Calendar of Events

Decker Professor of the Humanities, Director
Alexander Grass Humanities Institute, Johns Hopkins University
Title: “Humanities Education at the Crossroads: Why the Liberal Arts are Fundamental to Democracy”

In his lecture, Professor William Egginton posits that US college and university education has come to embody the very social and economic inequality it should be challenging, thereby amplifying political and social divisions in our country and making it harder for democracy to function. After sketching a history of the factors that contributed to this trend, Professor Egginton will show how the liberal arts can refocus our educational institutions to support a sense of national community and civic engagement.

Because only speakers with exception records of publication and research activity are eligible to receive a nomination as a visiting scholar, the program brings to campus some of the most cutting-edge and prolific intellectuals in the humanities today. Public parking is available by the stadium for our off-campus visitors. Everyone is welcome!

At Lindsay Young Auditorium – UT Hodges Library
https://uthumanitiesctr.utk.edu/public/visiting.php

Monday, January 27, 2020 at 6 PM – 8 PM

Do you have a passion for singing? Do you want to use your voice to make positive change in our community? If you answered yes to both questions, then THIS is the place for you!

Knoxville Gay Men's Chorus is holding auditions for new members on Monday, January 27, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. You may stop in at any time! Auditions are held at the KGMC office in the Knoxville Arts Emporium, 100 S Gay St. All persons are welcome to audition, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The only requirements are that you be able to sing either tenor or bass, work hard to perform at your best ability, and maintain a friendly and positive attitude. To audition: Prepare a one minute excerpt of any song that demonstrates your best vocal ability. (Any style or genre is fine!) An accompanist will be at the audition, so you may bring sheet music. You may also sing unaccompanied, or bring a recorded accompaniment. Please keep it at a minute in length. The artistic director will also be asked to do vocal exercises to determine range.

Questions about the audition? Email director@knoxgmc.org

If you are unable to be at this audition date/time and would like to audition prior to the start of the next concert cycle, also email director@knoxgmc.org to see if it is possible to schedule an alternative time.
https://www.facebook.com/events/3149015195127869/

Knoxville Gay Men’s Chorus: (865) 255-5623, www.knoxgmc.org

The spring arts season begins with a regional showcase of figurative artists with a focus on painting and drawing. The talent pool for this show is stunning.

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Bagwell Center Gallery hours: M-F 9 AM - 9 PM. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Opening reception: 5-7:30pm, Thursday, January 9th

The Ewing Gallery is pleased to present, Unsustainable: A Planet in Crisis – a group exhibition featuring artwork ranging in material, discipline, and execution that addresses the theme of planetary crises – climate change, the rise of disease and superbugs, world conflict and national instability, plastics in the ocean, gun violence, pollution of the waterways from mining, air pollution from use of fossil fuels, the opioid crisis, and species extinction.

Participating artists are:

Michele Banks https://www.artologica.net/
Brandon Ballengee, PhD https://brandonballengee.com/
Scott Chimileski, PhD + Roberto Kolter, PhD https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-beautiful-intelligence-of-bacteria-and-other-microbes-20171113/
Brandon Donahue https://brandonjaquezdonahue.com/home.html
Lorrie Fredette http://lorriefredette.com/
Yeon Jin Kim http://www.domesticmuseology.com/yeon-jin-kim
Pam Longobardi https://driftersproject.net/about/
Dan Mills http://abacus.bates.edu/~dmills/
John Sabraw http://www.johnsabraw.com/
Karen Shaw https://karenshaw100.com/

In conjunction with Unsustainable, artist and educator Pam Longobardi will be giving a public lecture on Thursday, January 23rd at 7:30pm on her work. Longobardi's lecture will be in McCarty Auditorium, room 109 of the Art + Architecture Building. A reception with the artist will follow in the gallery.

Pam Longobardi is an American contemporary eco artist and activist, currently living and working in Atlanta, Georgia. She is known internationally for sculptural works and installations created from plastic debris, primarily from marine and coastal environments, as a primary material. She is also a Professor of Drawing and Painting at Georgia State University. Longobardi's lecture is part of the University of Tennessee School of Art's Programming Committee Lecture Series.

Unsustainable - a Planet in Crisis was developed as part of the programming for UT's Apocalypse Semester and as a partner exhibition to Visions of the End at the McClung Museum.

The Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture at the University of Tennessee, 1715 Volunteer Boulevard
Art and Architecture Building, Knoxville, TN 37996. https://ewing-gallery.utk.edu/

Opening reception Jan 12, 2-4 PM
Meet the artist, refreshments

The Gallery at the Rarity Bay Activity Center (2nd building on the right as you enter Rarity Bay), 150 Rarity Bay Parkway, Vonore, TN 37885
Free admission! Gallery hours: Mon 9-4, Tue 9-1, Wed-Fri 9-4
http://raritybayliving.com/ or 423-884-3020

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from January 3-31, 2020. A reception will take place on Friday, January 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. The opening reception features music by Kelle Jolly & The Will Boyd Project.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission Gallery of Arts Tribute in the main gallery
The MLK Gallery of Arts Tribute exhibition will kick-off the 2020 King Week Celebration (January 15-20, 2020). The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission is partnering with the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville to provide this sixth annual exhibition. The Gallery of Arts Tribute is a juried exhibition developed to recognize local artists and, most importantly, honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The exhibit will feature works by local artists reflecting the 2020 theme, “Let Freedom Ring: Through Social Justice, Economic Empowerment, Love, Peace, and Unity”. Works in the exhibitions may also be a reflection of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and have pertinence to the themes of Unity, Community, Love, Reconciliation, Social Justice, and Civil Rights. For more information, visit www.mlkknoxville.com.

On display throughout the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed January 20 for the holiday. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from January 3-31, 2020. A reception will take place on Friday, January 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. The opening reception features music by Kelle Jolly & The Will Boyd Project.

This juried call for artwork features photo and time-based media such as collage, mixed-media, darkroom work, digital manipulation, historic processes and more by local and regional artists. Awards will be chosen by the public with a Best in Show: The Cathy & Bernie Award of $500. In collaboration with Donna Moore, John Allen and Anna Lawrence, The Big Camera! is an ongoing project: a modified enclosed cargo trailer that functions as an extra-large (6’x10’) format camera as well as a portable classroom and community outreach vehicle for A1LabArts. The Big Camera! was made possible in large part through the Ann and Steve Bailey Opportunity Grant. The group has taught classes or demonstrated photography in places such as the Community Law Office's youth art program, the Emporium Center, Central Filling Station, and area K-12 schools. The Big Camera! is intended to share the magic of photography though making its principles hands-on, allowing photography to come alive in a new way for many who encounter it. For more information, visit www.bigcamera.org. A1LabArts is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 by a group of local artists and dedicated to multi-disciplinary and experimental exploration of contemporary art issues in all media. For more information, visit www.a1labarts.com.

On display throughout the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed January 20 for the holiday. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from January 3-31, 2020. A reception will take place on Friday, January 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. The opening reception features music by Kelle Jolly & The Will Boyd Project.

Regina (Gina) Tullock has explored the ways life becomes art for the past 28 years, beginning with her work as a middle school educator. Through her professional career, Tullock has nurtured young people to give expression to their creativity through art, drama and photography. Her pioneering work with students, at a time when computers first developed into a viable artistic medium, paved her own way to her current mode of artistic expression. Through combining photography, graphic art and an artist’s eye for texture, color and composition, Tullock creates photographic prints that take on the look and character of oil paintings. Her work blends both a photographic realism with an artistic interpretation, creating a medium that uniquely engages the viewer to experience a deeper truth behind what meets the eye.

In this new exhibition, Tullock focuses on various scenes in and around the Knoxville area and East Tennessee. Her work documents the natural world and seeks to reveal the deeper beauty contained within. For more information, visit www.ginasnook.com.

On display throughout the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed January 20 for the holiday. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from January 3-31, 2020. A reception will take place on Friday, January 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. The opening reception features music by Kelle Jolly & The Will Boyd Project.

Stephen R. Hicks has been a full-time artist since 2010. He works in several genres including sculpting clay, driftwood carving, exotic leather and acrylic painting. His clay sculptures are inspired by ancient prehistoric art, and his driftwood carvings increase awareness of recycling through use of organic material from local lakes and rivers. He loves that art has no limits.

Hicks has shown works in numerous local and regional exhibitions, including at the Knoxville Museum of Art and with HoLa Hora Latina’s Casa Hola gallery at the Emporium Center. For more information, visit www.stephenrhicks.com, follow him on Instagram @powersourcecreations, and like his Facebook page under Stephen R Hicks - Artist.

