Calendar of Events

Free and open to the public in Market Square, downtown Knoxville:

Thursday May 2: WDVX Presents Robinella
Thursday May 9: Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
Thursday May 16: Ensemble Swing Time Band
Thursday May 23: WDVX Presents Kelsey Woods
Thursday May 30: WDVX Presents Sean McCullough and the Kid Stuff Band
Thursday June 6: Sam Hatmaker
Thursday June 13: Brad Blackwell
Thursday June 20: Knoxville Community Band
Thursday June 27: The Southern Drawl Band

865-215-2955; www.knoxville.org/event/4404/thursday-night-market-square-concert-series

The month of May will feature master artist Eric Buechel in an exhibit at the Shanks Center for the Arts, Crossville TN, which demonstrates Buechel’s wide variety of artistic accomplishments.

Buechel began at an early age learning to draw and paint from his father who is an artist and model-maker born in Koblenz, Germany. At the young age of 16, Buechel purchased a 19th century engraving which later grew into a substantial collection and began his interest in art conservation. During his high school years, he won several art scholarships and attended DCret School of Art, Plainfield, New Jersey and worked under Dr. Furman Finck, an Official Presidential Portrait Artist in his NYC studio. Continuing to enter professional competitions, Buechel graduated from Broward College, Fort Lauderdale FL, was quickly hired as an illustrator for FLM Graphics, Fairfield, New Jersey and continued to freelance with Sikorsky Aircraft, Curtis Wright Corporation, NASA, Strategic Medical, Communications and several pharmaceutical and advertising companies in New Jersey, Manhattan, and Connecticut.

Buechel opened a Design and Advertising Company called Tec-Art and in 1990 formed a new environmental company, Pioneers e-Waste, which was the first to recycle cathode ray tubes. His company, Advanced Recovery, was the featured story on the front page of the New York Times, followed by National Geographic, the Newark Star-Ledger, Chicago Tribune and Popular Science and other media worldwide for the development and marketing of the process of recycling computer and electronic materials and components. Other development processes continued, and in 2001, he was contracted to clean up 6,000 pallets full of technology equipment after the 911 attack on the World Trade Center. After that project, Buechel sold the company and moved to Tennessee.

In 2006, Buechel opened The Artist Corner and Gallery on Main Street in Crossville, but had to close it after three years when he was diagnosed with 4th stage non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In 2011, following treatment and recovery, Buechel began teaching adults and youth painting and art history classes at the Shanks Center of the Arts, Crossville TN. The Buechel exhibit, opening May 2 with a reception from 5:00 - 7:00 pm, will showcase a wide variety of styles and mediums.

Shanks Center for the Arts, 140 North Main Street, Crossville, TN 38555. Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10AM-4PM. Information: 931-787-1936, www.shankscenter.org

Waiting delves into the lives of twelve people who share humorous and heart-warming stories about their relationships and whether or not they waited to have sex until they were married.
Adult tickets are $10; Student and Senior tickets are $7

Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Info: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

The remaining performance in the 2012-13 Pellissippi State Music Concert Series are:
May 2, 7 p.m.—Spring Choral Concert

Free and open to the public, the Spring Choral Concert features performances by the student groups Concert Chorale and Variations Ensemble. Included in the concert is a multimedia presentation of the Variations Ensemble’s Spring Break 2013 tour in Barcelona, Madrid and Segovia, Spain. As the choir sings, the audience will experience the tour through video and still photography. The concert’s piano accompaniments will be performed on Steinways, in keeping with Pellissippi State’s status as an All Steinway School. The nine-day Variations tour included concerts in Barcelona at three public schools and in the Sagrada Família, a church designed by famed architect Antoni Gaudí. The choir also sang in such venues as the Segovia Cathedral and the Municipal Auditorium in Madrid. While touring the historic city of Salamanca, the group gave an impromptu concert in the town square as well.

