Calendar of Events

Few performance troupes have become as indispensible a part of pop culture as Blue Man Group has, and for good reason. For over 20 years, they’ve amazed audiences with their signature blend of comedy, avant-garde instrumentals and sensory overload. With long-running shows in New York, Chicago and Vegas, Blue Man Group has proven that the trademark, blissful party atmosphere created at their live events is more than enough to capture the audience’s attention. The wildly popular performers are bringing their tour to the Tennessee Theatre on July 24 and 25.

Tickets are on sale now via the Tennessee Theatre box office, all Knoxville Tickets outlets, by phone at 865-656-4444 or online.

Saturday 7/21
Flint Blade
Etta Britt

Monday 7/23
Rich Del Grosso
John Del Toro Richardson

Tuesday 7/24
Sweet Wednesday
Tim Fast

Wednesday 7/25
Bonnie Whitmore
Chris Porter

Thursday 7/26
Natasha Borzilova
The Living Trees

Friday 7/27
Cabinet
Drew Gibson Band

Saturday 7/28
Austin Miller
Wilhelm McKay

Monday 7/30
Hillary Reynolds Band
Jon Gambino

Tuesday 7/31
Black Water Mojo
Stephanie Quayle

Wednesday 8/1
Kevin Abernathy
Jimmy Morris

Thursday 8/2
Tova Rinah and Molly Parden
Chuck Mead

Friday 8/3
Angela Perley and the Howlin' Moons
Hiroya Tsukamoto

Saturday 8/4
Lonesome Meadow
Tim and Jodi Harbin

12:00 noon, Knoxville Visitor Center, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, 37902

Shakespeare on the Square presents special indoor matinees!

The Tennessee Stage Company will be back on Market Square for its tenth season of Shakespeare On The Square (and its 22nd summer Shakespeare season), featuring “As You Like It” and “Julius Caesar.”

There is a special twist this summer: indoor matinees!

If the heat of summer is too much to sit outdoors on the Square come see each play indoors in air conditioned comfort in the Square Room at 4 Market Square. The plays will be performed in their entirety just as they are played outdoors but in the cool comfort of an air conditioned interior. These are the first indoor matinees for Shakespeare On The Square and they will be performed for one low ticket price -
$ 10.00.

The Square Room at 4 Market Square. “Julius Caesar” July 21 at 2:00 pm and
“As You Like It” July 28 at 2:00 pm.

“Julius Caesar” is directed by Tennessee Stage Artistic Director Tom Parkhill. “As You Like It” is directed by long-time company member Kevin Velasco.

For more information about the Tennessee Stage Company, Shakespeare On The Square or its support guild, Stage Door Society, call (865) 546-4280 or email tennesseestage@comcast.net

Saturday, July 21, 8 am
FAMILY PROGRAM: Morning Canoe Cruise
Enjoy an early summer morning as you cruise around the lake at Mead's Quarry. This fun and relaxed outing includes an enjoyable tour of the lake with Ijams' favorite storyteller, Stephen Lyn Bales. If we're lucky, we might catch a glimpse of the elusive freshwater jellyfish that live in the lake! The fee for this program is $15 for members and $17.50 for non-members. Please call (865) 57-4717, ext. 119 to register. Leader: Stephen Lyn Bales

Saturday, July 21, 9 am
FAMILY PROGRAM: Plant for the Future: Urban Land Scouting
(For families with children going into grades 2-7) This playful and informative workshop is for families interested in getting started gardening and improving their land stewardship skills. We will start plants from seed and cuttings, make seed balls, and help families design a plan for their homes-- whether that is an apartment or acreage. Please wear closed-toe shoes and a hat. Bring a water bottle and a pen. Limit 25 people. Cost is $10 per person, scholarships available. Call or email Katie Ries to register: (865) 235-1730 or katie@urbanlandscouts.com.

Saturday, July 21, 9:30 am
FAMILY PROGRAM: Family Day Camp - Geology of Ijams
Ijams Nature Center rocks! During this Family Day Camp program, you'll learn why. We'll tour some of the geological features of the park and learn about the different rocks and minerals. Did you know that rocks cause tsunamis? After a morning of hands-on activities, we'll enjoy a boxed lunch on the back terrace. The fee for this program is $15 per person for Ijams members; $20 for non-members. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 115 to register. Leader: Sabrina DeVault

Saturday, July 21, 2 pm
FAMILY PROGRAM: Animal Program
Have you met all the animals that call the Ijams Visitor Center home? If not, be sure to stop by every Saturday for a chance to get nose-to-beak with some of our resident furred and feathered ambassadors. Free to members, $2 for non-members. No registration required.

