Calendar of Events

Dogwood Arts and the Songbirds Foundation are proud to announce the 2023 Epiphone Guitar Design Contest. The contest is open to all high school and middle school students living in East Tennessee. Several guitar designs created by youth artists will be selected for implementation and exhibition. The art guitars will be displayed at the Dogwood Arts Gallery in Knoxville and at the Songbirds Guitar Museum, a one-of-a-kind guitar museum located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The guitars will be auctioned to benefit Dogwood Arts’ youth art programs & the Songbirds Foundation’s Guitars for Kids initiative.

Winning designers will each receive $50 for art supplies and complimentary tickets to Southern Skies Music Festival (May 20-21, 2023); additional cash prizes will be awarded to select artists at the exhibition reception.

The online auction will be live from April 3 - May 26, 2023
Guitars will be displayed at the Songbirds Guitar Museum (Chattanooga) during the month of April 2023.
Guitars will be displayed in the Dogwood Arts Gallery (Knoxville) during the month of May 2023
An exhibition reception and awards ceremony will take place on Friday, May 5th at the Dogwood Arts Gallery from 5-8PM (Awards at 6PM)
Select guitars will also be on display at the Southern Skies Music Festival (May 20-21, 2023)

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

MONDAY, APRIL 3 • 12PM

We are pleased to welcome you to the Theatre to enjoy a live concert featuring House Organist Freddie Brabson on the Tennessee Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer. Freddie will be joined by the Nashville Irish Step Dancers (NISD). Headed by Mary Moran, TCRG (Certified Irish Step Dance Teacher), a pioneer in establishing the first Irish Step Dance School in Nashville in 1990, this group has helped cultivate and promote Irish culture and art. NISD is an award-winning, nationally recognized powerhouse boasting over one hundred members with dancers consistently ranking at the regional, national, and World level of competition.

Free event! Please note that we will not be providing lunch, but concessions will be available for purchase.

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com

www.artisticEscape.studio

This show will be framed and gallery wrapped canvases in water based oils. Featured will be a collection of local Tennessee wildlife. Leesa has lived in East Tennessee for three years, a retiree from the Western states. She lives North of Knoxville with husband and two rescue dogs.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Visitor Center open daily 10-6; grounds and trails open daily from 8 AM - dusk. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

At the Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Rd, Knoxville
Gallery hours: Tue-Thu 10-4.

Reception on Sun Apr 2, 2-4 PM

In 1963 a group of Knoxville artists was invited by the late Kermit (Buck) Ewing, Head of the University of TN Art Department, to participate in an exhibition of watercolor paintings at the University’s McClung Museum. During the opening reception Mr. Ewing noted the Knoxville area did not have an organization for artists to share the common interest of painting in aqueous media. He suggested that those artists exhibiting in the McClung show could be the nucleus for such an association. Thus, was the formation of the Knoxville Watercolor Society with Laura Bagwell serving as the first President.

The purpose of this organization is to educate the members as well as the community to the understanding of watercolor as a significant art form. Active membership is juried by the members and consists of Knoxville area artists who are currently active in the serious pursuit of aqueous painting. Annually, the organization provides a scholarship for the University of Tennessee student who is majoring in watercolor painting, donates to the University Ewing Gallery and maintains a membership in the Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville. Additionally, grants have been made to the Arts Council of Greater Knoxville, the Knoxville Museum of Art, The Tennessee Resource Center, The Tennessee Art Association High School Scholarship Program.

http://www.knxvillewatercolorsociety.com/

Knoxville Children’s Theatre, in partnership with the Clayton Foundation will present a live production of "The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs.” This comedy features three classic fairy tales; The Three Little Pigs, The three Billy Goats Gruff, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

The play will be performed Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM.

These three classic fairy tales begin in their usual “once upon a time” fashion; however, this time things change on the way to “happily ever after” as the pigs wonder what life would be like if the wolf were not always at their door, the billy goats gruff decide they can’t face another trip-trap over the troll’s bridge, and Papa Bear has had enough of the meddlesome little Goldilocks! Assisted by The Voice (struggling to narrate the changing stories) and three Stagehands (desperately trying to juggle sets to keep the stories straight), the three trios join forces to rewrite their stories, ridding themselves of their respective villains by exchanging them. A great comedy for families and children of all ages.

The play is performed by 17 talented young actors and 15 talented young designers and crew from ages 9 to 18. The show is directed by student intern director Alex Montgomery who is making his directorial debut with this production.

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

Opening Reception: Monday, April 3, 5:00-7:30pm
Free and open to the public

In partial fulfillment of their graduation requirements, students pursuing the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree are required to mount a solo exhibition of work, and to defend their work during an oral examination in front of a faculty committee. Due to the number of graduate students enrolled in the UT School of Art, these exhibitions generally take the form of small groups of students presenting concurrent solo exhibitions in the gallery space.

Delany Bal
Nocturne is an amalgamation of memory and image; an internal landscape negotiated into physical form. It is painted in wood, metal, light and shadow, and adorned with metaphors of reality.

Danqi Cai
heavens have one sun; mortals have one way 天无二日，人无二理is a multimedia installation that reminds the viewer we all see from a perspective where some things are visible while others are invisible. It employs handmade papers and animations to remix ancient Chinese characters, appropriated instructional materials, and diagrammatic family portraits. Through this work, I re-enroll myself in my past education to re-consider and re-create what I learned as a child.

