Calendar of Events

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.

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.

The Knoxville Museum of Art presents two concurrent exhibitions August 24-November 4 Contemporary Focus 2012 and Fischli & Weiss: The Way Things Go.

Contemporary Focus is the KMA’s annual exhibition series that recognizes, supports, and documents 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.

The Way Things Go, a video installation by Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss, has earned a cult following since its premier at international art festivals in 1987. The Way Things Go documents a 30-minute chain reaction using ordinary objects, fire, fireworks, blasts of air, gravity, and a variety of corrosive liquids.

A free public opening for both exhibitions takes place Thursday, August 23 from 7-9pm. This event includes a cash bar and an opportunity to meet the Contemporary Focus artists. Additional programming for Contemporary Focus includes Dine & Discover presentations August 22, September 25, and October 24, all held at noon at the KMA.

The Knoxville Museum of Art celebrates the art and artists of East Tennessee, presents new art and new ideas, serves and educates diverse audiences, and enhances Knoxville’s quality of life. The museum is located in downtown Knoxville at 1050 World’s Fair Park and is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday 10 am–5 pm, and Sunday 1 pm-5 pm. Admission and parking are free. For more information, contact Angela Thomas at 865.934.2034 or visit www.knoxart.org.

August 11, 11a.m. - 1 p.m. Civil War Genealogy on the Internet--Finding your Civl War ancestor's records, regimental history, burials, obituaries. Pre-registration begins July 30.

September 15, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Internet Genealogy--Students use individual computers to explore the 12 major sites. Pre-registration begins September 3.

October 13, 11 a.m. - 12 noon. War of 1812 Genealogy--Find service, bounty land, pension, regimental information for your War of 1812 ancestor. Pre-registration begins October 1.

October 27, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Using County Records in Genealogical Research--Finding birth, death, court,deeds, divorces, probate, tax, wills to investigate your ancestors. No registration required.

November 10, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Internet genealogy--Students use individual computers to explore 12 major sites. Pre-registration begins October 29.

December 8, 1:15 - 4:15 p.m. Intermediate Internet Genealogy--Advanced techniques in genealogical research with special focus on primary resources. Pre-registration begins November 26.

To pre-register call 865-215-8809. For additional information on workshops see www.eastTNhistory.org.

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