Calendar of Events

Vision, Language, and Influence brings together for the first time the work of three photographers of the American South over a 50-year period. Walker Evans (1903-1976) is represented by incisive images of Alabama sharecroppers stemming from his epic collaboration with James Agee on Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. Eudora Welty (1909-2001) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning Southern writer and photographer who traveled across Mississippi in the 1930s and early 1940s taking photographs and documenting rural and small-town life in her home state. Baldwin Lee (born 1951) is a professor of photography at the University of Tennessee, and a former assistant to Walker Evans. Complementing the 50 or so works by Evans and Welty are more than 30 of Lee’s images of African-American life in the South taken during the 1980s with the support of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Vision, Language, and Influence was organized by the Knoxville Museum of Art in collaboration with Baldwin Lee.

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

The Knoxville Watercolor Society will host a showing of new paintings by its members at the Fountain City Art Center from May 14 to June 11. There will be an opening reception on May 14 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Center. The reception is free and open to the public.

In “Student Exhibits,” Mary Secrist’s students’ watercolors will be on display at the same time as the KWS exhibition, a perfect teamup!

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

The Tennessee Artists Association is hosting a fine arts show and sale in Farragut in a BIG WHITE TENT located in Village Green Center on Kingston Pike. This is an opportunity for local artists to display and sell their fine art in a festive environment.

Tennessee Artists Association: 865-675-2285, www.tennartists.org

The Tennessee Artists Association is hosting a fine arts show and sale in Farragut in a BIG WHITE TENT located in Village Green Center on Kingston Pike. This is an opportunity for local artists to display and sell their fine art in a festive environment.

Friday, 12-7 PM (with reception at 5 PM)
Saturday, 9-6
Sunday, 12-4

Tennessee Artists Association: 865-675-2285, www.tennartists.org

As festival season approaches, music lovers and mountain protection activists have a great opportunity to kick the season off right. AMP (Appalachian Mountain Protection) Music Fest will showcase a variety of artists that would rarely be seen on the same playlist, let alone in the same venue. Lucky for festival-goers, this diverse combination of musicians is easily accessible between three stages at the same event.

AMP Music Fest will be held in Knoxville’s Old City at Southbound Bar and Grill. AMP is an event devoted to celebrating the beautiful Appalachian Mountains and gathering support to prevent mountain top removal in the Tennessee area.

The festival aims to spread awareness of the harmful and tragic effects that mountain top removal has on our mountains and our communities, and it gives local artists who are not everyday activists the opportunity to get involved. All of the proceeds from AMP Fest will go to support the United Mountain Defense Fund, which seeks to eliminate the practice of mountaintop removal and directly benefits counties right here in East Tennessee.

AMP boasts an eclectic lineup with every musical genre from folk and bluegrass to electronic and slam poetry. You’ll hear fiddles, banjos, guitars, drums, bass and dirty, filthy beats for those who love to dance. Over 20 artists will perform on Southbound’s three stages. The AMP performers include Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Truly Grimy, Big Country's Empty Bottle, Mac Comer, Midnight Radio, Lane Shuler w/ Black Atticus, Skytown Riot, Magma Blood, Mamma Jamma, DJ JMarsh, Uncle Mountain, BlackJack, Refried Grass, Red County Gospel and more to come.

Knoxville’s own Big Country’s Empty Bottle will be playing the headlining spot on Friday night with their funky mix of bluegrass, acoustic and folk rhythms. They are known for gettin’ the crowd boogie’n with their playful Americana music infused with blues, jazz and bluegrass overtones.

On Saturday, Fletcher, NC-based BLACKJACK will be kicking off the second day of AMP with their outrageous intensity and wild stage energy. They'll playing everything from Ozzy to Skynyrd– which is impressive considering their average age is 14. Saturday night will bring forth two amazing headlining performances by Holy Ghost Tent Revival and Truly Grimy. The Greensboro-based six-piece ensemble that goes by Holy Ghost Tent Revival will be bringing music that is even more creative than their name. They meld brass and banjo with guitar, bass, drums and keys into nothin but foot stompin' "guaranteed-good- time" music. Saturday night will close with a late-night DJ set by Truly Grimy, Johnson City's premier experimental/hip-hop producer. More artists will be added to the AMP lineup in the coming weeks.

Complete information about AMP Music Fest, including the full list of performers, can be found at www.ampmusicfest.com. Tickets can be purchased via the Internet as well as at the gate on each of the festival days. Stay tuned to www.ampmusicfest.com for more information on tickets and artist additions!

