Calendar of Events

Celebrate Architecture week 2016 April 1-April 16.

Historic Downtown Walking Tour with Jack Neely.
A round-trip walk and talk with historian and author, Jack Neely. The tour highlights the history of several Knoxville historic worship spaces and public venues.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
9:00am to 12:30pm
Tour begins at the Bank of America Parking Garage off Locust Street.
Free and open to the public.

Find out more at archweek.aiaentn.org. Brought to you by the American Institutes of Architects, East Tennessee Chapter.

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society’s 50th annual Spring Plant Sale will gather the best of four local nurseries in one location.

The sale will be held on Saturday, April 16th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UT Arboretum at 901 S. Illinois Ave. (Hwy. 62) in Oak Ridge. The “Members Only” sale will be on Friday evening, April 15th from 5-7 p.m. Memberships may be purchased at that time for this “early bird” shopping opportunity. Checks and credit cards will be accepted.

Beaver Creek and Riverdale Nurseries from Knoxville, Sunlight Gardens from Andersonville and East Fork Nursery from Sevierville will be offering a large and varied selection of shrubs, trees, wildflowers, perennials, annuals and edibles. Brad Greenwood Designs will have unique botanically themed copper garden ornaments and steel features for the home and yard. Dano’s Hot Dogs, with an expanded menu, will again be at this event.

Back by popular demand, the Society will be offering ‘The Rising Sun™’ Redbud. This new Redbud displays brilliant, golden tangerine and lime-colored, heart-shaped foliage all summer and was a quick sell-out plant last year. The Society will also be offering a limited supply of another new redbud tree: ‘Alley Cat’. ‘Alley Cat’ was literally discovered in an alley in Kentucky and has beautiful green and white variegated foliage which is stable and scorch resistant.

Retired U.T. horticulture professor Dr. Will Witte, the “Answer Man”, will be on hand to answer your plant questions and will be selling books from his personal horticulture library.

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society has existed for 51years as a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the objectives and programs of the University of Tennessee’s 250-acre Arboretum in Oak Ridge. Proceeds from this sale and other Society fund-raising events go toward the operating expenses and endowment fund for the UT Arboretum. To learn more about the Arboretum Society, and the UT Arboretum Endowment Fund, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org.

For more information on the Plant Sale, call 483-3571.

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Good Sport is a series presented and programmed by The Central Collective. Here's the deal: you purchase a ticket to a mystery event. Show up to The Central Collective at the specified date and time, and be ready for anything. You might walk into a baby goat petting zoo, or a punk rock concert, or a blind chocolate tasting, or a lecture about the Big Bang. These are events for folks who are curious, adventurous, and like trying new things & meeting new people. BYOB if you like. Event does not center around alcohol. Light snacks. Kids: Welcome at this event! Ages 5 and up can fully participate- be sure to reserve a spot for all participants in your group! Good Sport Level: 2/5 (shouldn't push you too far out of your comfort zone). Cost: $6

The Central Collective, 923 N. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-236-1590, info@thecentralcollective.com, www.thecentralcollective.com

Special Public Opening: Friday, April 15, from 5:30-8:00 p.m.

In 1929 and again in 1930, Brunswick Records' Vocalion label set up a temporary recording studio at the St. James Hotel in downtown Knoxville and invited locals to come make records. These old-time, jazz, blues, and gospel recordings added Knoxville's voice to American popular music and inspired the next generation of country music stars. In an exciting new exhibition, the East Tennessee Historical Society and the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound present a first-time look at the impact of these recordings and the region’s contributions to American popular music. The exhibition features an array of artifacts, videos, sound recordings, and photographs showcasing East Tennessee’s diverse musical heritage. Come to Make Records explores Knoxville’s growth in the early 20th century, the importance of fiddling contests in generating fans and driving record sales, the role of Sterchi Bros. in exposing local talent to a national audience, and examines why Knoxville was selected for the recordings. The exhibit offers a closer look at the St. James Hotel, the site of the Knoxville Sessions, an overview of the local talent that arose from the sessions, and a look at the next generation of artists, such as Chet Atkins and Roy Acuff. The exhibit includes a display demonstrating 130 years of recorded sound from the wax cylinder to the iPod, a re-creation of the St. James Hotel room where the Knoxville Sessions took place, Roy Acuff’s fiddle, Cal Davenport’s banjo, a Bairdola, and an assortment of other instruments. Other artifacts featured are original records from the Knoxville Sessions, a painting by Howard Armstrong, and Carl and Pearl Butler’s performance suits, designed by Nathan Turk. Special video presentations include a film produced by East Tennessee PBS on the Knoxville Sessions, a look at how 78 rpm discs are made, rare footage of Knoxville Sessions artists, and recordings of Roy Acuff, Uncle Dave Macon, and Carl and Pearl Butler.

