Calendar of Events

Join us on May 24 for a Community Bike Ride as a proud part of Bike Month! We will meet at the greenway parking lot on Sheffield Drive (across the street from West Hills Elementary School) at 6:00 pm and ride along the Jean Teague and Ten Mile Creek greenway system. The route will be about 6 miles total, so please come prepared with proper shoes and clothing, a helmet, and a water bottle. The ride will be family friendly and a great opportunity to get outside and connect with your community. We hope to see you there!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1126723541165018/

The Tennessee Pirate Fest will be open rain or shine on May 22-23, 29-30-31, from 11am-6pm ET.

The fifth annual Tennessee Pirate Fest invites you to go back in time to the Age of Piracy. This outdoor daytime interactive entertainment-oriented festival will be held the last two weekends in May plus Memorial Day at the Tennessee Medieval Faire site in Harriman--just 30 miles west of Turkey Creek. Patrons will be transported to the pirate haven of Barataria, Louisiana, circa 1814.

Patrons are encouraged to dress in costume and enter the Costume Contest. Learn how to be a pirate in Pirate School. Compete in yard games in Pirate Olympics. Share your talents on stage in the Pirate Recruiting Gong Shows. Have fun with the new Scavenger Hunt. Take pictures with Mermaids and enjoy the Bubble Show. Make noise in the mid-day parade, where the Bucketeers will be featured on Saturdays. Other free activities will include corn hole, volleyball, croquet, the stocks, giant chess, and steel drum. There will also be games to play for a fee, including Sword Master’s Challenge, Skittles, Slay the Dragon, and Storm the Castle. Goats will also be available for petting and feeding.

Rotating on several stages will be numerous professional acts. Music will be brought to you by Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers, The CrossJacks, PanEZ Steelband, and Black Mash Hollow. Interactive danger and dance shows will be performed by The Flaming Ginger and the Misfit Gypsies. Children’s puppet shows will feature Punch and Judy , the Dragon Puppet, and the Mermaid Queen. On Saturday May 22, youth classical musicians with Bravura Music Academy will share their talents. Interactive costumed street characters will seek to entertain in Kombat Kroquet, Lafitte’s Follies, Ball’s Best Bits, and Throw Me A Line. If you like slightly spooky things, join Captain Davy Jones and other supernatural characters on the Trail of Doom (PG)--a pirate version of A Christmas Carol. Entertainment schedules will be posted online and will be available at the entrance.

Pirate merchants of Barataria will be selling their custom wares such as costumes, leather pouches, drinking horns, soaps, blacksmith items, and jewelry. A variety of food will be available, including smoked turkey legs, BBQ, Philly steak sandwiches, shaved ice, and ice cream. Beverages will also be available, including water, soda, sweet tea, fresh lemonade, and beer (age 21+ years with valid photo ID). A list of vendors can be found on the festival website.

The festival location is at 550 Fiske Road, Harriman, TN. Free field parking is provided. Entrance ticket prices are $17 for ages 13+, $8 for ages 5 to 12; and free admission for ages 4 and under. Tickets may be purchased on festival days at the ticket house for cash or credit. Ticket prices include sales tax; however, a $1 convenience fee will be added per entrance ticket for credit usage. Festival beverage tickets will also be available in $1 increments, or patrons can use exact change to purchase water ($2), soda ($3), or beer ($5). There will be no ATM onsite, so patrons are encouraged to bring cash for purchases, tips, and convenience.

Safety rules include the following: no pets (service animals only), no loaded firearms or sharp weapons (all stage weapons must be sheathed and zip tied), and no outside food or drinks. There will be no onsite public camping; however, a motel discount is available with free breakfast at the Baymont Inn in Harriman (call 865-882-5340 with promo code LKDE). For more information, please visit www.TNPirateFest.com, “like” and “follow” the Tennessee Pirate Fest on https://www.facebook.com/Tennesseepiratefest, or call 865-376-0319.

A View of the City features more than 20 paintings and works on paper of Knoxville and vicinity by artists from East Tennessee and beyond representing the city and outlying areas during and after the 1940s. This diverse selection offers a complex and compelling portrait of our area over the course of a vital period in its development.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Information: 865-525-6101, https://knoxart.org/exhibitions/a-view-of-the-city-knoxville/

More than 20 paintings and works on paper representing the exciting growth in the KMA’s contemporary collection through museum purchases and donations from artists and collectors far and wide.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Information: 865-525-6101, https://knoxart.org/exhibitions/undercurrents-recent-acquisitions-of-contemporary-art/

Flying Anvil Theatre welcomes Spring with another original virtual comedy by Artistic Director, Jayne Morgan. Tiny Houses is a sequel to last year’s popular Branching Out and features an all-new, sidesplitting story that follows the original cast a few months after the original play.

