Calendar of Events

"Daring Greatly" is part of "Reading Close to Home," an ongoing series focusing on the lives and works of southern writers. Join Professor Edward Francisco in discussion of Eudora Welty's selected short stories: "A Worn Path," "Why I Live at the P.O.," and "Where is the Voice Coming From?" Schedule:

February 13: "A Worn Path"
On a cold December day, an elderly woman named Phoenix makes her way along a remote path, narrating the journey to herself as she goes.

February 20: "Why I Live at the P.O."
Sister explains how she came to leave the family home in China Grove, Mississippi. In the process, she reveals her own character and a good many family secrets.

February 27
"Where is the Voice Coming From?"
A narrator recalls recent conversations with his wife as well as his role in the death of Roland Summers, an African American civil rights leader in the small town of Thermopylae.

At Lawson McGhee Library. http://www.knoxlib.org/calendar-programs

Stop by to see February's exhibit of Julie Fawn Boisseau-Craig's whimsical ink and watercolor paintings and block print pieces!
Her colorful work, which features many styles, will remind you that spring is just around the corner.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

World-renowned guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli joins the KJO for our annual Valentine’s Day concert. Pizzarelli has been hailed by the Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” The Toronto Star pegged him as “the genial genius of the guitar.” And the Seattle Times saluted him as “a rare entertainer of the old school.” Established as one of the prime contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook, Pizzarelli has expanded that repertoire by including the music of Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim and the Beatles. Sure to be the perfect Valentine's treat for your special someone.

At the Bijou Theatre, 803 S Gay St, Knoxville, TN, 37902. Knoxville Jazz Orchestra: 865-573-3226, www.knoxjazz.org

Discussing "Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X" by Deborah Davis

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

Ensemble concert

James R. Cox Auditorium, Alumni Memorial Bldg.

Unless otherwise noted, concerts are FREE and open to the public. The Natalie Haslam Music Center is located at 1741 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, and the Alumni Memorial Building is located at 1408 Middle Drive on the UT campus. *For individual or small group performances, please check the web site or call the day of the event for updates or cancellations: 865-974-5678, www.music.utk.edu/events

Held at UT Arts and Architecture Atrium. Speaker: Kate Buckley, Director of Alabama Story

Followed by the 7:30 PM Alabama Story production on the CBT Mainstage. Limited quantity, tickets must be purchased in advance at 865-974-5161.

Clarence Brown Theatre / Carousel Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information/tickets: 865-974-5161, 865-656-4444, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Pizza and a Movie: Romeo and Juliet + A Dopo Pizza with NoKno Cinematheque
Tuesday, February 13, 2018 at 7:00 PM.

NoKno Cinematheque and The Central Collective are teaming up to provide you with a casual dinner you can eat while enjoying the 90's classic, Romeo and Juliet. Come with your valentine, your pal, or yourself for good eats and a 90-licious film. Prefer not to eat with us? No problem! Swing by and enjoy the movie at no cost.

Ticket includes vegetarian and/0r meat pizza from A Dopo Sourdough Pizza
BYOB
Doors open: 6:00 PM // Film begins: 7:00 PM.

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

Join us for a Valentine's Day dance at ETTAC. We will have dancing, snacks, crafts, and more.

Now, what the heck is Fastnacht Day? Fastnacht means doughnut in German and is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch holiday. We basically just eat doughnuts, but who needs an excuse to do that? Valentines and Doughnuts - it doesn't get much sweeter!

$10 suggested donation to benefit our scholarship fund for our SPARK program. All are welcome! https://www.evite.com/event/0240OXBSTTQG5E46CEPIAUJISNTZGM/rsvp

Reception Friday, February 16, 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Artists’ talks at 6:30 pm.

Alyssa Johnson
There is a power in lines on maps, in three feet of fencing full of holes, in a velvet rope or a cement block. In this power, there are also rules. This wall is okay to climb over—that wall is not. You can paint on that wall, but you cannot touch this one. These are rules Johnson wants to define—to climb into, to push until she meets an edge, to make room for one or two or more people. She hopes to set the groundwork for this delineation by isolating the walls she interacts with daily, to draw them out of their repeated normalcy and question their necessity. There are two sides to every stance—therefore, she uses both realism and abstraction. Abolishing dividers leans toward naivety, yet holding all trust in borders rings with paranoia. Her primary hope is that a wide expression of style will allow for an exploration of both ends of the spectrum, prompting us to locate where our own feet stand in relation to either ignorance or distrust.

In December of 2017, Alyssa graduated from the University of Tennessee’s School of Art with a BFA in Studio Art and a psychology minor. Her past work has been featured in Phoenix Literary Magazine and included in group exhibitions in Tennessee; most recently, she has been displaying in New Jersey. While her focus is primarily on painting and drawing, Alyssa is also serving as studio manager to a local potter in Nashville while still maintaining her own practice in her studio at home.

Brandon McBath
McBath digs for treasure -- the images -- then makes the map to it. He compares this to viewing a cluster of clouds: the mind connects it with an image, and then one sees that image in the clouds. He wants viewers to discover hidden images and be observant of his clouds. He makes large-scale scroll-esque drawings that fill the field of vision from up close or afar. Intuitive gestural lines and ink-pours create a unique matrix or “sky.” Then, as he finds images, he reinforces them and makes them more readily available to the viewer.

