Calendar of Events

"Glass of the Ancient Mediterranean" explores the origins of glass production in the ancient world through 30 pieces from the Yale University Art Gallery, which is home to one of the best collections of ancient glass in the United States. Featuring objects from ancient Egypt and the Roman and Byzantine empires, these pieces of glass show three millennia of craftsmanship, artistry, daily life, trade, pilgrimage and luxury in the ancient Mediterranean.

"Brightly Beaded: North American Indian Glass Beadwork" investigates how the introduction of glass beads to American Indians changed and shaped the art of beadwork. From cradleboards to moccasins, this exhibit of more than 50 brightly beaded objects looks at the techniques and cultural importance of beadwork and how it continues to serve as an important expression of cultural identity today.

Members opening reception January 17, 5-7 PM. RSVP to 974-2144

"Brightly Beaded: North American Indian Glass Beadwork" is curated by Michael H. Logan, UT professor of anthropology. "Glass of the Ancient Mediterranean" is curated by Sarah Cole, Yale University Art Gallery.

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

Based on the comic novel by Judy Blume. Tales Of A Fourth-Grade Nothing began a hugely-popular series of books, detailing the lives of the Hatcher family and their friends, including Superfudge, Fudge-A-Mania, and Double Fudge. All of the uproarious adventures of Peter and Fudge come to life on the KCT stage, along with many of the characters from the series, such as Sheila Tubman, Jimmy Fargo, and Dr. Cone.

What happens when your cute little brother is sometimes a trouble-making, fussy, chaos-causing brat? Peter Hatcher feels like a “fourth-grade nothing” because everybody seems to give his brother Fudge so much attention, even if he’s behaving badly! Tales Of A Fourth-Grade Nothing follows a year in Peter’s life that is full of comic misadventures, such as the boys’ visit to the dentist, the day Fudge tried to fly, the morning Dad tried to cook an omelet, the night that Peter lost Fudge in a downtown movie theater, and much more. A faithful adaptation of one of the best books ever written about sharing life with a sibling.

Performances are generally Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM.

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

Bob Patterson, Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center Director announced the opening of Child's Play: 100 Years of Toys located inside the Proffitt's Gallery in Main Gallery of the Heritage Center Museum. This exhibit will bring back many childhood memories and a full range of emotions for those who come and see this exhibit. They have a wonderful collection of toys made of metal, porcelain, iron and plastic that represent toys over the past 100 years. The exhibit which will be on display through June 2014 is made possible through the generous support of the following individuals who donated their childhood toys to be a part of this exhibit. Exhibit Highlights includes: Louis Marx Toy Company / Tin Walt Disney Doll House, Toy Soldiers, Tonka Toys, Barbie Dolls, Metal Trucks, Kenton Trucks, Buddy L trucks, Porcelain Dolls, Circus, Lionel train, Winnie the Pooh, Shirley Temple, Tinker Toys, and more.

The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is 501 c3 Museum and Cultural Center. The Heritage Center is open Monday thru Saturday 10 am - 5 pm and on Sunday 12 noon to 5 pm starting in April. Admission is free for Heritage Center members, Adults $6.00 ,Seniors 60 plus and children ages 6 - 17 $4.00, children 5 and under are free. Closed Easter Sunday. The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center is a not for profit museum and is located between the traffic light and the national park entrance, on scenic Highway 73. Information: 865-448-0044, www.gsmheritagecenter.org

The Arts at Pellissippi State kicks off the new year with a special art exhibit, “Art Histories,” featuring the work of S. L. Dickey and Tom Wegrzynowski. An opening reception takes place from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16.

The artists are showing together for the first time for this unique exhibit at Pellissippi State Community College. Dickey, chair of the department of art and design at the Mississippi University for Women, is known for creating dimensional screenprints and for “The Piedmont Sideshow,” performance art that explores perceived conflict.

Wegrzynowski is a painter and instructor at the University of Alabama. His work deals with the nature of myth and symbolism as a foundation for identity. “S. L. Dickey’s work is more informed by a pop history, and Tom Wegrzynowski’s work, while it does come from history, has an alternative narrative to it,” said Herb Rieth. Rieth is the curator of the exhibit, as well as an assistant professor of Liberal Arts at Pellissippi State.

Bagwell Center Gallery Hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Huck Finn is on the run from his criminal father, along with his friend Jim, adrift on the mighty Mississippi River. The two fall prey to two con men, calling themselves the King and The Duke, and get involved in a number of outrageous schemes. If Jim can get far enough up river, he can become a free man, and Huck discovers there may be a fortune for him too!

