Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 5-27, 2024. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, April 5, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features music by Marble City Opera.

This new exhibition showcases artwork by Sergio Martinez Avila and his children, Estefano and Valeria, who live and work in Cantarranas, Honduras. They have previously exhibited at the Emporium in 2022 and as part of International Latino Art exhibitions in 2016 and 2018.

Sergio Martinez Avila has 36 years of professional experience with primitivism (1989-1998), genre painting (1999-2005) and figurative art. He has exhibited in various cities in Europe, Asia, Canada, the United States and Latin America. In Honduras, he has participated in auctions, biennials, symposia, salons and anthologies.

Instagram @Sergiomartinez6857
www.facebook.com/Martinezavilasergio

Eddie Estefano Martinez is an emerging artist who started his career at the age of 13. He is a naturalist-style landscaper who touches on themes of self-perception, nature taking its place in the face of deforestation, reflections, dreams, and the environment. He has participated in mural meetings in his hometown, where he has also exhibited his works, as well as in other parts of the country and internationally. He is currently studying architecture at the National Autonomous University of Honduras.

Instagram @estefano.martinez_art
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100036719737790

Isaura Valeria Martinez Cerrito is an emerging artist who began her career at the age of 12. Her style is figurative representation with customary themes in a cubist style. She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally and is recognized for carrying out muralist activity in her place of origin as of 2019. She studies Civil Engineering at the Catholic University of Honduras.

www.facebook.com/isauramartinez.valeriamartinez
Instagram @Valeria.martinez.art

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and 5:00-7:00 PM on Thu Apr 11, Thu Apr 18, and Fri Apr 26 for Gallery 1010 openings. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at https://www.knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 5-27, 2024. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, April 5, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features music by Marble City Opera.

Julie L. Rabun is the Chair of the Art Department and Professor of Art at Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City. She grew up in Knoxville and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design. After working professionally in Architecture, she returned to graduate school to complete a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Communications at Virginia Commonwealth University. Since 2002 she has taught Graphic Design in the Carson-Newman University Art Department. She also works as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. She and her husband Michael Bobo collaborate on RaboDesign, which features his woodworking and her mixed media landscape paintings and photography.

My work utilizes a process that integrates visual imagery and typography with direct meaning and as textural elements within mixed-media artworks. Typically, I depict landscapes from places I have personally visited. I reference from my own photographs and memories of the place. Each landscape acts as an introspective journey that becomes an atmospheric representation of the location. In addition to using photography as an inspiration for mixed-media artworks, I use photography as a stand-alone medium to document experiences.

https://rabodesign.wordpress.com
Instagram: @rabodesign
https://www.etsy.com/shop/RaBoDesign

For many the favorite time of year to visit the mountains is the fall; for others, perhaps the winter. For Theresa D. Williams, if there is a time when photographing a mountain landscape can be most compelling, it would be in the spring. During the spring season the mountains speak loudly to those often heard adjustives, rebirth and rejuvenate. Earthly and heavenly scenes of color and light signal the arrival of new life against a backdrop of powerful, snowmelt falling water. Sometimes seen in harmony as a single frame. The purpose of her exhibition is to reveal details in such scenes and perhaps provoke lingering questions or dwell in contemplation. How does a photograph speak to the beauty offered by nature; what elements within an image hold the eye of the viewer? What stirs their mind, their emotions? At the very least this collection of photographs is shared to encourage the viewer to go into the mountains, witness and enjoy for themselves the wonder of the water and stars. Taking with them memories and mindful concern of what can be so easily destroyed, if allowed.

www.theresadwilliams.com

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and 5:00-7:00 PM on Thu Apr 11, Thu Apr 18, and Fri Apr 26 for Gallery 1010 openings. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at https://www.knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 5-27, 2024. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, April 5, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features music by Marble City Opera.

This new exhibition, created by GoFigure Guild members, illustrates how the vision and skill of talented makers can transform figurative art beyond what is typically thought to be a “doll” or a toy. Three-dimensional figurative art has evolved over the years to include a wide range of artistic styles and mediums. The figures included in the exhibition incorporate a variety of materials such as paper clay, polymer clay, fabric, wood, felt, and natural or synthetic wool. Each piece is an entirely original work of art which requires a wide range of skills to create; including sculpting, painting, costuming, and creating structure and framework to present the figure. Each work of art can take weeks, or in some cases months, to complete.

