Calendar of Events

Kuumba Watoto Urban Youth Institute has been a seasonal program since AAAA's inception. Every year we hold a Drum and Dance camp for kids from 5 to 18 years old lasting 4 weeks. At the end of the camp the kids will be able to showcase what they learned at the Kuumba Festival. If you are interested in signing your kids up please go to website and go to the Kuumba Kamp tab to fill out the application.

Kuumba Kamp Community Sign-ups & Parent Appreciation Day will be on Sunday, May 26, 2013 from 2pm-5pm in-front of Austin-East Magnet High School on Martin Luther King Jr., Avenue. Kuumba Kamp will be held Tuesday, May 28th through Tuesday, June 18th, 2013 from 8am- 3pm. The camp will be held at Vine Middle School (1807 M.L.K. Jr, Ave.), entrance is on Bertrand Street.

For more information: 865-217-6786 or www.kuumbafestival.com.

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

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.

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

Jessica Schatz, the Artist of the Month at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, has been an artist for as long as she can remember. She also remains busy as an interior designer, specializing in staging and new construction, and is also a pet portrait photographer. She also donates her photography services, photographing homeless pets in order to help them find homes. Jessica and husband, Robert, recently became Fairfield Glade residents. They have been coming to Fairfield Glade for 27 years, as she has family in the area. Originally from the Midwest, she once ran a Gallery called “Widow’s Weeds” that featured both Civil War reenactment photography and more contemporary art. . Perhaps the most fascinating part of her artistic history is how she became the only woman at that time to photograph camp life and battle reinactments of the Civil War. “I hate war , but I love history, and the genre of photography of that time”. So when she was asked to record the reenactments by Prince William County, VA (site of two Civil War Battles) Jessica said “yes”.

Jessica first became interested in photography by using her mother’s point-and-shoot camera as a young girl. A friend of hers, who had been badly injured in the war in Viet Nam, gave her her first Nikon,as he was unable to use it. She has been a professional photographer, specializing in hand-painted black-and-white photography, until recently. She also enjoys another near “lost art” painting floor cloths, the precursor to linoleum. Thomas Jefferson had a floor cloth as a rug. Itinerant artists used to go house-to-house, painting the floor cloths. They can also be utilized as placemats, table runners, and as wall hangings (one is hanging in her exhibit).

Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive, Fairfield Glade, TN 38558. Hours: M-F 9AM-4PM; Saturday-Sunday 1-4PM. Information: 931-707-7249; www.artguildfairfieldglade.net

In an extraordinary exhibit, Lens and Brush: The Visual Textures of East Tennessee, acclaimed watercolor artist Sandy Brown elucidates illusions of texture in Jim Caldwell’s breathtaking photographs of the environs of eastern Tennessee. Two artists, working in different mediums; one artist finding inspiration through his love of the land and the other artist finding inspiration in her ability to reinterpret texture, structure and light transitions.

An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Tuesday, May 14th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

522 West Madison Avenue, Athens, TN 37303. Information: 423-745-0329

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is famous as an international destination for all manner of aspiring artists and craftspersons—students seeking exposure, guidance, or simply practice at media ranging from jewelry-making to glass-fusing. The public tends to be less aware that Arrowmont’s historic campus is also a powerful attraction for a large, diverse and enormously talented family of instructors. For professional artists, instruction at Arrowmont offers an opportunity to ply their livelihood, certainly. But they also have the chance to demonstrate, discuss and refine their techniques in modern studios where lively conversation and exchange of knowledge enrich the entire group. For teaching academics, Arrowmont provides incentive to winnow away at a semester’s worth of teaching and determine what is essential and possible for a weeklong workshop. Both students and instructors say it’s common to cover more than a semester’s worth of collegiate art education during the span of one Arrowmont workshop.

Stefanie Gerber Darr joined Arrowmont as Gallery Director in April, following work at prestigious institutions in Denver and Nashville. “Every summer Arrowmont invites over one hundred artist instructors to share their talents and teach classes to students from all over the country,” says Darr. “They are conduits of creativity that help make Arrowmont an educational, expressive, and inspiring force in the world of arts and crafts. In addition to showcasing their abilities through the classes offered, the annual instructor exhibition presents the artist instructors’ work to the students as well as the greater community and visitors to the region. Representing diverse styles and media, the exhibition complements the educational experience of the individuals attending class sessions while also signifying the trajectory of contemporary craft.”

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

May’s themed art exhibit is titled “Stormy Weather”. Visit us to view how members of the Art Guild at Fairfield Glade interpret this theme.

Once a month, the PCAC gallery exhibit changes, so monthly visits are advantageous for viewing quality artwork, including watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastels, colored pencil, photography, mixed media, and 3-D work, including pottery, sculpture, and jewelry. The gallery is also a perfect place to shop for one-of-a-kind decorations or gifts at reasonable prices. PCAC visitors not only enjoy the latest gallery exhibit, they also learn about the many art classes and day trips offered by the Art Guild. In addition, visitors often get to see a class in progress or watch the open painting, beading, or figure drawing sessions taking place in the art studio.

Art Guild at Fairfield Glade at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive, Fairfield Glade, TN 38558. Hours: M-F 9AM-4PM; Saturday-Sunday 1-4PM. Information: 931-707-7249; www.artguildfairfieldglade.net

Opening First Friday, May 3, 2 Many Pixels photo gallery is proud to present a collection of photographs by young artist Jake Wheeler. The work (more than 40 large format images) depicts urban decay and the distress of individuals coping with adversity. The images are mounted on reclaimed plywood, emphasizing a sense of deterioration. The photographs are all for sale, gallery archival prints, signed and numbered by the artists.

Hope to see you all for the opening on Friday night, May 3rd., 6pm to 9:30pm!

130 West Jackson avenue, suite 201, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: M-F, 10AM-5PM and after hours or weekends by appointment or chance: 917-532-4913 or patrice@2manypixelsphoto.com