Calendar of Events

Details TBA!

Ewing Gallery, 1715 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu

I would like to warmly invite you to attend the closing reception for Figured at Maryville College this Friday, February 23, from 6:00-8:00 PM. This art exhibition showcases a glimpse of a very important contemporary figurative art movement including the paintings and drawings of four regional, accomplished artists: John Woodrow Kelley, Melanie Norris, Seth Haverkamp, and Denise Stewart-Sanabria.
Closing Reception is Friday, February 23, 6-8pm and the last full day of the exhibition is Tuesday, February 27.

Gallery Hours: 10-5 Monday - Thursday and for evening events
Blackberry Farm Gallery and William "Ed" Harmon Gallery, Clayton Center for the Arts in the smaller of the two buildings
502 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy
Maryville, TN 37804
865-981-8590
https://www.claytonartscenter.com/

By: christopher oscar peña

Transcending 20th-century notions of race and culture, peña’s work succeeds in simultaneously touching our hearts, stimulating our minds, and examining our society. Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang

In this CBT-commissioned World Premiere, Cris returns to a place he once used to know, only to find a world he no longer recognizes. As he connects with a new stranger tasked to show him around town, an unexpected spark challenges all of Cris' preconceived notions. the strangers is a modern day reimagining of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, depicting a contemporary American world thrown into chaos.
This production contains adult content and language.

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

We have a full event calendar that grows by the day!

Monday - Singer/songwriter night (open sign-up)
Tuesday - Open mic night (open sign-up)
Wed through Sun - Various Americana/Folk artists from Knoxville and across the country

The Troubadour Roadhouse and Performance Hall located in Bearden, 4705 Old Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
Information: 865-851-8650, www.troubadourroadhouse.com
www.facebook.com/troubadourroadhouse

“Ancestors” is a body of work that celebrates the founders of the present. Sean Clark explores a personal narrative of the forerunners that brought him to this very moment. Some of the works in the show are inspired by the legacy of Sammie Nicely and his lifelong friendship with Sean’s father Dr. Robert J Clark. This exhibit is part of the 30th annual From Africa to Appalachia celebration at Rose Center.

The Rose Center, 442 West Second North St., Morristown, TN, 37814. Hours: M-F 9-5. Information: 423-581-4330, www.rosecenter.org

Part of the 2017-18 "Best of Theatre Knoxville Downtown" Season!

By John Cariani. "On a cold, clear moonless night in the middle of winter, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost's residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend - almost - in this delightful midwinter night's dream."

Almost, Maine is based on the fictional "unorganized" town of the same name in Maine. It is comprised of 9 short vignettes centered around the exploration of love and loss, and what happens to ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. As the play is about love, it involves a lot of kissing. Actors should be comfortable with the possibility of being cast in one of those roles.

"A whimsical approach to the joys and perils of romance. Magical happenings bloom beneath the snowdrifts."
– The New York Times

Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 319 North Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information & tickets: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

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

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

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

Celebrate women in art at Pellissippi State Community College! The free exhibit will showcase regional female artists who work in processes that use metal, including forging, casting, welding and assemblage. Works in the show range from large-scale abstract assemblages to intimate cast iron garments and figurative bronze castings.

A reception to meet the artists -- Allison Baker, Caroline Covington, Jacqueline Fisher, Cassidy Frye, Holly Kelly, Stephanie Loggans, Erica Mendoza, Marisa Mitchell, Karly Stribling and Erin Tucker -- will be 3-5 p.m., Feb. 5.

"Fe" is curated by Covington, who is also a faculty member at Pellissippi State. "The chemical symbol for iron is 'Fe,' and one of the basic classifications of metal is whether or not it contains iron - whether it is ferrous or non-ferrous. Thus, 'fe' is an elemental component of all of these works, as is being female," Covington said. "Each artist brings her own conceptual presence to the show. Metal has endless possibilities; so does our definition of femininity," she added.

