Calendar of Events

China is viewed by most in the Western world as a homogeneous country with a single culture. Its land mass is similar to that of the United States, but it is inhabited by 1.3 billion people, making it the most populous country in the world. This population is composed of more than 56 official ethnic groups, each with its own customs, traditions, language, foods, and in some cases, religious beliefs.

In the many centuries of China’s history, numerous ethnic groups have ruled, and each has made contributions to the art and culture of what we have come to view today as “Chinese.” In this exhibition, the museum presents a brief glimpse into China’s history, with 80 examples of art from the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.) to the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911 A.D.) and several contemporary works. Panels introducing each of the dynasties provide historical, geographical, and economic background.

1327 Circle Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Mon - Sat: 9:00A to 5:00P, Sun: 1:00P to 5:00P. Information: 865-974-2144, http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

The fifth annual kick off and registration for the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. Kids will have the opportunity to begin their training for the March 2010 Marathon with this fun run/walk.

CD Release: Knoxville multi-instrumentalist Greg Horne has long been a familiar face at dances and Jubilee Festivals. Greg’s new CD, Basically Sane, spotlights his singing, writing and distinctive fingerstyle guitar work. Greg’s songs stem from a love of imagery, storytelling, and Southern roots musc. He was introduced to old-time music nearly 20 years ago by Clinton, TN fiddler Jim Turley, and learned by accompanying fiddlers on guitar and banjo. His fiddling is rooted in East Tennessee, with influences from West Virginia and North Carolina’s Round Peak. For this special event, Greg will perform songs from the CD, and a set of old-time tunes with some of his musical friends.

1538 Laurel Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37916. Information: 865-522-5851, www.KnoxTIX.com

Winter is a great time to look for birds. In fact, species like the winter wren, hermit thrush and yellow-bellied sapsucker can only be found at the nature center at this time of the year. Join naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales and learn all about the winter birds of Ijams. Free for members and $10 for non-members. Please call Sheila at 577-4717 ext. 10 to register. www.ijams.org

Grow your own plants! Learn hands-on propagating techniques plus when to gather and propagate native plants around your own backyard. The cost is free but please call 577-4717 ext. 10 to register. www.ijams.org

At Chilhowee Park. Bring your old computers, televisions, phones, electronics, etc. to Chilhowee Park and dispose of them properly. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Visual artist Anne Wilson has been at the forefront of artwork connecting conceptualism and handiwork, activism and aesthetics, investigating new possibilities for what has been called "relational aesthetics." Discussion with the artist on January 23.

Wilson's practice extends the relational in terms of labor, collaboration, and identity construction, blending pedagogy with aesthetic production. Her work has been exhibited extensively including exhibitions at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan; the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; and as part of the 2002 Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Anne Wilson: Wind/Rewind/Weave is an exhibition organized by the Knoxville Museum of Art, installed by Wilson to investigate the crisis of production and skill based textile labor. Included is Rewinds, a new work created entirely in glass; video documentation of Wind-Up: Walking the Warp, a 2008 performance in Chicago; and a large site-specific project, Local Industry, that takes the form of an active weaving/winding factory set up in the museum space. Run over the course of several months, this project will involve the Knoxville community in the collaborative production of a unique bolt of cloth. http://www.annewilsonartist.com

Free admission. Hours: Tues-Thurs 10-5; Fri 10-8; Sat 10-5; Sun 1-5. 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37916. 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org, info@knoxart.org

Aladdin is inconsiderate toward his poor mother, rude to authority, and generally ill-mannered. But a powerful genie, fiercely sought by an evil-hearted sorcerer, gives Aladdin the chance to rise above himself, to dare great things -- even to win the hand of a princess.

227 Broadway in Historic Jackson Square, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. For more information, call (865) 482-9999 or visit www.orplayhouse.com

Join us for a glass of bubbly as we toast the New Year and premier the oil paintings of Maryville artist, Chriss Hardy, on Saturday, January 16 from 1-3 p.m. Chriss is fascinated by people in their everyday, active lives and she captures many of these everyday moments on canvas. Included in this collection is a series of shoppers at the Farmer's Market in downtown Knoxville. Chriss loves a multicolor palette and inspires us with her insight.
5607 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri, 10-5:30 ~ Sat, 10-5. Information: 865-584-6097, www.hansongallery.com

Tennessee Stage Company presents the readings of three new plays at the Knox County Public Library. All readings are free to the public.

+ CUPID’S ITCH by Paul Leeper - Saturday, January 30, 3:00 pm, at Lawson McGee Library. Cupid’s Itch is a unique and off beat love story set in the world of women’s boxing! A shadowy world where things aren’t always what they seem and people aren’t always what you expect. What else might one expect from a Paul Leeper play?

+ THE GOOD SON by Craig Smith - Saturday, January 23, 3:00 pm, at Fountain City Library, and Saturday, January 30, 1:30 pm, at Lawson McGee Library. The Good Son is a crime caper telling the story of a crime that went wrong and the way it comes back to haunt the guilty and the innocent. But who is guilty and who is innocent?

+ THE LAST WAFFLE HOUSE IN AMERICA by Leslie Agron - Saturday, January 16, 3:00 pm, at Fountain City Library, and Sunday, January 31, 2:00 pm Lawson McGee Library. According to playwright Leslie Agron there are no Waffle House’s in California, so as you go west across America you come, literally, to the Last Waffle House somewhere in Arizona. This slice of life play takes place in and around the Last Waffle House in America.

For over ten years the Tennessee Stage Company has presented a New Play Festival including World Premiere performances as well as readings and staged readings of new, un-produced scripts. The playwright’s attend the readings and afterwards a discussion is held with the playwright, cast and audience on the script. For more information contact the Tennessee Stage Company: 865-546-4280, www.tennesseestage.com, tennesseestage@bellsouth.com

First Friday Reception February 5, 5:00 - 9:00pm
The 10th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition continues a tradition begun by the University of Hawai‘i Department of Art. By invitation only, this exhibition is comprised of 81 sculptures by artists from 14 countries and includes “Meta Physical #4” by Knoxville artist Richard Jolley. The small format of the works in the exhibition, with the subsequent ease and economy of handling, provides exposure to a broad spectrum of contemporary sculpture. These triennial exhibitions were initiated as an attempt to incorporate a variety of multicultural traditions and a range of sculptural ideas, styles, and materials. As geographical borders are fractured and the global context dominates, the identity of the individual often becomes hybrid. Whether defined by the artist’s ethnicity or the location of production, all art is increasingly integrated into the fabric of contemporary society. Although the act of affirming cultural identity becomes more complex, these sculptures demonstrate the imaginative spirit and endless creativity of the individual artist.

Located at 106 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Gallery Hours: Wed – Fri 11-6 Sat 10-3. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

Reception January 15, 6:30-8:30 PM
213 Hotel Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37918. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityart.com