Calendar of Events

2012 Hot Summer Nights Line-up Announced for Blount County Public Library
With the outside temperatures reaching the “sizzling” range, the variety of music by the lineup of professional performers for the 11th season of Hot Summer Nights concerts at the Blount County Public Library will also be “sizzling.”

Musical genres will include Americana, Rhythm and Blues, Contemporary Country, Popular, Classical and even Opera!

All concerts will be at 7 p.m. on seven consecutive Thursday evenings, starting August 2 and concluding September 13. All concerts are indoors in the air-conditioned library facility.

Karen E. Reynolds, award-winning singer/songwriter, producer, publicist and promoter, will kick off this year’s series on August 2 with her new CD, “Read the Book.” Reynolds & Sanctifried with Kitt Rogers & Brandon Kottingen, in an interactive engagement with the audience, plays Americana on acoustic instruments. Her sound and creativity are reminiscent of Mary Chapin-Carpenter, James Taylor and Carole King. She has published on labels and is a host and producer on “The Writer’s Block,” a radio program.

The John Myers Band, appearing on August 9, features John Myers who has been engulfed in the rhythm and blues tradition since starting his career with his brothers and three others as The Five Pennies. Then becoming The Four Pennies and playing some of John’s original pieces, they recorded with Brunswick Records. The current band is a blend of multiple traditions and includes Sean McCollough on keyboards, banjo and guitar; Chris Durman on guitar; Steve White on mandolin; Maria Williams on upright bass and Steve Corrigan on drums.

Gritte Fritter - John Dupree Gritte Fritter (John Dupree), singer-guitarist, will perform on August 16 with Abigail Sinders on fiddle and vocals and Roscoe Morgan on electric bass and vocals. They will perform folk and Americana song selections ranging from the traditional (When The Work’s All Done This Fal)l, to popular (Still Crazy After all These Years), and the classic (Gentle On My Mind). Dupree moved to Tennessee from North Carolina in 2001.

The Standards/Spencer’s Own, performing on August 23, sing a cappella with a smoothly blended harmony that only five brothers can achieve. The quintet of Morgan, Nathan, Jordan, Nicholas and Quinn Williams, present a high-energy program of choreography, comedy and audience interaction. While this group hails from Nashville and is currently changing their name to Spencer’s Own to honor their father, they have performed previously at several schools in Blount County.

Fritz Beer Acoustic - June 2012 Fritz Beer, solo singer/songwriter, will perform on August 30. Fritz Beer writes and sings down-to-earth, spirited, song stories about good-hearted people who sometimes go astray. His music touches on multiple American traditions of rock, country, soul and blues. He has won songwriting awards and recently received an ASCAP songwriting award for publishing achievements. He has composed songs for short films, two feature films and multiple televisions shows, including four current shows.

Knoxville Opera Company, on September 6, will preview the coming season’s operas, Die Fledermaus, The Girl of the Golden West and Cinderella. Executive Director, Brian Salesky, will accompany one or two of the performers from this season’s productions as they sing excerpts from the three operas.

Bill Robinson Strings Quartet, on September 13, will perform a strings concert of music ranging from classical to Celtic, tangos to Turtles. All teachers, the quartet includes Bill Robinson, violin; Allyson Finck, violin; Christy Graffeo, viola; Sarah Cline, cello. With the varied selections of music, there should be something to suit everyone’s taste, and these teachers especially invite students to the concert.

At most of the Hot Summer Nights concerts, CDs by the performers will be available for sale.

Free and open to the public, these concerts will be at the Blount County Public Library, located at 508 N. Cusick Street, Maryville.

For further information about library programs or services, call the library at 982-0981 or visit the Web site at www.blountlibrary.org .

August 1-September 2, Art Market Galley of Knoxville is pleased to present an exhibit of recent works by Patricia Herzog of Knoxville and Francie Entz of Loudon.

Patricia Herzog, who holds a MS degree in ceramics from UT, will be exhibiting a collection of her recent clay works, some of which include fused-glass elements. She enjoys experimenting with colorful glazes and textures with an emphasis on whimsical animal imagery and the natural environment. Patricia is a member of several regional craft guilds and has been a studio potter since 1978.

Painter Francie Entz will be exhibiting a collection of her recent works in water media. She says that for her “the process of painting--the journey--is the important thing.” Francie aspires to create work that intrigues, captivates, puzzles and that also pleases both herself and the viewer. Member of both the Knoxville and Tennessee Watercolor Societies, her works have been juried into exhibits throughout the US.

A First Friday Reception for the exhibit is planned for August 3 from 5:30-9 pm with complimentary refreshments and live folk-style music performed by Molly Rochelson.

Member owned and operated by over 60 regional artists, Art Market Gallery is located a 422 South Gay Street in Knoxville next to the Downtown Grill & Brewery. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 am – 6 pm and Sunday 1-5 pm. For more information, call 865-525-5265, visit artmarketgallery.net

African Dance class will consist of African dances styles, techniques, songs, and culture. Classes are designed to educate, motivate, and inspire you about the positive awareness of African Cultural Dance as a Whole. Class will consist of a mild warm-up of stretching, cardiovascular endurance, and developing footwork/body mechanics.

