Calendar of Events

“Homecoming”, Marie Merritt’s one woman show, opens to the public in the lobby and mezzanine of Niswonger Performing Arts Center. The exhibit is a celebration of the vibrant work of Marie Merritt in a masterful combination of transparent and opaque oil paints. She is a native of Greene County and draws inspiration from East Tennessee history and that of southern Appalachia, translating their beauty, people, and places into stories told on canvas. Her own memories of her childhood in this county provided the motivation for her to take up painting as an adult. “Marie’s paintings are wonderful oils in a very representational genre with tiny traces of romanticism” says James-Ben Stockton, director of Greeneville’s regional art center. “Her work was so well received at the Capitol Theater last year during the “Civil War Views” exhibit that I’m having a preview event in the gallery from September 1-4.” This preview exhibit of Civil War inspired art
will take place at James-Ben: Studio and Gallery Art Center and include Marie’s open-stock prints and note cards and two original paintings of John Hunt Morgan. The “Thunderbolt of the Confederacy” is also portrayed through cold-cast bronze sculptures from Dell Hughes. Civil War inspired images including portraits of Stonewall Jackson and Nathan Bedford Forrest will also be on hand. Barbara Bible “Jake” Carter’s evocative watercolors depicting Civil War scenes will be included, along with prints from Lynne Olka and Kenneth Hinkle. “Visitors should take special interest in Suzanne Saltzman’s detailed and panoramic action photos of Civil War reenactments,” says Stockton.

September 7, “Homecoming” will open at Niswonger Performing Arts Center. A Meet the Artist event will take place Sunday, September 19th from 12:30 to 3 PM.

James-Ben: Studio & Gallery Art Center, 129 North Main Street, Historic Morgan Square, Greeneville, TN 37743. Information: 423-787-0195, www.james-ben.com

Learn about the plants and animals that come out in the evening! Wear your walking shoes, and let us guide you and your family through the Garden during twilight.
Red, White and Blooms - Tuesday, July 6, 6:30 p.m.
Taste Buds - Tuesday, August 3, 6:30 p.m.
Birds and Blooms - Tuesday, September 7, 6:30 p.m.

UT Gardens, Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-7151, http://utgardens.tennessee.edu

Mary Ruden (photography) will be featured long side Kitty Siegel (jewelry). Mary Ruden's work focuses on exotic butterflies from all over the world.
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/photographers/?inc=details&id=123633

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

SEPTEMBER 3-28
A collection of works by local artists:
Michael Underwood, award-winning director, cinematographer and President of Knoxville-based Tantrum Pictures, creates alluring and unconventional fine art photographs which transport, inspire and elevate the viewer. "My goal," says Michael, "is to produce distinctive, memorable, and engaging work--work that isn't afraid to ruffle reality..."

Knoxville painter Kathie Odom's art reflects her life. She leaves the anatomy of her work exposed. In her use of washes and oils, light diffuses and textures emerge, creating interest in her landscapes and quiet scenes. Kathie's compositions are places where the possibility of life exists. Barn. Nest. Field. Dwelling. Bud.
Shed. The vision of Home.

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 Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition by the Tennessee Artists Association titled “The TAA Annual Fall Juried Show” and featuring original art by more than 40 Tennessee artists including oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastels, photography, and mixed-media. The exhibition will be displayed at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 3-24, 2010. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on September 3 from 5:00-9:00 PM, and awards for the show will be given at 6:00 PM.

“This is TAA’s second show at the Emporium Center, and we are very excited about the opportunity to present the breadth and quality of Tennessee artists’ works represented by our members,” says Joanne White and her co-chair, Steve Black. Sponsors of this show, including FastFrame, Jerry’s Artarama, The Town Framery, Franklin Gallery, Cheap Joe’s and CMI Moulding, have made it possible to provide awards and recognition to the artists.

Founded in 1974, The Tennessee Artists Association (TAA) is a civic organization of fine artists with 55 current members. The Tennessee Artists Association encourages each individual artist to grow and develop through fellowship with other artists, educational programs, opportunities to exhibit and sell art, and to serve the community through classes. For more information, visit www.tennartists.org.

The TAA Annual Fall Juried Show will be 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, September 4, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, September 6, for Labor Day. For information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a collection of new works titled “Let’s Play with our Emotions” by Rafael Casco, the current Betsy Worden Memorial Artist-in-Residence at the Emporium Center. The exhibition features works created during the time of Casco’s residency (April through September 2010) that were inspired by the Toltec tradition in which people learn to have and show total respect for themselves and those around them. Toltec tradition guides people to take care of their bodies, souls, and the planet. “I use my imagination and art work to create a reality in which the world is a place of justice and happiness,” says Casco. The exhibition includes acrylic paintings, airbrush technique, mixed media, plaster masks and sculptures, and hand-painted furniture and plates. Casco will also display a series of masks created by students with whom he works. “Let’s Play with our Emotions” will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 3-24, 2010. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on September 3 from 5:00-9:00 PM.

