Calendar of Events

Alan Moore will be on view at the downtown Knoxville Tomato Head Restaurant from September 8th thru October 4th. He will then exhibit at the West Knoxville Gallery Tomato Head from October 7th thru November 3rd.

The Moores have recently embarked on their most ambitious exhibit schedule to date. Over 100 pieces of the Moore’s southern-fried folk art will be on display in three states over the next five months. Alan and his daughters Isabella (age 13) and Emma (age 11) have been creating their iconic bottle cap fish for their junk art tour they call “Catch!” – inspired by their two home states of Florida and Colorado. Recently the Moore’s went “paintless” in their folk art bringing all the color to their work through the medium of vintage soda/beer cans and bottle caps. The Moore’s new palette includes over 4000 soda and beer cans to choose from, all dating back to the 1960s and 1970s. Their studio also boasts of having over 60,000 neatly organized bottle caps-vintage and modern, domestic and international. It is not rare for Alan or one of the girls to make a fish with caps and cans from Germany, Russia, Canada, Thailand, S. Korea, the US and several other countries.

Tomato Head: 12 Market Square, Knoxville, 865-637-4067, www.thetomatohead.com

September 8: Motel Rodeo

In just two years, Motel Rodeo, of Johnson City, has become the go-to band for rousing honkytonk. Members met in East Tennessee State University's Bluegrass, Old-time, and Country Music Studies program, but the six-piece band's repertoire of classics and originals is far from academic.

Tennessee Shines is a weekly radio show performed live for an in-studio audience at the Knoxville Visitor Center Mondays at 7pm and broadcast live on WDVX FM and WDVX.com. Hosts are Bob Deck and Paige Travis. Tickets are $10, free for students with valid ID and children ages 14 and under. Tickets are available in advance at the WDVX Blue Plate Special, noon weekdays and Saturdays at the Knoxville Visitor Center, or at the door beginning at 6 p.m. on the night of the show. For more information, visit WDVX.com.
Information: 865-544-1029, www.wdvx.com, http://www.tennesseeshines.com

WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-544-1029, www.wdvx.com

Monday, September 8 at 6:30 pm
Lawson McGhee Library meeting room
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown
Facilitator: Missy Kane

Out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times;the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world what true grit really meant at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Saturday, September 6 & 13 - Registration: 10:30 a.m.
Kerr Building / Chilhowee Park

Participate in the Tennessee Valley Fair's fourth annual Lego Extravaganza. Individuals and teams of all ages are welcome to enter this live Lego build event. No preregistration required. Hundreds of individuals and families competed in this event in 2013.

Prefer to take your time building your Lego masterpiece at home? Entries are also being accepted for the Lego Build Exhibit. Entries are submitted prior to the Fair and remain on display all 10 days, September 5-14. Categories include: Original Free Build, Children's Toy and Patriotic. The registration deadline for the Lego Build competition is August 22.

It is our immense pleasure to invite the community to the next First Friday Art Opening at the Blount Mansion Visitors Center. We are privileged to have acquired many wonderful pieces over the years, and now we are going to display them for our visitors. This exhibit will showcase some of the best art that the Blount Mansion Association has collected since 1926. These prints and portraits help to make the house truly an amazing experience and help to tell the story of Knoxville, Tennessee, and the United States. The show will include portraits of some of our most famous Tennesseans, such as Territorial Governor William Blount and his half-brother, Tennessee Governor Willie Blount, as well as Charles McClung and John Sevier. Visitors will also see great historical figures such as George Washington, Henry Knox, and Louis Philippe, King of France. Knoxville’s prominent citizens are featured here as well, with portraits of Charles McClung and Mary Boyce Temple. There is also a set of three John Catesby prints and other decorative pieces that will showcase the breadth of the collection here at the Governor’s House.

As part of the First Friday, the opening reception will be from 5:00 to 7:00 on Friday September 5th here at the Blount Mansion Visitors Center at 200 West Hill Avenue in Knoxville. There will be beverages and light refreshments available. This is a free event and all are welcome. Please come and enjoy the event and have fun!

info@blountmansion.org (865) 525-2375

Recent works by painter Victoria Simmons of Knoxville and jeweler Sissy Caldwell of Maryville will be on display at the Art Market Gallery for the month of September. An opening reception for this featured exhibition will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sept. 5, during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk. There will be complimentary refreshments and live music by the Accidentals.

