Calendar of Events

By Horton Foote; Directed by Kate Buckley
The award-winning “The Trip to Bountiful” starring Carol Mayo Jenkins will play on the Clarence Brown Mainstage. The heartwarming play tells the story of Carrie Watts, an elderly woman who yearns to return to her home in Bountiful, Texas one last time, against the wishes of her overprotective son and domineering daughter-in-law. Written by one of America’s greatest writers, Horton Foote, “The Trip to Bountiful” is an unforgettable portrait of a woman with incredible strength and dignity,

Foote’s first play, “Texas Town”, was produced Off-Broadway in 1941. Since then he has had plays produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway and at many regional theatres throughout the country. He received Academy Awards for his screenplay adaptation of “To Kill A Mockingbird” and his original screenplay, “Tender Mercies.” He received the Pulitzer Prize for his play, “The Young Man from Atlanta”, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway and the Outer Critics Circle Special Achievement Award for the Signature Series of his plays. In 1996 he was elected to the Theatre Hall of Fame. In 1998 he was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and at the same time received from the Academy the Gold Medal of Drama for the entire body of his work. In 2000 he received the PEN/Laura Pels Foundation Award for Drama, New York State Governor's Arts Award and, in December of that year, was given the National Medal of Arts Award by President Clinton. In 2006 his play, “The Trip to Bountiful”, won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival and he was given the Drama Desk Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of work.

Foote’s success has been attributed to his honest examination of the human condition, and why some people survive tragedies while others are destroyed. His central themes of the “sense of belonging” and “longing for home” have resonated with audiences for more than 60 years.

"The trip to Bountiful is a journey home, which brings our heroine a sense of dignity and proof that her life was well lived. Carol Mayo-Jenkins’ beautiful portrayal of Carrie Watts enriches this profound story,” said director Kate Buckley.

Clarence Brown 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

Riding a bike is all fun and games until someone gets a flat. Knox County Public Library is pleased to introduce a new series called Life 101 to help teens develop some practical skills, including bike maintenance. Life 101 will be held at Lawson McGhee Library on Saturdays at 2:00 pm. It's aim is to teach teenagers some important life skills for their future. The programs are free and open to all area teens. No reservation required.
February 15: Bike safety
The first leg of this 2-part program will focus on urban bike safety. Local organization, Kickstand, will be on hand to guide participants through the rules of the road and offer other suggestions on how to become a safer, more aware cyclist.

March 1: Bike maintenance and repair
Flats, broken chains, and wobbly seats, oh my! Meet up with volunteers from local organization, Kickstand, to learn essential bike maintenance and repair techniques.

March 8: Stress management: yoga for teens
March 29: Financial literacy

For more information, please contact Bess Connally at bconnally@knoxlib.org, or (865) 215-8767

The Knoxville Museum of Art presents Sight and Feeling: Photographs by Ansel Adams January 31-May 4, 2014. This exhibition of 23 prints by Ansel Adams emphasizes the role of the artist’s intuitive and emotional response to the landscape in the creation of his powerful and enduring images. Also included in the KMA’s special presentation of this exhibition are three rare prints Adams made during his little-known visit to East Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains in 1948. Adams is widely considered to be America’s greatest landscape photographer. His ability to create black and white photographs with a remarkable range and subtlety of tones is legendary. Yet for all Adams’ technical mastery, he recognized that what made a compelling photograph was far more elusive.

Few are aware that in 1948 Adams traveled to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park—his first and only recorded visit to Tennessee—in order take photographs as part of a Guggenheim Fellowship on America’s national parks and monuments. The resulting images represent an extensive and important artistic record of the Smokies approximately 14 years after the park was established.

There will be an opening reception Thursday, January 30 at the KMA, which includes a members-only preview from 5 to 6pm, and a public opening from 6 to 8pm.

