Calendar of Events

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Tennessee Theatre Downtown: Steel Magnolias

Category: Theatre

May 29-June 14, 2015
Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling

Theatre Knoxville Downtown
319 North Gay Street, KNoxville
865 544 1999 or email: info@theatreknoxville.com
www.theatreknoxville.com

Side Splitters Comedy Club: Tommy Davidson

  • May 29, 2014 — May 31, 2014

Category: Comedy

From In Living Color, Tommy Davidson. Details TBA.

Side Splitters Comedy Club - West Knoxville, 9246 Parkwest Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37923. 865.934.LAFF (5233) www.SideSplittersComedy.com

Variety Thursday Concerts on the Square

  • May 29, 2014
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Category: Free event and Music

Swingtime Ensemble Group will play on Market Square.

Knoxville Botanical Garden: Country Garden in Bloom

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  • May 29, 2014
  • 5:30 PM

Category: Festivals, special events, Fundraisers and Science, nature

Explore an eclectic garden at this 16 acre rural south Knox County property. Portions of the garden were designed by different landscape architects and creative horticulturists and has been embellished by personal plant choices of the owners. Dogwoods from Bazillion Blooms fill in the lawn. Raised garden beds supply produce throughout the summer and fall. Wine, beer and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Hosted by Diane Humphreys-Barlow and Jack Barlow.

$45 per person. Part of the 2014 In Bloom Series of garden parties. All proceeds support the Knoxville Botanical Garden.

Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, 2743 Wimpole Ave, Knoxville, TN 37914. Hours: Gardens open daily from dawn to dusk. Information: 865-862-8717, www.knoxgarden.org

American Museum of Science & Energy: Blue Star Museum Admission Program

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  • May 26, 2014 — September 1, 2014

Category: Free event, Kids, family and Science, nature

Free AMSE admission available to active-duty military ID holder and five immediate family members. Active duty military include Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members. Must show active duty military ID for this admission. Blue Star museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums across America.

American Museum of Science & Energy, 300 S. Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Monday-Saturday 9AM-5PM, Sunday 1-5PM. Information: 865-576-3200, www.amse.org

Historic Homes of Knoxville Celebrate Statehood Day

  • May 24, 2014 — June 1, 2014

Category: Free event, History, heritage and Kids, family

Historic Homes of Knoxville Celebrate Statehood Day with Free Admission on May 24, May 31, and June 1. June 1, 2014 marks the 218th anniversary of Tennessee’s admission as the 16th state in the union. East Tennessee’s most important cultural heritage sites are partnering to celebrate Statehood Day on Saturdays, May 24 and May 31 as well as Sunday, June 1. The sites include places of historical significance in the exciting journey from the creation of our country to the founding of our state.

Crescent Bend House & Gardens (Saturday, May 24, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
One of the Southeast’s finest house museums and gardens. Built in 1834 by Drury Paine Armstrong, Crescent Bend was once a 900-acre working farm and so named for its prominent setting overlooking a majestic crescent bend in the Tennessee River just west of downtown Knoxville.
2728 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-637-3163, www.crescentbend.com

Ramsey House (Saturday, May 24, 12:00-2:00 PM)
Historic Ramsey House is the 1797 marble home of one of Knoxville’s founding fathers, Francis Alexander Ramsey. He was a surveyor, involved in the process of statehood for Tennessee, a court clerk, banker, donated land to the first church in Tennessee, co-founder and trustee of Blount College (now UT). His sons also made many contributions to law, medicine, education, transportation, politics and more. 2614 Thorngrove Pike, Knoxville, TN 37914. Information: 865-546-0745, www.ramseyhouse.org

Marble Springs (Saturday, May 24, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sunday, May 25, 12:00-5:00 PM)
Home of John Sevier (1745-1815), Tennessee’s first governor and Revolutionary War hero. Marble Springs State Historic Site will commemorate this occasion with a weekend of Living History. Walk amongst Living History interpreters in 18th Century clothing portraying life on the frontier, encampments, and more. Children’s activities include falling into a militia drill and playing with period toys. Blacksmithing, weaving, and open hearth cooking will be demonstrated all weekend. Food will be available for purchase. Donations are appreciated.
1220 West Gov. John Sevier Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920. Information: 865-573-5508, www.marblesprings.net

