Calendar of Events

The Wild Thyme Players will offer a DROP-IN ACTING CLASS every Thursday in the Annex at The Emporium, 100 S. Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. This class is open to actors of all experience levels and will have a different focus each week, such as improv, monologues, or practice auditions. Students should wear comfortable clothes, as the class will include movement exercises. The class will be taught by EMILY SOLEIL, a graduate of the Boston University College of Fine Arts. Emily has studied and performed in Boston, Los Angeles, Orange County, and Salt Lake City. The fee is $8 per class.

Wild Thyme Players: 865-325-9877, www.wildthymeplayers.org, director@wildthymeplayers.org

Family Day Camps are half-day programs designed with family learning and exploration in mind. During these programs, you will have the opportunity to discover more about nature through hands-on activities both indoors and out. This month’s topic: Birds of a Feather. To register for camps contact Jennifer Roder: 577-4717, ext. 130 or jroder@ijams.org

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). Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Booder Barnes is the featured artist this month at Union Avenue Books. There will be a reception on Friday, August 5, at the bookstore 5-9pm. His work will be on display through the end of the month.

517 Union Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. 865-951-2180

“Enlightenment”, a juried exhibition developed to allow regional artists to compete and display work at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville. The exhibition is hosted by the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville and coordinated by Carole Truelove and Shawn Kincaid with juror Mark Hall of Maryville College. The selected art will feature contemporary 2- and 3-dimensional artwork that is spiritual, metaphysical, or energy-based. A reception and presentation of awards takes place on First Friday, August 5, from 5:00-9:00 PM.

Bliss Home will feature Ryan Blair for August’s First Friday. A reception will be held at Bliss Home, 29 Market Square, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, August 5. Blair not only devotes his time to painting on his own, but also teaching. “When not in the studio, he teaches art full time to 650 local elementary students.” His inspiration comes from the imagery of Tennessee. Living in the foothills of East Tennessee provides some of the best shapes and colors to mirror in his work. He pulls from adventures such as exploring the local mountain sides, streams or paddling his canoe.

24 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: anne@shopinbliss.com, 865-216-1237, www.shopinbliss.com, www.ryanblairart.com

First Friday, August 5, 6:00-9:00 PM featuring local artist, Kelle Jolly
Images will be available for viewing all month.

Through social media, I invited friends to share stories of being "uprooted". These images and stories were full of emotions, like hurt and despair. But feelings of relief and gratefulness were also clear. I listened to these stories and allowed my mind to wrap itself around the feeling. And soon, the images grew from hands into shapes and forms of mesh and fabric. I decided to use wire mesh and plastic mesh because the loose ends resemble the wild roots of uprooted trees. Semi-transparent, wire mesh is the perfect canvas for weaving images. It gave me the option of adding to the surface by painting directly on it or adding materials by hand-sewing through it. A music composition was created with the stories that were left by voice mail. The recordings of the stories encourage the viewer to continually explore the feeling of being uprooted.

Kelle Jolly is an artist, actress, designer, educator and musician. She has created all of her life. "My earliest memories are of cutting up my baby clothes, to make doll clothes.", she says. Kelle enjoys using her hands to manipulate fabric, especially. In 2011, she was awarded the EMERGING ARTIST AWARD by the Dogwood Arts Festival for her line of wearable art "SUSHI DRESSES". Finding ways to combine her talents of designing, sewing and performing keep her motivated. Kelle says, "I want my memories to documented through the art I create."

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

The Tennessee Reiki Connection is pleased to present “Enlightenment”, A Metaphysical, Spiritual and Energy Art Show and Holistic Fair hosted by the Arts & Culture Alliance at the Emporium Center, opening Friday, August 5, at 5:00 PM in the main gallery of the Emporium Center. Twenty artists will showcase works in the following media: encaustic, steel, clay, mixed media, acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, photography, digital art, and more as juried by Mark Hall, Professor of Art at Maryville College. All works were created within the past two years and will be available for purchase. The mission of the Tennessee Reiki Connection is to promote Reiki within their communities and to be a resource and support for Reiki Practitioners of all lineages and schools. For more information on TRC, visit www.tennesseereikiconnection.com.

The First Friday reception on August 5 will feature holistic healers demonstrating their healing modality free of charge, drumming, belly dancing, acoustic guitar, and more.

