Calendar of Events

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 3, 5:00 – 9:00 pm
Award Ceremony: Thursday, April 3, 7:00 pm

A combined art exhibition featuring the work of East Tennessee's K-12 art students alongside the work of their teaching artists.

At the Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Hours: M-F 10AM-6PM. Info: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com.

Dogwood Arts Festival: 865-637-4561 www.dogwoodarts.com

Legacy Weekend at Arrowmont, April 3 - 6.

We've developed a terrific weekend of workshops, programs and special events, each chosen to help celebrate Arrowmont's rich history and the breathtaking Smoky Mountain landscape surrounding the school. And we've chosen workshop media and themes that complement each other, and invite shared learning and interaction among the studios.

There will be fiber arts, woodturning, musical instrument making, traditional basketry, poetry, digital photography, painting, folk pottery and fishing lures, along with special lectures, presentations and an extra festive gallery opening.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

MASSKUS PRODUCTIONS proudly announces a Tennessee Premiere of a new Musical-Comedy Show for the Greater Knoxville Region.

“ASSISTED LIVING: The Musical,” was created by the team of Betsy Bennett and Rick Compton both members of The Dramatist Guild of America. Based in Naples, Florida and active with a variety of different venues there; they have delighted audiences with their original material for over 16 years. “Assisted Living,” has played across the U.S., including San Francisco and Las Vegas, but will be making its Tennessee premiere on April 3rd at The Historic Grove Theatre in Oak Ridge.

“Assisted Living: The Musical” is a fast-paced 75 minute show with two performers and a pianist appearing as 18 characters. It is a good-hearted look at getting older with side splitting humor and catchy tunes. It’s a show for those of a certain age, those that have parents and friends entering this phase, and for everyone that hopes to grow old with humor and dignity. It tells the story from inside the “process” by being funny yet without being insulting or sarcastic.

“ASSISTED LIVING: The Musical” will perform 5 times at The Historic GROVE Theater, (now celebrating 75 years), 123 Randolph Road, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Performances are scheduled for;
Thursday, April 3 – 7:30pm
Friday, April 4 – 7:30pm
Sat., April 5 – 3pm & 7:30pm
Sunday, April 6 – 3pm

Tickets for these performances are available through www.KnoxvilleTickets.com, by phone 865-656-4444 or toll free 877-995-9961, and in person at Knoxville Tickets outlets or at the door.

The Tennessee Mountain Writers' 26th Annual Conference is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, April 3-5, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge. Conference workshop presenters will include novelist Crystal Wilkinson, fiction and conference banquet speaker; Joseph Bathanti, poetry; Helen Hemphill, writing for young people; Scott Huler, nonfiction; and Kate Larken, editing/publishing; in addition to special sessions to be conducted by Darnell Arnoult, memoir; Kate Larken, songwriting; Lisa Soland, playwriting; Kory Wells, blogging; and Kathy Womack, marketing your self-published work. Additional information and a conference registration form can be found on the Tennessee Mountain Writers' web site, www.tmwi.org.

In its purest form music acts as a conduit of self-expression that’s free from the conventions of society and that spirit of fearlessness lies at the core of Twenty One Pilots, a group whose musical vision is completely their own. Over the past few years, the duo, consisting of frontman Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun, have built a hardcore following that seems primed to reach a fever pitch with the released of their debut Vessel. Joseph’s musical career started with the phrase "music is a vessel", which inspired the album title, and before long he was writing and recording his own demos in his basement and Twenty One Pilots was born.

