Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of watercolor-based artwork entitled “Artwork Gone Wild” by animal artists from the Knoxville Zoo. The exhibition will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 7-28, 2012; an opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on September 7 from 5:00-9:00 PM with video demonstrations of the animal artists at work. Artwork will be displayed as a preview to Knoxville Zoo’s Art Gone Wild! event presented by Fast Frames on Friday, September 21, from 6:00-8:30 PM, an after-hours art show at the zoo with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Many animals at Knoxville Zoo are trained by their keepers to paint in the traditional sense, using brushes and/or fingers, including chimpanzees, gorillas, and elephants. Many more paint by walking over or stamping the canvas in a variety of colors. These paw painters include lions, tigers, meerkats, bears, Komodo dragon, penguins, and many other animals. All artwork is matted and ready for framing; most works include a photo of the artist, and all works include a certificate of authenticity with the artist’s name.

The proceeds from this product help support the enrichment program at Knoxville Zoo. For more information, visit www.knoxville-zoo.org.

“Artwork Gone Wild” will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, September 8, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Please note, the exhibition will be removed from the Emporium September 20-24 for the Art Gone Wild event at the Zoo. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

About the Arts & Culture Alliance
The Arts & Culture Alliance serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Alliance receives financial support from the Tennessee Arts Commission (www.tn.gov/arts) and First Tennessee Foundation (www.firsttennesseefoundation.com).

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of video interviews and photographs entitled “Looking at the Dark” by Knoxville artist Alex Merchant, opening Friday, September 7, at 5:00 PM on the north side of the Balcony at the Emporium Center in Knoxville.

Alex Merchant was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His work explores city spaces, urban systems, and the communities that live in these places. Merchant recently spent time in India interviewing artists who identify themselves as Dalit—the historically disenfranchised group of the Indian caste system. While caste-discrimination has been abolished for many years, it still resonates with most Indians. With an ever-growing middle class, the Dalit discussion has become more complex. Through a series of video interviews, artists and activists give a look into their art practices, their family life, and their communities. Merchant’s exhibition will feature video and photography captured in the artists’ communities.

“Looking at the Dark” will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, from September 7-28, 2012. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on September 7 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, September 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.

By Patrick Hamilton
A Broadway hit first produced on the West End under the title Gaslight and filmed twice, Angel Street tells the story of the Manninghams who live on Angel Street in 19th Century London. As the curtain rises, all appears the essence of Victorian tranquility. It is soon apparent however, that Mr. Manningham, a suavely handsome man, is slowly driving his gentle, devoted wife Bella, to the brink of insanity with an insinuating kindness which masks more sinsister motives. While he is out, Mrs. Manningham has an unexpected caller: amiable, paternal Inspector Rough from Scotland Yard. Rough is convinced that Manningham is a homicidal maniac wanted for a murder committed fifteen years earlier in this very house. Gradually the inspector restores Bella's confidence in herself and as the evidence against Manningham unfolds, the author has built and sustained some of the most brilliant, suspenseful sequences in modern theatre.

Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $10 plus fees for Thursday & Sunday performances and $15 plus fees for Friday & Saturday performances. Theatre Knoxville Downtown has open seating. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to pick up your tickets and claim your seats. TKD reserves the right to seat walk-in patrons during the final 15 minutes prior to showtime. For more information on the show, please call Theatre Knoxville Downtown at (865) 544-1999, e-mail info@theatreknoxville.com, or visit www.theatreknoxville.com.

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center’s “Fall Concert Series” will present three concerts in September, premiering on Friday, September 7 with a performance by Blue Mother Tupelo. All the concerts begin at 7:00 pm and are presented in the Heritage Center’s outdoor amphitheater which has a roof over the entire amphitheater so that concerts take place rain or shine.

Based out of Henderson, near Nashville, Blue Mother Tupelo (BMT) is led by the husband and wife team of Ricky Davis (acoustic & electric guitars, dobro, vocals) and Micol Davis (piano, tambourine, vocals). With the sweet and soaring vocals of Micol, the gritty vocals and greasy slide guitar of Ricky, and their passionate harmonies, the music of BMT is a genre-defying, earthy blend of Delta blues and Appalachian mountain music. BMT has performed at festivals, clubs and special events all over the Southeast and Midwest. They have also performed in New York City at the Museum of Modern Art and the famed nightclub The Bitter End.

