Calendar of Events

Featured during the month of August:
Paintings by Asa McEwing - www.asamcewan.com
Custom/cast silver jewelry by Denae Oglesby
Handcrafted furniture from Nigeria, carved and designed by Joseph Oluwaseyi

Unarmed Merchants, 129 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12-7PM. Information: 865-549-5769, www.unarmedmerchants.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance collected more than 2,500 votes from the general public, individual members of the Alliance, and a panel of jurors to select artwork for the Top Choice Exhibition. Top Choice features recent 2-D and 3-D works by 27 artists from Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and Ohio. The exhibition will be displayed at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 6-27, and an opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on August 6 from 5:00-9:00 PM featuring chocolate fondue from the Melting Pot. Winner-take-all awards will be given to the three pieces attracting the most cash "votes" before 8:00 PM that evening.

The Alliance received nearly 250 submissions from 62 artists for the exhibition. The Alliance invited the general public, their individual membership, and a select panel of five jurors (Mark Hall, Maryville College Art Department; Nandini Makrandi, Curator of Contemporary Art, Hunter Museum; Jeff Morton, Covenant College Art Department; Elizabeth Snipes, Missouri State University Department of Art + Design; and Jennifer Stoneking-Stewart, Belmont University Department of Art) to cast their vote for their favorite five works! The 15 works receiving the highest number of votes within each sector appear in the exhibition, which includes works in the areas of photography, oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, collage, stained glass, wood and marble sculptures, and more.

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, August 7, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. For information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com.

By Charles Marowitz, Directed by Patrick McCray. Winner of the Louis B. Mayer Award. Created by an American-born playwright-director who has become one of the most celebrated figures in the modern British theatre, this diabolically clever (and frequently funny) play was first presented as part of the Olympic Arts Festival in Los Angeles and went to Broadway in 1987. It was produced at the Nederlander Theatre with Frank Langella as Sherlock Holmes and Donal Donnelly as Doctor Watson. Illuminating aspects to the master sleuth's character heretofore ignored, the play is both true to the spirit of the original and a totally fresh and absorbing theatrical excursion.

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

Footlights Productions is extremely proud to present RENT by Jonathan Larson to benefit The Hope Center in Knoxville. RENT is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of AIDS. RENT will be performed in the Clayton Performing Arts Center on the campus of Pellissippi State College,10915 Hardin Valley Road, in Knoxville. Performance dates and times are as follows:

Friday, August 6th, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 7th, 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 12, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, August 13, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 14, 2:00 and 7:30 p.m.

www.footlightsproductions.net

Chongqing Culture Week from August 6-12 - artists will be doing live demonstrations in the lobby (free to the public); musicians will play traditional Chinese instruments - such as the two-string Erhu.
Shanghai Culture Week from October 8-12

During these two cultural weeks, we invite artists coming all the way from China to perform in the Cirque de Chine show; we also hold a photo exhibition introducing the Chongqing/Shanghi city in the theater; we have some successors of Intangible Cutural Heritage in China do a live show in the theater.

179 Collier Dr, Sevierville, TN 37862. For information: 865-429-1601, www.smokymountainpalace.com

Rose Sayer a prim spinster with a spine of steel, and Charlie Allnut is the unkempt captain of a little supply boat, the African Queen, when World War I reaches the remote villages of colonial Africa. German soldiers kidnap the village men, burn their thatched huts and drive out the women and children. Sayer's brother, the local clergyman, dies in shock and despair. Bogart's Charlie Allnut rescues Rose from the ruins in the African Queen, intending to sit out the war somewhere safe from the fray. As if a long difficult journey without any comfort weren't bad enough for such odd companions, she is determined to find a way to do their bit for the British war effort (and avenge her brother) Watching this unlikely pair survive a treacherous river trip, attempt a daring wartime attack and fall into a charming, late-life love affair makes for a splendid movie.