GoFigure Guild is a mixed media group that creatively explores the art of the figure. The guild is made up of over 30 doll makers from Mitchell, Yancey, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Transylvania, and Wilson Counties in North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina; and Knoxville, Tennessee. The abilities of the members range from beginner to professional doll makers. In 2023, they exhibited at Mars Hill University’s Weizenblatt Gallery in Mars Hill, NC, and they maintain an ongoing exhibit at the I-26 West North Carolina Welcome Center. Professional doll makers in the group exhibit individually both regionally and nationally, through galleries and such organizations as the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, National Institute of American Doll Artists (NIADA), Foothills Craft Guild, Toe River Arts Council, and the Blue Ridge Arts Trail.

www.facebook.com/Gofigure1

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and 5:00-7:00 PM on Thu Apr 11, Thu Apr 18, and Fri Apr 26 for Gallery 1010 openings. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at https://www.knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Our featured First Friday artist this week is Stephanie Villagran. Through an exploration of personal and cultural identity, Stephanie channels the vibrant tapestry of her Latin American heritage, religious influences, and vivid dreams into evocative works of art. The exhibit will remain at Casa HoLa Gallery for the rest of the month.

The exhibit will be available starting April 5th from 5 PM – 9 PM and will remain at Casa HoLa Gallery for the rest of the month.

https://holahoralatina.org/current-exhibit/
Info: 865.335.3358 or enrique.cruz@holafestival.org
HoLa Hora Latina’s Casa HoLa Art Gallery and Artisan Gift Shop
Bottom floor of the Emporium for the Arts (corner of Gay and Jackson streets in downtown Knoxville)

100 South Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902

Featured artists are Melinda Adams, Sandra Ange, Sarazen An Yin, Linda Blair, Glenda Bowles, Betty Bullen, Deb Cikovic, Lil Clinard, Stephanie Cobb, Aleex Conner, Michele Croslin, Michelene Deisher, Kira Evans, William Holbert, Lynn Flowers, Jan Cole, Suzanne Jack, Kathleen Janke, Carol Robin King, Andreas Koschan, Merry Koschan, David Liles, Cheryl Massey, Sylvia Milanez, Alessandra Page, Holly Pawlowski, Buddy Person, Cosimo Risolvo, Kaylie Roy, Mary Ruden, Marcia Shelly, Allan Sibley, Judy Sinclair, Roberta Smashey, Joe Tate, Cynthia Tipton, JeAnne Triplett, Janet Weaver, and Caroline West.

TAA is the oldest member supported arts organization in Tennessee, and is dedicated to promoting the arts in East Tennessee. Monthly programs of TAA include practical art demonstrations, discussions, and opportunities for individual artists to get involved in learning, community and shows. More on TAA can be found on the web at https://tnartists.org or on Instagram at @tn_artists, and on Facebook at TNArtistsAssociation. The Knoxville Museum of Art celebrates East Tennessee’s rich, diverse visual culture and its connections to the wider currents of world art. Find more about the KMA and its’ events and shows at knoxart.org.

In the Kramer Gallery, Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tu-Sa 10-5, Su 1-5. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

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

Three Dames are Cheryl Massey, Marcia Shelly, Linda Blair

Tomato Head, 7240 Kingston Pike, Suite 172 (865-584-1075), in Knoxville. https://thetomatohead.com/

Mural Workshop: Six new murals are now on display in the Curio at Maker Exchange as a part of the 2nd Annual Mural Workshop hosted by Dogwood Arts and professional muralist Megan Lingerfelt. Six local/regional artists were selected to participate in the workshop — with each one designing and painting an 8x8ft mural over the last two weeks. The murals will remain on display through the end of May 2024.

Participating Artists:
• Dustin Avilla
• Orel Brodt
• Laney Haskell
• Whitney Herrington
• Gared Luquet
• Allison Meriwether

710 Clinch Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

May 3, 5-8 PM
Come enjoy several new works from Yigal Ozeri, utilizing AI technology to create the compositions. Photorealism as a genre pushes the line between technology and fine art.

Photorealist, Smithsonian-collected artist, Yigal Ozeri, portrays both sensual fantasy and hyper detailed reality in his photorealistic paintings. His oeuvre is characterized by two distinct styles: ethereal portraiture of women existing in nature “without malice” and a realist perspective of America through a regional lens. Originally an abstract painter, Ozeri took on the helm of realism through early inspiration by Spanish Baroque painters like Diego Velázquez.

