Calendar of Events

An original play by Josh and Meg Beach based on characters from ""The Swiss Family Robinson"" by Johann Wyss.

Thursdays at 7 PM, Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 1 PM & 5 PM, Sundays at 3 PM

865-599-5284; www.childrenstheatreknoxville.com

July 17-26 and October 8-25. Gatlinburg's premier arts and crafts show with over 180 of the nation's finest craftspeople, plus country and bluegrass music shows daily.

At the Gatlinburg Convention Center, 920 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Hours: Mon-Sat 10-7, Sun 10-5. More information: 865-436-7479, www.craftsmenfair.com

Knoxville's unique live music experience on select Fridays in the museum's Great Hall. Non-smoking, two cash bars, dancing, catering, family-friendly and great for a date. Free parking. Admission is usually $8 for non-members, $4 for members and students.

July 10 — Jenna & The Joneses Rhythm & blues and funk
July 17 — Johnson Swingtet Swingin’ acoustic jazz
July 24 — Sammy Blue Band Blues
July 31 — Rolando Matias & The Afro-Rican Ensemble Latin jazz
August 7 — Efrat & Friends Jazz & pop
August 14 — Blue Mother Tupelo Bluesy Americana

1050 World's Fair Park, Knoxville, TN 37916. For more information: (865) 525-6101, www.knoxart.org

Friday night double features will be screened in the order listed; screening order will be reversed on Saturday night. Double features include an intermission.

Tickets are $5, available in advance at the Tennessee Theatre box office on Clinch Avenue, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 12-4 p.m. Saturdays; by phone at 865-684-1200; or in the online gift shop at www.tennesseetheatre.com. A $1 per ticket fee applies to phone and online orders. For more information about the films and other events at the Bijou Theatre, visit KnoxBijou.com.

Let the Right One In (2008, R)
Friday, June 26, 9 p.m. and midnight
Saturday, June 27, 9 p.m. and midnight

A pair of lonely 12-year-olds find in each othe r the thing that was missing before they met. Part drama, part thriller, part horror film, of course, but it's the sensitive portrait of the children's friendship that makes the film work so intensely on so many levels. Glowing reviews accompanied its arrival, like, "A genre masterpiece, absolutely one of the most brilliant narratives I've had the pleasure to watch in the last decade," from Fears Magazine, and, "A brilliant film" from L.A. Weekly.

Voltaic (2009, NR)
Saturday, July 11, 9 p.m.
A concert film from one of the most innovative artists of our time, Voltaic features highlights from the Paris and Reykjavik dates on Bjork's visually dazzling Volta tour. Included are performances of songs from Volta as well as tracks from previous albums including Hunter, Joga, Army of Me and Hyperballad. This DVD is being released on June 23 by Nonesuch Records as part of a boxed set.

Easy Rider (1969, R) and Two-Lane Blacktop (1971, R)
Friday, July 17, 9 p.m.
Saturday, July 18, 9 p.m.
A double feature of the archetypal "search-for-meaning-in-America" film. Easy Rider: the saga of two guys (Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper), two bikes, two hippie chicks, and Jack Nicholson thrown in for good measure. Two Lane Blacktop features two guys (one of whom is folk singer James Taylor) with great hair chasin' an older guy with a hot car and a female passenger. Minimal dialogue, maximum rpm's. Favorite line: "What're you=2 0tryin' to do, blow my mind?"

Labyrinth (1986, PG) and The Dark Crystal (1982, PG)
Friday, July 24, 9 p.m.
Saturday, July 25, 9 p.m.
Fans of fantasy rejoice! This is the one-two punch you're craving. David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly star in the cult favorite Labyrinth, directed by Jim Henson. The Dark Crystal is another Henson project, this time co-directed by fellow Muppeteer Frank Oz. Great opportunity to compare two projects from the minds and hands of a pair of real puppet masters.

The Breakfast Club (1985, R) and Pretty in Pink (1986, PG-13)
Friday, July 31, 9 p.m.
Saturday, August 1, 9 p.m.
This John Hughes double feature will bring back all the painful/joyous memories of the mid-'80s, whether you actually have them or not. The cast of The Breakfast Club lists a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel, a recluse, played by actors who became known as the Brat Pack. Pretty in Pink includes appearances by Harry Dean Stanton and the Psychedelic Furs; it's worth seeing for those facts alone. Common thread: Molly Ringwald, arguably the cutest of the bunch.

Princess Mononoke (1997, PG-13) and Spirited Away (2001, PG)
Friday, August 7, 9 p.m.
Saturday, August 8, 9 p.m.
A double dose of animated fantasy by director/writer Hayao Miyazaki. Princess Mononoke is set in a time of upheaval in feudal Japan. The title character is a young brave princess raised by wolves who is sent to an ancient forest to defend it from human encroachment. It ranks high on any "best of" animation list. Joined by Spirited Away, a truly marvelous, spooky Japanese anime feature. Awards rained down on this picture, including the second Oscar ever awarded for Best Animated Feature. It tells the story of a 10-year-old girl and her journey through the realm of the bathhouse of the gods.