Performances begin: Friday, January 16 at 7:00 PM
Performances end: Sunday, February 1 at 3:00 PM

January 11, 2014 PEG’S KITCHEN: Breakfast is Served
January 11, 2014 ANIMAL PROGRAM: Ijams Creature Feature
January 11, 2014 THE URBAN WILDERNESS: South Loop Piece-by-Piece
January 11, 2014 ANIMAL PROGRAM: Ijams Creature Feature
January 11, 2014 ANIMAL PROGRAM: Ijams Creature Feature
January 11, 2014 FAMILY WILDLIFE SERIES: Owl Prowl
January 16, 2014 IJAMS SOCIAL SERIES: Happy Hour Full Moon Hike
January 18, 2014 PUBLIC PROGRAM: Wagging Walk
January 18, 2014 PEG’S KITCHEN: Breakfast is Served
January 18, 2014 ANIMAL PROGRAM: Ijams Creature Feature
January 18, 2014 Nature Writing and Journaling Workshop
January 18, 2014 IJAMS GARDENING SERIES: Winter Gardening and Tools
January 18, 2014 SCOUT BADGE WORKSHOP: Geology
January 18, 2014 ANIMAL PROGRAM: Ijams Creature Feature
January 18, 2014 ANIMAL PROGRAM: Ijams Creature Feature
January 25, 2014 PEG’S KITCHEN: Breakfast is Served
January 25, 2014 ANIMAL PROGRAM: Ijams Creature Feature
January 25, 2014 IJAMS GARDENING SERIES: Seed Swap
January 25, 2014 ANIMAL PROGRAM: Ijams Creature Feature
January 25, 2014 ANIMAL PROGRAM: Ijams Creature Feature
January 31, 2014 IJAMS SOCIAL SERIES: Last Friday Single Mingle

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

NOTE: Contains strong language not suitable for children.
On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Catherine, a troubled young woman, has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father's who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind. Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult problem of all: How much of her father's madness - or genius - will she inherit?

Winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play.

Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM. Tickets are $10 plus fees for Thursday & Sunday performances and $15 plus fees for Friday & Saturday performances. If available, tickets will be sold at the door.

Theatre Knoxville Downtown has open seating. Doors open 30 minutes prior to show time. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to pick up your tickets and claim your seats. TKD reserves the right to seat walk-in patrons during the final 15 minutes prior to show time.

Tickets: 865-523-7521; www.KnoxTIX.com. Information: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

The Ewing Gallery is pleased to present the 2014 Artist in Residence Biennial. The 4 exhibiting artists are:
Patricia Treib, Fall 2012
Michael Berryhill, Spring 2013
EJ Hauser, Fall 2013
Jaya Howey, Spring 2014

The Artist in Residence Biennial will be on display in the Ewing Gallery from January 9 - February 6, 2014. Please join us for an opening reception on Thursday, January 9 from 7-9PM in the Ewing Gallery.

Although the resident artists present slide lectures during their stays, it is access to their works of art that is highly anticipated and valued by both the students and the faculty. Therefore, the Ewing Gallery has sponsored group exhibitions of these artists since the inception of the Artist in Residence Program in 1982. Currently held every two years, this exhibition provides a continuing dialogue between artist-teacher and student. The AIR Biennial also offers our general university and regional community an opportunity to experience a provocative and often challenging exhibition of contemporary art.

Ewing Gallery of Art & Architecture
1715 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, TN 37996
865.974.3200
www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu

Opening reception Friday, January 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; artist’s talk at 6:30 p.m.

Don’t let any earthly calamity knock your dreamer and your hoping machine. -- Woody Guthrie
When I was a kid I would ride my bike around the neighborhood. My red Dyno bike was my first vehicle and my first way of exploring the world. I could ride as far as I wanted, as long as I could find my way home. At that age, everything was important, everything had something to offer. I would revisit places over and over again. I had nothing to do except look. Everything I encountered had nothing else to do except transform into something else. I still remember specific cracks in the sidewalk, street curbs, and creek beds. I am interested in this kind of familiarity with the world, the kind of unintended familiarity that happens by default. My studio process involves a balance between seeing and making. I revisit a place until it unfolds in a new way or gains new meanings. A telephone pole shadow becomes a totem, zip, or a slit. Woodgrain begins to have eyes. A cinderblock wall, reinforced with steel bolts, starts to become sundials, buttons, or nipples.

David Anthony Harman is a native of Dallas, Texas. He is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Gallery hours: Monday-Thursday 9AM-5PM; Friday 9AM-4:30PM; Sunday 9AM-1PM. Information: 865-523-4176, www.tvuuc.org

Works by Kay Murphy and Lois Crabtree Armstrong
Opening reception January 5, 2-4pm

Rose Center, 442 W Second North Street, Morristown, TN | 423-581-4330, www.RoseCenter.org
open daily 9-5

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