Change is coming once again to the bickering siblings Scoop, BP and Arnell, and no one is handling it well. Everyone is feeling stressed by their mother’s rather unnerving virtual memorial service and her bizarre outfit (a most vibrant caftan and turban), which as Arnell says, “makes her look like a reject from RuPaul’s Drag Race.” When the truth behind the festivities and the familial bickering finally comes out, the family must find a new way to both relate with one another and to support each other. “It’s a broad comedy but you’ll probably recognize your own family in the characters.” Morgan says. “The great thing is you don’t have to have seen Branching Out to enjoy Tiny Houses. But we’ll still give you a chance to catch it if you want to before the new one opens.”

Veteran actors David Dwyer, Carol Goans, Vicki Sparks, Aleah Vassell, Jill Henderlight will all reprise their roles from Branching Out. One new character is joining the fray- Dan, BP’s nervous and shy husband will be played by Donald Thorne.

Tiny Houses and Branching Out will both be available for streaming May 21st through May 30th.

A key focus of Flying Anvil Theatre, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is to remove barriers between art and audience, particularly with new theatrical works. As such, these on-demand performances can be accessed by paying what you can. $1 (or $1,000?!) can get you virtual access to these not-to-be-missed comedies. Plus, you will be supporting the arts when it is needed the most!

Flying Anvil Theatre will soon announce its re-opening with a new season of in person performances complete with updated safety procedures. To keep up on the latest news, make a donation, or get involved, check out their website at www.flyinganviltheatre.com, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram, @flyinganviltheatre.

You’ll see one young musician after another performing their culminating musical selection for the 2020-2021 school year. Months of hard work, artistry and training come together in one online event. These are unprecedented times. But these unstoppable kids will seize their moment to shine – but not to the usual applause. Instead we encourage you to contribute uplifting online comments during the stream. Bravo to our super Joy of Music School students! www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_vsgcKqyho

A one gallery show that asks artists to select a favorite line or lines of poetry and create a work that illustrates or evokes the same idea or feeling. From well-known poems to those penned by the artist or friends, this exhibition is a treat for the eyes and soul. Poems will be displayed with works!

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

AUDITIONS FOR THE RIVER & RAIL 2021-2022 SEASON ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN!

Actors please upload a ONE MINUTE contemporary monologue to YouTube as a private/unlisted video and submit your headshot/resume/information and video link no later than JULY 1st, 2021.

If you are auditioning for The Unusual Tale of Mary & Joseph’s Baby please include 16 bars of a song in your audition video – you do not need to record a separate video – Deaf/deaf/HOH actors are especially encouraged to audition – audition material can be performed in ASL or your preferred language.

Stage Managers and Designers please attach your resumes/portfolios.

Should this submission process not meet your accessibility needs please contact chris@riverandrailtheatre.com and we will work with you to make accommodations

SEASON INFO/AVAILABLE ROLES and more info at https://riverandrailtheatre.com/our-season/

Tour the award-winning campus of Loghaven Artist Residency

Loghaven Artist Residency has been a labor of love from its inception, born out of a desire to preserve an endangered place, to its culmination as a residency program that brings artists from around the country to Knoxville to make new work. These spring tours include both indoor and outdoor artist spaces, and we ask all guests to come wearing both comfortable walking shoes and a mask for indoor spaces.

Various dates running May 12 - Jun 9
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSegNtGSqkzvY02CgSrP9UKEYNr6G1yCFXUnT80ImkOTIJd4fA/viewform with additional dates available at: https://loghavenspringtours.eventbrite.com

If you have any accessibility needs, please reach out to info@loghaven.org in advance so that we can assist you.
Contact: Info@Loghaven.org or (865) 617-0353

https://www.arrowmont.org/visit/galleries/exhibition-schedule/

May - June: The traveling Birds of Seven Islands Photo Exhibit – now showing at Tomato Head restaurant downtown on Market Square through May. The exhibit, featuring images from noted photographers Clay Thurston and Ken Jenkins, will move to Tomato Head restaurant in West Knoxville at the Gallery Center for the month of June.

Tomato Head, 12 Market Square (865-637-4067) and 7240 Kingston Pike, Suite 172 (865-584-1075), in Knoxville. http://thetomatohead.com

https://www.friendsofsevenislands.com/

Featured Artists are Tom and Sally Neckvatal; Special Exhibit includes Artwork of Crossville’s Graduating High School Seniors

Tom and Sally Neckvatal are the Art Guild’s Featured Artists for May. They will be honored at the Fun and Wine Reception on Friday, May 7, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., at the Plateau Creative Arts Center located at 451 Lakeview Drive in Fairfield Glade. Attendees should wear masks and practice social distancing. Wine will be served. This event is free & open to the public.

In addition, the artwork from Crossville graduating high school seniors will be on display in the gallery. This exhibit was featured at the Art Circle Library during the months of March and April, and the public had the opportunity to vote for their favorite artwork. The winning entries will be on display at the Art Center during the month of May, and the artists will be honored during the reception.

Hours: Mon-Sat 9 AM - 4 PM. Art Guild at Fairfield Glade at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive, Fairfield Glade, TN 38558. Information: 931-707-7249, www.artguildfairfieldglade.net