Calendar of Events

June 1, 2017 marks the 221st 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 27 and June 3, and Sundays, May 21 and May 28. The sites include places of historical significance in the exciting journey from the creation of our country to the founding of our state. The Historic Homes of Knoxville include: Blount Mansion, Crescent Bend, James White’s Fort, Mabry-Hazen House, Marble Springs, Ramsey House, and Historic Westwood. Each site will have individual ways of celebrating the birth of Tennessee. These are free museum days to the public.

+ Westwood (Sunday, May 21, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM)
+ Blount Mansion (Saturday, May 27, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
+ James White’s Fort (Saturday, May 27, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
+ Mabry-Hazen House (Saturday, May 27, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
+ Marble Springs (Saturday, May 27, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sunday, May 28, 11:00 - 4:00 PM)
+ Crescent Bend House & Gardens (Saturday, June 3, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
+ Ramsey House (Saturday, June 3, 12:00 PM – 3:00PM)

In addition to the Historic Homes of Knoxville, Sequoyah Birthplace Museum (Vonore) and Crockett Tavern Museum (Morristown) will also host Statehood Day events on June 3.

+ Crockett Tavern Museum (Saturday, June 3, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
+ Sequoyah Birthplace Museum (Saturday, June 3, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM)

Please see http://www.knoxalliance.com/historic-homes-of-knoxville-celebrate-statehood-day-on-may-21-may-27-may-28-and-june-3/ for details!

On Sunday, May 21st, Cattywampus Puppet Council will bring Knoxville its first-ever giant puppet parade, The Appalachian Puppet Pageant, as part of this spring’s Open Streets in East Knoxville. The Appalachian Puppet Pageant is an East Tennessee inspired community arts parade. It will bring together members of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate the ecology and culture of the region through visual and performance art, and feature puppets up to 12 feet tall. Community members are invited to craft giant puppets, masks, and costumes that are rooted in the local ecology and stories of this region, as well as the culture of love, creativity, and mutual dependence we wish to foster in southern Appalachia.

Cattywampus Puppet Council has spent the past four months preparing for the parade, hosting multiple free giant puppet making workshops in Knoxville and working one on one with several community groups, helping them to make creations for the parade. These groups include the Birdhouse Community Center, Centro Hispano, the Vestal Boys and Girls Club, FYI Peer Educator Program, and The Carpetbag Theatre, amongst others.

Parade Line up is at 1pm on the southwest corner of Magnolia Ave and Chestnut. The parade will commence at 2pm, kicking off Open Streets, and process down the entire Open Streets route, roughly 1.2 miles. Participation in the parade is free and open to people of all ages. For more parade info and to register, please visit www.cattywampuspuppetcouncil.com/appalachian-puppet-pageant/.

Come join the Smoky Mountain Blues Society as they present some of the best known local, regional and nationally touring Blues Music artists. They will be performing on stage during specialty cruises on the Tennessee River. From April through October, blues lovers will convene to celebrate this truly American art-form during a 3 hour Sunday afternoon cruise on the Star of Knoxville Tennessee Riverboat.

5/21 Few Miles On – A Cookeville, TN import!

The Riverboat is located just one-half mile east of Neyland Stadium at 300 Neyland Drive, next to Calhouns. Boarding begins at 3pm. Tickets are available at http://tnriverboat.com/blues-cruises-2/ or (865) 525-7827. Tickets are just $16 in advance and $20 at the door. Each voyage will also have a limited food menu and full bar available. Info: www.smokymountainblues.org.

Featuring Few Miles On – A Cookeville, TN import!

The Smoky Mountain Blues Society launches its Blues Cruise aboard the Star of Knoxville, running April to October. Boarding time is at 3 pm and the cruise itself runs from 4 to 7 pm.

The Blues Cruises reflect the Smoky Mountain Blues Society's commitment to presenting some of the best known local, regional and nationally touring Blues Music artists. The artists perform onstage during these specialty cruises which take them and their audiences up and down the scenic Tennessee River on the Star of Knoxville Tennessee Riverboat. The Riverboat is located just one-half mile east of Neyland Stadium at 300 Neyland Drive, next to Calhouns. This year’s line-up is a stellar cross section of the modern blues genre.