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., Julie Belcher from the Pioneer House will display an art exhibition in the Bilo Nelson Auditorium of the East Tennessee History Center with music provided by saw player Robert Maddox. At 7:00 p.m. there will be a program with musical performances by local musicians, including Kelle Jolly, David Balle, saw player Robert Maddox, and the Tennessee Stiff Legs, of songs from the 1929 and 1930 Knoxville Sessions with remarks by Dr. Ted Olson, co-producer and co-author of The Knoxville Sessions box set book. The evening will conclude with a screening of rare film footage of Knoxville sessions artists Uncle Dave Macon, Willie Seivers, and Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong. Relatives and descendants of the musicians that recorded during the Knoxville Sessions will also be acknowledged during the program.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

Explore more than 60 miles of trails, open gardens, and camera site sites as you enjoy a walk, bike, or drive the time honored tradition of the Dogwood Trails and Open Gardens. Holston Hills is the 2016 Featured Trail.
For an online version of the Dogwood Trails & Gardens Guide please visit
http://www.dogwoodarts.com/trails-and-gardens/
Dogwood Arts: 865-637-4561

APRIL 15, 16, 22, 23 AT 7:30 P.M. and APRIL 17, 24 AT 2 P.M.

Do good works overcome evil, in the end? This is the ultimate question posed by "Which Side Are You On: The Florence Reece Story," an original play that will have its world premiere at Pellissippi State Community College. The play is written by Pellissippi State's Writer-in-Residence Edward Francisco. It is a fictional retelling of the life of Florence Reece, an American social activist, poet and folksong writer. The daughter and wife of coal miners, she penned the song "Which Side Are You On?" which became a social justice anthem after Pete Seeger recorded the tune in 1940. "Florence Reece began writing this song when she was just 12 years old," Francisco said. "She finished it when she was 31, after hiding under a bed with her seven children to avoid the bullets fired by hired gun thugs working for the mining company. She tore a calendar page off the wall and wrote the lyrics."

That year was 1931, the beginning of the Harlan County War, a decade-long battle between coal miners and union organizers on one side and the coal companies, gun thugs and law enforcement officials on the other. The war included a series of strikes, skirmishes, bombings, executions and the occupation of Harlan County by both state and federal troops. Reece's husband, Sam, a union organizer, died of black lung in 1978. Reece died in Knoxville in 1986. The final scene of the play imagines what may have been some of the final words shared between Sam and Florence, among them: Do good works truly matter? Because so little information exists about Reece's life apart from her contributions during the Harlan County War, Francisco conflated the fictional retelling of Reece's life with experiences from his own grandmother, the daughter of a coal miner herself.

At the Clayton Performing Arts Center at Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

April 15-16, 9am-5pm and April 17, 10am-4pm

The 7th annual Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival to be held at the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend. The event will again offer its popular vendors marketplace; family activities; live animal displays; fiber arts demonstrations; and classes for beginners through advanced fiber enthusiasts. General admission is free, though classes require a fee. In addition, pre-registration for classes is requested and is now open (visit event website, link below.)

Classes are offered for beginning through advanced levels, and include weaving, crocheting, needle felting, nuno felting, rug hooking, twining, yarn dyeing, and much more, including the popular spinning classes by Jennifer Bennett of Harmony Wools Alpacas, Sweetwater, TN. Over forty classes are offered, with new classes added for 2016. Details, including vendor and class lists, and how to register for classes, may be found on the event website, www.smokymountainfiberartsfestival.org.

