Calendar of Events

We are excited to announce that we are hosting not one, but two special events for First Friday this May. Rala is helping host the "2014 Biscuit Art Exhibition". Join us that evening for a red carpet event right outside our door where the winners of the art contest will be announced. The biscuit art is also displayed at Coffee & Chocolate and Bliss Home throughout the month. This exhibit includes 30 biscuit themed pieces of art as interpreted by different artists.

We're also excited to bring you new work by one of our favorite local artists, Mike Ham. Father to WBIR's Abby Ham, Mike's work is inspired significantly by children's artwork. Here is just a taste of the fabulous work we're showing by this wonderful artist.

The Biscuit Exhibition will be up until the end of May and Mike Ham's artwork will be up until the end of June.

Our events start at 5:30 pm and end at 10 pm. We're looking forward to sharing SO MUCH great artwork with you!

RALA, 323 Union Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7888, http://shoprala.blogspot.com/

Paulk + Co. presents: Not From Here, an out of this world First Friday event featuring the mixed media work of artist Zach Searcy.

Special Guest Artists:
Mallory Bertrand Photography + Sarah Brobst Designs
Black Atticus
Carlton Starr
Anjana Love Dixon
Shaman Hattaway
The Boys+Girls Club of Vestal

100% of proceeds from the sales of the Boys+Girls Club created art will benefit their
Outdoor Learning Center + Art Education Programs.

PAULK + CO: 510 Williams Street, Knoxville, TN 37917, 865.335.3334.

HoLa Hora Latina, the Hispanic organization that promotes unity and communication between Latinos and the larger community, will host a very special exhibit of works of art that represent one Hispanic artist’s set of ideologies derived from a combination of spiritual symbolism. This exhibit will be featured during May with an artist reception open to the public on May 2nd, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM at the Emporium on North Gay Street.

The artist, Adriana Caloca, has exhibited locally at the Knoxville Museum of Art, the Ewing Gallery, and the Two Tone Gallery in Murfreesboro. She is the recipient of several awards and special recognitions for her work. Born to first generation Mexican immigrants, Caloca has been strongly influenced by her heritage and frequent trips back to Mexico. This special exhibit at Casa Hola in the Emporium reflects the vibrant nature of Mexican culture as well as the reverence for religion and spirituality.

Casa Hola is located in the Emporium building, 100 South Gay Street, suite 109. The show, entitled “Bestias Celestes,” will be on display throughout the month of May. The opening reception on May 2nd is open to the public without charge and refreshments will be available.

HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 109, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holaknoxville.org, www.holafestival.org

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present the second annual Knoxville Photo 2014, an exhibition featuring selected works from 36 artists throughout the region. Knoxville Photo was developed to provide a forum for photographers to compete on a national scale and display their work. The exhibition encompasses photographs depicting all subjects and genres, including streetscapes, cityscapes, landscapes, environmental portraiture, portraits, abstracts, and more, and will be displayed in the Emporium Center from May 2-31, 2014. A public reception will take place on First Friday, May 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM. Additionally on Friday, May 2, juror Joe Longobardi will give a talk/discussion at 4:00 PM, and a brief awards ceremony will take place at 6:00 PM in which $1,000 in cash awards will be announced.

Joe Longobardi served as juror for the exhibition and viewed images from more than 75 artists to select the exhibition. He has worked professionally as a photographer for seven years in the Asheville, North Carolina area engaging in editorial, portrait, documentary, and street photography.

The following artists’ works will be shown:
+ Thomas Nero of Cookeville, TN
+ Melinda Adams, Kayla Anderson, J. Brooks Brann, Bobbie Crews, Kellie Crye, William Goolsby, Erin Grimson, Adam Patrick Daniel Hutsell, Mary Gretchen Kaplan, Andreas Koschan, John Edwin May, Sharon Monett, Brian Murray, Norm Plate, Sean Sparbanie, Lee Steenbergen, Eric Thompson, Kurt K. Weiss, and Steve Zigler of Knoxville, TN
+ Shawn Kincaid of La Follette, TN
+ Sarah Ann Edens of Lake City, TN
+ Adam Heimerman of Lenoir City, TN
+ Eric Buechel of Pleasant Hill, TN
+ Matthew Glibbery, Valerie Gruner, Phil Savage, and Cheryl Tarrant of Powell, TN
+ Julie Oglesby and Lisa Pennington of Seymour, TN
+ Spears McAllester of Signal Mountain, TN
+ Tyson Smith of Townsend, TN
+ Alexander Diaz of St. Augustine, FL
+ Ann Kinney of Hoboken, NJ
+ Krista LaBella of Brooklyn, NY
+ James W. Meldrum of Beloit, WI

Knoxville Photo 2014 is on display May 2-31, 2014 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Saturday, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, May 26, for the holiday. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit our Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new group exhibition featuring seven regional artists opening Friday, May 2, at 5:00 PM in the Balcony of the Emporium Center: Melanie Fetterolf, Jake Livesay, Inna Nasonova, Jane Nickels, Norm Plate, Olga Rader and Dennis Sabo.
The group exhibition will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, from May 2-31, 2014. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on May 2 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Saturday, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, May 26, for the holiday. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit our Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

May First Friday at Bliss Home
Bliss Home 29 Market Square Knoxville, TN 37902
Friday, May 2, 2014 through the end of the month.