Tickets are available through the Tennessee Riverboat Company’s website, (http://tnriverboat.com/blues-cruises-2/) and by calling (865) 525-7827. Tickets are just $16 in advance and $20 at the door. Smoky Mountain Blues Society Members can enjoy a special discount. Each voyage will also have a limited food menu and full bar available. More information at www.smokymountainblues.org.

June 1, 2017 marks the official 221st anniversary of Tennessee’s admission as the 16th state in the union. Enjoy free tours in celebration of Tennessee’s birthday.

Knox Heritage, at Historic Westwood, 3425 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-523-8008, www.knoxheritage.org

GIRLS NIGHT OUT (Volume III) is once again bringing together six incredibly talented Knoxville women for a one night only performance at The Red Piano Lounge. Knoxville singer Katy Free will once again bring her unique style to classics of pop, jazz and blues. Katy will be joined on stage with five other women who are the instrumentalists. Plus Katy’s frequent accompanist, Wendel Werner, Knoxville’s extremely-talented musician and composer, will be adding his signature style to this third “GIRLS NIGHT OUT” concert, which promises to be a very entertaining evening!

“GIRL NIGHT OUT” Concert @ The Red Piano Lounge, 4620 Kingston Pike, Suite 2, Knoxville, TN 37919
Cost - $5. https://www.facebook.com/events/798304613660397/

The Mission of BreastStrokes Knoxville... is to impact women in our community through empowerment, artistic expression and financial support. BreastStrokes Knoxville will empower women in two ways: first, by encouraging women to come together in artistic expression, and second, by giving women financial aid in their time of need. BreastStrokes Knoxville will also strive to raise cancer awareness, encourage cancer screenings, and further support the cancer community.

Calling all artists to paint for a great cause! Female-only event. 100% of proceeds go directly to women in Knoxville with cancer. Please RSVP to breaststrokesknoxville@gmail.com. Event at Ironwood Studios, 119 Jennings Avenue, 37917. http://breaststrokesknoxville.com/

Cultural Odyssey's Rhodessa Jones - Fully Awake and Facing Seventy: Heaven Betta Bea Honky Tonk!
Written and performed by highly acclaimed San Franciso artist, Rhodessa Jones, with musical direction and performance by jazz artist, Idris Ackamoor. This show is an evening cabaret filled with live music celebrating Jones officially joining the ranks of the "senior citizen." Fully Awake confronts the issue of aging head-on with insight, progressive politics, sharp-edged humor and yoga! This cabaret evening doubles as a treatise on the Baby Boomer Generation confronting their last years and addressing the issue of growing old with dignity and security. Fully Awake completes a trio of full-length solo autobiographical works of Ms. Jones almost half a century career as a professional artist and community activist. *Does contain Mature Language

Friday, May 19th and Sunday 21st at 7:30pm

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of show. At Beck Cultural Exchange Center - 1927 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: http://www.carpetbagtheatre.org/events/

Darkhorse Entertainment, LLC invites you to go back in time and get medieval at the third annual Tennessee Medieval Faire. The festival is located in Harriman near I-40 just 30 miles west of Turkey Creek. This rugged outdoor festival will come to life on May 13 and run the last three weekends in May, including Memorial Day.

“Our Medieval Faire is a theatrical interpretation of an Irish-Scottish-British festival set in the early Middle Ages (circa 501). Many in East Tennessee are of Scots-Irish heritage. If you go up the family tree, you get kings and queens,” said Barrie Paulson, VP-Manager and Entertainment Director. The festival will include continuous professional family-friendly entertainment. In the tournament arena will be The Royal Joust and Warriors’ Chess, where the British, led by King Arthur of Camelot, and the Gauls (French) will compete in serious sport. Throughout the village, entertainment will include trick and comedy shows, puppets and fairytales, music and dance; plus interactive costumed street characters. In addition, numerous vendors will be selling medieval crafts, food and beverages including beer.

The 2017 Tennessee Medieval Faire will run for seven show days on May 13-14, 20-21, 27-28-29. Hours are 10am-5pm EST. Tickets may be purchased at the gate with cash or credit card. Prices are $17 for ages 13 and up, $9 for ages 5 to 12, free for ages 4 and under. Free parking is included. The permanent festival site is located at 550 Fiske Road, Harriman, TN. For more information, please visit www.TMFaire.com, sign up for their newsletter, like them on Facebook, email TMFaire@comcast.net or call 865-248-8414.