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Bagwell Center Gallery hours: M-F 10-6:30. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Check out the full festival schedule and details here: http://tennesseestage.com/2018/01/05/new-play-festival-2018/

Table Readings: Free admission. Each reading will include a discussion session afterwards with the cast, director and audience and, when possible, the playwright.

Swimming Upstream by Rich Rubin - A love story, complicated by science and political ramifications – who says politics makes strange bedfellows?
Saturday, 2/3 10:00 am Bearden Branch Library
Monday, 2/12 6:00 pm Fountain City Library
Sunday, 2/25 2:00 pm Lawson McGhee Library

Amazing Graces by Lea McMahan - A weekend getaway for five women – cousins and friends – in Gatlinburg, TN, with barely enough food but plenty of wine goes off the deep end when two armed gunmen crash the party.
Saturday, 2/3 2:00 pm Fountain City Library
Saturday, 2/17 2:00 pm Bearden Branch Library
Saturday, 2/24 2:30 Lawson McGhee Library

Indian Giver by Michael Reiman - A wry dramedy about an organ donor whose own failing body drives him to do the unthinkable – sue to get his donated organ back!
Saturday, 2/10 2:00 pm Bearden Branch Library
Saturday, 2/17 2:00 pm Fountain City Library
Saturday, 2/24 12:30 pm Lawson McGhee Library

Tennessee Stage Company: 865-546-4280, www.tennesseestage.com

In 2015, Chicago collectors Helen and Russell Novak made the single largest and most important gift of art to the KMA’s contemporary print collection in the museum’s history. Press Ahead: Contemporary Prints Gifted by Helen and Russell Novak represents the official unveiling of this remarkable gift. The exhibition features 38 works by leading contemporary artists from around the world including Roger Brown, John Buck, Christo, Lesley Dill, Jim Dine, Helen Frankenthaler, Red Grooms, Sol LeWitt, and Barbara Takenaga William T. Wiley, and by younger artists such as Brad Brown, Enrique Chagoya, Tom Huck, Jiha Moon, and Hans Schabus. Some artists are leading printmakers while others work primarily in other media, but became interested in collaborating with master printers in order to realize their ideas in print-based formats. The KMA’s selection includes great examples of each artist’s work, prints produced in small editions, and those representing a broad range of printmaking techniques and formats (including sculptural and book format prints).

The Novak’s collection includes thousands of contemporary prints acquired over a period of more than 30 years. The collection is noteworthy for its size and breadth, and because of Russell Novak’s close ties to such prominent master printers Jack Lemon and Bud Shark, who run two of the country’s premier print studios—Landfall Press and Shark’s Ink, respectively. Each year, Lemon and Shark would send the Novaks limited edition print portfolios, out of which the couple selected certain prints to be matted and framed for display. The collection has grown to a point at which framed works fill the walls of their home and of Russell’s corporate office space housing the accounting firm of Novak/Costello.

The Novaks chose to donate works to the KMA rather than area Chicago museums for several reasons. First, they became interested in the KMA thanks to Helen’s childhood friend, Knoxville educator Marilyn Liberman, who introduced Helen to the KMA. Marilyn also alerted the KMA about the Novaks and their collection, especially after learning that Helen had expressed interest in placing portions of the collection with suitable museums. The Novaks soon realized their gift to the KMA could eventually become a centerpiece for the museum’s works on paper collection. Their interest in placing the works at the KMA was heightened by the museum’s long association with contemporary printmaking (Dulin Gallery’s print competition ran from the early 1960s until the late 1980s), and the presence in Knoxville of the UTK School of Art’s Printmaking Program (ranked #2 in the country in 2017 by U.S. News & World Report). In this way, Press Ahead celebrates the Novak’s generosity, and underscores the important role of their gift in enabling KMA visitors to explore contemporary printmaking and the exciting range of expressive possibilities and technical approaches it encompasses.

For a full listing of the Novak’s gifts, please go to http://www.knoxart.org/info/files/Novak-collection-gift-2015.pdf

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