Saturday, July 21, 3 pm
FAMILY PROGRAM: Raising Butterflies with Lois
Join local butterfly expert Lois English for a program and demonstration on how to raise butterflies like swallowtails to release into your yard. Highly educational. $5 for members, $8 for non-members. To register, call 577-47617, ext. 110.

Sunday, July 22, 2 pm
FAMILY PROGRAM: Show-and-Tell Sundays
Have you met all the animals that call the Ijams Visitor Center home? If not, be sure to stop by every Sunday at 2 pm and 4 pm for a chance to get nose-to-beak with some of our resident furred and feathered ambassadors. You can also learn the secrets of the exhibit hall with our museum curator every Sunday at 3 pm to peek into the world of the Ijams exhibits. Both of these programs are free to members, $2 for non-members. No registration required.

Tuesday, July 24, 9:30 am
FAMILY PROGRAM: Family Day Camp - Reptiles and Amphibians
Join us for this great outdoor family program! Designed with family fun and exploration in mind, these programs are designed for families to attend together, enjoying nature and spending quality time together. This month's program will feature the world of reptiles and amphibians... and you never know what animal may make a surprise visit during this program! After a morning of hands-on activities, we'll enjoy a boxed lunch on the back terrace. The fee for this program is $15 per person for Ijams members; $20 for non-members. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 115 to register. Leader: Kara Remington

Wednesday, July 25, 11 am
FAMILY PROGRAM: Behind the Scenes with the Ijams Veterinarian
(Ages 5 and up) Get up close and personal with some of Ijams' furred and feathered animal ambassadors! You won't want to miss this unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of our animal care program. You'll get to see how we feed and care for the animals, and you may even have the chance to get nose-to-beak or toe-to-tail with some of our wildlife friends. Due to liability concerns, participants cannot be under 5 years of age. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a paying adult. The fee for this program is $30 per person, and includes a boxed lunch. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register. Leader: Dr. Louise Conrad

Thursday, July 26, 1 pm
Ijams Children's Story Time
Join Ijams volunteer Lynn Keffer as she reads Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat, she will also lead kids in a fun craft. Free, but a donation would be nice. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register.

Thursday, July 26, 10 am
CHILDREN'S PROGRAM: Wee Ones - What About Water?
(Ages 2-3 with adult partner) Want a way to break the heat of summer? What about water? Join us for this exploration of the wonderful wet stuff as we learn all about what makes water so important. We may even get a little wet. The fee for this program is $5 for members and $15 for non-members. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register. Leader: Sabrina DeVault

Friday, July 27, 10 am
FAMILY PROGRAM: Nature Fun Station
Join us for this terrific new program at Ijams Nature Center! Look for the Nature Fun Station sign to find a fun outdoor learning activity. Whether, we are catching bugs in the meadow or planting flowers in the garden, visitors can join us for a variety of outdoor discoveries. Follow the sign to fun! FREE. No registration required.

Also featuring Student Exhibit: “Watercolors by the Students of Mary Secrist”
Reception: July 20, 6:30-8:00 PM

Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 9AM-5PM; Wednesday & Friday, 10AM-5PM; Saturday, 9AM-1PM. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartctr.com

Gatlinburg's premier arts and crafts show with over 180 of the nation's finest craftspeople plus country and bluegrass music shows daily.

July 20 - 29 and October 11 - 28, 2012.
Monday through Saturday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
Gatlinburg Convention Center, 920 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN.
Adults $6.00 each, children 12 and under free. www.craftsmensfair.com

'The Comedy Experiment' is back on July 19, 2012! Join us for live sketch comedy, audience-inspired improv and stand-up comedian Tom Allen.

Catch us at the Creative Arts Co-op Visual & Performing Arts Center, 426 Ruritan Road, Harriman.