"The list began after her first attempt. A list of everything brilliant about the world. Everything worth living for." EVERY BRILLIANT THING is a charming, brave, and often hilarious look at life in the shadow of depression. Hoping to save his mother from her struggles, a 7-year-old boy begins a list of all the things in life worth sticking around for...
1. Ice cream.
2. Water fights.
3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV.
Throughout the show the list grows, chronicling life's joys - both big and small, and takes on a profound meaning...
315. The smell of old books.
...
1007. The fact that sometimes there is a perfect song to match how you are feeling.

Critics from NYC to London have fallen in love with Every Brilliant Thing. We are spellbound by this intimate, poignant story and are thrilled to share it with our Knoxville community.
"EVERY BRILLIANT THING finds the perfect balance between conveying the struggles of life, and celebrating all that is sweet in it." - The Independent, London
“A life-affirming gem… as profound a work as you are ever likely to experience on a New York stage.” - NY1
"Heart-wrenching, hilarious...possibly one of the funniest plays you'll ever see, full stop." - The Guardian, UK
"Filled to the brim with joy...beautiful, heart wrenching and very funny." - Time Out London

Performed at Emerald Academy, 220 Carrick Street, Knoxville, TN 37921. Tickets & information: 865-407-0727, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/every-brilliant-thing-brilliantthings-tickets-33595374670 or www.riverandrailtheatre.com

Please join the Art Market Gallery as we kick off a month-long celebration of our 35th year selling original art and fine crafts by regional artists. On Saturday May 6, we begin our celebration with three of our charter members at the gallery from 2-6pm to talk to friends, patrons, other artists, and art or history lovers. It will be a lively time of stories and memories. Also on 1st Friday evening May 5 visitors may get a coupon for 10% off one item over $25 good for either Saturday May 6 or Saturday May 27 only.

The history of the Art Market Gallery is interestingly entwined with the history of visual arts in the area, but the birth of the Gallery as an Artists’ Co-operative came about during the time of the 1982 World’s Fair. The history of how the gallery came to be can be read here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uxfrvox6aobxzvr/The%20Art%20Market%20Gallery%20History.docx?dl=0

The Art Market Gallery moved to Gay Street from the old Candy Factory location in 2006 and is proud of being a part of the redevelopment of Downtown and a growing appreciation of art in our area. The organization is one of the oldest co-operative art groups in the Southeast with over 60 artist-members in a wide variety of art mediums.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Th & Sa 11-6, Fri 11-9, Su 1-5. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net

The Knoxville Museum of Art presents Gathering Light: Works by Beauford Delaney from the KMA Collection. Gathering Light includes more than 30 of Delaney’s paintings and drawings—nearly all of which have never before been on public view—that were purchased from the artist’s estate between 2014 and 2016 in what is one of the most significant art acquisition in the KMA’s 27-year history. The acquisition and display of these works are part of a larger effort to bring long-overdue attention to Delaney’s legacy in his hometown.

Beauford Delaney (Knoxville 1901-1979 Paris) is considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Despite battling poverty, prejudice, and mental illness, he achieved an international reputation for his portraits, scenes of city life, and free-form abstractions marked by intense colors, bold contours, and vibrant surfaces. The KMA’s growing collection promises to serve as a vital resource for the preservation and celebration of this East Tennessee master’s work.

The paintings and drawings in Gathering Light were purchased with funds provided by the Rachael Patterson Young Art Acquisition Reserve (part of a major gift from the Aslan Foundation), along with additional support from the KMA Collectors Circle, Brenda and Larry Thompson, and friends of the museum. The KMA also wishes to acknowledge Derek L. Spratley, the executor of the Estate of Beauford Delaney, for making works available for loan and acquisition. Accompanying the works acquired by the KMA are also a small selection of paintings from the artist’s estate that the museum hopes to raise funds to purchase.

“We are thrilled to shine a light on one of the world’s greatest artists and local hero Beauford Delaney,” said KMA Executive Director David Butler. “His legacy has been recognized internationally, but he is less well-known here at home. We hope this exhibition helps to change that.”

The museum is holding an opening reception Thursday, May 4 from 5:30 to 7:30pm. This event is free and open to the public.

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