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com. For tickets: 865-684-1200, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Part of the Monroe Area Council for the Arts 2013-2014 Performance Series

THE COOKE BOOK: The Music of Sam Cooke is Darrian Ford's celebration of Cooke's greatest hits and some lesser known gems. Considered by many to be the definitive soul singer, Sam Cooke blended sensuality and spirituality, sophistication and soul, movie idol looks and Gospel singer poise. "You Send Me", one of Cooke's earliest hits, was the first of 29 Top 40 hits by the Chicago-raised, singing son of a Baptist minister. In addition to being a successful performer, Cooke established himself as a groundbreaking black entrepeneur within the mainstream music industry,founding his own publishing company (Kags Music) and independent record label (SAR/Derby). Tragically, Cooke was shot and killed in Los Angeles on December 11, 1964. His music and influence can be heard in every generation since. Chicago native DARRIAN FORD began his professional performing career at age 13. His career has since spanned Concert Dance companies of Alvin Ailey and Donald Byrd/The Group; Broadway credits include STATE FAIR, THE WHO'S TOMMY and the first national tours of THE COLOR PURPLE and SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE. On film he co-starred in "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" with Halle Berry, and had a recurring role on Disney's "That's So Raven". With nearly a dozen musical guest appearances on both day and night time TV talk shows, he can also be heard on Broadway colleague albums, musical concept albums, and his own CD "Everything".

Recapture the music and relive the magic in this dynamite tribute to The Man Who Invented Soul -- SAM COOKE.

For Event & Ticket Info: www.monroearts.com
All performances at Hiwassee College, 225 Hiwassee College Drive, Madisonville, TN 37354

The University of Tennessee will host the renowned European Doric String Quartet in concert at 7 p.m., April 3rd on campus in Knoxville. The Thursday evening concert is the conclusion to a four-day residency by the Quartet, teaching master classes and working with the Music School’s string majors and with exceptional local high school students. The concert, which will feature works by Haydn, Korngold, and Beethoven, will be held in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center located at 1741 Volunteer Blvd on campus. “Our UT string majors have the opportunity each year to work closely with a prominent string ensemble,” says Hillary Herndon, Assistant Professor of Viola and Coordinator of Strings at UT’s School of Music. “During their residency, the Quartet works with our students as individual instrumentalists and coaches UT chamber music ensembles. Working with a professional ensemble such as the Doric String Quartet is an incredible opportunity for our students,” says Herndon.

Since its formation in 1998, Doric String Quartet members Alex Redington (violin), Jonathan Stone (violin), Hélène Clément (viola), and John Myerscough (cello) have performed across the world, and now return for annual tours in North America. The Quartet has played to sold out houses at the Frick collection in New York and the Library of Congress, as well as at the Wigmore Hall in London, UK, where they reside. Their website is www.doricstringquartet.com. Gramophone Magazine describes Doric String Quartet as “one of the finest young string quartets,” and “musicians with fascinating things to say.” “While here, The Quartet will also meet with the student chapter of the ASTA (American String Teachers Association) and will hold an open rehearsal where our students may observe professional musicians working through issues during a practice,” added Herndon.

Prior to their residency on campus, Quartet members performed in Oak Ridge and taught workshops to Oak Ridge High School students. For more information on this and other UT School of Music events, you may visit www.music.utk.edu/events or call the School of Music CONCERTLINE: 865-974-5678.

At the Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, 1741 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus. Unless otherwise noted, concerts are FREE and open to the public. *For individual or small group performances, please check the web site or call the day of the event for updates or cancellations: 865-974-5678, www.music.utk.edu/events. View additional UT Music concerts and events including all student recitals on the website.

Men's and Women's Chorales: VOLume, ReVOLution and Four O'Clock Shadow

James R. Cox Auditorium, Alumni Memorial Bldg. on the UT campus. Unless otherwise noted, concerts are FREE and open to the public. *For individual or small group performances, please check the web site or call the day of the event for updates or cancellations: 865-974-5678, www.music.utk.edu/events. View additional UT Music concerts and events including all student recitals on the website.

“New York Times” bestselling author Amy Greene will read from her latest book, “Long Man,” at the Thursday, April 3 Knoxville Writers' Guild meeting. The event, which will be open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. at the Laurel Theater, at the corner of Laurel Avenue and 16th Street in Fort Sanders. A $2 donation is requested at the door. The building is handicapped accessible. Additional parking is available at Redeemer Church of Knoxville, 1642 Highland Ave.

