Calendar of Events

Recent works by Garry Taylor of Knoxville, a painter in both watercolor and oils, and Lisa Kurtz of Knoxville, a clay artist, will be featured in January at the Art Market Gallery in downtown Knoxville.

Lisa has been a functional potter for 36 years. After getting her Master's Degree in clay (MA) at The University of Louisville, she set up her first studio in the eclectic, artsy, Highlands neighborhood in Louisville, Ky. and named her business Highland Pottery. She has been an exhibiting member of many professional juried guilds, boards, galleries and artist associations. Her clay work has been exhibited and collected across the U.S. and is also in private collections internationally. Lisa throws and handbuilds her pieces and often combines the two methods to produce her colorful functional pottery. Her work is often very textured to emphasize the malleable qualities of clay. Most of her pieces are altered while still wet to highlight the intrinsic beauty of the clay itself. Lisa mixes up her own glazes, which adds a unique depth and quality to the work. As an artist and a maker of "handmade" objects, she strives for that human connection with the user/collector of her pottery. For more information about Lisa's work visit her website: www.LisaKurtzHighlandPottery.com

Artistic expression, whatever form it takes, is a necessity in Garry’s life for it feeds his spirit and nourishes his soul. He relishes the process of imagination assuming physical form. He studied art and dance at LSU, graduating with a BS in 1980. Upon graduation he moved to New Orleans and began an apprenticeship in a stained glass studio. That became his primary media until he moved to Knoxville in 1987. At that time he put his art aside for a while, concentrating on being a counselor in the Alcohol and Drug Recovery program at UTMCK. He did this for almost ten years, and then started experiencing a real need to return to his art. He did so, again concentrating in stained glass but beginning to explore pastels (a media not taught at LSU while he was there) which he had experimented with after graduation. He is drawn to landscape painting, both plein aire and using photographs he has taken as references. And as an extension of that, flowers are a favorite subject matter. The two painters that have most influenced the way he approaches a painting are Georgia O’Keefe and Claude Monet. He has been absent from the Art Market gallery for the past 7 years to focus on being a stay at home parent for his now 8 year old twins, Julie and Billy. His art also took a hiatus during this period. Recently he began painting again, working with oil and watercolor, both of which he hadn’t worked with since he was in college. His new work is made up of expressions in these media. He continues to be drawn to landscapes, especially scenes that have paths, roads, or water reflections in them.

A First Friday opening reception for the exhibit is planned for 5:30 to 9 p.m., Friday, January 3, with complimentary refreshments and live music by cellist Leigh Sooter.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11AM-6PM; Sunday 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net

Born in Miami of a Cuban Flamenco dancer, Tom McDaniel is a self-taught photographer. Growing up, art was everywhere: in the statuary-populated gardens of his home, in the huge surrealistic mural in his bedroom and in the lush, ever-present colors of the tropics. First drawn to nature photography, Tom used an old German fixed-lens camera and light meter. One can see elements of his early work in his clear preference for discovering and highlighting the common, often overlooked beauty that surrounds us.

HoLa Hora Latina: 865-335-3358, www.holafestival.org

The Arts & Culture Alliance proudly presents “Dragonflies of the World: an International Exhibition,” featuring painting, mixed media, and sculpture by 21 artists from the United States, Europe, and Central America. Dragonfly Arts Dimensions, an art agency in Gatlinburg, organized the exhibition to showcase diverse cultures and artwork from around the world. Exhibiting artists include: Jose Alanzo, Dennis Berrios, Deborah Cain, Rafael Casco, Eva Castillo, Dennis Cerrato, Ocean Starr Cline, Juan Pablo Delgato, Delia Flores, Leonel Flores, Delmer Meija, Adonay Navarro, Freddy Olger, Rene Oviedo, Hendry Rivera, Ruben Salagado, Hector Salvidar, Omar Sanchez, Ivan Soto, Orlando Roque, Allan Rosembelth, Fernando Venegas, and Tito Venegas. The exhibition will be on display in the main gallery of the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville from January 3 – February 1, 2014, and an opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on January 3 from 5:00-9:00 PM with chocolate fondue provided by the Melting Pot of Knoxville. Artists who will be present at the opening include Rafael Casco, Ocean Starr Cline, Delia Flores, Hector Salvidar, and Ivan Soto. The First Friday reception also features a flamenco dance performance by Pasión Flamenco from 6:00-6:45 PM and a Jazz Jam Session hosted by Vance Thompson and Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM, both in the Black Box Theatre.

Many of the artists will travel to the US and East Tennessee to participate in a variety of activities related to the exhibition programming, including two public panel discussions: one will take place at the University of Tennessee’s Black Cultural Center (sponsored by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity), and another will take place at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville (sponsored by HoLa Hora Latina and the Arts & Culture Alliance). Dates and times for the panel discussion will be announced shortly. Many of the artists are traveling from Honduras to visit East Tennessee for a cultural exchange.

“Dragonflies of the World: an International Exhibition” will be on display January 3 – February 1, 2014. 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 Monday, January 20, for the holiday. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

The Art Guild at Fairfield Glade invites you to view the new works on display starting January 3, 2014. Come and view high quality art presented in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pastels, colored pencil, photography, mixed media, pottery, sculpture, jewelry, and fabric. While your enjoy the new art display you can check out the schedule of classes to be offered, enroll in one you will enjoy, or purchase a gift of fine art from the gallery.
The PCAC is handicapped accessible and open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Website: www.artguildfairfieldglade.net.