Victoria Simmons is an award-winning artist whose works are in private collections throughout the United States and abroad. Besides two solo exhibitions, her paintings have been juried into many regional and national shows. A long-time hiker and birdwatcher, Victoria has spent most of her life creating images from nature. Although dogs and horses remain her favorite subjects, she loves painting animals of all kinds, and wildlife and birds of the Smokies will be featured for this show.

Soon after retiring as an executive from TVA, Sissy Caldwell discovered a bead shop with exquisite seed beads and crystals that could be stitched into jewelry. Always having sewn and done embroidery, quilting, crocheting, and knitting, she took classes in off-loom bead weaving, andFeatherbells jewelry was born. Sissy’s artistic signature is a blend of various jewelry-making techniques, such as off-loom bead weaving with precious metal clay or glass, in order to create distinctive jewelry and gifts.

Owned and operated by about 60 professional regional artists, the Art Market Gallery, at 422 South Gay St., is a few doors from Mast General Store and next to Downtown Grill & Brewery. Hours are 11 a.m. 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.

Bliss Home is pleased to present Secret Life of Plants by Knoxville photographer, Dennis Sabo, for September's First Friday. Bliss Home, located at 29 Market Square, will host an opening reception on Friday, September 5th from 6pm to 9pm. Complimentary Steamboat Sandwiches will be provided and Dennis' art will be featured for the month of September.

Dennis Sabo, a Loudon resident, is an internationally honored photographer specializing in contemporary abstract, and landscape photography. His award-winning work has appeared in various publications, television, the Internet and institutions, among them NOVA, PBS, National Geographic, and Blue Planet. A frequent lecturer and workshop instructor, Sabo is mostly known for his fine art abstracts of the natural world. He has refined the fine-art photograph into an interpretive collage of color and texture. The title for this exhibition is Secret Life of Plants an impressionistic and expressionistic art view of this very special component of nature. www.dsabophoto.com

shopinbliss.com | 865.394.6951

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of photography entitled “America Divided” by Antuco Chicaiza of Sweetwater. The work in “America Divided” is meant to create a dialog about the division that government and society has created in America today. Several pieces only show a rectangle with eyes on a white canvas. “The rectangle not only shows the part of a person on which we usually focus, but it is also means to represent the hyphen, that separates us as a nation,” says Chicaiza. The exhibition will be displayed in the Balcony gallery of the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 5-27, 2014. A public reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on Friday, September 5, from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres provided by The Melting Pot and music by Cat’s Away. The First Friday reception also features a Jazz Jam Session hosted by Vance Thompson and Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Black Box Theatre.

Antuco Chicaiza has shown his work in solo exhibitions at Casa HoLa in Knoxville, the Clayton Center for the Arts in Maryville, The Rose Center in Morristown, The Nashville International Airport, the Embassy of Ecuador in Washington, DC, and the Latino Arts Center in Milwaukee, WI.

“America Divided” 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.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition entitled "CHIAROSCURO! The Excitement of Strong Lights, Shadow and Color”, featuring original artwork by three local artists: Susan Mink Colclough, Olga Rader, and Bill Womac. The exhibition will be displayed in the main gallery of the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 5-27, 2014. A public reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on Friday, September 5, from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres provided by Qdoba Mexican Grill and Jason’s Deli and music by Cat’s Away. The First Friday reception also features a Jazz Jam Session hosted by Vance Thompson and Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Black Box Theatre.

Susan Mink Colclough is a native of Southwest, Virginia. A classically trained pianist, she grew up knowing the great connection that all of the arts have with one another. Tutored in oil-painting, she acquired a deep appreciation for the Impressionist Movement. She studied art in Paris and Southern France and has painted plein air in the gardens, olive groves, and footprints of Vincent Van Gogh. Colclough has taken advantage of her travels across the United States and her experiences in the cultures of Czechoslovakia, England, Germany, Austria, Ireland and the British West Indies to expand her painting endeavors and increase her love of the whole artistic experience. She currently resides and practices in her studio in Walland. For more information, visit www.susanminkcolclough.com.

Olga Rader is a versatile artist with a multi-faceted background. Born in Kazakhstan and raised in Uzbekistan, Olga was exposed to Arabic, Asian, and Eastern European influences, which continue to find their way into her work. She graduated from Moscow University with degrees in Art and Animation Direction, and followed that with a career at Souzmultfilm, the largest animation studio in Russia. Upon moving to the US in 1997, she began concentrating on all forms of her artistic expression; oil painting, sculpture, doll making, iconography, and children’s art (illustrations and murals). She has exhibited at numerous locations in Los Angeles and Knoxville, TN. She is currently an exhibiting member of Bunker, a group of LA-based expatriate artists from Russia and Armenia, the Knoxville Art and Culture Alliance, A1 Lab Arts, and Fine Arts Blount. Olga's interests include Hatha Yoga and Tai Chi, which she has taught in both California and Tennessee. Olga’s art is infused with spirit, strength and character that mirrors her own personality and life story, and is absolutely unique. For more information, visit www.olgarader.com.

Bill Womac began painting at an early age but only became serious about it after studying art at the University of Tennessee. As his career involved much travel, he was never able to fully concentrate on painting until a few years ago when he stopped traveling and opened Boyd Thomas Clothing in Maryville. During his travels, he spent many hours in galleries from Seattle to Sarasota, New York to Palm Beach, and Santa Fe to Sedona. His greatest influences for his work come from other artists. Womac finds an artist whose work inspires him and takes classes and workshops from them on an annual basis, including Bob Burridge, Bill Buchanon, Robert Joyner, and Skip Lawrence. Womac works primarily in acrylics and layers his paintings using both brushes and the palette knife to achieve the desired textures. He paints in a loose, casual style featuring abstract figurative works as well as more recognizable still life and iconic representations.

“CHIAROSCURO!” 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.

Frutos Latinos is an exhibition by Hispanic artists who live and work in the Southeastern region of the United States including June Crowe, Susana Esrequis, Astrid Galindo, Angel Luna, Cecilia Stella Martin, Rosalina Tipton, Irene Torrealba, Loren Velazquez and Luis Velasques. Many are from the Knoxville area. This exhibition takes the form of a contest. Artists who are associated with HoLa Hora Latina submit their work, and gallery attendees will vote on the best pieces. This is the third year that HoLa will be awarding a prize and the second time that the winner will be selected by the audience.

First Friday, September 5, 5:30 to 9 PM

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

The 95th annual Tennessee Valley Fair is one of the state's largest multi-day events attracting nearly 140,000 people each year. Known for its innovative exhibits, livestock shows, concert series, action sports, exciting rides and a variety of unique fun foods, the Tennessee Valley Fair offers tremendous family entertainment!

2014 Headline Entertainment Lineup:
Friday, September 5 - Air Supply | Reserved Seat - $15
Saturday, September 6 - Fairest of the Fair Pageant | Reserved Seat - $5
Sunday, September 7 - Jon Pardi | Reserved Seat - $5
Monday, September 8 - Cole Swindell | Reserved Seat - $12
Tuesday, September 9 - Parmalee | Reserved Seat - $10
Wednesday, September 10 - Big Daddy Weave* | Reserved Seat - $5
Thursday, September 11 - Scotty McCreery | Reserved Seat - $22
Friday, September 12 - Ginuwine | Reserved Seat - $10
Saturday, September 13 - The Fairview Union | FREE show w/ paid admission
Sunday, September 14 - Sawyer Brown | Reserved Seat - $15

*Midweek Retreat is a new event aiming to empower East Tennessee youth to engage in Christ-like service within their communities - a special $7/pp group rate (includes fair admission + concert) will be offered between June 3 - September 4.

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, June 3 at 10:00 a.m. This presale includes concert tickets, discounted admission tickets and ride wristbands.

Tennessee Valley Fair: 865-215-1471, www.tnvalleyfair.org

Due to popular demand, the Clarence Brown Theatre has added a Tuesday, September 16 and a Tuesday, September 23 performance to the run of “Hank Williams: Lost Highway.” The shows will begin at 7:30 pm in the CBT’s Carousel Theatre on the University of Tennessee campus. Several performances in the September 4-28 schedule have sold out or currently have limited availability. Tickets can be purchased by calling the CBT Box Office at 865-974-5161 or online at http://clarencebrowntheatre.com/.

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary Season!

by Randal Myler and Mark Harelick; Directed by Karen Kessler
At the Carousel Theatre

“The best example of a musician’s bio put on stage that I’ve seen!” The New York Post

Follow the music legend’s rise from his humble beginnings at the Lousiana Hayride to his triumph at the Grand Ole Opry to his untimely death at the age of 29. With more than 20 of his famous hits including “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Move It On Over” and “Hey, Good Lookin’”, you will be humming all the way home.

To enhance the audience experience, the CBT will continue, and in some cases expand, several popular programs in 2014-2015. Open captioned productions also will continue in the new season, taking place on the first Sunday matinee of each show. Talk backs, which are informative discussions with the director and cast, will continue to take place following the second Sunday matinee of each show.

Clarence Brown Theatre / Carousel 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