Bliss Home is pleased to present Knoxville artist, Ocean Starr Cline, for May's First Friday. Bliss Home, located at 29 Market Square, will host an opening reception on Friday, May 2nd from 6pm to 9pm. Complimentary Steamboat Sandwiches will be provided and Starr's art will be featured for the month of May.

Part of the International Biscuit Festival, the Biscuit Art Exhibition runs May 2-31 at Bliss Home, Coffee & Chocolate, and Rala.

Purchase Biscuit Art online at Biscuitfest.com/art.

Jonathan Howe Fine Art now showing at The Tomato Head restaurant in Market Square through May. See a collection of masterful portraits in various mediums from oil on canvas to pen and ink on paper. This selection of fine art displays the diverse ways of revealing the light given to the human countenance.

Jonathan Howe Fine Art, 4513 Lee Rd, Knoxville, TN 37921.
The Tomato Head: 12 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902, Phone (865) 637-4067.

Elaine Barnes of Harriman and Suzanne Jack of Knoxville are the Art Market Gallery’s featured artists for May. Their recent works will be on exhibit at The Art Market Gallery through May 25, with an opening reception to be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m., Friday, May 2 during the monthly First Friday Art Walk in downtown Knoxville. At the opening reception visitors may enjoy complimentary refreshments and live music performed by Nostalgia --Electric Mix.

Owned and operated by about 60 professional artists, the Art Market Gallery, at 422 S. Gay St., is a few doors from Mast General Store and next to Downtown Grill & Brewery. Hours are 11 a.mm. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The gallery is wheelchair accessible, and parking in the abutting garage and on the street is free on weekends and after 6 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call 865-525-5265, or visit artmarketgallery.net, or facebook.com/Art.Market.Gallery.

An exhibition of works by Knox County Art Educators in partnership with Downtown Gallery.

Opening reception Fri, May 2, 5-9 PM
Awards ceremony to be held at 6:30 PM

UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Wednesday-Friday: 11AM - 6PM, Saturday: 10AM - 3PM. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

Knoxville Children’s Theatre will present a live stage adaptation of Eleanor Porter’s beloved novel Pollyanna. The play will be performed May 2 through 18, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM; Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM; Sundays at 3 PM. The show is KCT’s 57th production and 20th original production and Knoxville premiere.

Pollyanna became one of the most popular books for children upon its publication in 1913 and has spawned over a dozen sequels. The book has been filmed several times, and the story’s popularity grew so great that the word “Pollyanna” has made its way into dictionaries, defined as “an eternal optimist.”

Something is wrong in Beldingsville, Vermont. Neighbors are arguing, lovers are quarreling, and the rest of the town’s residents are just plain cantankerous! But when happy little Pollyanna Whittier moves to town to live with her crabby spinster aunt, the town’s secrets are about to be uncovered. And life in Beldingsville will never be the same again!

The play is performed by 13 talented young actors, from ages 9 to 15. Jada Kaufman plays the title role of Pollyanna. Jada was last seen in Sarah, Plain And Tall and Sleeping Beauty at KCT. Natalia Adams plays Pollyanna’s aunt Polly, and Kayla June Nobbe plays Polly’s maid Nancy. Six actors are making their KCT debuts: Draven Copeland, Presley Ford, Audrey Jones, Emma Lorenz, Christopher Dean Sagliano, and Taylor Williams. The rest of the cast includes KCT veteran performers Brock Mullins, Isabelle Hannah, Kena Holmes, and Averi Richardson. The play is adapted and directed by Zack Allen. Liel Kirk is the Production Manager. Kiernan Bensey and Brooke Cunningham will provide the scenic design, and Rose Bolton will design and build the costumes. The play’s stage manager is Marianne Dodson.

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-599-5284, www.childrenstheatreknoxville.com. Reservations: tickets@childrenstheatreknoxville.com

Come see a new fine art exhibit - Impressions of Color from Paris, Italy, and the Loire Valley - premiering original oil paintings by Aleex Conner, local Impressionist. Friday, May 2, 5 pm - 9 pm, Plum Gallery, 5609 Kingston Pike, 584.6097. Aleex's work is in private collections throughout the U.S. and Europe, and her original oils have also been exhibited in Giverny, France (home of Monet's Gardens), Northern Italy, and Tuscany. One of her limited edition prints, "Suffrage on Market Square," is part of the historical exhibit of art and artifacts at the General Federation of Women's Clubs History and Resource Center in Washington, DC.