SUMMER/FALL 2012 SCHEDULE

Tuesdays 6:00PM-7:00PM at the Broadway Performing Arts Ctr. 706 Broadway Street
July 31 - September 25, Cost: $10 Adults $5 Children

Saturdays 3:00PM-4:30PM at The Glowing Body, 711 Irwin Street, Knoxville, TN 37917
Aug. 4 - September 25, Cost: Donations (Karma Series)

FOR MORE INFO: Takia Faniyi Phone:(865)455-0772
Email: ifaa2012@gmail.com

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

'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

When the schedule was being negotiated for the featured exhibits at the Shanks Center for the Arts, Crossville Tennessee, it was not expected that we would be in the midst of a heat wave. The natural temperature of caves in this area is mid-50 degrees F. So the original idea was that a gallery guest would experience the feeling of coolness at the exhibit. But now, the unusual heat wave, plus the un-air-conditioned Warehouse Gallery, has provided a need for more imagination on the part of viewer. Fortunately the exquisite photographs make up for the temperature difference.

Alan Cressler, a Georgia resident, is a professional photographer who accompanies Dr. Jan Simek, a Distinguished Professor of Science in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, into caves in the area of middle Tennessee. Together they have explored hundreds of caves, many of which have drawings that were made thousands of years ago as determined by carbon-dating charcoal from half-burned slivers of cane. Native American people who made the artwork did so at personal risk, crawling in some cases, miles underground with cane torches. Today’s explorations are not much easier, except that the researchers have helmets with lights to guide their way through the complete darkness, often in mud, water, or very tight places.

The Shanks Center for the Arts is exhibiting twenty-nine enlarged photographs in their Warehouse Gallery beginning July 5 and continuing until Friday August 31, 2012. The Shanks Center is located at 140 North Main Street, across from the Depot, Crossville, Tennessee. Business hours are Thursdays 10 - 7, Fridays & Saturdays 10 - 4, Central Daylight Time.

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

A traveling exhibition about General Groves and includes insight into his family, West Point graduation, leadership style, personality and achievements in overseeing the Manhattan Project through eye-catching graphics and a 10-minute documentary film. AMSE Lobby.

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

A traveling exhibition that follows the progress of the crisis, when for 14 days in October in 1962, the U.S. and the Soviet Union faced each other in a standoff over the USSR's installation of nuclear missiles in Cuba. Artifacts, audiovisuals, and posters tell the story. AMSE Second Level.

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

With guide commentary for U.S. citizens (10 years and up) with photo identification. This Public Bus Tour is offered Monday - Friday, once a day, except government holidays July 4 & 5. Bus Tour registration begins at 9 am, when AMSE opens. AMSE admission includes the DOE Facilities Public Bus Tour, when participants complete the Registration Sheet upon entering AMSE. Tour participants begin loading bus at 11:45 am, bus departs at 12 noon and returns to AMSE at 3 pm. Space is limited and some restrictions apply. Participants have four off-the-bus stops including Y-12 New Hope Visitor Center, Bethel Valley Church and Graphite Reactor, a national historic landmark, both at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the K-25 Overlook. Tour also includes a drive by of the Spallation Neutron Source.

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

THE ART BEHIND DESIGN
An Art and Design Exhibition & Cocktail Party! June 21, 2012, 5:00 - 8:00 PM

Alfred Williams & Company
716 Division Street, Nashville
Free Valet. Cocktails. H'ordeuvres. Music. All welcome.
$5 Suggested Donation benefiting
The American Institute of Architect's Community Partner.

Whether it's a brilliant idea on an old napkin, a beautiful hand-rendered sketch, or a delightfully intricate model, this exhibition will unearth and present the hidden artifacts of the art behind design. It's a rarity that an audience can formally experience the creative intimacy behind Nashville's most influential architects and interior designers.

The exhibition will highlight intriguing blueprints, sketches, photographs, models and various other fine art works by leading architects and designers. These are the ideas and outlets that amount to the aesthetic growth of our city and communities.

This will be Alfred Williams & Company's 5th quarterly, charitable art and design exhibition. 100% of donations and fine art proceeds will benefit Rebuilding Together Nashville, who's volunteers provide free rehabilitation and critical repairs to the homes of low-income Americans. Many of Nashville's flood victims have received significant help from this organization. Let's support them with a $5 suggested donation at the door.

Joining the festivities is Nashville's first mobile boutique, The Trunk as well as The Grilled Cheeserie. 10% of proceeds will benefit Rebuilding Together Nashville.

Dates of Exhibition: June 21- August 23. Free and open: M-F 9am-5pm.

Athens Area Council for the Arts announces its upcoming exhibit “CLASSWORK: ADULT STUDENTS OF THE ARTS CENTER 2011-12”. Exhibit dates are June 8 – August 24, 2012. AACA has been offering classes in the visual and performing arts at The Arts Center for children and adults since opening in 2005. This exhibit is intended to showcase works by adult students who have taken classes in the past year. A variety of media has been taught by an impressive array of instructors, including this year’s instructors Sandy Brown (watercolors), Joy Merckson (acrylics and drawing), Billie Stevens (stained glass), and Andy Phipps (clay). Many of the students were beginners who had never had a course in their chosen medium, while others have taken many classes at The Arts Center and other venues. A sampling of their works that were either done in class or while taking a class will be on display to show the impact The Arts Center has had on their art. Landscapes, abstracts, portraits, and other subject matter will reveal the extent of their training, as some of the students had never picked up a paint brush before beginning classes here, while others enrolled to improve their skills and explore new directions.

The Arts Center invites you to view this exhibit and be as amazed and as proud as we are by the abundance of talent present in our community. The public, artists, family and friends are also invited to attend the opening reception on Tuesday, June 12, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. The Arts Center instructors and many of the students will be on hand to talk about their experience and their art.

The Arts Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. For more information or directions, call (423) 745-8781 or visit our website at www.athensartscouncil.org. All programs of AACA are funded in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission.