Calendar of Events

The Appalachian Ballet Company in their 43rd season will present the annual holiday tradition - The Nutcracker. The production features live music by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. The Appalachian Ballet Company will present four public shows and two school matinees (includes K-8 curriculum guide covering common core standards). Dancing the role of the Nutcracker Prince the first weekend will be David Ward, courtesy of BalletMet, Columbus, OH. He will be partnering ballerina Kylie Morton Berry, the Sugarplum Fairy, formerly with North Carolina Dance Theatre. The second weekend Ms. Berry will be joined by freelance artist Peter Doll of Atlanta, GA. This year’s production will include several new pieces of choreography featuring guests artists, who will be traveling in to perform with ABC’s soloists.

December 4 & 5: 10:00AM - Full length school matinee performances of The Nutcracker at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium.
December 6 at 8:00PM and December 7 at 2:00PM - Full length public performances of The Nutcracker, accompanied by the Knoxville Symphony, at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium.
December 13 at 2:00PM and 8:00PM - Full length public performances of The Nutcracker, accompanied by the Knoxville Symphony, at the Clayton Center for the Arts.

For over 100 years, this classic story has proven to be a favorite, enchanting audiences of all ages. Come see the magic with lavish scenery, glorious tutus, soldiers, snowflakes and sugar plums at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium or The Clayton Center for the Arts – the first and second weekends of December. Tickets are now on sale -- call ABC at 865.982.8463 or Knox Tickets 865.656.4444 or Clayton Center 981-8590. Info: www.appalachianballet.com

Join us in the Alumni gym at the Maryville College, 502 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy.
There will be 52 members of the Blount County Arts and Crafts guild. Free parking and admission. Free photos with Santa on Sat. Hours are Fri. & Thurs. 10 am -6 pm, Sat 10 am - 3 pm. The website is www.blountartsandcrafts.com, or call 865-995-9056 for more info.

For the second year, East Tennessee PBS presents free screenings and discussions around award-winning PBS documentary films that air as part of Independent Lens (Mondays at 10 p.m.). Knoxville is one of 75 U.S. cities taking part in the Community Cinema series, which this year celebrates 10 years of uniting people through independent film.

Producers of Independent Lens regularly report to East Tennessee PBS that area viewership of the Monday night documentaries ranks among the highest in the country.

Community Cinema screenings will be held at Scruffy City Hall in Market Square.

Screenings:

Evolution of a Criminal
Thursday, December 4, 6 p.m. at Scruffy City Hall

Filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe explores what led him to become a bank robber as a teenager in Texas, though interviews with family, friends, and mentors involved in his story as well as by returning to the scene of the crime. Produced by Spike Lee.

Join in the holiday cheer at Pellissippi State Community College’s hugely popular annual Holiday Spectacular concert, offered in two performances, 6 and 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4.

Part of Pellissippi State’s Music Concert Series, the Holiday Spectacular is free, and the community is encouraged to attend. Because space is limited, the college asks that guests arrive 30 minutes before each performance to receive a complimentary ticket. Tickets will be issued at the door to the first 485 guests, and having a ticket guarantees a seat.

The Holiday Spectacular, whose theme this year is “A Candlelight Christmas Evening,” takes place in the Clayton Performing Arts Center on the Hardin Valley Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road. The concert features the talents of more than 150 Pellissippi State students and faculty in eight different musical ensembles, performing classical choral numbers, bluegrass, and jazz. “The concert will feature exciting production numbers full of bright visual displays, as well as more quiet, intimate carols by candlelight to celebrate the warmth of the season,” said Bill Brewer, Music program coordinator. “Every audience member will leave the show with a taste of holiday cheer.”

The Music Concert Series 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. While all events in the series are free, donations are accepted at the door for the Pellissippi State Foundation on behalf of the Music Scholarship fund. For additional information about the Music Concert Series or The Arts at Pellissippi State, call (865) 694-6400 or visit www.pstcc.edu/arts. To request accommodations for a disability, contact the executive director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action at (865) 694-6607 or humanresources@pstcc.edu.

Free preview screening of Evolution of a Criminal, followed by a panel discussion. Scruffy City Hall in Market Square. Free event!

Evolution of a Criminal poses the question: How does a 16-year-old evolve into a bank robber? Filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe searches for the answers — about himself. Years after his release from prison, Monroe returns to his old neighborhood to speak with family and friends, along with classmates, teachers, law enforcement officials, and the innocent victims in the bank on the fateful day of the robbery. An honest journey of reflection and a personal search for redemption and forgiveness, Evolution of a Criminal, executive produced by Spike Lee, premieres on Independent Lens on Monday, January 12, 10 p.m. on East Tennessee PBS.