“I will be reading and taking questions,” Greene said. “’Long Man’ is such a labor of love for me… I fell so in love with the characters and their stories.” "Long Man” is about three days during the summer of 1936 when a government-built dam is about to flood Yuneetah, a fictional Appalachian town, in order to bring electricity and jobs to the region. As the river is rising, a three-year-old girl goes missing. Parts of the book are based on historical events. For example, the Tennessee Valley Authority built dams and flooded areas of East Tennessee. Greene said she heard such stories when she was growing up near Bulls Gap, and they stuck with her. “Where I come from has, in so many ways, shaped who I’ve become, and I guess I can’t help but write about it. I grew up surrounded by the dams that the TVA built,” she added. “When the water level dips down in (Cherokee Lake) in the winter, you can see the roads that go down in the water. You can see silos in the middle of the lake… My mom told me there was a town right underneath Cherokee Lake. So, of course as a child I was really intrigued by that.” Greene will sign autographs following the meeting. Copies of “Long Man” will be available for purchase. For more information about this and other KWG events, please visit http://www.knoxvillewritersguild.org.

Pellissippi State Community College launches its annual Student Juried Art Show; the event is free and the community is invited. The Art Show takes place in the Bagwell Center for Media and Art on the Hardin Valley Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road. Exhibit hours are 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

“The exhibit will include student works from a variety of media: drawing, painting, two-dimensional and three-dimensional design, ceramics, even blacksmithing,” said Jennifer Brickey, a Fine Arts assistant professor. “We really want to showcase the students that take studio art classes at Pellissippi State. It’s a really great show.”

The opening reception and awards ceremony are 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 2. Awards will be announced at 4 p.m. The exhibit is juried by Pellissippi State’s art faculty. The grand prize for the show is the “purchase award,” in which Pellissippi State buys a student’s artwork for the college’s permanent collection. The award is worth up to $500. Other awards include $25 gift cards to Jerry’s Artarama, given to four runners-up.

The annual Student Juried Art Show is part of The Arts at Pellissippi State, which brings to the community cultural activities ranging from music and theatre to international celebrations, lectures, and the fine arts. Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Reception: Friday, March 28, 5:30-9 p.m.
The District Gallery is pleased to present Terra Madre: Women in Clay, a group show featuring the work of more than twenty female artists with diverse approaches to clay. Terra Madre was formed in 2000 by a small group of artists from East Tennessee. The group’s members are as distinct as their creative work. Each woman comes to the group with her own artistic experience and unique expressive style. “Our mission is to support one another in our clay work, to advance the appreciation of ceramics in East Tennessee, and to encourage each other in the pursuit of our dreams as artists and as women,” said Jackie Mirzadeh, a functional potter and teacher at the Knoxville Arts and Fine Crafts Center. President Patricia Herzog says, “We all need encouragement at times, and I find that talking to women with similar interests and experiences helps me to continue my artistic endeavors with renewed energy.”

The exhibit will include both functional and sculptural ceramics as well as jewelry. Participants are: Elaine Barnes, Gray Bearden, Judy Brater, Jane Cartwright, June Crowe, Tina Curry, Valerie Eiler, Annamaria Gundlach, Candy Finley-Brooks, Amy Hand, Janet Harper, Patricia Herzog, Liz Howell, Lisa Kurtz, Karyn Kyte, Stephanie Levy, LeAnn Lewis, Patty Lewis, Jane Longendorfer, Wendie Love, Sandra McEntire, Jackie Mirzadeh, Shauna Stevens, Linda Sullivan and Belinda Woodiel-Bril.

The District Gallery, 5113 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-4. Information: 865-200-4452, www.TheDistrictGallery.com

Based on the gripping science-fiction thriller by Lois Lowry. The play will be presented March 28 through April 13, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 1 PM & 5 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM.

The Giver won the 1994 Newbery-Medal for the Best Children's Novel, and the book has sold more than 5.3 million copies. In the not-too-distant future, Jonas is nervous about the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve, in which every person in The Community is assigned a lifelong occupation. Jonas is singled out to become The Receiver of Memories, an Elder position who alone holds memories of the world's past... memories of all that humans have experienced, no matter how pleasant or painful. At the ceremony of Twelve, Jonas will receive the Truth. And there will be no turning back.

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