Calendar of Events

The Town of Farragut Arts Council announces the Rocky Top Decorative Painters of East Tennessee (RTDP) as the October Featured Artist of the Month, in honor of National Decorative Painting Month. An exhibit showcasing the organization's work will be on display at the Farragut Town Hall. The exhibit features painted pieces by various members of RTDP, some representative of folk art and others fine art. Also featured are hand-painted ornaments for the organization's tree at East Tennessee Children's Hospital's annual "Fantasy of Trees". RTDP was chartered in 1981 by the Society of Decorative Painters, an international organization of nearly 23,000 artist members. The chapter has 88 members and meets monthly at Second United Methodist Church in Knoxville to pursue a diverse art form using a variety of techniques and media. Members contribute treasure boxes for Shriners hospitals and children's homes and memory boxes for area hospitals, as well as offer painting classes and seminars on decorative painting, watercolors and oils. For more information: 865-966-7057 or www.townoffarragut.org/artscouncil. The Farragut Town Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 11408 Municipal Center Drive directly across from the Farragut Branch Post Office.

An invitational ceramics exhibition featuring the work of eight nationally-celebrated ceramicists. Please join us for a First Friday Reception October 2 from 5-9pm. The exhibition includes works by Pennsylvania artist Adelaide Paul who will be present at the reception, North Carolina artist and UT Alumus Michael Kline, Bonnie Seeman from Florida, and Georgia artists: Ron Meyers, Ted Saupe, Sunkoo Yuh, Andy Nasisse and Lauren Gallaspy. Ted Saupe, current head of the ceramics area at the University of Georgia, taught ceramics at UT from 1980 through 1992. The exhibition features a wide range of ceramic forms with innovative surfaces from traditional vessels to figurative sculptures. 106 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. 865.673.0802 or www.ewing-gallery.org/New_Downtown/Index/DT_Index.html#

Juried Mixed Media Exhibition by Regional Artists
Opening reception, September 12, 7–9; Gallery Talk at 6:30, Awards Presentation at 7.

201 Badger Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9-5; Saturday-Monday, 1-4. For more information, visit the Web site or call (865) 482-1441.

Reception: Fri., Sept. 18, 6:30-8:30PM

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

The annual Latino Arts Exhibition at the Knoxville Museum of Art honors Hispanic Heritage Month. Widen your horizons for free! 1050 World's Fair Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 10am-5pm, Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, and Sunday 1pm-5pm. Free parking. For more information: (865) 525-6101, www.knoxart.org

Based in Knoxville, A1LabArts is a nonprofit dedicated to multi-disciplinary and experimental exploration of contemporary art issues in all media. Opening reception September 11, 6:00-8:00 PM. 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-335-2670, www.a1labarts.org

+ Field of Dreams (PG) on September 11
+ The Goonies (PG) on September 18
+ Kung Fu Panda (PG) on September 25
+ Casablanca (PG) on October 2
+ Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (G) on October 9
+ Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (PG 13) on October 16
Pull out your lawn chair or blanket and join the fun for Knoxville's favorite outdoor movies series every Friday night. For information, call 865-215-8750.

UT Photojournalism professor Robert Heller always has his camera with him when he travels. Heller's photographic exhibit, "City Light," examines the confluence of architecture, people and light, as found in cities such as San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Warsaw and elsewhere. Open to the public M-F 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. 625 Market Street, Suite 1400, downtown Knoxville. 865-524-1223 or www.easttennesseefoundation.org

The Knoxville Museum of Art introduces Contemporary Focus, a new series that recognizes, supports, and documents the development of contemporary art in East Tennessee. Each year the KMA will feature several emerging artists who work in new and experimental ways. Contemporary Focus 2009 presents the work of three remarkable artists: Hunt Clark, Patricia Tinajero, and David Wolff. Hunt Clark studied art at the University of Tennessee with a focus in painting and sculpture. Clark is best known for his intricately curved, organic shapes that he carves out of large blocks of wood or constructs with large inflatable structures. Patricia Tinajero is an assistant professor in the department of sculpture at the University of Tennessee. Born in Quito, Ecuador, Tinajero often uses her work to raise questions about cultural identity and social practice. As part of Contemporary Focus, Tinajero has built a large sculpture in KMA's south garden. David Wolff, a 1991 graduate of the University of Tennessee, paints with a delicate and thoughtful touch. Deeply inspired by Renaissance and Medieval art, Wolff's abstract scenes become intensely realistic. Wolff runs the Fluorescent Gallery in downtown Knoxville which has become a backbone of Knoxville's downtown arts district. The opening reception at the KMA on Thursday, September 3, 2009, from 7-9pm is free and open to the public. 1050 World's Fair Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918. Open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10am–5pm, Friday 10am–8pm, and Sunday 1pm–5pm. Admission and parking are free. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

Anton Vidokle is one of many artists who recognize the educational potential of art, but his productions usually do not manifest themselves in the form of traditional art objects. In the place of sculpture or painting, Vidokle creates work in the shape of social forms familiar to us – such as libraries, schools, and public conversations. This exhibition presents several projects Vidokle has produced over the last decade: publications from e-flux, an NYC based artist resource and art video distribution center founded in 1999; the model of unitednationsplaza, a free year-long school based in Berlin initiated by the artist in 2006; a station of texts and lectures from seminars at Night School, an artist commission in the form of a temporary school at the New Museum in New York City (January 2008- February 2009); New York Conversations, a feature film shot by the artist in 2008 with Nico Dockx , Rirkrit Tiravanija, and A Prior Magazine; and a comprehensive archive of over one hundred lectures, talks, and seminars organized by Vidokle throughout the past three years in Berlin, Mexico City and New York. Anton Vidokle was born in Moscow and arrived in the United States in 1981. He is currently based in New York and Berlin. 1050 World's Fair Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 10am-5pm, Friday 10am-8pm, Saturday 10am-5pm, and Sunday 1pm-5pm. FREE admission. For more information: (865) 525-6101, www.knoxart.org

The objects featured in this exhibit, ones seen publicly for the first time, are drawn from a private collection developed over the past 30 years by an adventuresome couple from Ten­nes­see. What started as a simple memento of the Southwest—a pair of small kachina dolls purchased in Santa Fe, New Mexico—eventually led to a remarkably rich and diverse collection of items produced by Indian peoples throughout all culture areas of Native North America. With each new specimen, the couple wanted to learn more about not only the object itself but also the cultural context within which it was made and used. Each new item added momentum to the couple's quest to expand and diversify their holdings. They were increasingly drawn to the scholarly literature on Indian art; they visited museums and Indian reservations across the United States and Canada; and they initiated contact with well-known dealers from coast to coast. They also began tailoring their vacations to match their collecting interests concerning the work of particular Indian artists, artifact types, and culture areas. All of this activity was fueled by the desire to broaden their understanding of the material culture of Native Americans. Their history of collecting can best be characterized as a journey of discovery, one they hope the viewer will share while touring this exhibit. The beautifully crafted pieces represent only a fraction of the holdings contained in this remarkable private collection. Information: 1327 Circle Park Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996. 865-974-2144, http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

In the Blain Galleries. Opening reception August 21, 6:00 – 8:00 pm. 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN. Information at 865-436-5860 or www.arrowmont.org.