Calendar of Events

Original paintings, sculptures, and graphics by artists from the world over celebrate the timeless appeal of birds through fresh, artistic interpretations.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9AM-5PM; Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-974-2144, http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

June 1, 2013 marks the 217th anniversary of Tennessee’s admission as the 16th state in the union. East Tennessee’s most important cultural heritage sites are partnering to celebrate Statehood Day on Saturdays, May 25 and June 1. The sites include places of historical significance in the exciting journey from the creation of our country to the founding of our state. The Historic Homes of Knoxville include: James White’s Fort, Marble Springs, Ramsey House, Mabry-Hazen House, Blount Mansion and Crescent Bend. Each site will have individual ways of celebrating the birth of Tennessee. This is a free museum day to the public.

+ Crescent Bend House & Gardens (Saturday, May 25, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
Historic Crescent Bend House & Gardens is one of the Southeast’s finest house museums and gardens. Built in 1834 by Drury Paine Armstrong, Crescent Bend was once a 900-acre working farm and so named for its prominent setting overlooking a majestic crescent bend in the Tennessee River just west of downtown Knoxville. Hosting free admission; Crescent Bend House & Gardens, 2728 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-637-3163, www.crescentbend.com

+ Historic Ramsey House (open Saturday, May 25)
Historic Ramsey House was built in 1797 by Knoxville's first builder, Thomas Hope, for Francis Alexander Ramsey, one of Knoxville’s first settlers. Armed with a recent paranormal study, Historic Ramsey House is once again having “A Haunting at Ramsey,” this time to include a trip to our recently acquired cemetery at Lebanon at the Forks. This cemetery is where the original Ramsey Family has been buried along with several other area residents from that period. Historic Ramsey House, 2614 Thorngrove Pike, Knoxville, TN 37914. Information: 865-546-0745, www.ramseyhouse.org

+ Marble Springs (Saturday, May 25, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sunday, May 26, 12:00-5:00 PM)
Marble Springs was the home of John Sevier (1745-1815), Tennessee’s first governor and Revolutionary War hero. Marble Springs State Historic Site will commemorate this occasion with a weekend of Living History. Walk amongst Living History interpreters in 18th Century clothing portraying life on the frontier, encampments, and more. Children’s activities include falling into a militia drill and playing with period toys. Blacksmithing, weaving, and open hearth cooking will be demonstrated all weekend. Food will be available for purchase. This event is free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated. Marble Springs: 1220 West Gov. John Sevier Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920. Information: 865-573-5508, www.marblesprings.net

+ Blount Mansion (Saturday, June 1, 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM)
Construction on Blount Mansion began in 1792, making it the oldest museum in Knox County. Commemorate the creation of the state of Tennessee and celebrate the pioneers who settled and transformed the southwest territory into the vibrant state of Tennessee. Blount Mansion, 200 W. Hill Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-2375, www.blountmansion.org

+ James Whites Fort (Saturday, June 1, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
Built in 1786, James White’s Fort was home to the founder of Knoxville. More than 10,000 visitors tour the Fort each year and experience the frontier lifestyle through hands-on interpretations. Celebrate at James White’s Fort and learn about open hearth cooking and blacksmithing. Free admission, and donations will be gladly accepted. James White's Fort, 205 E. Hill Ave, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: 865-525-6514, www.jameswhitefort.org

+ Mabry-Hazen House (Saturday, June 1, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
Celebrate Tennessee Statehood Day and Confederate Decoration Day! Confederate Decoration Day starts at 11:00 AM at Bethel Confederate Cemetery, and shuttles will be available beginning at 10:00 AM at the Mabry-Hazen parking lot. Heritage groups including the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the United Daughters of the Confederacy will gather at the Bethel Cemetery to honor over 1,600 Confederate soldiers who are interred at this historic site. Speakers will be present to offer perspectives relating to the Civil War and the role of the Confederate soldier. In addition, tours of the newly opened Bethel Cemetery Civil War Museum will be offered. Parking will be located at the Mabry-Hazen House and buses will shuttle visitors down the road to the cemetery. The event is free and open to the public. Mabry-Hazen House, 1711 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915. Information: 865-522-8661, www.mabryhazen.com

+ Additionally, Crocket Tavern Museum in Morristown will join the Knoxville-area historic sites celebrating 217th anniversary of Tennessee Statehood Day. The Museum was built on the site of the boyhood home of Davy Crockett. It is a reconstruction of the 1790's John Crockett Tavern. Crocket Tavern Museum will be open with free admission on June 1 from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Crocket Tavern Museum, 2002 Morningside Drive, Morristown, TN 37814. Information: 423-587-9900, http://www.crocketttavernmuseum.org

The Historic House Museums of Knoxville is a partnership that shares resources from each historic site in presenting the history, culture, and heritage of Knoxville and East Tennessee: www.hhknoxville.org

Statehood Day Living History Weekend
At Marble Springs State Historic Site

June 1, 2013 marks the 217th anniversary of Tennessee’s admission as the 16th state in the year 1796. In conjunction with the Historic Homes of Knoxville, Marble Springs State Historic Site will commemorate this occasion with a weekend of Living History. Saturday, May 25 from 10am-5pm walk amongst Living History interpreters in 18th Century clothing portraying life on the frontier. The celebration will continue into Sunday, May 26 from 12-5pm with Living History encampments and various interpreters. Children’s activities include falling into a militia drill and playing with period toys. Blacksmithing, weaving, and open hearth cooking will be demonstrated all weekend. A full schedule of events will be available at www.marblesprings.net. Food will be available for purchase.
This event is free and open to the public. Donations are appreciated.

All activities take place at the Marble Springs State Historic Site: 1220 West Governor John Sevier Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920.

Information found at 865-573-5508, email: marblesprings@gmail.com, or website: www.marblesprings.net .

1940 Census
Learn to locate recent ancestors in the 1940 census.Special Enumeration District techniques when the index fails to discover them. Other special finding aids. Additional information supplied on this census. Pre-registration and a valid email address as well as good internet searching capabilities are required to attend. Call 865-215-8809 beginning May 13 to register. Free and open to the public.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: Monday-Friday: 9AM-4PM; Saturday: 10AM-4PM; Sunday: 1-5PM. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

Blue Moon Rising is a national touring band based out of East Tennessee comprised of Chris West (lead vocals and guitar); Tony Mowell (bass and vocals); Brandon Bostic (dobro, guitar, vocals); David Mowell (mandolin and vocals); and Rusty Ferrell (banjo.) The band garnered international recognition with the release of their third album, “On the Rise” (Lonesome Day Records) that proved to be a symbolic title for the group as ...the album debuted at #14 on the BILLBOARD Top 50 Bluegrass Chart in 2005. “On the Rise” received tremendous recognition including, but not limited to, "CMT.com Top 10 Bluegrass Albums" and "Gritz Magazine's Top Overall Albums” of 2005." “On the Rise” spent ten months on Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine's Bluegrass National Survey Top 15 Album Chart and the single, “This Old Martin Box” spent the entire 2006 calendar year in the Top 30 Singles. IBMA members honored the group with a 2006 nomination for Emerging Artist of the Year with band leader, Chris West performing in the 2006 IBMA Songwriter’s Showcase. Tickets will be $20 and will include the new CD. Show will start at 7:30.

The Palace Theater, 113 West Broadway, Maryville TN 37801. Information: 865-983-3330, www.palacetheater.com. For Tickets call 865-719-7846 or 423-534-3044.

This year is the 175th Anniversary of the Trail of Tears. On May 23, 1838 the round up of the Cherokees began. This was one of America’s darkest period: Jackson’s Indian Removal Act and the forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation to remove them to Indian Territory which is now the state of Oklahoma. To remember this event Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore is hosting a free movie night at the museum. The movie is the 2-hour documentary movie “The Trail of Tears” Cherokee Legacy presented by Wes Studi and narrated by James Earl Jones. The length of the movie is approximately 2 hours.

Cherokee Nation Citizen, Tom Belt will talk about the Trail of Tears before the movie begins. Tom Belt is the Western Carolina University Cherokee Language Program Coordinator. Mr. Belt has worked for the last seven years to create a state-of-the-art Cherokee language program at the university level. Mr. Belt teaches the first four semesters of Cherokee language and he co-teaches courses on Cherokee grammar and Cherokee language literature. Mr. Belt, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is a fluent Cherokee speaker and he works closely with speakers from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to produce culturally-based Cherokee language learning material. He attended the Universities of Oklahoma and Colorado and taught the Cherokee language at the Cherokee elementary school for seven years in Cherokee, NC. Mr. Belt has also served as a consultant to various indigenous language programs in public schools and on the post-secondary level.

This movie and short lecture is free and is open to the public. This event will be held Rain or Shine. Mr. Belt will begin the program at 7:30 followed by the movie beginning at dusk.

Won’t you join us at our amphitheater for this interesting documentary of the Trail of Tears? Also, there will be free admission to the museum that evening as well. Seating available on our amphitheater benches or for a more comfortable enjoyable experience bring a chair or blanket to sit on.

Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, 576 HWY 360, Vonore, TN 37885. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9AM-5PM; Sunday, 12-5PM. Information: 423-884-6246, www.sequoyahmuseum.org

The East Tennessee Preservation Alliance (ETPA), in conjunction with Knox Heritage’s Salvage Room, is holding an estate “tag” sale at The Alexander Inn. The public will be given a one-time opportunity to walk through a portion of the historic inn before renovations begin and purchase furnishings from the 1940s through the 1980s. Several items have already been removed by local historians, but the all of the remaining furniture, including chairs, tables, bed frames, dressers, and more will be available. The Alexander Inn is located at 210 East Madison Road in Oak Ridge.