The featured instructor for 2016 is Geri Forkner. Her mixed media fiber art is defined by lifelong passions to make one of everything and to save materials from the global scrapheap. Visit her website: www.weavingschool.wordpress.com

During the 2016 festival in Townsend, demonstrations will again be available for adults and children to explore the various techniques of working with fibers. The demonstrators will help the beginner identify where to begin, and help resolve questions of the more experienced fiber enthusiast. Scheduled children’s activities include weaving, clay modeling, and llama walks. In addition, many of the fiber arts classes are suitable for ages 12 and above. Russell and Sherry Liles of Liles Acres Organic Farms, Maryville, TN, will return with their llamas, goats, and Angora rabbits. Roger and Rosalyn Fanti and their three children of Saddle Brook Farm, Dandridge, TN will also be back with their sheep and will share the processes of raising the sheep, to shearing. This makes the festival truly a “sheep to shawl” event, showing the entire process from fleece to fiber to threads and yarn, to finished goods.

Questions and inquiries may be addressed by contacting the Townsend Artisan Guild at townsendartisanguild@gmail.com or by calling 865-448-0859. Class registration and further information is available on www.smokymountainfiberartsfestival.org.

Mozart's classic tale of Don Giovanni, where a man's lecherous lifestyle leads him to his own demise when the heavens are called upon for the ultimate revenge.

Friday, April 15, 2016 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 16, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 17, 2016 at 2:30 p.m.

At The Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville TN 37902. Tickets available at the Tennessee Theatre box office or at www.ticketmaster.com. UT School of Music: 865-974-5678, www.music.utk.edu/events

Musical theatre fun for the entire family! The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing Whos, including Jojo, a Who child sent off to military school for thinking too many “thinks.” Horton faces a double challenge–not only must he protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must guard an abandoned egg, left to his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. Although Horton faces ridicule, danger, kidnapping, and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family, and community are challenged and emerge triumphant.

Adults- $15, Students- $10, Kids- $7

Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall, Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information/tickets: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

Our Spring Barn Sale is Friday and Saturday, April 15 from noon, and Saturday, April 16, from 10:00 - 4:00. We host unique vendors with handmade items, art, jewelry, antiques, and more. The event is free to shoppers.

12130 Prater Lane, Knoxville, TN 37922. Info: 865-603-9347, http://riverviewfamilyfarm.com
https://www.facebook.com/RiverViewFamilyFarm

"DEATHTRAP" April 14-16; 21-24.
Tony Award winning comedy-thriller in 2 Acts by Ira Levin.
Produced by The Tellico Community Players in The Pat Smith Theatre
304 Lakeside Plaza, Loudon, TN 37774

To make Sidney's slump all the more painful, Clifford Anderson, a student of one of Sidney's writing seminars, has recently sent his mentor a copy of his first attempt at playwriting for Sidney's review and advice. The play Deathtrap, is a five character, two-act thriller so perfect in its construction that, as Sidney says, "A gifted director couldn't even hurt it." Using his penchant for plot, and out of his desperate desire to once again be the toast of Broadway, Sidney along with his wife, Myra, cook up an almost unthinkable scheme: They'll lure the would-be-playwright to the Bruhl home, kill him, and market the sure-fire script as Sidney's own. But shortly after Clifford arrives, it's clear that things are not what they seem! Indeed, even Helga Ten Dorp, a psychic from next door, and Porter Milgram, Sidney's observant attorney, can only speculate where the line between truth and deception lies.

For information and tickets: http://www.tellicocommunityplayhouse.org/

Re-connect with old friends and make new ones. A time to remember, this weekend showcases the history, heritage and success of the Pi Beta Phi and Arrowmont partnership.

Thursday evening - April 14 - Historian, storyteller and fifth-generation weaver Frances Fox will present "The College Women and the Mountaineers: A look at how a few dedicated women educated a region, built a town and economy, and created an enduring legacy."

Friday and Saturday - April 15 & 16 | Workshops - Robert Batey and Dana Cohen | From Cell Phones to Pocket Cameras: Taking the mystery out of nature and portrait photography
Frances Fox | Weaving the Past: Creating a tapestry from your memories
Pat K. Thomas | Dyeing and Marbling: Creating scarves, pictures and wall hangings
Joel Zachry | The Art of Nature: Rambling and observing flora and fauna in the Great Smoky Mountains

Fellowship
Friday Evening - April 15 | Gallery Opening: 2015-2016 Artists in Residence Show
Saturday Evening - April 16 | Music of the Great Smokies: John Phillips and Band - informal concert on the Patio | Sugarland Cellars: Winetasting
Sunday - April 17 | Brunch and program by Artists in Residence

Gallery hours are Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturday - Sunday 10am - 4pm. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org