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

Join us for the 2nd Annual Great Gardens Party at the beautiful home of Kreis Beall.
Enjoy cocktails and dinner in one of Knoxville's most elegant and stylish gardens. Included will be a plant sale of selected Howell heirloom plants as well as a small selection of items in a silent auction. For reservations, call Dana at 865-862-8717 or email info@knoxgarden.org. www.knoxgarden.org

Join us for this first annual event to recognize the accomplishments of local arts champions and enjoy special entertainment by our member arts organizations.

Thursday, May 2, 2013, 6:00-9:00 PM
Double Tree Hotel, Oak Ridge
Tickets may be purchased by calling 865 482 2232 or email orarts@comcast.net/

Arthur Smith and Joshua Robbins, both award-winning poets, will read from their latest books at the May Knoxville Writers' Guild meeting. The event, which will be open to the public, is at the Laurel Theater, at the corner of Laurel Avenue and 16th Street in Fort Sanders. A $2 donation is requested at the door. The building is handicapped accessible. Additional parking is available at Redeemer Church of Knoxville, 1642 Highland Ave.

Smith's The Fortunate Era, published by Carnegie Mellon University Press earlier this year, follows a narrator through personal loss and - looming in the future - the threat of our own extinction. In the process, the poems range from the microscopic to the cosmic, from the worlds of literature, science, culture, politics and religion.

Robbins writes from a suburban landscape of strip mall bars and vacant lots in which addicts and itinerant preachers, hymns and the turnpike's whine are all made to confess, to testify to the hard truths of faith and doubt in middle-class America, in Praise Nothing, published by University of Arkansas Press earlier this year.

Both men teach at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Robbins teaches literature and creative writing, and Smith is a professor of English. Robbins has received multiple Pushcart Prize nominations, and his other recognitions include the James Wright Poetry Award, the "New South" Prize and selection for the "Best New Poets" anthology. Copies of both books will be available for purchase at the meeting.

Information: www.knoxvillewritersguild.org

The Art Market Gallery of Knoxville will present an exhibit of recent works by two featured artists for May. Animal artist Victoria Simmons is displaying recent paintings with a focus on bird themes, and furniture-maker Stan Fronczek will show his carefully crafted furniture. Both are Knoxville residents.

A First Friday opening reception for the exhibits is planned for 5:30 to 9 p.m., Friday, May 3, with complimentary refreshments and live music by Sunshine Station, a folk and bluegrass band. Many member artists will be on hand to meet and mingle with visitors.

Member owned and operated by more than 60 professional regional artists, the Art Market Gallery is located at 422 South Gay St., next to the Downtown Grill & Brewery, and a few doors away from Mast General Store. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday. The gallery is handicapped accessible. For more information, call 865-525-5265, or visit artmarketgallery.net, or facebook.com/Art.Market.Gallery.

Knoxville Fashion Week is an art and fashion event with the ultimate goal of creating buzz and giving a relevant outlet to fashion houses, buyers, and culture enthusiasts in Knoxville and beyond. The event coordinators are committed to connecting consumers with products and services that relate to fashion, beauty and luxury. We will showcase incredible Knoxville talent and highlight the rich fashion community that has been thriving in Knoxville in recent years.

General Admission available for each day below!
4-DAY TICKETS: $125.00 – 4 Day General Admission Ticket | $175.00 – 4 Day VIP Pass

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1
Kickoff Party for Knoxville Fashion Week! 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. @RUTH’S CHRIS
Accessories Showcase: Alicia Marie and Sunny Fitz
Preview Runway - A glimpse of what’s to come!

