Calendar of Events

The Annual Members Silent Auction at the Art Market Gallery will be held April 5-28. This Dogwood Arts Festival Featured Event allows visitors to bid on original artworks by the gallery’s 60 professional artists for a chance to buy them at a fraction of their value. Some 60 items, running the gamut from paintings to pottery, will be available for bidding. This year, in response to requests by patrons, the auction will take place during a longer period of time than in the past.

The first day of bidding on auction items coincides with the monthly First Friday Reception from 5:30 to 9 p.m. April 5, to which the public is invited. The reception also gives the public an opportunity to meet many of the gallery’s artists as well as enjoy the complimentary refreshments and live music.

Member owned and operated by more than 60 regional artists, the Art Market Gallery has been a cultural icon in Knoxville for 30 years. The handicapped-accessible gallery is situated at 422 S. Gay St., next to the downtown Grill & Brewery and a few doors down from Mast General Store. Gallery hours are 11a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 865-525-5265, visit artmarketgallery.net, or facebook.com/Art.Market.Gallery.

We are happy to announce the exhibition “Faces of Many Ages” photographs by Hei
Park, which will have its opening reception on First Friday, April 5, 2013 from 6-10 PM at The Center for Creative Minds, 23 Emory Place, in Knoxville.
Park’s recent work has concentrated on getting at the “real faces under the masks” of college students.

For the past seven years, Park has focused on finding the real faces and the real stories of her subjects. This exhibition uses work from an ongoing project of
“Mother and Child” portraits as well as the series, “Our Waking Souls,” which is a project featuring the portraits of college students at the University of Tennessee.

Opening and Reception on Friday, April 5, 2013, 6-10 PM, at 23 Emory Place, across from the Old Gray Cemetery on Broadway, in Knoxville. The exhibition will run through April 14, 2013.
Additional Gallery Hours are as follows:
April 6, 3-7pm; April 7, 3-6pm; April 13, 2-7pm; April 14, 2-6pm

When Clifford Odets wrote “Waiting for Lefty” in 1935, the American playwright was aiming for something revolutionary. One of two one-act plays featured in Pellissippi State Community College’s upcoming theatrical production “Something Old, Something New,” the Odets work is, indeed, a prime example of “revolutionary” or “agit-prop” theatre. The latter term is a combination of “agitation” and “propaganda.” “It was written, essentially, about the Depression—about what people were going through in the Depression,” said Charles Miller, who directs “Something Old, Something New” and the college’s other theatrical productions. “It’s an American classic.”

The play is scheduled for April 5, 6, 12, and 13 at 7:30 p.m. and April 14 at 2 p.m. The performances take place in the Clayton Performing Arts Center on Pellissippi State’s Hardin Valley Campus.

“Waiting for Lefty” is based on a 1934 strike of unionized New York cab drivers. Presented at the height of the Great Depression, the original 1935 production was a critical and popular sensation. For the upcoming play, Miller has paired “Waiting for Lefty” with a dark comedy—an original world premiere by North Carolina playwright Stephen Barry Delaney called “Psycho Anal Isis.”

Pellissippi State’s Theatre program frequently performs new plays, says Miller, creating a rare venue for emerging works, while also presenting classic and contemporary drama from throughout the U.S. and the world. “Something Old, Something New” is part of Pellissippi State’s arts series, “The Arts at Pellissippi State.” The series brings to the community cultural activities ranging from music and theatre to international celebrations, lectures, and the fine arts. Cost of admission is $8-12. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at Ticket Turtle: https://app.ticketturtle.com/index.php?ticketing=pstcc. For additional information about The Arts at Pellissippi State, call (865) 694-6400 or visit www.pstcc.edu/arts.

Dogwood Arts is excited to reveal the 2013 lineup for Rhythm N’ Blooms Music Festival! Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7, locally revered and nationally renowned artists come together to turn this weekend into an exceptional musical experience celebrating the arrival of spring, our community, and American Roots Music. Taking center stage in various venues throughout downtown Knoxville, Rhythm N’ Blooms highlights East Tennessee’s historical and present role in American Roots music reaching country, blues, jazz, rock, bluegrass, and folk listeners.

