Calendar of Events

by Jim Leonard, Jr
In a small farm community during the depression where water and faith are in short supply, a charismatic but back-sliding preacher drifts into town and meets a gentle but misunderstood boy with the gift of divining or water-witching. These two outcasts find a common bond and help each other divine for truth, faith and hope. Earthy, funny, poignant and profoundly tragic this play echoes Steinbeck’s classic depression era work with characters who are simple but good people searching for hope and something to believe in. RSCC Playmakers, Roane State Theatre, Harriman. ($7/10 Student/General Admission)
April 7-9, 14-16 at 7 pm
April 10 & 17 at 2 pm (matinee)

Roane State Community College, 276 Patton Lane, Harriman, TN 37748. Information: 865-354-3000, www.roanestate.edu

Bring a sandwich & we’ll provide the drinks & dessert!

"Decorating for Spring Using Primitives & Country Decor” with Pam Leslie of The Heart of Country in The Shoppes at Homespun and Judy McLean. Cost: $8; $6 members. A demonstration of how to dress your home using country and primitive styles that can easily be intermingled and repurposed for various seasons and holidays. Decorative items and Family Heirloom Weavers runners, pillows, and coverlets may be purchased.

Ramsey House Plantation is a 1797 historic home located at 2617 Thorngrove Pike, Knoxville, TN 37914; 865-546-0745, www.ramseyhouse.org

ETHS will welcome home the beloved East Tennessee artist Jim Gray for a special evening celebrating his life’s work. The evening will begin with a reception with Gray at 5:30 p.m. followed by the program at 6:30 p.m. As moderator for this special Tennessee Conversation, NewsTalk 98.7 FM’s Hallerin Hilton Hill will prompt memories from Gray’s storied career, touching on his passion for painting, his family, and the inspiration he takes from the beauty and variety of the region’s changing landscapes. $50 per ticket and reservations are required by April 2. Proceeds benefit the East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For tickets or program information, contact Lisa Belleman at 865-215-8883 or belleman@eastTNhistory.org.

Enjoy the beauty of East Tennessee in spring. Walk, bike, ro drive over 60 miles of trails, open gardens, camera sites, and historic homes. View breathtaking residential landscaping, rainbow-hued flowers and blossoming trees. Lakemoore Hills (Loudon Lake) is the 2011 featured trail.

Wednesday-Friday, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (or by appointment)

Additional dates: May 4-7

Description: Free tours are provided for up to three Knox County students (with paying adult) during the first week of every month during the calendar school year.
Advance reservations required? YES
How to obtain admission: Visitors should contact the Mabry-Hazen House at 865-522-8661 or email mabryhazenhouse@gmail.com.
Contact: Calvin Chappelle, 865-522-8661, mabryhazenhouse@gmail.com
1711 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37915 | www.mabryhazen.com

Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Additional dates: May 3-7

Free tours are provided for up to three Knox County students ages 5-18 (per paying adult) during the first week of every month during the school year (except January). Tours are given at the top of every hour between 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
Advance reservations required? NO
How to obtain admission: Visitors should stop by the Blount Mansion Visitor’s Center and see a staff member to purchase tickets. Must mention Penny Performances and provide proof of Knox County residency to receive $0.01 admission.
Contact: Ashleigh Oatts, 865-525-2375, educationcoordinator@blountmansion.org
200 W. Hill Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37901 | www.blountmansion.org

This unique art exhibit will be on display in the Farragut Town Hall Rotunda. Local artists Gerry Moll and Katie Walberg use non-traditional sculptural materials to create surprising public artwork in order to promote environmental activism within our community. Learn more at trashcollective.org.

The Farragut Town Hall is located at 11408 Municipal Center Drive directly across from the Farragut Branch Post Office. For more information, visit townoffarragut.org or call 966-7057.

Now in its fifth year, this world-class exhibition of 25 large-scale sculptures can be viewd in downtown Knoxville and the McGhee Tyson Airport. The 2011 exhibition juror will be John Henry and will feature up to 35 large-scale, outdoor sculptures. The selected sculptures will be exhibited in downtown Knoxville. For more information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

"Cold War Crisis: The U-2 Incident" exhibit details the story of Francis Gary Powers, a U-2 pilot flying photographic reconnaissance missions for the CIA. His plane was downed by a Soviet surface-to air missile on May 1, 1960 and he was convicted of being a spy and held in Russian prison until February 11, 1962, when he was dramatically exchanged for a Soviet spy in New York, in the first Cold War Spy exchange.

American Museum of Science & Energy, 300 S. Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Monday-Saturday 9AM-5PM; Sunday 1-5PM. For information: 865-576-3200, www.amse.org

There will be an opening reception on Friday, April 8 from 5:30 * 7:30, free and open to the public.

Knoxville Arts and Fine Crafts Center, 1127 Broadway Suite B, Knoxville, TN 37917. For information: 865-523-1401, www.cityofknoxville.org/recreation/arts

Please join us for an opening reception, First Friday, April 1 from 5pm until 9pm. Admission Free, public welcome.

The UT Downtown Gallery is especially pleased to present “Art of Poland, the Collection of Ambassador & Mrs. Victor Ashe” during the month of April and the Dogwood Arts Festival Celebration. This exhibition includes paintings, sculpture, folk art and glass works by some Poland’s leading artists working today such as Edvard Dwurnik, Stanislaw Borowski, Leszek Sokol and Michal Puszczynski.

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

Showcasing 2-D and 3-D art in all media plus photography from artists 18 years and older residing in a 300-mile radius of Knoxville. This year's juror is Virgina Derryberry, Professor and Chair of the Department of Art at the University of North Carolina - Asheville. On display at Bennett Galleries & Company: 5308 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: Monday-Thursday 10AM-6PM; Friday-Saturday 10AM-5:30PM. Information: 865-584-6791, www.bennettgalleries.com. For more information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com