Westwood (Saturday, May 24, 1:00-4:00 PM)
Built as a “wedding promise” in 1890 by John Edwin Lutz and his wife, Ann Adelia Armstrong Lutz, on property owned by her grandfather, Drury P. Armstrong. The highlight and most significant component of Westwood is the studio which was designed by Ann Adelia Armstrong Lutz, an accomplished artist. Today Historic Westwood is home to Knox Heritage and the East Tennessee Preservation Alliance. Parking available at Laurel Church of Christ.
425 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-523-8008, www.historicwestwood.org

Blount Mansion (Saturday, May 31, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Construction on Blount Mansion began in 1792. The restored mansion was open for tours in 1930, making it the oldest museum in Knox County. Commemorate the creation of the state of Tennessee and celebrate the pioneers who settled and transformed the southwest territory into the vibrant state of Tennessee.
200 W. Hill Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-2375, www.blountmansion.org

James White’s Fort (Saturday, May 31, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
Built in 1786, James White’s Fort was home to the founder of Knoxville. More than 10,000 visitors tour the Fort each year and experience the frontier lifestyle through hands-on interpretations. Celebrate at James White’s Fort and learn about Knoxville's first settlers. Donations will be gladly accepted.
205 E. Hill Ave, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: 865-525-6514, www.jameswhitefort.org

Mabry-Hazen House (Saturday, May 31, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
Mabry-Hazen House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located atop Mabry's Hill in Knoxville, Tennessee. Built in 1858 and housing three generations of the same family from 1858-1987, the Mabry-Hazen House served as headquarters for both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. This stately, elegant home of the Victorian and Civil War periods showcases one of the largest original family collection in America. Containing original artifacts including china, silver, crystal, and antique furnishings, this home is a rare view into the past. The Civil War, a gunfight on Gay Street in 1882, and a Breach of Promise lawsuit in the early 1930's are only a few stories that bring life and color to those who visit the museum.
1711 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915. Information: 865-522-8661, www.mabryhazen.com

In addition to the Historic Homes of Knoxville, Sequoyah Birthplace Museum and Crockett Tavern Museum will also host Statehood Day events.

Crockett Tavern Museum (Saturday, May 31, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
The Museum was built on the site of the boyhood home of Davy Crockett. It is a reconstruction of the 1790's John Crockett Tavern.
2002 Morningside Drive, Morristown, TN 37814. Information: 423-587-9900, www.crocketttavernmuseum.org

Sequoyah Birthplace Museum (Sunday, June 1, 12:00-5:00 PM)
The mission of the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum (Vonore), a property of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is to promote the understanding and appreciation of the history and culture of the Cherokee Indians in Eastern Tennessee, particularly the life and contributions of Sequoyah. The Museum will collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit objects and data that support this mission. Free admission; blacksmith shop will be open. Genealogy workshops and storytelling in the afternoon.
576 HWY 360, Vonore, TN 37885. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9AM-5PM, Sunday, 12-5PM. Information: 423-884-6246, www.sequoyahmuseum.org

The Historic House Museums of Knoxville is a partnership that shares resources from each historic site in presenting the history, culture, and heritage of Knoxville and East Tennessee: www.hhknoxville.org

Theatre Knoxville Downtown: Sordid Lives

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Category: Theatre

“Sordid Lives” by Del Shores opens at Theatre Knoxville Downtown
A black comedy about white trash! The author of Daddy's Dyin' (Who's Got the Will?) brings you a comedy that was nominated for over thirty awards during its long run in Los Angeles.
When Peggy, a good Christian woman, hits her head on the sink and bleeds to death after tripping over her lover's wooden legs in a motel room, chaos erupts in Winters, Texas.
"[This play by] the master of Texas Comedy...is maybe funnier than Daddy's Dyin'. His colorful eccentrics are dead on, teetering on a Bowie knife's edge between the hilarious improbable and the achingly real."
— The Los Angeles Times
For Mature Audiences Only.

Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $10 plus fees for Thursday & Sunday performances and $15 plus fees for Friday & Saturday performances. If available, tickets will be sold at the door.