A native of Houston, Texas, Monroe had a happy childhood with his mother, stepfather, and close-knit extended family. However, as he grew older and saw his parents struggling to make ends meet, Monroe’s vision of the world changed: “I went from being a carefree and joyous child to becoming acutely aware of the fact that the world was not as I saw it. And the burden that my parents had was slowly trickling down to me.” Placing his own culpability at the heart of the story, Monroe pulls no punches, using dramatized scenes of the bank robbery to capture the tragically bad decisions he and his friends made, and to bring home the terror of those they held at gunpoint. More than just a tale of a good kid gone wrong, Evolution of a Criminal is filled with compassion for human frailty and the knowledge that a person is not forever defined by their mistakes.

For more information, visit www.EastTennesseePBS.org

St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 413 Cumberland Avenue in Knoxville.

The Knoxville Chamber Chorale is a 28 member choral ensemble auditioned from the membership of the Knoxville Choral Society and conducted by Dr. John R. Orr. This year’s Christmas concert features choral arrangements of Christmas classics as well as newer music arranged for a cappella choir. The concert will include holiday favorites such as Deck the Hall, Silver Bells, Jingle Bells and Go Tell It on the Mountain. Also performed will be church standards such as Sweelinck’s Hodie Christus natus est and Quem pastores laudavere by James Bassi, as well as new arrangements of Away in a Manger and God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen by modern composer Ola Gjeilo. Free and open to the public.

Knoxville Choral Society: 865-579-6292, www.knoxvillechoralsociety.org

The Farragut Beautification Committee will present the 21st annual Celebrate the Season on Thursday, Dec. 4 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Farragut Town Hall. The community is invited to enjoy the beautiful Town Hall holiday decorations, sample treats and enjoy the numerous activities and performances being offered.

Celebrate the Season will feature photos with Santa beginning at 4:30 p.m. with the final number for photos handed out at 6 p.m. In addition, families will hear musical performances by the TNT Mountain Dulcimer Trio, the Bearden United Methodist Church Children’s Bell Choir (kids in the audience can learn a tune on the bells too!) and the Farragut High School Madrigal Singers. Other activities will include cookie decorating, a craft and Farragut Folklife Museum tours.

Photos with Santa will be taken with a digital camera and will be available for purchase after the event on a designated photo website. Instructions for viewing and ordering photos will be given to parents that evening. Parents are also welcome to take photos with their personal cameras.

The entire array of events at Celebrate the Season is free; however, a canned good donation is requested for the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. Second Harvest experiences its most urgent need for food donations during the fall holiday season, and the Town of Farragut partners with the organization each year to collect canned goods for the hungry in Knoxville and East Tennessee.

Red donation bins will be available at both entrances of the Town Hall throughout the month of December.

Thursday, Dec. 4 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Farragut Town Hall at 11408 Municipal Center Drive across from the Farragut Branch Post Office. For more information about Celebrate the Season, please visit the Town of Farragut's website - http://www.townoffarragut.org - or contact Arleen Higginbotham at 966-7057.

Members of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild writing groups will share their works and hold a mix and mingle potluck for December’s monthly program. Both current members and those simply curious about joining the guild are encouraged to attend and to bring a covered dish.

The event, which will be open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4 at the Laurel Theater, at the corner of Laurel Avenue and 16th Streets (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.

More than 15 writing groups are currently part of the KWG, with genres including poetry, playwriting, literary fiction, crime and mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, prompt writing and creative non-fiction. The guild also features two groups specifically designed for teen writers. A representative from most groups will be available, and writers are encouraged to bring copies of their books to sell in anticipation of the holidays. Sales tables will also be provided for those KWG members not currently part of one of the groups.

For those pre-selected group members who will be reading, there are a few simple guidelines:

1) You must be a current member of the Knoxville Writers' Guild. You can join or renew your membership before the readings begin. There will be a sign-up sheet at the door for those taking part to establish speaker order.

2) What you read should be your own work or that of another group member. If it will be the work of another KWG member, you are required to have permission to read his/her work.

3) Your reading time will be three to four minutes maximum, depending on the number of people who sign up. It's not necessary that your reading last the full amount of time allotted. For instance, if you have a one-minute poem and don't have anything else you'd like to read, that would be fine.

4) What you read should be suitable for a general audience. In other words, please show courtesy to those attending. Think of approaching your reading as something to be shared and appreciated by one-and-all.

5) Tables for each group will be provided around the room. Groups are encouraged to bring a tablecloth, any group information to handout, and books/plays, bookmarks, and/or downloadable chapters to sell or share.

