Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance proudly presents its 2013 Members Show, the largest annual exhibition of local artists in the Greater Knoxville area. The fresh mix of two- and three-dimensional works created within the last two years encompasses a wide variety of media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, mixed media, photography, fine craft, sculpture, ceramics, fiber, and more from regional artists who are all members of the Arts & Culture Alliance, which serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Membership is open to all, and information may be found at www.knoxalliance.com/join.html. Most of the works in the 2013 Members Show are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. The exhibition will be on display in both galleries of the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville from December 6-23, 2013, and an opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on December 6 from 5:00-9:00 PM with chocolate fondue provided by the Melting Pot of Knoxville. The First Friday reception also features music by Pistol Creek Catch of the Day, K-Town Sound Show Chorus, and a Jazz Jam Session hosted by Vance Thompson and Friends in the Black Box Theatre from 7:00-9:00 PM.

The 2013 Members Show will be on display December 6-23, 2013. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Saturday 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed December 24-28 for the holidays, reopening on Monday, December 30. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

Knoxville Children’s Theatre will present a live stage adaptation of the beloved children’s novel Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. The play will be performed December 6 through 21: Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM.

Little Women is one of the most widely read novels of all time and named one of the “Top 100 Books for Children” by the National Education Association. As another Christmas arrives with Mr. March still off at the war front, Mrs. March’s daughters are growing up to be strikingly different from each other. Jo is willful, impulsive, and tempermental, whereas Beth is humble and selfless. Meg does not see a future outside her hometown, whereas Amy dreams of Europe. Jo and Laurence are inseparable in their youth, but which of the “Little Women” will he marry? And if “Laurie” is too conventional for Jo, what kind of man will she ever end up with? Ripe with life lessons about the change from child into young adult, Little Women is a timeless American classic.

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-599-5284, www.childrenstheatreknoxville.com. Reservations: tickets@childrenstheatreknoxville.com

Santa Claus has come to town and made “Santa’s Village” at Knoxville Zoo his temporary East Tennessee headquarters. The jolly old elf will be available to discuss Christmas wishes and pose for holiday photos Thursday, Dec. 5th through Sunday, Dec. 8th and Thursday, Dec. 12th through Sunday, Dec. 15th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. each day. Guests may bring their own cameras for photos or purchase portraits taken by a professional photographer.

Located in The Pilot Special Exhibits Building, the halls of Santa’s Village are all decked for the holidays. Santa’s Village also has a “Secret Santa Gift Shop”, featuring items from $5 and up and designed just for little ones to do their very own holiday shopping. Knoxville Zoo’s staff of elves will help small shoppers make their selections and then wrap up their purchases to make sure there is no peeking before the big day.

Santa’s Village is included with general zoo admission. Currently, the zoo is celebrating Penguin Discount Days, and admission to Knoxville Zoo is half-off through Feb. 28, 2014.

Knoxville Zoo is Knoxville’s largest year-round attraction. Located off exit 392 from Interstate 40, the zoo is open every day except Christmas Day. Knoxville Zoo is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is committed to the highest standards in animal care and well-being, ethics, conservation, and education. Currently, the zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Admission and ticket sales stop one-hour before the zoo closes. Next-day admission is free after 3 p.m. For more information, please call 865.637.5331 ext. 300 or visit www.knoxvillezoo.org.

Knoxville Zoo, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Open every day except Christmas. Information: 865-637-5331, www.knoxville-zoo.org

The Farragut Folklife Museum invites the community to visit "An Old Fashioned Christmas" exhibit, on display Monday, Dec. 2, 2013, through Friday, Jan. 3, 2014 (closed Dec. 24 and 25). This special holiday exhibit will feature items from the Museum's collection of artifacts as well as items belonging to Folklife Museum Committee members.

The exhibit showcases a variety of antique toys, games and dolls dating from the late 1800s through the 1900s. A featured item is the Rice doll house, designed and built in 1929 by local architect Malcolm Rice and a National Architecture Award recipient in 1930. Originally with electricity, the doll house was enjoyed by three generations of the Rice family. Folklife Museum committee member Lou LaMarche has loaned several 1940s toys from his personal collection, including toy soldiers, a Rudolph radio and an electric football game. In addition, the exhibit features a 1940s toy steam engine donated by museum volunteer Malcolm Shell as well as 1970s Star Wars toys donated by Mayor Ralph McGill.

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. Housed in the Farragut Town Hall located at 11408 Municipal Center Drive, the museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and offers free admission. For more information about the museum or the exhibit, please visit www.townoffarragut.org/museum , like the museum at www.facebook.com/farragutfolklifemuseum, or contact Museum Coordinator Julia Barham at julia.barham@townoffarragut.org or 966-7057.

Zoo admission is half-price. Details TBA!