06 Aug 2010 at 8:00PM and 8 Aug 2010 at 2:00PM

Historic Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com. For tickets: 865-684-1200, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Once a month, Knoxville's pedestrian-friendly streets transform into a block party during FIRST FRIDAY. Each celebration, enjoy receptions at your favorite art galleries, live music by local musicians, and more! FIRST FRIDAY is a stage for local galleries and Knoxville's vital downtown cultural scene. It's a place to meet friends new and old! From the shops and galleries on Gay Street (The Emporium Center, Art Market Gallery and more) to Market Square (Bliss, World Grotto and others) to the spaces in the Old City (Old City Java, A1ArtSpace, and more) and in Old North Knox (Fluorescent Gallery), there's something for everyone! You can always expect a diverse crowd, cool local art, live music, and plenty of surprises! Information: http://knoxvillefirstfriday.com/wp

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to host is second annual Consignment Sale for which artists and members of the Alliance are providing new and gently used artwork, antiques, and other eclectic items. This very unique consignment sale takes place on Friday, August 6, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday celebrations. The public is invited to peruse and purchase items from local artists, former gallery owners, and art enthusiasts including framed original artwork, antiques, small artsy bric-a-brac, handmade items, fine crafts, and jewelry. One-third of all sales benefit the Arts & Culture Alliance. Non-members may bring items to the sale for 40% commission. Visit www.knoxalliance.com/pressreleases/consignment.html for information on participating in the sale. The sale will take place in the Balcony at the Emporium, 100 S. Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. For information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com.

Pistol Creek Catch of the Day will perform in the Lambert Recital Hall at the Clayton Center for the Arts. Known for their acrobatic and energetic performances, Pistol Creek Catch of the Day plays an eclectic range of music ranging from rockabilly and western swing, to vintage rock and country, to dance music from the twenties and thirties. Pistol Creek is comprised of four multi-instrumentalists: Edward Harper (vocals/guitar/harmonica, drums), Bill Cabage (vocals/lead guitar/fiddle), Scott Hinds (vocals/lead bass, guitar), and Carl Gombert (bass/scratchboard/banjo, percussion).

Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Tickets are available at the Clayton Center Box Office M-F 10AM-6PM or by phone or online: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

A1LabArts and Fireproof productions present “OH, OPHELIA”, an evening of artist’s interpretations of Hamlet’s Ophelia. The doors open at 6pm at the Pegboard Gallery located at 201 Randolph, Fireproof storage building. As the viewer, you will not only get a chance to observe but to also become the art with the one of a kind Ophelia photo booth. Sara Blair McNally explains, “ I found myself turning to Ophelia for inspiration in photography projects and spoke to several other artists who were throwing themselves in water and trying to take a picture too. So we thought, wouldn’t it be fun to see everyone elses Ophelias? And….. wallah. I think it will be a beautiful show.” The exhibition includes both A1 members and other local artists, with the work ranging in performance, 2-D, and 3-D. The evening will conclude at 10pm.

Information: 865.604.5691, www.a1labarts.org

Gallery 1010 will feature “Two Exchange Portfolios” from the collections of UTK School of Art faculty Koichi Yamamoto and Beauvais Lyons. The portfolios will be presented for one night. Gallery 1010 is located at 113 South Gay Street in Knoxville. The first portfolio “Frogman’s 29” presents work by faculty and shop assistants from the 2010 Frogman’s Print and Paper Workshop held in July 2010 in Vermillion South Dakota. Koichi Yamamoto taught at the workshop this summer and is one of the artists in the portfolio. Organized by Arizona artist Kathryn Maxwell, the second portfolio “Reunion: Images 1990” commemorates the 20th anniversary of “Images 1990” a portfolio that was organized by Illinois artist Oscar Gillespie and Louisiana artist Larry Schuh. The portfolio includes works by 33 artists, including Beauvais Lyons. The exhibition is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the UT School of Art at 974-3408. http://sunsite.utk.edu/gallery1010/Site/About_Gallery_1010.html

August brings so much exciting energy with class and workshop offerings, visiting practitioners, and new students and clients! URBhana is proud to have local painter Alison Oakes show her work for our First Friday. You can preview her work at www.alisonoakes.com. Please join us First Friday for wine, snacks, stunning artwork and beautiful Kirtan music by Svara.

URBhana, 115 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information: 865-951-5454, www.urbhana.com