Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new group exhibition featuring seven regional artists opening Friday, May 2, at 5:00 PM in the Balcony of the Emporium Center: Melanie Fetterolf, Jake Livesay, Inna Nasonova, Jane Nickels, Norm Plate, Olga Rader and Dennis Sabo.
The group exhibition will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, from May 2-31, 2014. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on May 2 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Exhibition 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 on Monday, May 26, for the holiday. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit our Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

May First Friday at Bliss Home
Bliss Home 29 Market Square Knoxville, TN 37902
Friday, May 2, 2014 through the end of the month.

Bliss Home is pleased to present Knoxville artist, Ocean Starr Cline, for May's First Friday. Bliss Home, located at 29 Market Square, will host an opening reception on Friday, May 2nd from 6pm to 9pm. Complimentary Steamboat Sandwiches will be provided and Starr's art will be featured for the month of May.

Part of the International Biscuit Festival, the Biscuit Art Exhibition runs May 2-31 at Bliss Home, Coffee & Chocolate, and Rala.

Purchase Biscuit Art online at Biscuitfest.com/art.

Jonathan Howe Fine Art now showing at The Tomato Head restaurant in Market Square through May. See a collection of masterful portraits in various mediums from oil on canvas to pen and ink on paper. This selection of fine art displays the diverse ways of revealing the light given to the human countenance.

Jonathan Howe Fine Art, 4513 Lee Rd, Knoxville, TN 37921.
The Tomato Head: 12 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902, Phone (865) 637-4067.

Elaine Barnes of Harriman and Suzanne Jack of Knoxville are the Art Market Gallery’s featured artists for May. Their recent works will be on exhibit at The Art Market Gallery through May 25, with an opening reception to be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m., Friday, May 2 during the monthly First Friday Art Walk in downtown Knoxville. At the opening reception visitors may enjoy complimentary refreshments and live music performed by Nostalgia --Electric Mix.

Owned and operated by about 60 professional artists, the Art Market Gallery, at 422 S. Gay St., is a few doors from Mast General Store and next to Downtown Grill & Brewery. Hours are 11 a.mm. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The gallery is wheelchair accessible, and parking in the abutting garage and on the street is free on weekends and after 6 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call 865-525-5265, or visit artmarketgallery.net, or facebook.com/Art.Market.Gallery.

An exhibition of works by Knox County Art Educators in partnership with Downtown Gallery.

Opening reception Fri, May 2, 5-9 PM
Awards ceremony to be held at 6:30 PM

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

Knoxville Children’s Theatre will present a live stage adaptation of Eleanor Porter’s beloved novel Pollyanna. The play will be performed May 2 through 18, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM; Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM; Sundays at 3 PM. The show is KCT’s 57th production and 20th original production and Knoxville premiere.

Pollyanna became one of the most popular books for children upon its publication in 1913 and has spawned over a dozen sequels. The book has been filmed several times, and the story’s popularity grew so great that the word “Pollyanna” has made its way into dictionaries, defined as “an eternal optimist.”

Something is wrong in Beldingsville, Vermont. Neighbors are arguing, lovers are quarreling, and the rest of the town’s residents are just plain cantankerous! But when happy little Pollyanna Whittier moves to town to live with her crabby spinster aunt, the town’s secrets are about to be uncovered. And life in Beldingsville will never be the same again!

The play is performed by 13 talented young actors, from ages 9 to 15. Jada Kaufman plays the title role of Pollyanna. Jada was last seen in Sarah, Plain And Tall and Sleeping Beauty at KCT. Natalia Adams plays Pollyanna’s aunt Polly, and Kayla June Nobbe plays Polly’s maid Nancy. Six actors are making their KCT debuts: Draven Copeland, Presley Ford, Audrey Jones, Emma Lorenz, Christopher Dean Sagliano, and Taylor Williams. The rest of the cast includes KCT veteran performers Brock Mullins, Isabelle Hannah, Kena Holmes, and Averi Richardson. The play is adapted and directed by Zack Allen. Liel Kirk is the Production Manager. Kiernan Bensey and Brooke Cunningham will provide the scenic design, and Rose Bolton will design and build the costumes. The play’s stage manager is Marianne Dodson.