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 presents Contemporary Focus January 31-April 6. This annual exhibition series is designed to serve as a vital means of recognizing, supporting, and documenting the development of contemporary art in East Tennessee. Each year, the exhibition series features the work of artists who are living and making art in this region, and who are exploring issues relevant to the larger world of contemporary art. The three artists selected for this year’s exhibition have a common interest in creating layered works dealing with memory, identity and the surrounding environment—whether suburban, rural, synthetic, or natural. Jean Hess produces dense, intricate collages made up of fragments culled from eclectic sources such as topographical charts, children’s writings, and the natural landscape. In addition to her studio practice, Hess is active as a freelance art writer and curator. Althea Murphy-Price is a printmaker and installation artist who uses hair—both human and artificial—rather than a drawn line as the basis for her elaborately textured compositions. Murphy-Price is an assistant professor of printmaking at the School of Art, University of Tennessee. Jessica Wohl is a mixed media artist based in Sewanee whose sprawling installations, obsessively detailed ink drawings, and sewn portraits are largely inspired by contemporary suburban life. She currently lives in Sewanee, Tennessee where she is an Assistant Professor of Art at The University of the South.

There will be an opening reception Thursday, January 30 at the KMA, which includes a members-only preview from 5 to 6pm, and a public opening from 6 to 8pm.

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 Farragut Folklife Museum will feature an exciting special exhibit - "The Manhattan Project - Secrets Revisited" - beginning Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, through Friday, May 2. The exhibit will highlight items from this momentous time in our region's history, including artifacts on loan from the private collection of Lloyd and Betty Stokes, as well as the American Museum of Science and Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex and K-25 in Oak Ridge.

Items on loan from the Stokes will include newspaper articles and framed Life Magazines from the 1940s, which illustrate scenes from World War II including bombers, planes, personnel, enemy soldiers and more. They collected their Manhattan Project artifacts over the course of 69 years while living and working in Oak Ridge. Lloyd's professional career spanned 40 years at Y-12, K-25 and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The exhibit will also feature loaned artifacts and well-known Ed Westcott photographs taken during the Manhattan Project from the American Museum of Science and Energy as well as loaned artifacts from the Y-12 National Security Complex and K-25.

Folklife Museum Committee Member Steve Stow will give a special presentation on the Manhattan Project on Wednesday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall. More details will be announced closer to the event.

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.

Ebony Imagery XV, Creative CrackerJacks at the Art Center, and Selections from the Permanent Collection
Featuring International Artists including Henri Matisse, Edouard Manet, Salvador Dali and many others.

Opening Reception: Monday Evening, January 20, 4-6PM
Gallery Talk: 5:30 PM
The event is free and open to the public. Bring your friends and family!

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 9AM-5PM, Saturday-Monday, 1-4PM. Information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is pleased to present Light of the Moon, a national juried exhibition. Fifty-two works by 41 artists from throughout the country will be on display in the Sandra J. Blain Galleries.

With the exhibition Light of the Moon, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts presents a midwinter celebration of contemporary arts and crafts, the theme of which harkens back to the myriad traditions, festivities, stories, and happenings that have been inspired or taken place by the light of the moon throughout the ages. Join us at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts on Saturday, January 18 from 4:00 – 8:00pm for a throw-down hoedown during the opening event. Festivities will include a short lecture and awards presentation by exhibition juror Namita Gupta Wiggers, director and chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Craft | PNCA in Portland, Oregon; screen-printing demonstrations by the University of Tennessee’s print club; dance performances by Knoxville-based Circle Modern Dance; demonstrations by Arrowmont’s artists-in­residence; tasty bites throughout the day prepared by Arrowmont’s chef; drinks from Ole Smoky Moonshine; and to round out the night, a musical performance by Firewater Junction. For a detailed schedule of Opening Event festivities, please visit http://arrowmontgalleries.org/light-of-the-moon/opening-event-saturday-january-18-400-800pm/

Open Monday - Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Please call for Holiday and Weekend hours. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

"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

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

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

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