For more information about this please contact Emily at emily@supremalexmusic.com. 828-242-4537, www.supremalexmusic.com

Dancers from the Fountain City and West locations will exhibit their talents in this wonderful production. The student version of "Coppelia" will be presented Friday, May 14 at 7:00 pm, and Saturday, May 15 at 7:00 pm. In addition, each evening will showcase the many talents of our other classes, inlcuding Jazz, Modern, Tap, Hip Hop, Musical Theater, and the Ballet Gloria' Companies. There will also be a matinee performance on Saturday, May 15 at 2:30 pm for our younger dancers. Some of the senior dances will be showcased in this event as well.

Ticket prices are $12/Adults, $8 students under 18 and with a valid college ID. There are multil show and large family passes available. Box office will open 1 hour prior to showtime. To reserve tickets, or for more information: 865-689-8525, tcfa@comcast.net.

Josh Ritter is a devilishly talented writer given to spectacular artistic leaps from album to album. His newest recording, So Runs The World Away, is due out later this spring - a week or so before his date here. After we announced this show, a facebook fan responded thusly: “YES YES YES!” (caps theirs). That pretty much sums up the way we feel about the show, too. Catch this innovative artist in one of the best rooms around.

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com. For tickets: 865-684-1200, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Helen Thayer, National Geographic Explorer and Photographer will return to Ijams Nature Center to share stories of her latest journey: Helen and her husband, Bill, walked 7,000 miles across Africa's Sahara Desert, the Atlas Mountains and the vast Serengeti plains, while living with the Maasai, Bushmen, and Berber tribes. The adventure unfolds in a program of spectacular photography and stories of the world's most ancient tribal lifestyles and the unique wildlife seen only on the African Continent. This presentation at Ijams will be the first time that Helen is sharing stories of her amazing African adventure. Be one of the first to hear it! This program is free and suitable for adults and children. Seating is limited, so please call Ijams Nature Center at (865) 577-4717 ext. 10 to reserve a seat.

205 East Hill Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37915. Regular tour schedule: Monday - Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (April - December); Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (January - March). Information: 865-525-6514, www.jameswhitesfort.org, jameswhitefort@aol.com

On the second Friday of each month. All ages and experience levels are welcome to participate in this fun, family event. Kids love the Raku process. Or it could be a great "date night" event. Plus, you will be taking home a beautiful piece of art to decorate your home that you helped create! We offer three options for participation:
+ Pick One: The $30 fee includes: your choice of 1 bisque piece, use of our studio raku glazes and participation in the firing.
+ Make One*: The $30 fee includes: 5 lbs of Raku Clay, bisque firing of your piece, use of studio raku glazes, and participation in the firing. (*The 'Make One' option requires that your piece be in our hands, ready to bisque no later than Tuesday the week of the firing. Please contact us for more information regarding this option.)
+ Bring One: The $20 fee includes: Use of studio raku glazes and participation in the firing. (Bring your own bisque piece.)

Mighty Mud, 2444 Sutherland Ave, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11-6PM; Thursday, 11-9PM. For information: 865-595-1900, www.mightymudclay.com

Knox Heritage presents the fourth annual Art & Architecture Tour, a guided tour of historic sites through the Downtown North area. The artworks featured on the tour are
photographs submitted to Knox Heritage’s Photography Contest, with ten winning photographs comprising the tour route. The Art & Architecture Tour is sponsored by McCarty Holsaple McCarty, Nouveau Graphics, Three Rivers Market, WDVX-FM, Metropulse, and Ironwood Studios. Knox Heritage events almost always include an opportunity for social gathering and good food and drink. In keeping with that tradition, the Art & Architecture Tour commences at 5:30 p.m. at Ironwood Studios, 119 Jennings Avenue (just off Central Avenue), for wine and hors d’oeuvres for ticketholders. At 7:00 p.m., the tour group departs on the route, based on the locations of the winning photographs. Serving as special tour guides for the event are Jack Neely, local historian, journalist, and author; and Bob Whetsel, Fourth & Gill
resident and City of Knoxville Director of Public Service. Tickets are $40.00 per person and include the reception at Ironwood Studios and the tour. There is an option
for either a walking tour or a trolley tour of the route. Space is limited; to purchase tickets and for more information: 865-523-8008, www.knoxheritage.org/specialevents.

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