Hanna Seggerman
Attention and Being seeks to visually record the phenomena of human experience and prompts the following actions: to think, to care, to consider, to exist, and to be. The steel sculpture, free-motion quilted textiles and their corresponding prints are derived from the careful extraction and abstraction of information found within the many contours that both separate and connect the earth, the sky and the recognizable, tangible objects and figures that all exist within the four corners of a single photograph.
Instagram handle: @hannaseggermanart
Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/hannaseggermanart/
Website: https://www.hannaseggerman.com

Gallery Hours:
Mon-Wed and Fri 10am-5pm
Thursday 10am-7:30pm
Sunday 1pm-4pm*
Closed Friday April 7 and Sunday April 9 for Spring Recess

Art and Architecture Building, Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture
1715 Volunteer Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37996
http://ewing-gallery.utk.edu or 865-974-3200

Opening Reception: Monday, April 3, 5:00-7:30pm
Free and open to the public

Attention and Being
Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition
Hanna Grace Seggerman
Instagram handle: @hannaseggermanart
Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/hannaseggermanart/
Website: https://www.hannaseggerman.com

Gallery Hours:
Monday 10am-5pm
Tuesday 10am-5pm
Wednesday 10am-5pm
Thursday 10am-7:30pm
Friday 10am-5pm*
Sunday 1pm-4pm*
Closed Friday April 7 and Sunday April 9 for Spring Recess

Art and Architecture Building, Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture
1715 Volunteer Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37996
http://ewing-gallery.utk.edu or 865-974-3200

Both exhibitions feature beautifully rendered, larger than life portraits. The Real Me, has a real twist. The concept is fascinating and a real eye-opener. Come join us for the opening reception on March 25 from 7 to 9 PM to meet Mr. Gombert, or any day during the exhibition. A gallery talk will precede the opening at 6:30 PM.

At 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

Details TBA

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, https://www.arrowmont.org

Join us at Dogwood Arts during March First Friday for the opening reception featuring work by 25 local immigrant & refugee artists.

• Opening Reception: Friday, March 3rd from 5-8PM
• Gallery Hours: M-F 9AM-5PM

Converge is a multimedia group exhibition that explores the concept of balance. Seemingly opposing forces are really two sides of the same coin and both must be embraced to live fully. As we reckon with light and dark, loss and joy, loneliness and belonging amidst the organized chaos of life, we find ways to deposit beauty into the world through artistic self-expression. Featuring work by 25 local immigrant and refugee artists, the exhibition aims to reveal the beauty of community when many people and cultures come together. The choice of media in the selected artworks varies as much as the artists’ individual stories, experiences, and cultures. Standing side by side, embracing all that life brings, we are weaving a new tapestry together. The exhibition was curated by Jalynn Baker, the Inclusion & Community Outreach Coordinator for Dogwood Arts. Collaborating with several local organizations to assemble this multinational group of artists, we hope viewers will consider how they can embrace the convergence of different people and ideas in their own lives.

Participating Artists: Eugenia Almeida, Maria Elena Mendez Aquino, Reem Arnouk, Ilina Arsova, Kybreiana Barham, Jose and Pepe Calabres, Manuel Carreon, Enrique Cruz, Luiza Francisco, Maria Pedro Francisco, Marina Gulevich, Nidhi Jani, Estefania Jose, Markiian Lukyniuk, Mene Manresa, Eve Andres Martin, Hei Park, Dolores Francisco Pedro, Arely Recimos, Ramirez, Héctor Saldivar, Antoine Seni, Ruchi Singh, R.E. Toledo, Rocio Valenzuela, and SK Yi.

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

A Colossal Experience, Millions of Years in the Making

Prepare for a Jurassic exploration at Zoo Knoxville! March 1 through September 4, a pack of prehistoric creatures will be stationed throughout the park. Bring your young paleontologists and discover hidden truths about the era "terrible lizards" walked the earth. https://www.wildlyfun.com/

Zoo Knoxville, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Open 9 AM - 4 PM everyday. Information: 865-637-5331, www.zooknoxville.org

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Free and open to the public
Reception Fri Feb 17, 6-7:30 PM with artists' talks at 6:30 PM

Lisa Kurtz
I have made wall pieces out of clay since way back in graduate school. Before I made pottery, I painted, so I often think of these wall pieces as clay canvases or clay landscapes with texture. I also like to add mixed media to some of my wall pieces, such as driftwood, shells, and other found objects. All my clay wall art is wired on the back or mounted on wood and wired so that it hangs easily - just like a painting would. I also love to make clay wall pouches, which can hold water and be used as wall vases for flowers. I have worked with clay for over 40 years and fell in love with the fluid and impressionable characteristics of this wonderful medium in college. Rocks and water have always inspired me. I love the streams running through the mountains, and I also love the ocean. I am fascinated by the effect that water has on the earth and the calming effect water has on people. The textures and colors in water, sand, sea birds, shells, rocks, and marine creatures inform my work and my glazes. I mix up all my own glazes and am often tweaking them to highlight the textures that I put on my pieces. My goal is to infuse my work with the peaceful feelings that water worn rocks, landscape, and waves give to me and share those feelings with others through my art.

Kate McCullough
I began painting in watercolor about 20 years ago after a 35-year hiatus from art. Initially my studies at Villa Marie College and SUNY College at Buffalo included general design, art history and oil and acrylic painting. When I returned to painting, I decided that watercolor was a medium that I would like to explore. I immediately fell in love with it and I have not looked back. I started with courses with Marcia Goldenstein and Whitney Leland at UT and then moved on to workshops at Arrowmont with Don Lake and Sue Archer, Kanuga with Linda Baker and Don Andrews, Cheap Joe’s with Linda Kemp, three workshops with John Salminen and a couple with Paul Jackson. I presently teach a watercolor class at the Fountain City Art Center. I am the former president of the Knoxville Watercolor Society, a member of the Art Market Gallery in downtown Knoxville, a signature member of the Tennessee Watercolor Society.

Gallery hours: Mon-Thu 9:30-4:30, Sun 9-1.
Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Gallery, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918