Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition by the Townsend Artisan Guild (TAG) entitled “Destination Townsend”, featuring original paintings, photographs, mixed media, sculptures, and more by nearly fifteen local artists. The exhibition will be displayed in the main gallery of the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from June 6-28, 2014. A public reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on Friday, June 6, from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres provided by Qdoba and music by Pistol Creek Catch of the Day from 6:00-8:00 PM. The First Friday reception also features a flamenco dance performance by Pasión Flamenco from 6:00-6:45 PM and a Jazz Jam Session hosted by Vance Thompson and Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM, both in the Black Box Theatre.

The Townsend Artisan Guild, founded in 2007, brings together working fine artists and fine crafts persons from East Tennessee to promote education, exploration, awareness, and development of arts. Through its 60 members, the group strives to promote community interest in and appreciation of the arts through participation in events, demonstrations, classes, and workshops. In April, the Guild presented the fifth annual Smoky Mountain Fiber Arts Festival in Townsend. The Guild also provides opportunities for learning through a network of committed artisans, self-promotion through art exhibits and community activities, and meets on the first Tuesday of each month. Membership is open to actively working professionals, aspiring artists, and those sponsoring the Arts who are interested in working with other artisans to build a strong and supportive fine arts and fine crafts community. More information is available by visiting www.townsendartisanguild.org.

Artists featured in the exhibition include:
+ Deborah Adams (Fiber Art)
+ Lois Alexander (Pastels)
+ Evelyn Bryant (Sculpture)
+ Susan Cooper (Photography)
+ Rex Gullufsen (Photography)
+ Annamaria Gundlach (Clay Sculpture)
+ Ken LaValley (Photography)
+ Kathleen Marquardt (Fiber Art Clothing)
+ Gary Millar (Photography)
+ M.J. Montgomery (Watercolors)
+ Peter Mueller (Mixed Media)
+ Betty Polk (wood carving)
+ Suzanna Terrill (Encaustics)
+ Vicky Walker (Crocheted Fiber Arts)
+ Sharon Webb (Photography)

“Destination Townsend” will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Saturday 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

Hector Saldivar was born and raised in Mexico City. He has lived near Knoxville for 26 years. Hector is a piñatero, a piñata maker. Four years ago, he expanded his art to include painting, at the encouragement of his sister, Patricia. He has also worked with local art instructor Margo Hayes. His alebrijes--colorful sculptures that originated in Oaxaca, Mexico--break with tradition in that they are not made of wood, but papier mache and wire. His work has been featured at UT, Casa HoLa, and an art installation in Nashville, TN. He will be displaying eleven sculptures and three paintings in this installation.

HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 109, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holaknoxville.org, www.holafestival.org

Registration begins in person at 9 am at AMSE Admissions Desk. Must be U. S. citizen and at least 10 years of age. Must have photo ID. This Public Bus Tour which highlights the history of Oak Ridge and the history of science and technology at Y-12, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and K-25, is offered Monday – Friday once a day, except government holidays, July 3 & 4, 2014. First come, first served. Seating limited. Some restrictions apply. Board bus at AMSE at 11:45 am, bus departs at 12 noon, and bus returns to AMSE at 3 pm. Off-the-bus stops include Y-12 History Museum at New Hope Center, Bethel Valley Church and Graphite Reactor, a national historic landmark, both at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Drive by viewing of the Spallation Neutron Source at ORNL and the former K-25 site at the East Tennessee Technology Park.

American Museum of Science & Energy, 300 S. Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Monday-Saturday 9AM-5PM, Sunday 1-5PM. Information: 865-576-3200, www.amse.org

Free AMSE admission available to active-duty military ID holder and five immediate family members. Active duty military include Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members. Must show active duty military ID for this admission. Blue Star museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums across America.

American Museum of Science & Energy, 300 S. Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Monday-Saturday 9AM-5PM, Sunday 1-5PM. Information: 865-576-3200, www.amse.org

Hall & Rogers Gallery
Docent walk-through at 11:30 AM on May 16

This display features three monumental canvases by Leonardo Silaghi that were recently acquired by the KMA. Silaghi (born 1987) is a Romanian painter whose abstractions powerfully express the chaotic transition of his homeland from a decaying Communist nation to a contemporary urban society still taking shape. Often using black and white photographs of abandoned Cold War machinery as starting points, the artist launches into large, forcefully executed paintings populated by conveyor belts, vehicles, ductwork, and other industrial debris.

Leonardo Silaghi is a graduate of the University of Art and Design in Cluj, Romania. Since 2009, he has been featured with solo exhibitions at the Laika Gallery in Cluj, Marc Straus Gallery in New York, and the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art in Peekskill, where he was artist in residence in 2010. Recently his works were shown at the exhibition "After the Fall" at the HVCCA in Peeksville and the Knoxville Museum of Art. Through a generous gift of New York collectors Marc and Livia Straus in 2013, and a purchase, the KMA is fortunate to be among the first American museums to have acquired a group of Silaghi’s works.