A Midsummer Night's Dream - July 16, 18, 24, 26, 30, Aug. 1, 7, 9, 13, 15; Hamlet - July 17, 19, 23, 25, 31, Aug. 2, 6, 8, 14, 16 - 7:00 PM nightly - Admission Free

The Tennessee Stage Company will be back on Market Square for our seventh season of Shakespeare On The Square playing at 7:00 pm Thursday through Sunday evenings July 16 - August 16, and featuring two of Shakespeare's most beloved plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet.

A Midsummer Night's Dream will be directed by Amy Hubbard- the Artistic Director of the Actors Co-op - and Hamlet by Tennessee Stage Artistic Director Tom Parkhill.

Played on a rough replica of the new Globe Theatre in London (a reconstruction of Shakespeare's original theatre) the plays will be presented in the timeless style of Elizabethan Theatre presentations.

The Tennessee Stage Company encourages our audience to spend an evening on the Square: do a little shopping, have a nice dinner, see the play and maybe stop into a pub afterward. All of this and more is available on Market Square nightly. So come early and see the Square!

For more information about the Tennessee Stage Company, Shakespeare On The Square or its support guild, BoB (Buddies of the Bard), call 546-4280 or e-mail tennesseestage@bellsouth.net.

Open House on Friday, July 17, 4-9pm with music by Nathan from Lost & Found, special treats by Magpies & Luxe Catering & Events, & flowers by the Flowerpot. Hours: Friday: 12 - 9, Saturday: 10 - 9, Sunday: 1 - 5. 409 South Gay St., between Yee-Haw Industries & Downtown Wine & Spirits. Info: duchesscraft @ comcast.net

A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet. The two shows will play on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings in Market Square.

For more information: 546-4280, www.tennesseestage.com

The University of Tennessee Downtown Gallery and Three Flights Up Gallery are presenting a juried exhibition of Fine Art Portraiture. "Face It: Contemporary Portraiture" features original artwork by artists from around the country, as well as local main stays. The juried competition was open to artists from all media and backgrounds. Dr. Carl Gombert, Associate Professor of Maryville College was selected as the sole Juror for the exhibition. Gombert's own artwork is largely focused on the genre of portraiture, making him an ideal choice in juror. "Face It: Contemporary Portraiture" includes paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture, and digital artworks that deal with the human form as their primary subject matter. Often overlooked in a world awash in digital cameras that instantly reproduce a subject's likeness, portraiture is one of arts oldest traditions. The artists selected for this exhibition have found new and interesting ways of relating to their subjects through the process of creating their works. The exhibition, which was organized by Three Flights Up will be hosted by the UT Downtown Gallery in their exhibition space. A reception will held at UT Downtown Gallery on First Friday August 7 from 6-9pm. For information, contact Benjamin McKamey at 864-381-9888 or gallery@threeflightsup.com. UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. 865-673-0802 or www.ewing-gallery.org/New_Downtown/Index/DT_Index.html.

2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 9-5, Sunday, 9-12 noon. For more information, visit the Web site or call (865) 523-4176.

A rare display of quilts and coverlets from the Ramsey House collection will be exhibited from July 10 through August 31. The collection includes quilts unique to Tennessee, and pre-Civil War era quilts and coverlets. Additionally, Ramsey House will be receiving as a gift from the Knoxville Committee of Smoky Mountain Quilt Trail a painted square representing the pattern, Twelve Triangles, to be erected this week. Information can be found at www.ramseyhouse.org or by calling 865-546-0745. Ramsey House is located at 2614 Thorn Grove Pike, Knoxville, TN 37914.

In Old Appalachia, the quilt was a necessity-so much so that one mother cut up her boy's only coat to make warm bedding for the family. Patchwork was also a creative outlet for Appalachian women, often confined to lonely farms in isolated areas. It was a labor of love; Ethel Hall spoke for many when she said, "I'd druther quilt than to eat on the hungriest day ever I seen." For these reasons, the practice of making quilts never ceased altogether in this region of the country, says John Rice Irwin in his book on "A People and Their Quilts." Through August 31, regional quilts and their makers will be showcased in Stitches & Stories: Quilts of Appalachia, a special exhibit at the Museum of Appalachia near Norris. Quilts are displayed throughout the Museum; the special exhibit is included with regular admission. Many of the 36 quilts in the exhibit have never been shown publicly. They include exquisite examples of needlework and original design, said Ruby Patterson, a Museum volunteer and quilter who helped put together the exhibit. Several quilts have "humility" blocks, a deliberate flaw added to indicate that only God could make a perfect quilt. But the stories of their makers lend a special touch-and stories are a hallmark of this unique and fascinating place. Visitors can match numbers on quilts throughout the Museum with descriptions in a special brochure, telling pattern name, date, and maker. The craft and gift shop at the Museum features handiwork from regional artisans, including a special group of quilts and quilt-related items. The Museum is located 16 miles north of Knoxville, one mile east of I-75, exit 122. For more information, call 865-494-7680, or visit the website at www.museumofappalachia.org.

Reception: July 10, 6:30-8:30PM.
Student Exhibit: Mary Secrist's watercolor students.

213 Hotel Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37918. Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 9-5, Wednesday & Friday 10-5, Saturday 9-1. More information: (865) 357-2787, www.fountaincityart.org