Theatre Knoxville Downtown has open seating. Doors open 30 minutes prior to show time. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to pick up your tickets and claim your seats. TKD reserves the right to seat walk-in patrons during the final 15 minutes prior to show time.

Tickets: 865-523-7521; www.KnoxTIX.com. Information: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

Knoxville Museum of Art: Leonardo Silaghi: 3 Paintings

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Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Hall & Rogers Gallery
Docent walk-through at 11:30 AM on May 16

This display features three monumental canvases by Leonardo Silaghi that were recently acquired by the KMA. Silaghi (born 1987) is a Romanian painter whose abstractions powerfully express the chaotic transition of his homeland from a decaying Communist nation to a contemporary urban society still taking shape. Often using black and white photographs of abandoned Cold War machinery as starting points, the artist launches into large, forcefully executed paintings populated by conveyor belts, vehicles, ductwork, and other industrial debris.

Leonardo Silaghi is a graduate of the University of Art and Design in Cluj, Romania. Since 2009, he has been featured with solo exhibitions at the Laika Gallery in Cluj, Marc Straus Gallery in New York, and the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art in Peekskill, where he was artist in residence in 2010. Recently his works were shown at the exhibition "After the Fall" at the HVCCA in Peeksville and the Knoxville Museum of Art. Through a generous gift of New York collectors Marc and Livia Straus in 2013, and a purchase, the KMA is fortunate to be among the first American museums to have acquired a group of Silaghi’s works.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM; Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

The District Gallery: Dreamscapes, Paintings by Rachel Campbell

  • May 16, 2014 — June 14, 2014
  • Reception May 16, 5-8PM

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

The District Gallery is pleased to present Dreamscapes: Poetry Inspired Paintings by Rachael McCampbell. The arts often inspire one another – visual arts can inspire writers, and the written word can send artists to their easels. Native Knoxvillian painter, writer and curator, Rachael McCampbell, has done just that. She has always loved literature and poetry and the rich way words inspire her art.

McCampbell has created a collection of paintings inspired by the poetry of poets such as Mary Oliver, Donald Justice, Wallace Stevens, Robert Creeley, Wendell Berry, W. B. Yeats, Maya Angelou, Raymond Carver and more. Her paintings are highly textured with layers of acrylic, charcoal and oil. She applies paintand then removes it until eventually the story she needs to tell emerges.

Opening Reception: Friday, May 16, 5-8 p.m. and Artist Talk: Thursday, May 29, 7-8 p.m.

The District Gallery | 5113 Kingston Pike | Knoxville, TN 37919 | (865) 200-4452 | www.TheDistrictGallery.com

Fountain City Art Center: Fountain City Art Guild Annual Spring Show and Sale

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Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Opening Reception May 16, 6:30-8:00 PM - everyone welcome!
Student Show: Students from Aurora H. Bull’s oil painting classes
Details TBA.

Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 9AM-5PM; Wednesday & Friday, 10AM-5PM; Saturday, 9AM-1PM. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartctr.com

Marble Springs: ‘Shopping at the Farm’ Farmers Market

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Category: Festivals, special events and Kids, family

Marble Springs State Historic Site is proud to present the 4th season of ‘Shopping at the Farm’ – the Marble Springs Farmer’s Market for our South Knoxville community. The market will be held Thursdays, beginning on May 15 & continuing weekly through September. All vendors will be selling fresh, locally-produced products.

Marble Springs: 1220 West Gov. John Sevier Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920. Information: 865-573-5508, www.marblesprings.net

Exhibition by Julie Warren Conn: Shaping Stone and Molding Metal

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

DENSO Art Gallery

"...My inspiration comes from personal relationships, the wonders of nature, and marvelous sculptures from around the world. I admire the entire spectrum of art from the old masters to contemporary artists, as well as many fine ethnic expressions. Since the late 1990s, I have instructed art classes on ocean cruises, traveling to scores of countries and all continents. Experiencing the art treasures of many lands and cultures gives me fresh ideas and renewed motivation for sculpting. Picasso declared, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” In that spirit, I wish to create sculptural objects of beauty that bring joy and tranquility to the viewer."

Artist Reception opening day of exhibit, May, 12, from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
Exhibit will be open 10am to 6pm, Monday through Friday.
This is a FREE EVENT!

Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Info: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

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