CURATED BY ILANA LILIENTHAL AND TALLY BEN SIRA
Lilienthal Gallery at 23 Emory Place, Knoxville, TN
https://lilienthalgallery.com/

Join us for the #FirstFriday Reception of 'Black & Gifted: A Cultural Expression' curated by Lakesha Lee, in collaboration with The Bottom Knoxville. First Friday (March 1st) 5-8PM

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Francis Akosha
Jonathan Adams
Mene Manresa Bodipo
KaReena Goodwin
Jackie Holloway
LaKesha Lee
Jeremy Myles
Layla Moore
Nyasha Madamombe
Gary White

About the Curator: LaKesha Y. Lee is a second-year MFA student in Painting and Drawing at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 2019, she received her Bachelor of Fine Art from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Since then, she has been in many group exhibitions throughout the South. Lee uses her work to provide a positive outlook on black identity within the black community, the obstacles surrounding intergenerational traumas, racism, and self worth. By creating a positive representation of African Americans, she seeks to create new, positive narratives.

Regular Gallery Hours: M-F | 10AM-5PM
Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler is the first retrospective exhibition of Carl and Pearl Butler, the iconic country music duo whose timeless lyrics and harmonious melodies left an indelible mark on country music. With a career spanning over four decades, Carl and Pearl Butler became celebrated figures in the world of country music. “Carl made scores of major-label records during the 1950s,” says Bradley E. Reeves, the exhibition’s guest curator and author of the new book Honky Tonkitis: On the Road with Carl Butler and Pearl. “These are some of the best bluegrass, gospel, and hard country records ever made, although none could be called a massive hit.” That honor would come in 1962, when Carl and Pearl recorded “Don’t Let Me Cross Over.” The song remains among the fastest ever to ascend to No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles. Carl and Pearl’s unique “Knoxville sound,” along with heartfelt lyrics, earned them a dedicated fan base who supported them at performances across the United States and Canada through the 1970s. The exhibition offers visitors a rare glimpse into the lives of these music legends.

Key highlights of the exhibition include:
1. Rare Family Archives: Museum guests will have the opportunity to view the Allen “Junior” Butler Family Collection, which has been made publicly available for the first time and includes never-before-seen photographs, home movies, original instruments, and stage costumes that belonged to Carl and Pearl Butler. “I’m grateful to Allen Butler and his family for opening their home and archives to share with us,” says Reeves.
2. Musical Journey: Explore the duo's musical journey through a feature film, which transports visitors through various periods of their career and traces their unfiltered, raw singing style, one that derived from and advanced the “Knoxville sound.”
3. Behind-the-Scenes: Gain insight into the lives of Carl and Pearl Butler through never-before-seen family photographs and recently uncovered anecdotes from the family and fellow musicians, including Dolly Parton who viewed the Butlers as her “second parents.” “Despite their successes,” says Adam Alfrey, Assistant Director for Historical Services at Knox County Public Library, “Carl and Pearl faced personal and professional struggles, which are intimately documented through the family’s photographs.”
4. Interpretive Experience: Engage with the exhibition to understand how both Knoxville and Nashville played a role in the development of country music. Also, learn how chart-topping artists can quickly become all but forgotten, even in their hometown. “The Butlers somehow fell through the cracks,” reflects Reeves. “It’s my hope that this book and exhibition will contribute to a reappreciation of their great body of work.”
They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler promises to be a heartfelt educational experience for country music enthusiasts and fans of all ages. It serves as a testament to the enduring influence of Carl and Pearl Butler on the world of music.

At 5:00 pm, Friday, October 6, 2023, there will be an opening reception for They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler. The event will include a meet and greet with Carl and Pearl Butler’s family, a book signing by guest curator Bradley E. Reeves, and an exhibition of Appalachian musical pioneer paintings by artist Amy Campbell. At 7:00 pm, there will be a “Tribute to Carl and Pearl,” opened by a performance of the Paul Brewster and Friends Band, comprised of 14-year-old mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis and Grand Ole Opry performers Daniel Grindstaff, Kent Blanton, Stephen Burwell, and John Meador. A screening of 8mm home movies shot by the Butlers (watch for an appearance by 10-year-old Dolly Parton), as well as some of the Butlers’ rarest television appearances, will conclude the evening.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.eastTNhistory.org/lights-camera