Calendar of Events

Featuring artists Nelson Ziegler (paintings in oil and watercolors) and Bob Conliffe (horsehair pottery) as well as Mountain Majesty, a special exhibition of works by the AMG regional artists' cooperative honoring the 75th anniversary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Opening reception during First Friday art walk on October 2, 5:30-9:00 PM with music by Alexia Pantanizopolos, cellist, and guest performer. Located at 422 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Hours: Tues-Sat 11-6 and Sun 1-5. Information: 865-525-5265 or www.artmarketgallery.net.

Artist reception on Friday, October 2, 5-9 PM. At Bliss Home, 24 Market Square in downtown Knoxville. (865) 573-4010 or
rblair @ acs.ac.

Pauline Wallen, a young 87-year-old Knoxville native, is a champion at watercolor, pastel, oil and drawing. She has garnered numerous awards both in the United States and in France for her creative spirit and insight that often portray East Tennessee life. Hanson Gallery will honor Pauline Wallen with a Retrospective Show that will include works in various media showing the artist's far reach and skill. The artist will receive guests Friday, October 2, 2009, from 5-8 pm at a champagne reception being held at Hanson Gallery, 5607 Kingston Pike. Gallery owners Doug and Diane Hanson state that part of the gallery's mission is to include mature works from the community's elders and honor those artists who have lived their lives in our region and portrayed its images to us through art. “We connect people to the artist, because that is where the story is. Pauline Wallen is a community treasure, and it is a rare treat to have her in the gallery on the evening of October 2.” Work included in this Retrospective will reflect landscape, floral, figurative and architectural images. Information: 865.584.6097 or www.hansongallery.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition by seven visual artists celebrating The Carpetbag Theatre's 40th Anniversary: Jeffrey Cody, Terry Collins, Eddie Davis, Walt Fieldsa, Alan Jones, Aisha K, Melody Reeves, and Sister Rakiah. The artists collaborated to create an installation in response to ways they have been moved and inspired by Carpetbag's work over the past 40 years. The exhibition will be shown in the Balcony at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from October 2-30, 2009 with an opening reception as part of First Friday activities on October 2 from 5:00-9:00 PM. The reception will feature public performances by members of the Carpetbag ensemble of actors, musicians and spoken word artists using excerpts from their repertoire of dramatic, spoken word and musical works. The Carpetbag Theatre (CBT) is one of the few tenured African-American professional theatre companies in the South. "It is important for us, as visual artists, to honor Carpetbag's vision and contribution to our regional and national cultural life,” says artist Melody Reeves. “They have created an impressive series of original dramas embodying essential stories from communities across the world. And they work constantly to train new artists and give back to their communities.” The 40th Anniversary Exhibition will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, October 3, from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM. In addition to the exhibition at the Emporium, a 40th Anniversary Homecoming Celebration on October 9-11 is designed to create awareness about the theatre's success locally, nationally, and internationally, to reunite community partners and individuals who have benefited from CBT programs, and to showcase excerpts from CBT's body of work. Call 865-544-0447 or visit www.carpetbagtheatre.org.

"Panama Overlays, The Map Series". At the O'Brien Art Gallery. For specific dates and updates to exhibits: 865-882-4649, wilkersonbs@roanestate.edu, or www.roanestate.edu/art/gallery.

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.

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.

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

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