Rafael Casco was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras where he received a degree as an art teacher from the National School of Fine Arts in Honduras and studied psychology at the National Autonomous University. He has participated in different art events in Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, and throughout the United States. He uses his art to design pottery, furniture, and to create and install custom murals; his collection also includes carving, molds, caricatures, and drawing. Casco taught art to at-risk children and adults in Latin America and the U.S., including his work with the YWMCA in San Jose, CA, where he used art as a gang prevention strategy with low-income Hispanic youth. After living in Los Angeles for a few years, the destruction in Honduras from Hurricane Mitch compelled him to return to his home country. He worked with children living on the street and used his skills in art therapy. He also taught art in the high schools while continually searching for ways to show his own art. In 2005, he returned to the U.S. to pursue his dream of exhibiting and selling paintings.

Casco sends some of his paintings to the Institute of International Languages in Honduras to be sold for scholarships for children who want to learn to speak English but cannot afford the tuition. He currently shows work at Earthspeak Studio and Creative Spirit Crafts in Gatlinburg and for the past three years has participated in the Artist-on-Location and Latino Art Exhibition at the Knoxville Museum of Art. In 2010, Casco served as a panelist for the Tennessee Arts Commission’s Arts Education – Community Learning grants. He was also recently selected to be one of ten artists from East Tennessee participating in a TAC program called Arts360° being piloted in five Knox County schools. Arts360° emphasizes arts integration in which math, science, reading and other subjects are integrated with and taught through music, dance, visual art, theatre and creative writing. Casco and the other artists will provide residencies and serve as peer coaches.

“Let’s Play with our Emotions” will be 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, September 4, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, September 6, for Labor Day. For information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com.

Featuring works small enough to fit in a shoe box! All mediums.

SHOW WILL OPEN ON THE FIRST FRIDAY – SEPTEMBER 3
AND CLOSE ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17.

865-805-3190; www.a1labarts.org.

Featuring works by Carl Gombert, Mark Hall, Polly Ann Martin, Adrienne Schwarte, and Brian Wagner. Public reception on Friday, September 24, 6:00-8:00 PM as part of the Last Friday Art Walk: http://maryvilleartwalk.com/web/

Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com. Hours of Operation are Monday-Friday 10am-6pm.

Elementary Art Exhibition

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

Sandra McEntire Is Craft Center Featured Artist in September. New work by potter Sandra McEntire will be featured at the Appalachian Arts Craft Center in Norris during the month of September. The exhibit is entitled “Naked Pots: Horsehair, Barrel Fired, Micaceous Clay.” McEntire is a long-time potter and teacher from Anderson County.

Meet the artist on Sunday, September 5, between 1-5 p.m.

Appalachian Arts Craft Center: 2716 Andersonville Highway, Clinton, TN. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10AM-6PM; Sunday 1-5PM. For information: 865-494-9854, www.appalachianarts.net

During the month of September, 2010, an exhibition entitled “Triple Treat” will be the featured art show in the Denso Community Gallery in the Clayton Center at Maryville College. Three local artists, sculptress Joyce McCroskey, mixed media jewelry designer Kim Slater, and painter Karol Smith pool their talents in the gallery. The combined talent of these three well-known local artists represents a total of almost 150 years of experience. The Denso Gallery is located on the first floor of the main building of the Clayton Center, just off the right side of the Grand Foyer. The artists will be present the evening of September 7 to welcome visitors to the gallery. "That Evening Sun", a film starring Hal Holbrook and filmed in Blount County, will be screened that evening at 7:30 p.m in the Ronald & Linda Nutt Theatre.

The Denso Community Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Info: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

Art Market Gallery of Knoxville will spotlight the work of two member artists: Studio Furniture by Stan Fronczek and photography by Bob Conliffe. Stan Fronczek is an accomplished Studio Furniture maker who preserves the traditional and contemporary elements of design in each piece he builds. Bob Conliffe creates colorful, dream-like images using digital photography and image-enhancing techniques. The gallery will host a First Friday Reception for the Featured Artists on September 3 from 5:30-9 p.m. with light refreshments and live jazz music performed by Brown Musical Entertainment.

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