On September 14, Y’uns will bring some seriously silly musical antics to the stage. Y'uns is a goodtime acoustic band that blends jugband music with elements of folk, swing, country, and blues. They play just about everything from Fats Waller to Muddy Waters to Roger Miller to The Beatles, replete with kazoos, whistles, sirens, and yodeling. The band is comprised of Steve Horton (vocals, guitar, kazoo), Danny Gammon (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, kazoo), J. P. Reddick (vocals, guitar, kazoo), Stan Turner (bass), Michael Crawley (harmonica), and J. Miller (percussion). Audience members are warned to listen at their own risk. Side effects may include giddiness, lightheadedness, lightheartedness, nonstop laughter, and an uncontrollable desire to quit your day job and/or take-up the kazoo.

The Fall Concert Series will conclude with a performance by traditional Irish music by Four Leaf Peat on September 21. Four Leaf Peat (FLP) was born out of the Irish traditional music scene in Knoxville, and is dedicated to honoring and preserving the spirit of Irish music. While grounded in tradition and influenced by Ireland's traditional pipers, fiddlers and singers, FLP also bows a hat to the more recent innovators of Irish music such as The Bothy Band, Planxty, Dervish and Lunasa. The band is comprised of Chad Beauchaine on fiddle; Gil Draper on guitar, bouzouki and mandolin; Rick Hall on hammer dulcimer, vocals and bodhrán; and Jason Herrera on vocals, bodhrán, flute and whistle. Among their more notable performances were appearances at Dollywood’s 2007 and 2008 “Festival of Nations”. Whether it's lively jigs and reels, slow airs, or songs, the spirit that gave birth to Irish traditional music can be felt in every set.

The Fall Concert Series is sponsored by Friends of the Heritage Center. Admission to each concert is $5.00 per person at the door, with Heritage Center members admitted free. Food and beverage concessions are available for purchase on site. No coolers, food, drink, or pets are allowed.

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 3/4 mile east of traffic light at the Highway 321 and 73 intersection towards the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Townsend, TN. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM. Information: 865-448-0044, www.gsmheritagecenter.org

September 4-30, Art Market Gallery of Knoxville is pleased to present an exhibit of recent works by Mary Ann Valvoda of Loudon and Jen Hamilton of Knoxville.

Award-winning watercolorist Mary Ann Valvoda will be exhibiting a collection of her recent works. Mary Ann studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art and is a Signature Member of the Ohio and Tennessee Watercolor Societies as well at the Knoxville and Southern Watercolor Societies. In her more recent works, she is "excited about using pigments to flow across the paper, yet trying to maintain control of the final appearance of the painting." She has works in private collections throughout the US.

Artist Jen Hamilton creates her mixed media sculptures from recycled objects such as bicycle parts, dismantled electronics, colored wire and found scraps of metal and plastic. She says that she really enjoys "reusing objects from the the waste stream, and transforming them into objects of value and desire."

A First Friday Reception for the exhibit is planned for September 8th from 5:30-9 pm with complimentary refreshments and live music performed by violinist Elise Van Patten.

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 or join us on facebook: facebook.com/Art.Market.Gallery

The District Gallery is pleased to present Equine Spirit, a collection of horse-inspired fine art and craft. The exhibit seeks to convey the essence of the horse through various media and includes the work of established gallery artists and introduces new artists to the gallery.

Current gallery artists were called to step beyond their comfort zone while embracing the equine theme. Artists who rose to this challenge include Donna Conliffe, Gary Dagnan, Ruth Koh, Jane Schmidt and others. Additionally, we are thrilled to introduce the work of veteran equine artists Dan Addington, Nan Jacobsohn, Mase Lucas and Rachael McCampbell.

A portion of the show proceeds will benefit Horse Haven of Tennessee, a nonprofit rescue operation for abused and neglected equine. For more information about Horse Haven of Tennessee, please visit their website at www.horsehaventn.org.

