Calendar of Events

6:00-7:15 p.m. Preview opening of new exhibition: Of Sword and Pen: Pivotal Moments in Civil War Tennessee
7:30 p.m. Lecture: “The Surprises of the Civil War,” Edward L. Ayers, Ph.D.

The turning points of the Civil War and some of the “big surprises hidden in plain sight” will be the focus of a lecture by a Dr. Edward L. Ayers at the East Tennessee History Center. Dr. Ayers is the president of the University of Richmond and an East Tennessee native. The lecture will be preceded by a preview reception for a new exhibition.

With tens of thousands of books, documentaries, and articles on the Civil War, surely there can’t be anything new to learn? Not so, says Dr. Edward L. Ayers, pointing out that some of the biggest aspects of the war are still surprising, citing slavery and the true turning points of the conflict as examples. To really understand the war, he advises, “You have to put yourself in the mindset of Americans at the time.”

One of the country’s foremost Southern scholars and a native of Kingsport, Tennessee, Edward L. Ayers is the president of the University of Richmond in Virginia. The award-winning author’s many books include What Caused the Civil War: Reflections on the South and Southern History, The Crucible of the Civil War: Virginia from Secession to Commemoration (edited with Gary Gallagher), and The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War--The Eve of War. Dr. Ayers helped found the Virginia Center for Digital History and was its director until 2001. With two former colleagues at the University of Virginia, he began in 2008 hosting a radio call-in program, “BackStory with the American History Guys.”

The lecture will accompany the preview opening of the exhibition Of Sword and Pen: Pivotal Moments in Civil War East Tennessee, featuring important documents from the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, as well as artifacts from ETHS and other collections to chronicle momentous turning points in our history.

At the East TN Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville. Information: www.eastTNhistory.org, 865-215-8824

Honoring the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Campbell Station, the exhibit will feature a variety of items related to the battle, fought Nov. 16, 1863 on the land surrounding the Farragut Town Hall, as well as an encampment scene on the vignette in the Doris Woods Owens Gallery. The exhibit will include items from the personal collections of local community members Gerald Augustus, Folklife Museum Committee Member Jack Haines, Jerry Keyes, Folklife Museum Committee Chair Lou LaMarche and Jack Lane. Items on display will include Civil War guns; a tree stump from the Frank Russell House containing a bullet from the battle; the first edition of William Brownlow's Knoxville Whig and Rebel Ventilator newspaper originally published during the Civil War; and an original letter from Seventeenth Michigan Infantry soldier V.W. Bruce to Nancy Galbraith who cared for him when he was wounded in the battle.

The Farragut Folklife Museum is committed to preserving the heritage of its East Tennessee community and features a remarkable collection of artifacts from the area, including an extensive collection of the personal belongings of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, first Admiral of the U.S. Navy and hero of the Civil War.

Farragut Folklife Museum, 11408 Municipal Center Drive, Farragut, TN 37934. Hours: M-F 10AM-4:30PM and by appointment. Free. 865-966-7057

With guide commentary for U.S. citizens (10 years and up) with photo identification. This Public Bus Tour, which highlights the history of Oak Ridge and the history of science and technology at Y-12, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and K-25 Site, is offered Monday - Friday, once a day, except government holidays July 4 & 5. Bus Tour registration begins at 9 am, when AMSE opens. AMSE admission includes the DOE Facilities Public Bus Tour, when visitors complete the Registration Sheet upon entering AMSE. Bus Tour begins loading at 11:45 am, bus departs at 12 noon and returns to AMSE at 3 pm. Seating is limited. Some restrictions apply. Off-the-bus stops include the Y-12 New Hope Center; Bethel Valley Church and Graphite Reactor, both at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the K-25 Overlook. Tour also includes a drive by of the Spallation Neutron Source facility at ORNL.

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

Bennett Galleries and Company and Community School of the Arts present Side/By/Side at the galleries located at 5308 Kingston Pike in Bearden. Admission to the exhibit and reception events is free and open to the public. This annual exhibit and fundraiser features the collaborative works of professional artists from Knoxville and surrounding communities and their student apprentices, who work throughout the school year to create pieces of glass art, pottery, paintings, and photography to be auctioned to benefit the school, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Many of these "teams" have been working together as many as four years. Community School of the Arts is a nonprofit after-school program that provides free instruction in the visual and performing arts to underserved youngsters from Knox and surrounding counties.

The mentor artists in this year’s Side/By/Side are Bill Capshaw, Allen Cox, Tina Curry, Don Dudenbostel, Susana Esrequis, Joyce Gralak, Janet Harper, Jean Hess, Richard Jolley, Beauvais Lyons, Chris McAdoo, Peter Rose, Tommie Rush and Robin Surber. The public is invited to attend two events during the week the exhibit is on display:

• A special open house preview on Wednesday, June 5, from 3 to 6 p.m. featuring music and dance from the performance “side” of the Community School of the Arts.
• The closing reception and silent auction on Friday, June 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. Echo Bistro & Wine Bar will provide refreshments.

The Community School of the Arts’ Side-By-Side Visual Arts Apprentice Program is one of 50 finalists for the 2013 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards, a signature initiative of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Service to showcase cultural excellence and enhance the availability of out-of-school arts and humanities programs to children and young people. The final 12 winners will be announced at the end of June, and each will receive a check for $10,000 at a White House ceremony in October. For more information, call Jennifer Sudaria at 865-523-5684 or visit CSAKnox.org.

