Calendar of Events

Alert (1/29/10): Due to expectations of inclement weather, the concert announced below will not take place as scheduled.

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Ballads from Virginia: From Rural Retreat, Virginia, nineteen-year-old Elizabeth LaPrelle has been performing Appalachian ballads and old-time songs at public events since she was eleven. Her magnificent voice, her respect for the songs, and her faithful mountain sound and style brought her to the attention of first Ginny Hawker and then Sheila Kay Adams. Sheila says, “She is, in my opinion, one of maybe a handful of young singers able to capture the rhythm, the intensity, the breaks and sighs, that make this style of singing authentic. Elizabeth’s presentation of these grand old songs recalls the styles of the great mountain singers of the past and gives us hope for the future of the art form.

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

11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Call it Ijams à la carte. Join us for this month's show and tell and get a sampling of the educational opportunities we offer. We'll have three different learning sessions throughout the day. The menu varies, but generally includes live animal presentations, plus a field activity. Open to everyone and it's free. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Area musicians will present a concert to benefit Partners in Health and Haiti earthquake victims. When the quake struck on Jan. 12, Partners in Health had been providing health services in the Caribbean country for more than 20 years—so they
were ideally situated to respond. “They mobilized immediately; they were already there, they already had a rapport with the people, and they were one of the first responders to the disaster,” said Kindra Nathan of Norris, a registered nurse and Partners in Health supporter. The story of Partners in Health is told in /Mountains Beyond Mountains/, a book by Tracy Kidder about Dr. Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health. The book will be available in the Museum gift shop. The organization partners with poor communities in nine countries, including the United States, to combat disease and poverty. Based in Boston, PIH employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, including doctors, nurses and community health workers. PIH currently has field hospitals in Port au Prince, the Haitian capital, with 20 operating rooms available. The organization has sent 22 planes with 140 medical volunteers and several thousand pounds of supplies to support the more than 4,500 PIH providers already in Haiti. The Museum is contributing use of its auditorium for the event. Among musicians contributing to the effort are the Big Boy Band, Back
Row Boys, Carroll Hollow, Elaine Graham, Liz and Tom, Joyful Noise, Jennifer and Lopez, Just Crossing, the Hotshot Freight Train, and more. The Big Boy Band has a personal connection to Haiti: the band leader’s wife, Terrye Guthe, is a surgical technician who left Sunday for Haiti. Donations will be accepted at the door; those who cannot attend may contribute through www.PIH.org. All proceeds benefit Partners in Health and its Haiti relief efforts. For more information, kdnrn@aol.com, 865-494-7336.

Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Hwy., Clinton, TN 37716 (16 miles north of Knoxville at I-75, exit 122, then one mile east). Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Information: 865-494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org

The public is invited to a reception which will take place on Sunday, January 31, from 2 PM to 4 PM with light refreshments. Established in 1963, The Knoxville Watercolor Society has over 50 members, most of whom who will exhibit one of their finest paintings at this show. Most of the work will be for sale. Additional info: 865-482-5181.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM; Friday, 10AM-8PM; Sunday, 1-5PM. For information: 865-934-2036, www.knoxart.org

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

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

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

Directed by Jayne Morgan with musical direction by Vicki Masters. Cast: Dennis Bussell, Brandon Gibson, Bill Howard, Lisa Slagle, Chelsea Samples, Dana Wham, Annie Millett, Krisha Newport.
Performances are Thursday-Sunday at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $10 plus fees for Thursday & Sunday; $15 plus fees for Friday & Saturday. For more information on the show: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

A co-production with Tanasi Girl Scouts Council, based on the novel by Kelly Weil. Here’s the complete performance schedule: Friday, January 15 at 7 PM; Saturday, January 16 at 1 PM and 5 PM; Sunday, January 17 at 3 PM; Thursday, January 21 at 7 PM; Friday, January 22 at 7 PM; Saturday, January 23 at 1 PM and 5 PM; Sunday, January 24 at 3 PM; Thursday, January 28 at 7 PM; Friday, January 29 at 7 PM; Saturday, January 30 at 1 PM and 5 PM.

Located at 800 Tyson Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-599-5284, www.childrenstheatreknoxville.com, info@childrenstheatreknoxville.com.