For a limited time only, those attending are able to take advantage of our early bird ticket pricing! A VIP Pass, $175, allows you access to all shows all weekend in addition to: priority seating and parking, a VIP welcome reception, artist meet n' greet, and much more. The Weekend-long Festival Pass, $55, provides you with access to all of the performances and venues occurring over the course of the weekend. Day Passes, $25, are available for all three days.Passes can be purchased online at www.rhythmnbloomsfest.com, or in person at the Knoxville Visitor Center.

New this year! Trolleys will be available to take pass holders from venue to venue throughout the weekend!

Musician’s Corner
Rhythm ‘N Blooms will again include an educational element this year with Musician’s Corner on Saturday, April 6from 2pm-8pm.Musician’s Corner is open to the public and will include workshops and artists’ conversations. Spend some time visiting the Knoxville Visitor Center located on 301 South Gay Street, and participate in our featured workshops such as songwriting and voice technique and style. You’ll also be able to gain insight to some of our performing musicians’ accounts and views about their experiences as well as contemporary subjects regarding the musical world.*Workshops will be filled on a first come, first serve basis

Visit www.RhythmNBloomsFest.com for additional details and the 2013 lineup.

Mystery and Mayhem Dinner Theater is teaming up with Volunteer Princess Cruises to present a memorable dining experience filled with mystery, deception and a delicious meal.
“Murder at the Café Noir” is an interactive murder mystery that will be performed while guests enjoy a three-course plated dinner and cruise the still waters of the Tennessee River. The Knoxville skyline creates the perfect scene for this show that is sure to keep the audience guessing.
This unforgettable evening will take place every Thursday night in April and May, beginning on April 4, 2013. The yacht departs from Volunteer Landing Marina at 7:00 pm. For only $59.95 per person, guests not only receive a fantastic meal on a two hour cruise, but they also experience a chilling show in a fun atmosphere that cannot be beat.
Reservations must be made in advance for the cruises and can be made by calling the yacht’s office at (865) 541-4556 or online at www.volunteerprincess.com.

April 4 to April 27, the CACE Galleries at the Shanks Center for the Arts will exhibit the work of Fairfield Glade resident, John Simms, who is recognized by the Portrait Society of America and the international Stroke of Genius as a painter of heirloom portraits. Simms’ paintings in acrylic, charcoal, oil, and watercolor range from still life compositions to portraits that depict the likeness and persona of his subject. Other creations by Simms represent unrecorded historical facts and portray positive values shared by all cultures.

The opening reception with refreshments is First Thursday, April 4 from 5 to 7 PM in the Warehouse Gallery located at 140 North Main Street in Crossville near the historic Depot and Taylor Hotel. During April, the Shanks Center is open Wednesday – Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Parking is available behind the building at Taylor and Thurman Avenues.

The perfect “gals night out” play by the Emmy and Oscar winning creator of True Blood, Six Feet Under and American Beauty. The nosy, pot-smoking sister. The “ugly” middle school sidekick. The religious cousin. The lesbian future sister-in-law. The friend with the bad reputation. Five reluctant bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom, trying to avoid the over-the-top reception taking place in the backyard of a Knoxville, Tennessee estate. As the day goes on, these very different women realize they have more in common than they think!

Clarence Brown Theatre / Carousel Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com. For tickets: 865-974-5161, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

The Department of Fine Arts at Tennessee Wesleyan College and the Athens Community Theater announce their joint production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare on April 4-13, 2013 in the Sue E. Trotter Theater at The Arts Center in Athens, Tennessee.

Shakespeare set his play long ago in Athens, Greece. This town & gown production also takes place long ago – in Athens, Tennessee! The story unfolds in 1822, the year of Athens’ founding. The female lovers, their families, and their leader, Theseus, are the Cherokee who lived in this area for generations. The male lovers wooing the women are Mountain men who have come down from the hills. They have new neighbors, the Scotch-Irish American settlers who have come seeking new lands and a new life. The music of Felix Mendelssohn is featured throughout the production.