On display throughout the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed January 20 for the holiday. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from January 3-31, 2020. A reception will take place on Friday, January 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. The opening reception features music by Kelle Jolly & The Will Boyd Project.

Artist statement: Early on a January morning in 2018, I called my friend Carol whose husband had passed away some months before. It seemed right that we should collaborate: she having a sudden large and empty house, and I suddenly losing my studio. We created a very energetic symbiotic liaison, each working on their own healing processes. This exhibition is the end result of my personal healing, growth and choices. Ravens, according to folk lore, are the harbingers of change, so it therefore seemed like an appropriate title to a celebration of personal change as well as an exploration of my artistic barometer. Returning to the canvas after a long hiatus proved to be satisfying and a little surprising. I decided to abandon the brush, in large part relying on a potter’s best tool: the hands. There is very little brush work here, relying on instinct, color saturation, mass, texture and a creative energy born of turbulence… a rather large body of work sprung into being. I hope the viewer finds within these works a bit of themselves, a memory, a feeling, a chuckle; there is no wrong answer.

Gale Stryker was born and raised in a small town in Connecticut. In the summers, she swam in the crossing of the rivers where Lake Zoar and the Housatonic collide; in the winters, it was a frozen playground for skating and bonfires. As a young child, a book with Van Gogh’s self-portrait beckoned the slumbering artist in her. She attended a Community College where she majored in Fine Art and discovered clay, however painting proved to be her most dominant interest at that juncture. She also attended ETSU, earning a BFA with a concentration in ceramics.

On display throughout the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed January 20 for the holiday. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

Reception Friday, Dec. 20, 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Artists’ talks at 6:30 pm.

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918. Free and open to the public, Gallery hours: 10 AM – 5 PM, Monday through Thursday and 10 AM – 1 PM, Sunday

Alex Bonner says, "To talk of your own work is to inevitably speak of oneself. What a collection of witches, blood-caked vultures and fruit-eating bats says about me, I'm not entirely sure. Certainly themes of folklore and mythology and animal imagery dominate my work.” Bonner begins with rough scratchings of pen or pencil on paper, which he does not share. After many other attempts, his vision is realized and finalized in ink. Bonner’s began drawing long ago, when his favorite media was a pen, and he has never cast it aside. After taking a class in printmaking at John C. Campbell Folk School, he warmed to the complexity and messiness of that medium. His undergraduate degree is in graphic design, and he is currently a graduate student in Landscape Architecture at the University of Tennessee.

Medha Karandikar brings to her work the colors and sensibilities of her home country, India. Some of her work is in a folk-art style from Western India that is a happy depiction of the daily life of simple folk. She has adapted that style to include unusual subjects and colors. Drawing is her strong suit, and the use of vivid colors is the hallmark of her paintings. Collage is a medium that Karandikar has explored extensively, and she says that her best work has always started with an absent-minded doodle. Karandikar is a self-taught artist working in multiple media and styles. Her work has been featured in several galleries in and around Knoxville as well as for ten years at James-Ben Gallery and Art Center in Greenville, TN. For more information, go to www.medhaonline.com

In this season full of holidays, family and remembrance, our collection serves to connect our current Art Center family and those who worked to sustain and preserve our program in the past. Among them are artists, collectors, and family and friends of both. Selections from the Permanent Collection will represent individuals who created, those who collected, and those who contributed to our ability to share the amazing variety and diversity of art with our regional community. Each group represents many memories—funny, fond, and maybe a few not-so-fond—of the individuals who helped make the Art Center a community asset and keep it viable for us to enjoy today.

We are assembling a group work that represents all three of these groups of people—artists, collectors and contributors. Many of the artists represented have been or were members of the Art Center, or have been associated with our program. Others have been, or were, instructors at the Art Center and/or have shown with us in their careers.

We will have a wealth of wonderful pieces to represent the collectors in our midst. Lovingly collected by members and individuals from around the region the pieces were later donated to the Art Center to leave a lasting impact on the cultural tenor of our region. Work included in this group are both regional and international in scope. Sharing these works with our visitors and their delight in viewing work of this caliber in our area is very special. This promises to be a delightful walk down memory lane with some of our favorite people and their memories.

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tu-F 9-5, Sa-M 1-4. Information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org