This sale follows ETPA’s announcement that the Alexander Inn, historically known as the Guest House, has been purchased by a local company, Family Pride Corporation. The transaction includes a preservation easement with ETPA that will ensure the building is protected forever. Initial stabilization work will begin at the site in the next few weeks, and a formal groundbreaking ceremony will be announced soon.

The Alexander Inn was built during the Manhattan Project to house official visitors and later was used as a hotel. It is included on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property in a historic district.

Proceeds from the tag sale will benefit ETPA which works to protect places and structures with historic or cultural significance in Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union counties. It is governed by a board of directors with representatives from across the region. ETPA carries out its mission through a variety of programs and encourages community support through education and advocacy. To get involved with ETPA’s advocacy efforts, please call 865-523-8008 or visit www.etpaonline.org.

Exhibit Reception - May 24, 6:30-8:00 PM

Oils, watercolors, and mixed media by 35 Guild members; most of the work is for sale. Also on exhibit: oil painting by the students of Aurora Harrison Bull

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 Center for Creative Minds and A1LabArts is pleased to announce the exhibition “Diane’s Art Play,” consisting of abstract works by Diane Cecala. Ms. Cecala is a self-taught artist who works primarily with acrylic on canvas. The show is a collection of abstract art that she has produced since the early 1990s. Several of the works contain found objects during moments of inspiration. Ms. Cecala’s work is inspired by life’s simplicity and speaks through the bold use of colors and textures – a beautiful sky, a walk on the beach next to a roaring ocean, a walk through a forest, the sky at dusk and dawn - and her work is influenced by the works of Jackson Pollock and Hans Hofmann. She aspires to achieve Hofmann’s pure painting philosophy regarding the use of color relationships to express inspiration.

Opening and Reception on Friday, Mary 24, 2013, 6-9 PM, at 23 Emory Place, across from the Old Gray Cemetery on Broadway, in Knoxville. The exhibition will run two consecutive weekends (Friday and Saturday) through June 1, 2013 with regular evening hours with the artist from 6-9pm.

The Center for Creative Minds, 23 Emory Place, Knoxville. Information: 865-441-8152, a1labartsPR@gmail.com, www.a1labarts.org

The Town of Farragut Arts Council presents Knoxville artist Nancy Lloyd-Hooker as the featured artist for May and June. Her work is featured in specially designed cases on the second floor of the rotunda in the Farragut Town Hall.

Lloyd-Hooker paints landscapes and still lifes in oil and is also a jewelry artist. She has exhibited in the Midwest and Southeast and has won numerous awards in juried shows. Her work will also be on exhibit at The District Gallery in Bearden from May 31 to June 29.

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.

Wednesday, May 22
7:00 pm - Sunset Sangria Walk
(Recommended for Adults) See Ijams Nature Center in a whole new light! Everything changes after dark... the trails, the trees, and the entire park. Be part of the Ijams nightlife as we enjoy cocktails and snacks before exploring the trails. Howling at the moon is optional, but encouraged! The fee for this program is $15 for members and $25 for non-members. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register.

Saturday, May 25
7:00 am - Sunrise Walk
(All Ages) Greet the morning in a beautiful way with this sunrise nature hike. What better way to start the day than with a walk around the wonderful trails at Ijams Nature Center? Free to members, $5 for non-members. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register.
10:00 am - Ijams Birding Series: Urban Wilderness Bird Tally
(Ages 12 and up) Explore part of Knoxville's Urban Wilderness at Anderson School. Join naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales, as he counts birds along the trail. The fee for this program is $5 for non-members and free for members. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register. NOTE: Due to limited parking, we will meet at Ijams Nature Center and then carpool to the South Knoxville location.
1:00 pm - Living Clean & Green: Build A Compost Sifter
(Recommended for Adults) In our opinion, a compost sifter is an absolute must if you're an avid gardener or generate a lot of compost. A simple backyard sifter will allow you to remove debris, rocks, and unfinished compost prior to using it in your yard. The fee for this program is $10 for members and $15 for non-members, which includes a finished compost sifter. Please call (865) 577-4717, ext. 110 to register.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Songs, the Heart, and Bee’s Knees - featuring graphite, watercolors, graphitint pencils, vintage linens, up-cycled distressed mirror

Join us for a wine and cheese reception on May 17 at 7:00 PM, AND in honor of the Biscuit Festival, we will also have strawberry biscuit shortcakes! Leann's works are visual interpretations of lyrics, yearnings of the heart, and sweet moments in nature. After spending over 20 years as a full-time mom for three children, Leann returned to her love for drawing and watercolor. She discovered that her talent was not lost but just on standby waiting until the time was right for her to sharpen a few pencils and begin marks of faith and hope on a fresh page.

website: www.leannvineyardcooper.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeannsArt
etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/leannvc

Viewings also available by appt. through late June. 865-368-5778
The SHAREhouse, 1640 Jefferson Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917