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

Come see a new fine art exhibit - Impressions of Color from Paris, Italy, and the Loire Valley - premiering original oil paintings by Aleex Conner, local Impressionist. Friday, May 2, 5 pm - 9 pm, Plum Gallery, 5609 Kingston Pike, 584.6097. Aleex's work is in private collections throughout the U.S. and Europe, and her original oils have also been exhibited in Giverny, France (home of Monet's Gardens), Northern Italy, and Tuscany. One of her limited edition prints, "Suffrage on Market Square," is part of the historical exhibit of art and artifacts at the General Federation of Women's Clubs History and Resource Center in Washington, DC.

Once again, members of the Art Guild of Tellico Village (AGTV) will hold their annual exhibit at the Community Church of Tellico Village, 130 Chota Center, Loudon, TN for the community to enjoy. Exhibit Co-Chairs Lil Clinard and Linda Johnson have organized this exhibit and have planned the opening reception "Meet the Artists" for Friday, May 2 (7:00-9:00). The exhibit will also be open on Saturday, May 3 (10:00-4:00) and Sunday, May 4 (8:00-2:00). The AGTV has approximately 100 members working in a variety of art mediums. Paintings in oil, watercolor, mixed-media and encaustic will be displayed, as well as, photography and artwork created with wood, clay, glass and metals. You are invited to attend this exhibit, meet the artists and vote for your favorite piece of art.

The National Street Rod Association® is pleased to announce the dates for the Street Rod Nationals South Plus coming to the Chilhowee Park & Expo Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. This premier automotive event will be held on May 2, 3, 4, 2014. The participants and visitors to the Chilhowee Park & Expo Center will be part of the largest automotive participation event in this area.

This year marks the 31st time the National Street Rod Association® has chosen Knoxville as their host city for this event. The National Street Rod Association® (NSRA), is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Vehicles will be driven from all parts of the United States to make this a truly unique gathering of vintage automobiles featuring nearly every make, model and style. This event includes all vehicles from the 50's, 60's, 70's and through 1984, adding to the automotive excitement created by the street rods.

Spectators will be treated to the sights and sounds of some of the best constructed, most beautiful vintage automobiles ever to gather in one place.

This event will include manufacturer displays representing leading automotive specialty and aftermarket suppliers, as well as a "Women's World" area with arts and crafts. A vintage car parts "swap meet" adds to the fun and helps the enthusiast find these "one of a kind" parts.

Designed with fun for the entire family in mind, the 40th Street Rod Nationals South Plus is the place to be May 2, 3, 4, 2014.

PolandNow 2014 takes place on Friday evening, May 2 and Saturday evening, May 3. Please join us for a fun-filled celebration of contemporary Polish art, food, beer and live music spread across two Knoxville locations:
The Pienkow Gallery at West Knox Plaza, 7417 Kingston Pk., Knoxville,Tn 37919 and downtown’s Market Square.

Schedule of Events:
Friday, May 2 (Pienkow Gallery) 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Contemporary artist, Agnieszka Żak, from Warsaw, Poland will be on hand at the Pienkow Gallery, showing a collection of her paintings at this opening reception. This event is free and open to the public. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres at the Pienkow Gallery.

Saturday, May 3 (Market Square) 5:00-10:00 PM
Contemporary Polish art, food, beer, and live music will greet visitors on Market Square starting at 5:00 PM. Enjoy specially prepared Polish cuisine “Poland by Regions” along with Polish beers by blue ribbon chef Edward Nowakowski. Don’t miss this fun-filled evening as we celebrate the second annual PolandNow event! Entertainment by: Soulfinger Band, led by Tim Spencer.

Photography exhibit: Gary Johnson and Karen Krogh
Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church

Free and open to the public
Opening reception May 9 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; artists’ talks at 6:30 p.m.
Exhibit runs May through June 2014

Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Gallery
2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918