Brandon McBath graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2016 with a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in drawing and a minor in art history. He was raised in East Tennessee by Tammy McBath, of Tammy’s Fish and Fried Green Tomatoes, and a loving older brother. After his father’s death in 1997, his mother worked hard to support her two children. During this time, Brandon was highly influenced by the art within television, anime, and video games. This later accompanied his faith in Jesus Christ which has shaped his worldview alongside his church family at Beech Grove Baptist Church. He teaches middle school art at Concord Christian School in Farragut.

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Gallery hours: M-Th 10-5, Su 10-1. Information: 865-523-4176, www.tvuuc.org

Join Denise of Yellow Optimist Fitness for a fun, calorie-torching workout! We'll be powering through circuits centered around High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which has been proven to shred fat, increase metabolism, and improve heart health. You'll also learn some of the best moves for cardio conditioning, strength development, agility, flexibility, and balance. All you need is water, a mat, a towel, and your amazing body! Be sure to invite a friend! $10, cash only at the door.

To reserve your spot, visit https://www.paypal.me/yellowoptimistfitdh/10
Please contact Denise at (901) 827-2646 or denise.nichelle@gmail.com for more information. Follow her on Instagram @yellowoptimistfitness

Feb 10 & Feb 24

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Downtown Knoxville’s Blue Slip Winery & Bistro, located in The Historic Southern Railway Station at 306 West Depot Avenue, is hosting a Clever By Half Productions (CBH) original murder mystery, HINT. Patrons will have three chances to enjoy this fan-favorite murder on February 9, 10, and 14 at 6:30pm.

HINT is the fast-paced story of a dinner party gone awry. When Mr. Brown invites six of his dearest friends to a fete, they expect to paint the town red. However, once it’s clear that blackmail is the name of the game, murder is added to the menu. So, who finally showed their true colors? Was Mr. Pine green with envy? Is the widowed
Mrs. Snow as innocent as she seems? Did Senator Wheaton have the guts or was he too yellow-bellied for such a crime?

The entire event takes place around the diners. Over several courses, audiences will follow the clues and then attempt to catch the killer red-handed during CBH’s signature device, an interactive interrogation with the performers.

In addition to prizes for rooting out the culprit, Blue Slip will present awards those who come in their best thematic or Valentine attire.
6pm Doors and Bar is Open
6:30pm Show Begins Promptly with Salads and Charcuterie
7:30pm Buffet Dinner followed by Dessert
Reserved Seating — $50.00 per person or $90.00 per couple.
To reserve for individual dates, please follow the appropriate link:
February 9 — https://www.facebook.com/events/1790099737669946
February 10 — https://www.facebook.com/events/422115768191408
February 14 — https://www.facebook.com/events/201978887033919
For more information Blue Slip Winery & Bistro (https://www.facebook.com/BlueSlipWinery) on Facebook.

Reception to be held March 16, 2018 from 5-7pm.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts announces Haiku / by Hand, a dual exhibition of works by Nicole Jacquard and Harlan W. Butt displayed in the Geoffrey A. Wolpert Gallery.

Nicole Jacquard explores themes of memory, ornamentation, and the souvenir through her mixed-media jewelry work. She uses materials such as upcycled fabrics, thread, enamel and a variety of metals to reference the dichotomy of the handmade versus the mass-produced. Jacquard questions how an object with one supposed purpose can transcend its own function when nostalgia and personal meanings are attached.

Harlan W. Butt combines vessels with poetry as a way to explore humankind’s relationship with the natural world. His vessels, made from copper, silver, bronze and brass, reflect the sensory experience of the natural landscape. Butt conveys the beauty and mystery found in nature through his use of plant and animal imagery with a keen attention to color texture. The vessels are accompanied by haikus written by Butt, which record the unique human experience of being fully present in the wilderness.

Together, the works of Jacquard and Butt create a compelling dialog about what we choose to take away from our individual experiences. Be it a tangible memento with which we project a specific memory of place, or the memory itself, used as inspiration to create something new.
Nicole Jacquard is currently Area Head and an Associate Professor at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and was the President of the Society of North American Goldsmiths from 2015-2017. She received her first MFA from the University of Michigan in 1991, and her second in 1995 while on a Fullbright Scholarship to Australia at RMIT University in Melbourne. In 2004, Nicole returned to RMIT and completed her Ph.D. in Fine Arts. Nicole was awarded a second 2017-2018 Fullbright Scholarship to Scotland. See more of Jacquard’s work on her website, www.nicolejacquard.com.

Harlan W. Butt maintains a studio in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. He has been creating work for over 40 years in metals and enamel, specializing in vessels. Harlan was a Regents Professor of Art at the University of North Texas, where he retired in 2017 after teaching for 40 years. He served as Artist-in-Residence at Denali National Park in 2010 and at the Grand Canyon in 2014. He will be an Artist-in-Residence at Acadia National Park in the summer of 2018. See more of Harlan’s work on his website, harlanwbutt.com.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org