Calendar of Events

Thursday, December 16, 8:00 PM
Friday-Saturday, December 17-18, 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM

Modern Dance Primitive Light (MDPL), conveys the warm inviting spirit of the holidays with respect to the diversity of our audience. A dance company founded on inclusivity, Circle Modern Dance, voted Metro Pulse’s Best of Knoxville Dance Company, celebrates movement and creativity year after year, inviting audiences to connect with dancers, performance artists, and live musicians while being immersed in the warm ambiance of the Laurel Theater.

This year, we are proud to showcase an intriguing blend of dances, from polished modern dance technique to inspired improvisations, and even acrobalance, with variety from new and returning choreographers, dancers and musicians. Together, with our expansive cast, we share the joy of creative movement and support each individual’s evolution of “Becoming.” After all, everyone is a dancer, and every body has the right to dance.

At the Laurel Theatre, 1538 Laurel Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37916. Information: 865-524-7615, circlemoderndance@gmail.com, www.circlemoderndance.com; Tickets: www.knoxtix.com

This is also a Penny Performance event for Knox County students ages 5-18. Visit www.penny4arts.com for more information.

Tickets may be purchased by phone at (423) 745-8781, at www.athensartscouncil.org, at The Arts Center, 320 North White Street, and at the door as available. Season tickets will also be available at $50 for an individual ticket, $90 for a couple, and $125 for a family (immediate only).

Start planning your costume now--there will be prizes for Best Dressed Bicyclist (adult and child), Best Decorated Bicycle/Trailer, Best Group and more! More details to come!
Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization, 865-215-2500

The Athens Area Council for the Arts’ Big Time/Small Town Performance Season continues on Thursday, December 16th with the North Carolina Stage Company (NCSC) production of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Live From WVL Radio Theater. Sponsored by Athens Regional Medical Center, the performance begins at 7:30 PM at the Athens Junior High School Auditorium, 200 Keith Lane in Athens.

This 1940s “live broadcast” of Frank Capra’s beloved film takes us back to the Golden Age of Radio. The WVL studio’s “On Air” sign lights up and the heartwarming holiday classic comes to life through the bygone radio formula of a few hardworking actors, live sound effects – and a listener’s imagination. Resurrecting the vintage radio-drama formula, 4 actors take on over 35 roles and provide all the live sound effects needed to bring the story to life.

Advance tickets are $18 for adults, $8 for students and are available by phone at 423-745-8781, on line at www.athensartscouncil.org, or at The Arts Center, 320 North White Street in downtown Athens. Day of show tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students. For more information on IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Live From WVL Radio Theater go to www.immediatetheatre.org. The final two performances in the Big Time/Small Town season are THE PIANO MEN starring Jim Witter on January 10, 2011 and FRANC D’AMBROSIO’S BROADWAY on March 10, 2011.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present its National Juried Exhibition of 2010, a new exhibition featuring selected works from 35 artists in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio. The National Juried Exhibition was developed in 2006 to provide a forum for local artists to compete on a national scale and display their highest quality work. The exhibition features both traditional and non-traditional work and will be displayed at the Arts & Culture Alliance’s Emporium Center Gallery from December 13, 2010 - January 26, 2011. A public reception will take place on Friday, January 7, from 5:00-9:00 PM with a brief awards ceremony at 6:00 PM in which $1,000 in cash awards will be announced.

A gallery of images may be viewed at http://www.knoxalliance.com/album/juried_2010.html.

Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, January 8, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. 100 S. Gay Street, 37902. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

Artist Reception is Friday, December 10th from 6-9pm
Refreshments Provided

Red Line Gallery, 11519 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37934. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11AM-6PM. For information: 865-288-0277, www.redlinegallery.net

Revisiting the 100 Block Construction Project - Solo work by Aaron Shugart-Brown
http://shugartbrown.com
Opening reception December 8, 5:30-8:30 PM

At the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: M-F 9AM-5PM. For more information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition entitled “Con_struct: Revisiting the 100 Block Construction Project” by Aaron Shugart-Brown, opening Wednesday, December 8, at 5:30 PM in the Balcony of the Emporium Center. In December of 2007, Shugart-Brown opened Unarmed Merchants, an artisan gallery located on the 100 Block of Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. Just fourteen months later, in February of 2009, the City of Knoxville began an extensive, eighteen-month construction project on the 100 and 200 Blocks of Gay Street to rebuild the support structures, relocate and realign all utilities, and replace surface-level streetscape features. During those eighteen months, the construction affected every aspect of Shugart-Brown’s life, including business, personal relationships with family and friends, and the art he created. “Con_struct” represents the body of work created by Shugart-Brown during that time as well as abstract photographs of the construction project itself.

During the time he spent adjacent to the epicenter of the 100 Block construction project, a question emerged: was there an overarching aesthetic that could be derived from the process itself? Through all of the noise, dust, and debris, Shugart-Brown challenged himself to find the raw beauty of such an intrusive element. “I wanted to get right up in the face of my assailant and document a counterpoint to the frustration I experienced,” says Shugart-Brown. “Using the tools of photography, mixed media paintings, and watercolor, I wanted a new visual language to emerge that would help describe this experience. With the final phase of the 100 Block Construction ending just two weeks before my exhibition opens, I feel that this show is a good, encompassing epilogue to a story many people are glad is finished.” For more information on Shugart-Brown, visit www.shugartbrown.com. For more information on the 100 Block Construction Project, visit http://100blockconstructionknox.blogspot.com.

“Con_struct” will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street.. An opening reception will take place on Wednesday, December 8, from 5:30-8:30 PM. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

An exhibition by ORAC members. Reception on December 5, 2-4PM with gallery talk at 1:30 PM.

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9AM-5PM; Saturday-Monday, 1-4PM. For information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org

The UT Downtown Gallery is proud to present the work of American Illustrator, Walter Haskell Hinton (1886-1980). This collection of work includes original drawings, watercolors, and oil paintings representing an array of clients and subject matter during his prolific career as an illustrator. Some of Mr. Hinton’s clients include, Outdoor Life Magazine, Sports Afield Magazine, Mammoth Western Magazine, The John Deere and Company, Fairmont Railways, and Washington National Insurance Co.

An exhibition catalog of Mr. Hinton’s work will be available for sale at the Downtown Gallery. The catalog highlights Mr. Hinton’s illustartions of the Popular American West.
For more information about Mr. Hinton and his career please visit: www.walterhaskellhinton.com

Please join us for a First Friday Opening reception December 3 from 5:00pm until 9:00pm. Admission is free and the public is welcome.

UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Wednesday-Friday: 11AM - 6PM; Saturday: 10AM - 3PM. For information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

Hallah Art Presents “Winter Wonder”, a collection of new work by Hallah John Paul Boltik, and featuring original Hallah Art pendants created by Headstock Studios in Asheville, NC. "Winter Wonder" opens with a reception on Friday December 3rd, 7:30-10:30pm at 5201 Kingston Pike Suite 7 Knoxville, TN. The exhibit runs from December 3rd through December 31st.

Self taught fine artist, Hallah John Paul Boltik, specializes in abstract floralism and disappearing wilderness landscapes. He works primarily with oils and acrylics on canvas and wood incorporating three dimensional and carving techniques in his work. “Hallah”, as his works are signed, also paints on reclaimed materials including wood, slate, brick, stone and tile.

The Art Market Gallery of Knoxville will spotlight the work of two member artists, Fran Thie and Roger Kroll. The Gallery will host a First Friday Reception for the Featured Artists on Friday, December 3 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