“Enlightenment” will be displayed in the main gallery of the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, from August 5-26, 2011. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on August 5 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, August 6, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. For more information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of mixed media works by local artist Diana Rogers on the north side of the Balcony at the Emporium Center. The exhibition is essentially a public diary of current events, popular culture, and personal nostalgia that have served as sources of inspiration to Rogers, whose nearly 30 works will include watercolor, acrylic, pencil, and India ink. “In much the same way that a Facebook user posts status updates to a profile to create a personal news feed, the pieces in this exhibition became a way for me to document my day-to-day life and catalog my personal interests,” says Rogers. “Social media influenced both my choice of subject matter and the manner in which I presented the work.”

Knoxville native Diana Rogers is a graduate of Mars Hill College in North Carolina and holds a BA in Studio Art and English. In addition, she has furthered her studies in a variety of subjects, including drawing, photography and printmaking at Penland School of Crafts, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and Shakerag. Rogers operates a shop on Etsy.com where she sells small prints, paper goods, and the occasional piece of original art. She also maintains a blog where she chronicles her artistic endeavors, baking exploits, gardening misadventures, and keeps track of the movies and television shows she watches. Locally, Rogers has exhibited at Tomato Head, Bliss Home, Marble Slab Creamery, and The Birdhouse. For more information on Diana Rogers, visit her web site at www.howlwithme.com.

“A Day in the Life: Observations & Obsessions” will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on August 5 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, August 6, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. For more information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of more than 40 watercolors, oils, and acrylics by the O’Connor Senior Center Painters entitled “Painted Memories”, opening Friday, August 5, at 5:00 PM in the Balcony of the Emporium Center. Twelve artists from the O’Connor Painters will display work in this exhibition. Each Wednesday, the O’Connor Painters meet at the O’Connor Senior Center to learn, work, and share under the tutelage of local artist Ann Birdwell, who teaches watercolors, oils, and acrylics. For several of the O’Connor Painters, attending class and seeing their work come to life from a blank canvas is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Others have come to class to refine their technique and to learn from Ms. Birdwell while sharing life experiences with the group. Fall painting classes at the O’Connor Senior Center will begin on Wednesday, September 7, and continue for 10 weeks. Please call 865-523-1135 for class information and to register.

“Painted Memories” will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on August 5 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, August 6, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. For more information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com.

A mural featuring pre-Columbian art and Mayans, Incas, Aztecs, and Cherokee art. Featuring work by Bogachan Akyildiz, Cristina Cox, Stephanie Steren-Ruta, Harley Diamond, Natalia Velasquez, Carlos Bermudez, and more. Opening August 5, 5:00-9:00 PM in the offices of HoLa Hora at the Emporium, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 109, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: dinaruta@gmail.com; 865-335-3358, www.holafestival.org

By Williams, Sears and Howard - Directed by Vania Smrkovski
The much anticipated third installment in the Tuna trilogy takes the audience through another satirical ride into the hearts and minds of the polyester-clad citizens of Texas' third smallest town. Along with Tuna's perennial favorites, some new Tuna denizens burst into the 4th of July Tuna High School Class Reunion. This sets the stage for a show full of fireworks and fun from the land where the Lion's Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies.It's been several years since we left Bertha and Arles dancing at the end of A Tuna Christmas ... Did the romance blossom? Has Didi Snavley received any "cosmic" communications from R.R.'s UFO? Did Stanley make his fortune in the Albuquerque taxidermy business? These and other burning questions will be asked and answered in the side-splitting spoof of life in rural America.

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

While outdoor temperatures soar, performers for this year’s Hot Summer Nights Concert series at the Blount County Public Library promise to warm the hearts of audience members who can stay cool inside the air conditioned library building. Spotlighting “emerging artists,” this year’s concerts feature groups who have been performing in the local area for awhile and are now moving on to various larger venues.

The lineup for this year’s “Emerging Artists” 10th season of concerts is:
Thursday, August 4 - Six Mile Express
Thursday, August 11 - The Great Great Pines
Thursday, August 18 - Rebecca Roberts (modern/classical) & DeAnna Gilson (classical arias)
Thursday, August 25 - Laurel Wright
Thursday, September 1 - Knoxville Opera Company

Free and open to the public, the program is at the Blount County Public Library, located at 508 N. Cusick Street, Maryville. 865-982-0981, www.blountlibrary.org