Calendar of Events

Ijams Hike-a-Thon is an annual fundraising event for Ijams. Hikers collect pledges from family and friends and then spend the month of March 2014 hiking Ijams Nature Center and the Urban Wilderness Trail. Registration for the event begins February 3, 2014. The Ijams Hike-a-Thon is a super fun way to benefit Ijams Nature Center. The Hike-a-Thon gives you the opportunity to help preserve and protect the environment and provide educational opportunities while hiking and earning great prizes from generous Ijams Hike-a-Thon sponsors. You register for the event online and then create your own Ijams Hike-a-Thon fundraising webpage. It’s easy! By collecting flat or per-mile pledges from your friends and family, your efforts will add up fast! You’ll even get a webpage link that you can e-mail to your friends and family asking for their pledge. It’s that easy!
http://ijams.org/hike-a-thon-frequently-asked-questions/

Based on the beloved novel by E.B. White. Charlotte’s Web is one of the top 100 best-selling books of all time and the best-selling children’s paperback book ever. The New York Times called it “just about perfect, and just about magical in the way it is done.” Tony-winning playwright Joseph Robinette’s touching and faithful stage version will make audiences believe this beloved book is coming to life on the KCT stage. In rural Maine, Wilbur, a young orphan pig, is loved by his owner, Fern Arable. But the pig is destined to be slaughtered for food, and as soon as he is old enough, the Arables send the pig to his fate on the Zuckerman family farm. A lonely, childless spider named Charlotte, who lives in a dark corner of the Zuckerman’s barn, takes pity on the pitiful little pig and decides to do what she can to save his life. Wilbur is grateful for this mysterious mother figure, but the act of true motherhood will come at a costly price for the tiny spider. The play is performed by 21 talented young actors, from ages 9 to 17. Kayla June Nobbe, a KCT veteran performer who was last seen in Disney’s Mulan, plays the part of the motherly spider Charlotte. Madison Austin, one of KCT’s most experienced actors, performs the role of Wilbur. Kena Holmes will play the part of Fern Arable, and Cody Chaffins and Roxanne Abernathy play the Zuckermans. Four actors are making their KCT debuts: Cade Brown, Bonnie Claire Fultz, Emma Lesniewski, and Greyson VanWinkle.The rest of the cast includes many KCT veteran performers: Catherine Blevins, Jaden Lily Branson, Alexandria Carter, Clare Carter, Abigayle DeBusk, Andrew Fetterolf, Jake Green, Caroline Hunse, Bethany Moon, Boone Sommers, Levi Vinsant, and Derrick Washington, Jr. The play is directed by Jennie Cunic, a senior at Farragut High School. Jennie made her KCT debut as an actor in Charlotte’s Web, when KCT produced the play in 2009. Since then, Jennie has completed a year-long KCT internship and become an accomplished director, having helmed last season’s Sleeping Beauty. Liel Kirk is the Production Manager. Kiernan Bensey and Brooke Cunningham provide the scenic design, and Rose Bolton will design and build the costumes. The play’s lighting designer and stage manager is Wheeler Moon.

Performances are 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

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

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

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

Join Vance Thompson (director of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra) and friends every First and Third Sunday from 4pm to 6pm for a Jazz Jam session at the Black Box in the Emporium Center: November 3 & 17, December 1 & 15, January 5 & 19, February 2 & 16, March 2 & 16, April 6, and May 4 & 18.

Bring your axe and play, or just listen and enjoy. Free admission. Special thanks to the Arts and Culture Alliance, the Tennessee Arts Commission, Arts Build Communities and the Joy of Music School!

At the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-573-3226, www.knoxjazz.org