Knoxville Zoo, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Open every day except Christmas. Information: 865-637-5331, www.knoxville-zoo.org

Wears Valley wants to take you back in time to the days of old-fashioned Christmas trees, horse-drawn wagon rides, hayrides, and storytelling. Lots of fun awaits you in the Valley during the holiday season. A four-week long event, "Christmas in Wears Valley" will begin with a tree lighting ceremony at 6:00 pm on Friday, Nov. 29, 2013 at 3601 Lyon Springs Rd in Sevierville, TN. The event will run through December 31st.

Special events are spread over four weekends, November 29-30, December 13-14, December 20-21, and December 27-28. The first weekend is the tree lighting ceremony on November 29. On November 30 professional storytellers will tell you stories that will make your jaws drop. Throughout the four-week event, you can enjoy a tree tour, hayrides, horse-drawn wagon rides, and shopping for a live Christmas tree – all available daily. Storytelling events will be held on Saturday afternoons. http://www.christmasinwearsvalley.com

The Clarence Brown Theatre holiday tradition of the timeless Dickens classic returns to the Clarence Brown Theatre mainstage. This year's production features an enhanced set, more music and will include an intermission. Also new this year will be a special photo opportunity and sweet treat concessions for young and old alike. "A Christmas Carol" is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, whose ghostly journey and transformation through Christmas past, present and future is among the most beloved stories in western literature. Described by Dickens as his "little Christmas Book," "A Christmas Carol" was first published in December 1843. The story was instantly successful, selling over 6,000 copies in one week. It has since been republished countless times and adapted for stage and screen. It remains one of literature's most enduring and often-quoted stories of hope, triumph, and communal spirit.

The production features professional actors and resident artists, UT Theatre faculty, UT graduate and undergraduate student actors, and actors from greater Knoxville. The preview is Wednesday, November 27 followed by Opening Night Friday, November 29. UT faculty/staff, senior citizens, children and students receive discounts.

Clarence Brown Theatre / Carousel Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com. For tickets: 865-974-5161, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is offering a Cherokee language class in Vonore, TN on the following Mondays, November 18, 25, December 2, & 9. The cost of the class is $40 for all four evenings. If you have taken the class before with the museum, a discount of $5 will be given. The class will be taught by Shirley Oswalt who is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian. This course is sponsored in part by a grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Anyone interested in taking this class should contact the museum at 423-884-6246 to reserve your space. In case of inclement weather, please call before coming.

Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, 576 HWY 360, Vonore, TN 37885. www.sequoyahmuseum.org

The Art of the Creche II: Folk Art Nativities from Around the World
Featuring new selections on loan from a private collection.

Also showing - Selections from the Permanent Collection
Featuring International Artists including Henri Matisse, Edouard Manet, Salvador Dali and many others.

Opening Reception: Saturday, November 16, 7 to 9 PM
Gallery Talk: 6:30 PM
The event is free and open to the public. Bring your friends and family!

Oak Ridge Art Center * 201 Badger Avenue * Oak Ridge
(865) 482-1441

Provides a look at the 1940's history of Oak Ridge as captured through the photographic lens of Ed Westcott, the official U. S. Army Manhattan Project photographer. This exhibition is sponsored by the Y-12 National Security Complex. 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

A book, a play, a poem – all form the basis of the literary arts. Regional artisits submitted original works for this juried art competition and exhibit that was inspired by a title, a line, a theme, or a character from a literary work.

Join us for an exhibit opening and awards ceremony on Tuesday November 19th:
6:00 pm – Opening Reception with light refreshments
7:00 pm – Awards Ceremony

Athens Area Council for the Arts: 320 North White Street, Athens, TN, 37303. Info: 423-745-8781, www.athensartscouncil.org

The Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture is pleased to present two collage exhibitions in November. Remix: Selections from the International Collage Center and Richard Meier: Selected Collage Works will open Monday, November 4 with a reception in the Ewing Gallery at 6:30.

Prior to the lecture, ICC founder and New York gallerist, Pavel Zoubok will deliver a lecture on the history of collage -- "Collage Culture: From Picasso to Facebook." The lecture will begin at 5:30Pm in room 109 of the Art and Architecture building on the UT campus.

Remix presents the work of over 100 artists drawn from the ICC's permanent lending and research collection alongside further loans from prominent artists. Remix weaves the narrative of collage through the history of modern and contemporary art. Coined in the early 20th century from the French word coller, meaning to glue or stick, the term collage originally described a revolutionary method of art-making. Over time its definition has expanded to represent an approach to and perception of the modern world. The 100 artists featured in the exhibition utilize collage's core conceptual traits—heterogeneity, fragmentation and appropriation—to address with clarity and immediacy the circumstances of their times. Remix explores the impact of collage on artistic and cultural expression and gathers together the diverse fragments of a rich artistic tradition.

Richard Meier: Selected Collage Works is a presentation of 20 recent works. They are a collaboration between Meier and Master Printer, Gary Lichtenstein. The images are 11 color silkscreens of original Meier collages with one-of-a-kind collage and drawing on top of the prints.

The Ewing Gallery is open M-F 10AM - 5PM and Sundays 1-4PM.

Ewing Gallery, 1715 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu