Calendar of Events

The O’Brien Art Gallery on the Roane County Campus is currently featuring the paintings of Nashville based artist Ev Niewoehner. For gallery Hours, contact Bryan Wilkerson at 865.882.4649. www.roanestate.edu/art/gallery

The “Joy of Watercolor” art show will showcase watercolor pieces from art classes taught at Knox County’s Frank R. Strang Senior Center and will feature work from instructor Hazel G. Johnson. The community is invited to honor the artists and enjoy light refreshments at a reception on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 4-7 pm.

Viewable during regular Town Hall hours of Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Jan. 10, 11, 13 and 20. 11408 Municipal Center Drive (across from the Farragut Branch Post Office). For information: 865-966-7057, www.townoffarragut.org

10 Jan 2011 at 7:30 pm
11 Jan 2011 at 7:30PM
12 Jan 2011 at 7:30PM

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

Starring Jim Witter. 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).

The Athens Area Council for the Arts’ Big Time/Small Town Performance Series continues with THE PIANO MEN starring Jim Witter at the Athens Junior High Auditorium, 200 Keith Lane. The Piano Men is a musical celebration of the 1970’s year by year, hit by hit, from the songs of BILLY JOEL and ELTON JOHN. Dove Award nominee and Canadian Juno Award nominee, recording artist Jim Witter and his band lead an expertly crafted tour of an entire decade that begins with “Your Song” and winds along on a musical time machine, saluting two of the century’s most popular contemporary songwriters. Utilizing rear-screen projection, the audience returns to the newspaper headlines, the automobiles, the people, the events, the toys and even the TV shows that shaped a decade. Along the way, the sounds of “My Life,” “Candle in the Wind”, “Rocket Man”, “Just the Way You Are”, and many more classic hits create an evening of music, fun, and nostalgia. With Witter at the grand piano and his musicians on keyboards, guitar, bass, flue, sax and drums, the music is not an attempt to “recreate” or “mimic” the long list of familiar hits. Instead, Witter unleashes his golden tenor on hit after hit to recreate fully-formed mental and emotional return visits to specific landmarks in a pop culture timeline.

Advance tickets for The Piano Men are $18 for adults, $8 for students. Day of show prices are $20 and $10 respectively. Tickets/info: www.athensartscouncil.org, 423-745-8781, or 320 North White Street, Athens, Tennessee.

Join Ijams’ Executive Director for a look into the Ijams family’s role in the Smoky Mountains, including hiking, bird watching, camping on Mt. LeConte, the creation of Camp Margaret Townsend for Girl Scouts, and H.P. Ijams’ role promoting the new national park in the 1930s. Also featured is an account of H.P. Ijams’ famous passenger pigeon and the extinction of this once prevalent species NOTE: This program is at Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge at Music Road Hotel Convention Center.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Visitor Center: Monday: by appointment only for tour groups and school trips; Tuesday-Saturday: 9AM-5PM; Sunday: 1-5PM (March 1 - November 30). For information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

An exhibit featuring the photographs and painting of Terri Swaggerty and oil paintings of Emily Spence Stables will be on display at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church. Free and open to the public. Opening reception Friday, January 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; artists' talks at 6:30 p.m.

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Art Gallery hours: Monday-Thursday 9AM-5PM; Friday 9AM-4:30PM; Sunday 9AM-1PM. Information: 865-523-4176, www.tvuuc.org

Bliss Home is kicking 2011 off with a First Friday artist that is not one to be missed! Melissa Johnson has created truly unique and playful pieces of art that are not only beautiful, but also make a bold statement. The materials she uses range from actual vintage newspapers and magazines to vintage children's encyclopedias and fabric. The pieces capture Johnson’s personal experiences by involving culture and religion, love and relationships, body image, and American social codes and roles both from the 1960's and current. Her work will be on display at the 29 Market Square location through February!

29 market square. Addn info: anne@shopinbliss.com; 865.673.6711

Sevier County artists, aged 18 and older, were invited to submit artworks for consideration and 100 works created by 54 artists were selected for exhibition in the school’s main gallery. An opening reception and presentation of awards will be held Friday, January 28th from 6-8 pm in the Main Gallery. The event is open to the public and free to attend. Martha Connell curated the exhibition and sifted through more than two hundred works in order to select the art featured in the exhibition. Connell is from Atlanta and serves as a curator for a number of museum exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe. The exhibition features a diverse array of media including painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, furniture, woodturning, ceramics, fibers, basketry and jewelry. Arrowmont’s galleries are free and open to the public.

