Calendar of Events

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.

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

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.

The Knoxville Museum of Art presents Tradition Redefined: The Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African-American Art March 22 through June 16, 2013.

Larry and Brenda Thompson have amassed a remarkable collection of art by African Americans from around the nation. The strength of the Thompson’s collecting process lies in their considered attention to artists who have typically not been recognized in the traditional narratives of African American art.

In addition to acknowledged “masters,” the Thompsons have collected works by artists who have been labeled “emerging,” “unknown,” “outsider,” “eccentric,” “vernacular,” “regional” and more. The result is a collection that redefines the landscape of American art, offering a more in-depth, inclusive understanding of African American artists and their aesthetic and social concerns.

Knoxville Museum of Art 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.

February 1 - July 28 "JAPAN 1945: IMAGES BY U.S. MARINE PHOTOGRAPHER JOE O'DONNELL" is a traveling exhibition organized by the Tennessee State Museum that showcases 22 of the most compelling images to document the aftermath of U.S. bombing raids on the Japanese cities struck by the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Artifacts and explanatory panels complete the exhibition. 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

Becoming the Volunteer State, a traveling exhibition of the Tennessee State Museum, Nashville will be on display in the East Tennessee History Center from January 28, 2013 through May 19, 2013.

There will be a preview for ETHS members from 2:00-4:00PM, Sunday, January 27, 2013 and a Brown Bag Lecture and Gallery Tour with exhibit curator Myers E. Brown II, at noon at the East Tennessee History Center on Wednesday, February 6, 2013.

East Tennessee History Center, 601 South Gay Street, Knoxville.
More information online at www.eastTNhistory.org.

It's time for parents to register their students for 2013 Homeschool Friday Programs offered two times a month for Grades K-2 and Grades 3-6 at the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. Topics for the interactive programs are the same for each of the specific groups; however, the class time varies as does the cost for the Homeschool Friday Programs. The K-2 classes meet at 10:30 am for one hour with cost of $7 for non-members and $5 for AMSE members. The Grade 3 - 6 classes begin at 12:30 pm and continue for two hours with the cost of $12 for non-members and $9 for AMSE members. For more information and to register for the Homeschool Friday Programs go to www.amse.org or come by AMSE.

May 10 HOMESCHOOL FRIDAY PROGRAM features "Geology" for Grades K-2 at 10:30 am for one hour with cost of $7 for non-members and $5 for AMSE members. Grades 3-6 at 12:30 pm for two hours with the cost of $12 non-members and $9 for AMSE members. Students will learn about the layers of the earth, their composition, depth, temperatures, and their relation to minerals. Activities include testing 9 kinds of minerals and observing 15 kinds of rocks. For more information and registration forms, click www.amse.org or get a flyer at AMSE.

May 24 HOMESCHOOL FRIDAY PROGRAM features "Trees" at Freels Bend Cabin in Oak Ridge for Grades K-2 at 10:30 am for one hour with cost of $7 for non-members and $5 for AMSE members. Grades 3-6 at 12:30 pm for two hours with the cost of $12 for non-members and $9 for AMSE members. Which trees are used to make baseball bats, pencils and Popsicle sticks? Learn about the trees of East Tennessee and how they are used in our lives. Students will learn how to measure a tree's height and diameter in this outdoor class. For more information and registration forms, click www.amse.org or get a flyer at AMSE.

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

Contra dancing to live acoustic music. No experience or partner required!

Mondays at 8:00PM, $7, for information call 865-386-6627 or www.knoxvillecontra.org.
Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37916.