Calendar of Events

An opening reception will take place on Friday, May 7, from 5:00-9:00 PM.
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, May 8, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. For information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com.

I have an exhibit up at Remedy Coffee [125 W. Jackson in the Old City] from this Thursday evening May 6th through the end of May! Stop by anytime the coffeeshop is open and/or join me on First Friday, May 7, between about 6pm and 10pm to see the art work, visit, and buy some great coffee and dessert!* And invite others....there's much to see and do Downtown on a First Friday! All nine pieces of art are for sale; ask me if you are interested in commissioning similar pieces in different colors.
www.hcholder.jimdo.com, 865-567-8920

Art Market Gallery will spotlight the work of two member artists: metal sculpture by Zophia Kneiss, and monoprint/chine colle works by Marilyn Avery Turner. The Gallery will host a First Friday Reception for the Featured Artists on Friday, May 7 from 5:30-9:00 PM. with light refreshments.

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

An exhibition of art, films, music & community. During the month of May, 530 Gay Street (beside the French Market on the corner of Clinch and Gay) will be home to several community and cultural events, including: “a struggle”, an exhibition of images and audio from Pardo Calrissian, and the screening of Vagabond Beaumont’s film “Machetero” (Exhibit reception and film screening, Monday May 17th, 5pm – 10pm).

Pardo is a Tennessee documentarian that has spent a decade covering what he calls, “under-reported news and events”. His current exhibition, “a struggle” combines photographs of various popular movements around Mexico, the Caribbean and East Tennessee with related audio interviews.

Contact: Pardo, 423-277-7162, pardo.calrissian@gmail.com. At 530 S. Gay Street (next to French Market), Knoxville, TN 37902.

The wildly popular musical telling of the Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors returns to the Playhouse with a new staging. The tuneful parable comes to vibrant life as the story of the boy blessed with prophetic dreams is told in an engaging mix of musical styles, from country-western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock 'n' roll.

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

213 Hotel Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37918. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityart.com

By Charles Busch and directed by Jim Richardson. A free wheeling satire of patriotic 1940’s thrillers such as Notorious and Escape, The Lady in Question tells the suspenseful tale of Gertrude Garnet, the most glamorous concert pianist on the international stage. On tour in 1940 Bavaria, her colossal self-absorption is challenged when a handsome American professor engages her aid in rescuing his mother from a Nazi prison. NOTE: This production contains strong language and is not suitable for children.

Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 319 N. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $10 plus fees for Thursday & Sunday; $15 plus fees for Friday & Saturday. For information: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com. For tickets: 865-523-7521, www.KnoxTIX.com

Featuring a broad selection of works - paintings, photographs, drawings, and video - by artists whose chief inspiration stems from the surrounding landscape, whether rural or urban, perceived or imagined. The exhibition examines the many ways artists reference the external environment in constructing scenes marked by instability, ambiguity, deception, or fragmentation. Includes works by Jim Campbell, Patty Chang, Herb Creecy, Robert Van Deventer, Tomory Dodge, Chuck Forsman, Natasha Kissell, Alison Moritsugu, Brian Novatny, Hiraki Sawa, Darren Waterston, Roger Weik, and Charlotta Westergren.

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

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, a sponsor of the 60th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage, is showcasing the watercolors, acrylics and drawings of Bob George, winner of the 2009 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage Art Contest. Bob George relocated to Sevierville, Tennessee in 2002 after a career in Washington, D.C. as an illustrator, commercial artist and art director. Bob, a native of Key West, Florida, studied at the Ringling School of Art. His artwork has been featured at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, the White House, Pentagon and U.S. Park Service Visitor Centers. Bob’s winning entry, “Bloodroot” was selected as part of a national juried competition and has been used as the Pilgrimage’s promotional image for 2010. Criteria for submission is that the artist’s primary subject included botanically accurate depictions of a spring flowering plant (or plants) native to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “Bob’s skills as an illustrator and a painter are exquisite. It is evident that he has a strong relationship with and has mastered his media. His work brings the beauty and composition of nature to life on paper – the rendering of a simple stone becomes a captivating visual. We are proud to showcase Bob’s range of artworks and encourage you to come and enjoy this wonderful exhibit,” says Karen Green, Gallery Coordinator.

In the Loggia Gallery. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 576 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. For information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

Direct from a highly-acclaimed run on Broadway, the Tony-nominated Soul of Shaolin will premier at the Eastern Shanghai Theater in April. A Chinese martial arts spectacular, Soul of Shaolin features over 30 Chinese performers skilled in the art of Shaolin Kung Fu and tells the touching story of Hui Guang (pronounced “whey gwong”), an orphan boy who is discovered by the legendary monks of the Shaolin Temple and is raised among them. The show debuted at New York's Marquis Theatre in January 2009 as part of the China on Broadway series of productions. It received rave reviews from many American critics, with the New York Post describing the show as "a dazzling display of skill", while the Associated Press called it "astonishing and amazing".

In addition to a spectacular show, the Eastern Shanghai Theater will feature state-of-the-art sound and lighting and a spectacular 198-square foot LED backdrop. According to the show's executive producer, Lizhi Zhao: “The story of Shaolin is timeless and appeals to all audiences, young and old.” People coming to the Smoky Mountains this year may not want to miss limited engagement of Soul of Shaolin.
Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. each night with matinee shows Tuesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. For ticket prices and bookings call 865-453-8888 or visit www.EasternShanghaiTheater.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

Providing visitors with a fascinating glimpse into aspects of Appalachian culture that are fading from the scene, among them some that were infrequently practiced but that nevertheless came to be associated in the public consciousness with the region. With camera and recorder in hand, photographer Don Dudenbostel and field recordist Tom Jester documented places, practices, and personalities, such as churches where they “take up the serpent,” moonshining, Mennonite communities where life is lived much as in the mid-1800s, religious symbols, and the less savory aspects of cockfighting and KKK meetings. Also included are roadway scenes, such as tourist courts, ferries, filling stations, peanut stands, and grocery stores. The exhibit also examines the concept and stereotypes people often have of Appalachia by placing the featured subjects within the larger historical context. Among the several items featured are a game cock transport box, male and female serpent-handling dolls and folk-art by the Reverend Jimmy Morrow, the hat of Popcorn and a half-gallon jar of moonshine autographed by him, wood-carved crafts, a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe c. 1920, a tent revival sign, and more. A catalog and CD of recordings featured in the exhibition is available for $10 in the Museum Shop. Both the exhibition and catalog are made possible through a grant from the Gene and Florence Monday Foundation.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: Monday-Friday: 9AM-4PM; Saturday: 10AM-4PM; Sunday: 1-5PM. For information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org