Calendar of Events

Unarmed Merchants Art Gallery will be featuring encaustic paintings from local artist Neranza Noel Blount. This show will be up for the month of April starting Friday the 2nd. She is interested in patterns in nature including land and atmospheric weather patterns and how they relate to each other. She also collages with found objects and uses her pen & ink renderings and photography images that have been cut, torn, and then fused onto wooden surfaces and painted over with encaustic wax. She started painting in oils at an early age and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tennessee. She has received top awards for her works of art nationally and internationally. Her use of the medium of encaustic came out of her father’s profession as a beekeeper. Her husband has also since become a beekeeper. With her art she wants to help build awareness of the importance of honeybees and how the existence of man depends upon them.

Unarmed Merchants, 129 S. Gay Street, Knoxville TN 37902. (865) 549-5769; http://unarmedmerchants.com

The Dogwood Arts Festival Limited Edition Print is synonymous with the annual springtime event and this exhibit showcases the artistry, variety, and beauty that this East Tennessee tradition has recorded. Signing by Dogwood Arts 50th Anniversary Commemorative Print Artist Heather Whiteside on Friday, April 2, 5-8 p.m.
Museum of East Tennessee History, 601 S. Gay Street. Opening Reception: Friday, April 2, 5-9 p.m. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m. Admission: Free. 865.215.8830, www.eastTNhistory.org

Allows progressive, emerging and professional regional artists to exhibit their work in a variety of genres. The exhibit will show in the historic gallery space at 128 S. Gay Street. Opening Reception: Friday, April 2, 5-9 p.m. Hours: Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. the 11th 12-5 p.m. Information: 865-637-4661, www.dogwoodarts.com.

A world-class exhibition of large-scale outdoor sculptures that enliven downtown Knoxville. Information: 865-637-4661, www.dogwoodarts.com.

Knoxville’s next generation of artists is on display, featuring the work of gifted art students from grades K-12 in Knox and surrounding counties. An opening reception will take place on Friday, April 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM. On display in the Balcony at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, April 3, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Information: 865-637-4661, www.dogwoodarts.com.

Reception on April 2, 5-8 p.m.
We are celebrating the Dogwood Arts Festival by hosting a show of Region Four membership of the Tennessee Watercolor Society. We believe that the Dogwood Arts Festival is a great tradition here in East Tennessee and what is more appropriate than showing off our regional watercolor artists! Join us for a great First Friday and meet the Artists.

Hanson Fine Art & Craft Gallery, 5607 Kingston Pk, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: Monday-Friday 10AM-5:30PM; Saturday 10AM-5PM. For information: 865-584-6097, www.hansongallery.com

The Knoxville Museum of Art presents BLOOM, an outdoor exhibition in the museum’s North Garden. BLOOM was designed and fabricated by Knoxville-based artists Jason S. Brown and Elizabeth Scofield. Created of synthetic nylon fabric and fiberglass, it consists of botanically inspired sculptures including 16-foot tall blades of nylon grass, large-scale synthetic flowers, and other plant-like shapes. The installation combines the order and geometry of a flower garden with the organic and shifting nature of a field exposed to the changing elements. KMA Curator Stephen Wicks explains, “Jason and Elizabeth produce beautiful, thoughtful work that draws attention to the push-and-pull between nature and the built environment. BLOOM gives the KMA a chance to showcase some of the artists’ best work on a large scale at a time of year when everyone is trying to find every excuse to get outside.” Jason S. Brown is associate professor of sculpture at the University of Tennessee’s School of Art. He and partner Elizabeth Scofield have been exploring public art projects and environmental issues as exhibiting artists for two decades.

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

Well-known locally for his paintings of Knoxville architecture, Joe Parrott brings together in this exhibition current paintings as well as paintings that were completed more than 35 years ago. Parrott’s earlier paintings often reflect a more historic view of Knoxville and will certainly stir memories for many. In seeing the current and earlier works side by side in this exhibition, we find an important artist that has been quietly painting Knoxville every day and documenting our times past. Presented by Hanson Gallery, at the Knoxville News Sentinel Gallery, 2332 News Sentinel Dr., Knoxville.
M-F 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Admission: Free. Information: 865.342.6439

Hanson Gallery will showcase a group of artist-selected photographs from "Vanishing
Appalachia," currently on exhibit at the East Tennessee History Center. "Vanishing
Appalachia" gives visitors an inside look into the places, practices, and personalities
in Appalachia that are fading or rarely seen, such as moonshining, cockfighting, Mennonite communities, and churches where they "take up the serpent." ETHC "Vanishing Appalachia" on display through June 20.

Hanson Fine Art & Craft Gallery, 5607 Kingston Pk, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: Monday-Friday 10AM-5:30PM; Saturday 10AM-5PM. For information: 865-584-6097, www.hansongallery.com

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.

Featuring oil paintings by Shirley Keaton. Opening reception on Friday, April 2, 5-8 PM. Wine & hors d'oeuvres will be served.

200 W. Hill Ave, Knoxville, TN 37901. Info: 865-525-2375, www.blountmansion.org

The Art Market Gallery of Knoxville will spotlight the work of two member artists, Janis Proffitt, woodturning and Mary Ellen Bohm, paintings. The Gallery will host a First Friday Reception for the Featured Artists on Friday, April 2 from 5:30-9 p.m. with light refreshments and live music performed by Scott Head, playing acoustic guitar. Starting April 20 and running through May 8, the Gallery will hold its Annual Members Auction, a silent auction of over 40 pieces of original art and fine craft.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11AM-6PM; Sunday 1-5PM. For information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net