For a complete list of writing groups, visit www.knoxvillewritersguild.org/writing-groups. A Facebook event page has been created at www.facebook.com/events/816810501717963.

Members of the Knoxville Writers’ Guild writing groups will share their works and hold a mix and mingle potluck for December’s monthly program. Both current members and those simply curious about joining the guild are encouraged to attend and to bring a covered dish.

The event, which will be open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 4 at the Laurel Theater, at the corner of Laurel Avenue and 16th Streets (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.

More than 15 writing groups are currently part of the KWG, with genres including poetry, playwriting, literary fiction, crime and mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, prompt writing and creative non-fiction. The guild also features two groups specifically designed for teen writers. A representative from most groups will be available, and writers are encouraged to bring copies of their books to sell in anticipation of the holidays. Sales tables will also be provided for those KWG members not currently part of one of the groups.

For those pre-selected group members who will be reading, there are a few simple guidelines:

1) You must be a current member of the Knoxville Writers' Guild. You can join or renew your membership before the readings begin. There will be a sign-up sheet at the door for those taking part to establish speaker order.

2) What you read should be your own work or that of another group member. If it will be the work of another KWG member, you are required to have permission to read his/her work.

3) Your reading time will be three to four minutes maximum, depending on the number of people who sign up. It's not necessary that your reading last the full amount of time allotted. For instance, if you have a one-minute poem and don't have anything else you'd like to read, that would be fine.

4) What you read should be suitable for a general audience. In other words, please show courtesy to those attending. Think of approaching your reading as something to be shared and appreciated by one-and-all.

5) Tables for each group will be provided around the room. Groups are encouraged to bring a tablecloth, any group information to handout, and books/plays, bookmarks, and/or downloadable chapters to sell or share.

For a complete list of writing groups, visit www.knoxvillewritersguild.org/writing-groups. A Facebook event page has been created at www.facebook.com/events/816810501717963.

Knoxville Writer’s Guild: Meetings take place at the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Avenue. The building is handicapped accessible. The public is invited to attend. A $2 donation is requested at the door. www.knoxvillewritersguild.org

The exhibit will showcase interesting artifacts from the museum's permanent collection that have not been displayed in many years or have never been on display. Spanning numerous decades, featured items include personal household items such as electronics, tools, clothes, hats and hat boxes, children's toys, and more. In addition, the vignette in the Doris Woods Owens Gallery will display furniture and household items from an 1890s-era bedroom.

Farragut Folklife Museum, 11408 Municipal Center Dr, Farragut, TN 37934. Hours: Monday-Friday, 10AM-4:30 PM. Information: 865-966-7057, www.townoffarragut.org

Knoxville Zoo is partnering with YP® to extend the popular “Buy One, Get One Free” admission ticket offer through February. Knoxville Zoo and YP® are offering buy one, get one free tickets to make visitors aware that the winter season is one of the best to see animal activity. On days when the temperature drops below 40 degrees, some animals will be moved indoors, but guests can still see many of their favorite animals, including elephants, gorillas, penguins, chimpanzees and reptiles, in their indoor viewing areas.

Buy one, get one free tickets can be purchased at the zoo ticket window during regular zoo hours. Discounted admission tickets must be used by Feb. 28, 2015, and cannot be combined with any other promotion, discount, or coupon.

Knoxville Zoo, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Open every day except Christmas. Information: 865-637-5331, www.knoxville-zoo.org

Member Art Exhibit coordinated by Susan Cooper. On Art Wall at Bookmark Café, 1 vertical case and 1 square pedestal case in Entry Rotunda of library.

Blount County Public Library, 508 N. Cusick Street, Maryville, TN. Information: 865-982-0981, www.blountlibrary.org

The Knoxville Museum of Art and the Tennessee Art Education Association present the ninth annual East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition November 28, 2014-January 11, 2015. The exhibition features artwork created by middle and high school students and offers students the opportunity to display their talents and be honored for their accomplishments in a professional art museum environment. This event is made possible by the generosity of presenting sponsor Regal Entertainment Group and additional sponsors Pharma Packaging Solutions, Emerson Process Management, and Home Federal Bank.

Students, school administration, family, friends, and the public are invited to a reception and awards ceremony Tuesday, December 9 from 6 to 8pm at the Knoxville Museum of Art. The event is free and open to the public.
The East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition is open to students in grades 6-12, attending public, private, or home schools in 32 counties across East Tennessee. Fewer than a third of the more than 1500 entries in this highly competitive show will make it through a rigorous jury process. The Best-in-Show winner will receive a Purchase Award of $500, and the artwork will become a permanent part of the collection of Mr. James Dodson, on loan to the Knoxville Museum of Art's Education Collection.

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