THURSDAY, MAY 2
*Space is LIMITED at this Venue – tickets will not be available at the door!*
The Emerging Designer Showcase – 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. @LATITUDE 35
Celebrating the Scarecrow Foundation & Derby Week!
Emerging Designers: Charlotte Couture, Southern Grace, Jeni D. Designs, Sunny Bands, Red Cadence, Kayla Dawn

FRIDAY, MAY 3
Knoxville Fashion Week Runway will be 9:00 p.m. @Blackstock
Swimwear, Rock n Roll, and The Men’s Show
Featured Designers: Jenna Colina Swimwear, Vic & Kimchi Designs, Monarch Designs, Kelly Jones of Shadow Oak Maille & Diane Corey of KC Leatherworks – “Steamy Sneek Peak” Steam Punk Show
The Men’s Show: R.I.S.K. & Paulie Gibson

SATURDAY, MAY 4
The Marriott Downtown 501 E Hill Ave Knoxville, TN 37915
Children’s Runway Event – 4:00 p.m. with designs by Heidi Murphy of Keoni, Diane Carter of Snigglefritz, Stephanie Busby of Nastershum and Nancy Crowell of Mazie & Ivie
Teen Runway Event - 5:00 p.m. Sponsored by Southern Grace
The Grand Finale – 8:00 p.m. Sponsored by Salon Visage with designs by: Diana Warner, Sweet Cycle Apparel, Royal Peasantry, Carruth Couture, Isabel Thomas, Anna Victoria, Christian Alana, Drew Dasse, Marc Nelson, Paulie Gibson, Kristi

http://knoxvillefashionweek.com/schedule/

Through the Lens 4: New Directions in Print Photography and Enduring Expressions

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 27 from 7 to 9 PM
Gallery Talk: 6:30 PM with a Special Opportunity!!!

Victoria Kryah will lead two "make and take" sessions to create a "zine" (small, personal magazine) during the opening. Sessions will be held at 7:30 and 8 PM. While materials will be provided, you may elect to bring a few images of your own to personalize your zine. The event is free and open to the public.

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9AM-5PM; Saturday-Monday, 1-4PM. Information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org

By James McLure
Laundry and Bourbon: The setting is the front porch of Roy and Elizabeth's home in Maynard, Texas, on a hot summer afternoon. Elizabeth and her friend Hattie are whiling away the time folding laundry, watching TV, sipping bourbon and Coke, and gossiping about the many open secrets which are so much a part of small-town life. They are joined by the self-righteous Amy Lee who, among other tidbits, can't resist blurting out that Roy has been seen around town with another woman. While the ensuing conversation is increasingly edged with bitter humor, from it emerges a sense of Elizabeth's inner strength and her quiet understanding of the turmoil which has beset her husband since his return from Vietnam. He is wild, and he is unfaithful, but he needs her, and she loves him. And she'll be waiting for him when he comes home—no matter what others may say or think.

Lone Star: The play takes place in the cluttered backyard of a small-town Texas bar. Roy, a brawny, macho type who had once been a local high-school hero, is back in town after a hitch in Vietnam and trying to reestablish his position in the community. Joined by his younger brother, Ray (who worships him), Roy sets about consuming a case of beer while regaling Ray with tales of his military and amorous exploits. Apparently Roy cherishes three things above all; his country, his sexy young wife, and his 1959 pink Thunderbird. With the arrival of Cletis, the fatuous, newlywed son of the local hardware store owner, the underpinnings of Roy's world begin to collapse as it gradually comes out that Ray had slept with his brother's wife during his absence and, horror of horrors, has just demolished his cherished Thunderbird. But, despite all, the high good humor of the play never lapses, and all ends as breezily and happily as it began.

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.

The play is based on the Newberry Medal-winning novel by Patricia MacLachlan. Ashlee Latimer will direct the play.

The play is set in the western United States during the late 19th century. Jacob Witting, a widowed farmer who is still saddened by the death of his wife during childbirth several years earlier, finds that the task of taking care of his farm and two children, Anna and Caleb, is too difficult to handle alone. He writes an ad in the newspaper for a mail-order bride. Sarah, from Maine, answers his ad and travels out to the Western Territories to become his wife and begin to become a mother to the children.

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 800 Tyson Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-599-5284, www.childrenstheatreknoxville.com. Reservations: tickets@childrenstheatreknoxville.com