maxfield Parrish. Learn about the collection with the &dquo;Walk and Talk&dquo; tour of exhibit on Sunday afternoon at 2p.m.

Sunday March 9, at 7p.m. Brooks Williams, dubbed one of &dquo;America&squo;s musical treasures,&dquo; graces the Purple Onion Caf´&squo;s Sunday Concert Series with his masterful acoustic guitar picking. Call 828-749-1179 for tickets and more information.

Whatever you choose to do this weekend, keep the arts alive in Polk County by showing your support of the work that inspires, challenges, and changes you.