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

We are excited to announce that we are hosting not one, but two special events for First Friday this May. Rala is helping host the "2014 Biscuit Art Exhibition". Join us that evening for a red carpet event right outside our door where the winners of the art contest will be announced. The biscuit art is also displayed at Coffee & Chocolate and Bliss Home throughout the month. This exhibit includes 30 biscuit themed pieces of art as interpreted by different artists.

We're also excited to bring you new work by one of our favorite local artists, Mike Ham. Father to WBIR's Abby Ham, Mike's work is inspired significantly by children's artwork. Here is just a taste of the fabulous work we're showing by this wonderful artist.

The Biscuit Exhibition will be up until the end of May and Mike Ham's artwork will be up until the end of June.

Our events start at 5:30 pm and end at 10 pm. We're looking forward to sharing SO MUCH great artwork with you!

RALA, 323 Union Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7888, http://shoprala.blogspot.com/

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

Presented in conjunction with Richard Jolley’s permanent glass installation Cycle of Life, this exhibition surveys the work of modern and contemporary artists who approach glass using innovative methods and techniques. Among the featured artists are Oben Abright, Graham Caldwell, Daniel Clayman, Andrew Erdos, Luke Jerram, Rashid Johnson, Dominick Labino, Karen LaMonte, Libensky & Brychtova, Beth Lipman, Harvey Littleton, Ivan Navarro, Mark Peiser, Lino Tagliapietra, Bertil Vallien, Christopher Wilmarth, and Fred Wilson.

There will be a public closing party Thursday, July 17 at the KMA, from 5:30 to 7:30pm. The presenting sponsor for this exhibition is The Frank and Virginia Rogers Foundation with additional sponsorship from The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass. KMA media sponsors include Digital Media Graphix, Kurt Zinser Design, and WBIR. The exhibition is organized by the KMA.

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 Bill Landry of "The Heartland Series" for a guided trip around Cades Cove. Bill will share stories, tales and adventures during each tour.

$50 per person, advance reservations required, with a limit of 18 guests per tour.
Call 865 448 8838 for reservations Mon.-Fri., 10:00AM - 5:00PM.
Bill Landry Cades Cove tour dates:
Saturdays, April 12, May 24, May 31, June 7, June 21, July 5, July 12, July 19, July 26,
August 2, August 16, August 23, September 6.

Tours depart at 9:30 am from the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend.
Tour is approximately 4 hours.
Light snacks and a cold beverage is included in the ticket price.
Bill Landry Cades Cove tours will run rain or shine.

Art in Public Places Knoxville is a monumental installation of large-scale outdoor sculptures by regionally and nationally acclaimed artists. The sculptures enliven downtown Knoxville as well as McGhee Tyson Airport.

Opening Reception: Friday, April 4, 5:00 – 9:00 pm
Award Ceremony: Friday, April 4, 5:30 pm

We are honored to announce noted sculptor, Kenneth M. Thompson, as the Juror for the 2014-2015 exhibition!

Most of the Festival's wide range of arts events, performances, and exhibitions are offered to the public free of charge. Dogwood Arts: 865-637-4561 www.dogwoodarts.com

Civil War Historical river cruises in Knoxville, Tennessee

If you would like a relaxing and entertaining weekend on the river join us aboard TRACE 1. Bring your friends and guests to share this memorable experience with you. Learn the history of the area during the steamboat/Civil War era where you see the Armstrong Locket plantation home, Bleak house, Longstreet's Heights, Armstrong Hill, Fort Dickerson and many others. You will have an annotated map to help visualize the 1863 siege of Knoxville with Confederate and Union positions highlighted.

Your crew will be the 150 year old spirit old Sam Clemmons and Miss Drusilla. Sam has operated steamboats for many years and will entertain with the local Civil War history even if he never did pick a side.

Saturday gourmet sandwich lunch Civil War cruises, 12:00, 90 minutes, $26 adults and $20 children.
Second Sunday gourmet sandwich lunch cruise, 12:00, two hours, $32 adults and $26 children 5 to 11, see more sights.
Friday and Saturday Civil War cruise 3:00 and 5:15, 90 minutes, $18 adults and $14 children on-line or $20 and $16 at the gate
Sunday Civil War cruise 3:00 and 5:15, 90 minutes, $18 adults and $14 children 5 to 11 on-line or $20 and $16 at the gate
Prices above are for advanced on-line reservations.
If you have a copy of our narration booklet with you, you get a $2.00 discount for everyone in your party. You may purchase a copy at the Knoxville Visitor's Center or Knoxville History Center, both on Gay Street.

NavCal River Rides http://navcal.com/navcal/CWHistory.htm. 865-765-3407

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