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

URBhana welcomes 2011 with new artwork by local painter, Ashley Addair. You can preview her work on her website: http://noroomforhipsters.wordpress.com/photo-gallery-ashleys-work/

Ashley's vibrant and beautiful original paintings will be on display at URBhana all month, and available for purchase. Levon Walker will be entertaining our ears Friday evening with what he describes as: "Levon's attempt to describe a good lesson learned, in a multi-instrument, homemade oddity of sound contemplating country roots with funky keyboards, and sampled Harlem street sounds under slide guitars."

Join us - admission is free.

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

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of works by four Taiwanese photographers entitled “Taiwan Sublime”, opening Friday, January 7, at 5:00 PM in the Balcony of the Emporium Center. “Taiwan Sublime” comprises four series of photographs taken by Taiwanese photographers who for many years have crisscrossed Taiwan and its smaller sister islands with the aim of creating a record of its natural and human wonders. “Taiwan Sublime” will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street. 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. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

Please make plans to join us in 2011 for another year of celebration and commemoration honoring the life and legacy of the Dream and the Dreamer. With the exception of the MLK Awards Luncheon on January 13, all events are open to the public without charge.

+ Friday, January 1-31: MLK Gallery of Arts Tribute – Bijou Theatre - Featuring original works of art focusing on Dr. Martin Luther King and his work by art students in the Knox County Schools as well as professional artists in the community. The exhibit will be on display throughout the MLK celebration holiday week and continuing through the months of January and February
+ Friday, January 7, 5:00-7:00 PM - Opening Reception – Bijou Theatre

+ Wednesday, January 12, 12:00 NOON - Interfaith Prayer Service - This year’s interfaith service will be held at Tabernacle Baptist Church, 2137 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37915. This very special service will feature leaders from a variety of faith groups to produce a true spirit of interfaith worship. Musical selections will underline the interfaith theme.

+ Thursday, January 13, 8:30 AM - Leadership/Diversity Symposium at Knoxville Marriott Hotel ballroom, 500 Hill Avenue, 38915 - A highlight of the MLK celebration is the annual leadership symposium providing a forum for dialogue and exchange of information about social justice issues.
+ Thursday, January 13, 12:00 PM - Leadership/Awards Luncheon - In the Knoxville Marriott Ballroom, is a ticketed event and advance tickets can be purchased for $40.00 from the MLK office 865-673-8988. (A limited number of tickets will be available at the door.) In addition to the presentation of MLK Special Awards, the guest speaker will be the Reverend Otis Moss III.

+ Friday, January 14, 6:30 PM - Community Discussion – Beck Cultural Exchange Center with Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance - An especially important element in the MLK Celebration activities is an open conversation sponsored by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance. Ralph Hutchinson is Chair of this event.

+ Saturday, January 15 - Youth Symposium at Knoxville College, 901 Knoxville College Dr, Knoxville 37921 - The MLK Jr. Commemoration Celebration Commission Youth Symposium team has again partnered with the Knoxville Chapter of Jack & Jill of America to provide a day of youth development and leadership training. We intend to continue to nurture and develop the next generation of leaders who will be inspired to reweave the fabric of our community for future children and youth.
Teacher In-Service Training at Beck Cultural Exchange Center, 1927 Dandridge Ave, 37915 - In partnership with the Knox County Schools, this special program will help participants gain an understanding of why “Creativity” is important to the nation’s global standing today and in the years to come. Teachers completing this training session will receive five hours credit toward certification.
Y.W.C.A. Race Against Racism - The mission of this annual program is to eliminate racism by holding the Annual Race 5K Run/One Mile Walk along Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue.

 Information is available at http://ywcaknox.com.

Sunday, January 16, 6:00 PM - “A Night With the Arts” at the Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street - This new and exciting program will be a sitting tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King's vision through a multi-faceted artistic presentation that includes some of our areas most gifted singers, actors, dancers, and poets, The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, The Knoxville Opera, the MLK Holiday Celebration Choir, and introducing the MLK Children's Chorus.

Monday, January 17 - Memorial March Parade at 10 - The purpose of the parade is to offer the community a visual and audible display in tribute to the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The 2011 Parade route will stretch from the Tabernacle Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Avenue to Greater Warner AME Church in Burlington.
Memorial Tribute Service at Greater Warner Tabernacle AME Zion Church at 11:45 - This service culminates the MLK Memorial Parade and will feature a Keynote Speaker as well as special music.
Information: www.mlkknoxville.org; mcombs@utk.edu; 865 573-2994