Equine Spirit will run September 4-29, with an artist reception Friday, Sept. 14 from 5:30-9 p.m. The reception will feature live music by the Dirty Dougs.
865-200-4452, 5113 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919.

An exhibit comprised of photographs by Diane Fox and collages by Deb Shmerler inspired by their travels.
Reception: Friday September 14, 2012 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Artists’ Talks at 6:30 p.m.

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike
Gallery Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Sunday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

The Town of Farragut Arts Council presents Sherby Jones as the featured artist for September and October. Her work is on display in specially designed cases on the second floor of the rotunda in the Farragut Town Hall.

A University of Tennessee graduate, Jones has an extensive background in theatre and education. She has produced and directed many theatrical performances at venues such as the Clarence Brown Theatre and formed a drama club at Pellissippi State Technical Community College. She has served on the boards of many Knoxville organizations, including the Foothills Craft Guild and currently the Candoro Marble Museum. From 2002-07, Jones owned and operated the Mountain Laurel Gallery at The Candy Factory, later relocated to the Candoro Marble Museum. The gallery featured much of her work, as well as that of other local and regional artists and craftsmen. She considers her greatest artistic honor to have been in 1993 when her angel was chosen to top First Lady Hillary Clinton's Blue Room Christmas tree at the White House. As part of the Clinton's celebration of the Year of the American Craftsman, artists around the nation were encouraged to send angel themed decorations for the White House.

For more information about this exhibit or to access a Featured Artist of the Month application, please contact Lauren Cox at lauren.cox@townoffarragut.org or 966-7057 or visit www.townoffarragut.org (Departments, Parks & Leisure Services, Arts & Culture). The Farragut Town Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 11408 Municipal Center Drive directly across from the Farragut Branch Post Office.

Featuring Joshua Dudley Greer/Andrew Scott Ross/Mark Bradley-Shoup

The three artists selected for this year’s exhibition have a common interest in referencing the urban environment, the boundaries along which nature and civilization intersect, and the way in which ordinary images can serve as metaphors for complex realities.

Contemporary Focus is the KMA’s annual exhibition series designed to serve as a vital means of recognizing, supporting and documenting the development of contemporary art in East Tennessee. Each year, the exhibition series features the work of artists who are living and making art in this region, and who are exploring issues relevant to the larger world of contemporary art.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM; Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

Now through September 29th, an exhibit of works by the artist-members of Art Market Gallery of Knoxville will be on display in the Denso Gallery in the main Clayton Art Center Building. The exhibit features two- and three-dimensional artworks in various mediums: painting/drawing, clay, wood, fiber, jewelry, photography, metal, and glass. A Reception during the Last Friday Art Walk is planned for both August 31st and September 28th from 5:30-8:30 pm and the public is invited. The exhibit may also be viewed during Clayton Center's normal operating hours Monday-Friday, 10-6 and during special events at the center. Clayton Art Center is located at 502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway in Maryville. Phone 865-981-8590 or visit claytonartscenter.com

Works by Jessica Gregory and Linda Leilani Bohanan.
Student Exhibit: Rob White and Kate McCullough’s watercolor students; Chico Osten’s portrait students
Reception: August 24, 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 Fountain City Art Center is extremely proud and excited to announce the opening of and reception for a very unusual exhibit on Friday, August 24, from 6:30 – 8:00 PM, “The Recycled Kingdom.” Artists Jessica Gregory and Linda Leilani Bohanan have been working on the exhibit for over a year. Jessica has created a walk through castle made of recycled materials, especially oversized cans harvested from “Big Fatty’s,” the reception’s caterer and sponsor. Linda is known for her wall mounted ethereal faces and for all kinds of animals, some almost life sized. For this show, she has created a war horse, a giraffe, strange prehistoric looking fish, and many other creatures straight out of her imagination. The show will be on display from August 24 up to the disassembly date on September 28. Videographer Dave Dixon visited both artists’ homes and videoed the works in progress. Check out Fountain City Art Center’s Facebook site, YouTube, or our website, www.fountaincityartctr, to view the footage.
Fountain City Art Center at 213 Hotel Avenue, next to Fountain City Park.