Bliss Home is pleased to present photographer, Phil Savage, for January's First Friday. Bliss Home, located at 29 Market Square, will host an opening reception on Friday, January 3rd, from 6pm to 9pm. Complimentary Steamboat Sandwiches will be provided and Phil's art will be featured for the month of January. Phil Savage was born in Mexico City and is a world-traveler, which has helped him hone his ability to "turn the ordinary into the extraordinary". Phil loves to explore the endless possibilities that photography has to offer, by embracing black and white panoramic photos with hand-tinted touches. Phil's First Friday exhibit, aims to challenge viewers to rediscover the beauty and complexities that can be found all around Knoxville.

Where: Bliss Home 29 Market Square Knoxville, TN 37902
Info: marketing@shopinbliss.com, shopinbliss.com, 865.329.8868

Thursday-Saturday, January 2-4, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame: Have a Ball at the Hall

Up to four children will receive free admission per paying adult.

Contact: Margo Pressley, 865-633-9000, e-mail
700 Hall of Fame Drive, Knoxville, TN 37915 | www.wbhof.com
Advance reservations required? NO

Just like at your favorite meat n’ three, the WDVX Blue Plate Special® is served up piping hot. This fresh and free daily helping of live music during the lunchtime hour that features performers from all over the world and right here in Knoxville has put WDVX on the map as East Tennessee’s Own community supported radio.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special® is a live performance radio show held at noon, with your host Red Hickey Monday through Friday and Doug Lauderdale on Saturday, at the WDVX studio inside the Knoxville Visitor Center. It’s always free to join in so please don’t be shy. Make yourself at home as part of the WDVX family. From blues to bluegrass, country to Celtic, folk to funk, rockabilly to hillbilly, local to international, it all part of the live music experience on the WDVX Blue Plate Special. You’re welcome to bring your lunch.

Previous performing artists include Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, The Avett Brothers, Old Crowe Medicine Show, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Jim Lauderdale, Marty Stuart, Nickel Creek, Red Stick Ramblers, Rodney Crowell, String Cheese Incident, The Del McCoury Band, Tim O’Brien, Yonder Mountain String Band, David Grisman, Claire Lynch Band, Brett Dennen, Tommy Emmanuel, Uncle Earl, The Infamous Stringdusters, the Jerry Douglas Band, Joan Osborne, John Oats, Mary Gauthier, Darrell Scott, and many many more! There’s plenty of great music to go around! http://wdvx.com/program/blue-plate-special/

Free 2-hour visitor parking located next door to the Knoxville Visitor Center. One Vision Plaza, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Info: 865-544-1029, http://www.wdvx.com

The UT Downtown Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Artist in Residence program at UT’s School of Art. Begun after the retirement of painting professor Carl Sublett, the Artist-in-Residence Program enriches a student's experience further by regularly bringing new artists from outside the university who are actively showing in the contemporary gallery and museum arenas. Each semester an invited resident artist teaches both undergraduate and graduate level courses in the painting and drawing curriculum. The AIR program has been highly successful in making a direct connection to the marketplace of ideas that surrounds art centers such as New York City, Chicago, and LA. The artists we bring to campus represent a spectrum of current sensibilities in painting and drawing holding sway in the art world today.

This exhibition features work from past participating artists from the Ewing Gallery permanent collection.

Please join us December 6 from 5-9pm for an opening reception celebrating the program.

UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Wednesday-Friday: 11AM - 6PM; Saturday: 10AM - 3PM. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

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

Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in East Tennessee - Ongoing/Hayworth Gallery
This permanent installation, housed in one of the two large top-floor galleries, traces the development of fine art and craft in the region and the surrounding area over the past century. It tells the largely unknown story of the area’s rich artistic history and its connections to the larger currents of American art. Featured works are drawn from the KMA collection along with selected works on loan from several regional museums and private collections.

Currents: Recent Art from East Tennessee and Beyond - Ongoing/Faires Stokely Gallery
This exhibition showcases the exciting range of contemporary works by a stellar slate of more than 30 international artists and East Tennessee luminaries. The selection is grouped in thought-provoking juxtapositions that call attention to new directions in art and new approaches to the artistic process, and help viewers discover meaningful connections between featured works.

Thorne Miniature Rooms - Ongoing/Great Hall
Thorne Rooms are among America’s most well-known miniature diorama groups. The Thorne Rooms were developed in the 1930s and 40s by Mrs. James Ward Thorne of Chicago, who collected miniature furniture and accessories and used them to create dioramas built to a scale of one inch to one foot.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM; Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

The Knoxville Museum of Art and the Tennessee Art Education Association present the eighth annual East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition, which features artwork created by middle and high school students and offers students the opportunity to display their talents and be honored for their accomplishments in a professional art museum environment. This event is made possible by the generosity of presenting sponsor Regal Entertainment Group and additional sponsors Emerson Process Management, Home Federal Bank, Carton Services Inc, and the Tennessee Theatre.

Students, family, friends, and the public are invited to a reception and awards ceremony Tuesday, December 3 from 6 to 8pm. The ceremony this year will be held at the Tennessee Theater at 604 S. Gay Street due to the renovations taking place at the KMA. Student artwork will be on view at the museum. The event is free and open to the public.

The East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition is open to students in grades 6-12, attending public, private, or home schools in 32 counties across East Tennessee. Fewer than a third of the more than 1500 entries in this highly competitive show will make it through a rigorous jury process. The Best-in-Show winner will receive a Purchase Award of $500, and the artwork will become a permanent part of the collection of Mr. James Dodson, on loan to the Knoxville Museum of Art's Education Collection. This is the first exhibition to open in the newly renovated Clayton Building. Having been closed to the public since late August, the museum has undergone extensive renovations and is reopening in stages as work is completed. The two galleries on the museum’s main level will house the Student Art Exhibition and boast newly finished flooring, while new terrazzo flooring will greet visitors as they enter the front doors.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM; Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org