Everybody loves surprises, that feeling of not knowing what might be around the next corner -- and that’s exactly the vibe that Widespread Panic gives off every time they unleash a new album. Sometimes that means taking listeners on a nice, smooth ride, and sometimes it means making ‘em hold on tight, but either way, it means the trip is gonna be worth it. On Dirty Side Down, their ATO debut and 11th studio offering overall, Widespread Panic offer listeners the sonic equivalent of a dip in a cool mountain stream. At once bracing and cleansing, invigorating and soothing, the album is something of an emotional travelogue, its ebb and flow evident in every aspect of the instrumental interplay -- skittering rhythms, fanciful guitar flights and low-slung melodies alike -- as well as the pensive-but-not-ponderous lyrical tone. “We didn’t necessarily have an overall vision for the album going in, because we never really have things that cut and dried,” says singer-guitarist John Bell. “We all came in with some ideas, and had a few bits of subject matter that we really wanted to touch on, but the one thing we all agreed about was the fact that we wanted to make sure we could play every song live and really enjoy playing all of them.”

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com. For tickets: 865-684-1200, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

At the Goldie Mayfield Gallery at the E.G. Fisher Library, Athens, TN 37303

Awards will be presented at a reception for family and friends of the artists as well as interested community members on Sunday, June 2 at 2:30 PM in the Community Room of the E.G. Fisher Library in Athens.

The exhibition includes works by artists within a 75-mile radius of Athens; media may include painting, drawing, photography, collage, sculpture, or pastel. The juror for this year's exhibit is Elaine Davis.

For more information: 423-333-5388

The Knoxville Film & Music Festival is set to kick off on June 1. The festival, which spans 15 days from June 1 - 15, will feature over 80 bands, 7 feature films, and 40 short films. It will take place in nearly a dozen different downtown venues. The festival has been recognized by Mayor Rogero and June 1 will now be the Knoxville Film & Music Festival Day throughout the city of Knoxville.

The music events run from June 1 - 9 and will feature three outdoor concerts, a showcase from local recording label Dracula Horse Records, an evening of jazz co-produced with the Knoxville Jazz Festival and the outdoor fundraiser for Tour for the Cure known as Knox Gives. Musical acts ranging from hip hop to jazz, EDM to heavy metal and all points in between will be featured. Headliners include Those Darlins, On My Honor, Flux Pavilion, Sons of Fathers, and The Kingston Springs.

The film events kick off on June 10 with panel discussions hosted by Women in Film Knoxville. Other film events include two evenings of Films that Rock, a series devoted to the fusion of music and film with films like Big Easy Express and Shut Up and Play the Hits, an evening of Horror Rock Operas co-produced with the Knoxville Horror Festival, and a very special screening of the documentary Hollywood to Dollywood where 20% of the box office proceeds will be donated to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Short films will be the focus of the Competitive Video Music Awards and the Knoxville 24 Hour Film Festival. June 13 is the screening and awards show for the Competitive Video Music Awards, a competition pairing bands and filmmakers for the ultimate music video experience. The festival will conclude with the 4th Annual Knoxville 24 Hour Film Festival, a screening of 30 films created by local filmmakers in a 24 hour time period. The evening kicks off on the Red Carpet of the Historic Bijou Theatre and concludes with a special Awards Ceremony after the last film screening of the evening.

The festival will also feature a one hour radio show during the music portion of the festival, June 3-7 on 106.1 the River, from 8-9pm. Special performances and interviews will be streamed live throughout the festival on www.knoxvillefilms.com. The Knoxville Film and Music Festival will have an indie authenticity and southern charm that is sure to win the hearts of festival goers, musicians, and filmmakers alike. This year will be the start of a new tradition in Knoxville that promises to bring film, music, and fun to the downtown area for years to come. Times and locations with be announced. For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.knoxvillefilms.com. Week long passes start at $25.00, individual event ticket prices will vary. www.KnoxTIX.com

The District Gallery presents:
Ebb and Flow: New Work by Nancy Lloyd-Hooker and Cal Breed

May 31 - June 29, 2013
Opening: Friday, May 31, 5:30-8 p.m.

The District Gallery is pleased to present Ebb and Flow: New Work by Nancy Lloyd-Hooker and Cal Breed. This exhibit brings together the work of two artists, both greatly influenced by the landscape around them. Oil painter Nancy Lloyd-Hooker and glass artist Cal Breed constantly visit the past in their works, evolve them into something new and experimental, and revisit the past again. It is this ebb and flow--in the ideas behind the works and in the creative process itself--that drives the aesthetic vision of these artists.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, May 31 from 5:30-8 p.m. The show continues through June 29.
Open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. & Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The District Gallery & Framery | 5113 Kingston Pike | Knoxville | TN | 37919
865.200.4452 | www.thedistrictgallery.com

The theme is “Spring in East Tennessee”. Showcasing approximately 20 works by artists who live in East Tennessee. Juried by Annamaria Gundlach.
Opens at 6:00 PM on May 31 during the Last Friday ArtWalk.

Displayed at Fine Arts Blount's ArtSpace Gallery, 106 E. Broadway, Maryville, TN. Hours: Tu-Wed 11AM-6PM; Thurs 11AM-4PM, Fri-Sat 11AM-3PM. Information: 865-607-4473, www.fineartsblount.org

Blue Star Museum admission program to AMSE begins Memorial Day, May 30, 2013 through Labor Day, September 2, 2013. Free AMSE Admission available to active-duty military ID holder and five immediate family members. Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members. Must show active duty military ID for free admission.

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

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