The show begins at 8pm.
Tickets are $5.00 at the door. Must be 18 or older.
Call the Creative Arts Co-op at 865/765-1129 or visit www.creativeartsco-op.com

Matter of Time is an exhibition of new textile based works by artist Sarah Rabeda. Over the past year, the artist has been accumulating natural materials in and around the Knoxville area and arranging them into tapestries. The installation addresses the fragility of natural material and its inevitable decomposition. You are invited to experience these pieces through the senses. Also included in the show is a collaboration between the artist and Mike Finn, titled The Insterstitial. This series of public interventions examines the use of unintentional spaces and fills them in with social meaning. The gallery will be open on the Tuesdays and Thursdays during the exhibition period from 5:30-7:30pm, with special viewings by request. Please contact srabeda@gmail.com to schedule a viewing.

Opening reception on Friday July 20, 6-9 PM; closing reception on Friday July 27, 6-9pm; gallery hours 5:30-7:30 pm 7/17,7/19,7/24 and 7/26 at The Center for Creative Minds, 23 Emory Place, across from the Old Gray Cemetery on Broadway, in Knoxville. www.a1labarts.org

Monday 7/16
Jackson Ridge Rodeo
Guy Marshall

Tuesday 7/17
Brian Collins
Corpus Callosum

Wednesday 7/18
Wayne Haught
Scissormen

Thursday 7/19
Caleb Wolfe
Adrian Krygowski

Friday 7/20
Daniel Ellsworth
The Shams Band

Saturday 7/21
Flint Blade
Etta Britt

Monday 7/23
Rich Del Grosso
John Del Toro Richardson

Tuesday 7/24
Sweet Wednesday
Tim Fast

Wednesday 7/25
Bonnie Whitmore
Chris Porter

Thursday 7/26
Natasha Borzilova
The Living Trees

Friday 7/27
Cabinet
Drew Gibson Band

Saturday 7/28
Austin Miller
Wilhelm McKay

12:00 noon. Knoxville Visitor Center, 301 South Gay Street, Knoxville, 37902.

An exhibit featuring the talent of both the artists and the athletes.
3 photographers are showing their images:
Andrew Kornylak from Atlanta, GA
Janine Hill from London, UK
John May from Knoxville, TN

Opening reception - First Friday August 3, from 6pm to 9:30pm:

130 West Jackson Avenue, Suite 201, Knoxville, TN 37902. The gallery is open weekdays 10 am to 5 pm and after hours or weekends by appointment at 917 532 4913 or patrice@2manypixelsphoto.com

Bliss Home will feature Callie Farmer for July's First Friday. A reception will be held at Bliss Home, 29 Market Square, from 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, July 6th. Callie is currently working on her MFA in Studio Art and Printmaking at Bradley University in Chicago, Illinois. Callie's most recent work, primarily in intaglio, invites the viewer to see her interpretation of the world through new and creative printing techniques. Callie's work intends to 'show the beauty in the overlooked images all around us.'

July 6, 2012 through the end of the month.
Website: shopinbliss.com and callie-farmer.wix.com/calliefarmer
Facebook: Bliss Home

The East Tennessee Historical Society and the Tennessee Sampler Survey are pleased to announce the opening of the traveling exhibit, Tennessee Samplers: 19th Century Schoolgirl Embroidery on view now at the Museum of East Tennessee History.

The exhibit will be on view at the East Tennessee History Center, Knoxville, TN, from July 6 through July 29, 2012.

Since 2004, the Tennessee Sampler Survey has been documenting 19th century embroidery across the state. Twenty Tennessee samplers were selected for the exhibit, each from a different county. The exhibit presents the samplers on full-sized panels; the actual samplers are not part of this exhibit due to their fragility. Five text panels, explaining the work of the Tennessee Sampler Survey and the regional characteristics of the samplers, are also part of the exhibit.

The East Tennessee History Center is open 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Saturday; and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Sunday. Admission to the Tennessee Samplers exhibit is free. The other exhibits at the Museum of East Tennessee History have an admission fee except for Sunday which is “Family Day” with free admission. The East Tennessee History Center is located at 601 South Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37901. For more information call (865) 215-8830, email eths@eastTNhistory.org, or visit www.easttnhistory.org.

A Brown Bag lecture with co-curators Jennifer Core and Janet Hasson is planned for Wednesday, July 25, at noon at the East Tennessee History Center.