The play is directed by Dr. Eric Love, Assistant Professor of Theater and Speech. Musical direction is provided by Dr. Nathan Windt, Assistant Professor of Music. The cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a mixture of student and community actors.

Show dates are April 4,5,6,11,12,13 at 7:30 and April 7 at 2:00. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for students and are available by phone at 423-745-8781, at www.athensartscouncil.org, and at The Arts Center, 320 North White Street in Athens, TN.

Internationally-known rug weaver Jason Collingwood of Suffolk, England will be the keynote speaker at Fiber Forum, April 4-7 at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg Tennessee, hosted by the Piedmont Fiber Guild. Classes in weaving, spinning, felting and dyeing will be offered with food and lodging at the campus. For registration, download information at sefiberforum.org. Jan Smiley, chair of the event from Piedmont Fiber Guild, notes, “We are working hard to ensure that everyone has a great time, learns a lot, makes new friends, and leaves a little tired but happy after our invigorating weekend.” Featured speaker and instructor Jason Collingwood teaches at art schools in North America, Australia, and Europe each year and his exhibitions include shows in Amsterdam, Oxford, Connecticut and Oregon. Over the last 24 years, he has been commissioned to weave over 2000 rugs for private and corporate clients working with architects and designers. At Fiber Forum 2013 Collingwood will teach “4-End Block Weaves.” Other accomplished instructors at the conference include Karen Donde, Susan Leveille, Diane Totten, Walt Turpening, Kathrin Weber, Eileen Hallman, Vicki Bennett, Kate Larson, and Jane Prater. Complete class information and instructor profiles are available at sefiberforum.org.

Southeast Fiber Forum Association has over 400 individual members with 44 fiber guilds represented. Specialty dyed yarns, rovings and batts are available to pre-order for pick-up at the Conference. Vendors with yarns, books, tools and equipment for fiber artists and enthusiasts will be open to the public during the conference. All information on classes, registration, and lodging is on the SFFA website sefiberforum.org

Tennessee Mountain Writers Annual Conference - April 4-6, 2013
"Celebrating 25 Years" is the theme of the Tennessee Mountain Writers' 25th Annual Conference, scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, April 4-6, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge. Conference workshop presenters will include Abigail DeWitt, fiction; Judith Geary, editing/publishing; Judy Goldman, nonfiction; Connie Jordan Green, poetry; and George Ella Lyon, writing for young people. Special sessions will be conducted by Finn Bille on writing for storytelling, Ami McConnell on Christian publishing, Bobby Nash on graphic novels, and Sandra Plant on writing groups/networking and writing for newspapers. Keynote speaker at the awards banquet, the concluding event of the conference, will be novelist and memoirist Judy Goldman. Additional information and a conference registration form can be found on the Tennessee Mountain Writers' web site, www.tmwi.org.

The Town of Farragut Arts Council presents Barbara Gray as the featured artist for March and April. Her work is featured in specially designed cases on the second floor of the rotunda in the Farragut Town Hall.

A graduate of the Memphis Academy of Arts, Gray's exhibit highlights drawings and paintings that feature people and abstract elements that are subjects in much of her work and contain expressive light and energy, distortion and sometimes humor.

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.

Slated for April 2-19, the Annual Student Art Show at Pellissippi State Community College showcases the best works of students at all levels of art studies. The juried exhibit gives students not only the opportunity to share their works with the community but also the chance to be awarded prizes for their creations.

This year’s exhibit offers a diverse selection of art, including drawings, paintings, watercolors, sculptures, ceramics, and blacksmithing pieces, as well as 2-D and 3-D designs.

The Annual Student Art Show is free, and the community is encouraged to attend. The event is in the gallery of the Bagwell Center for Media and Art at Pellissippi State’s Hardin Valley Campus. Regular exhibit hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

An opening reception and award ceremony, also free and open to the public, takes place in the gallery on April 2, 3-5 p.m.

For additional information about the exhibit or The Arts at Pellissippi State, call (865) 694-6400 or visit www.pstcc.edu/arts.