Calendar of Events

Story and Song
Presenting traditional blues and folk repertoires from Civil War days to the present, Sparky Rucker is a highly accomplished banjoist, guitarist, story teller, historian and humorist. Having learned his craft from master musicians John Shines, Rev. Pearly Brown and Homer Walker, Sparky is proficient in Delta, Piedmont and Mountain acoustic traditions. Harmonica player and vocalist Rhonda Rucker joins Sparky.

$10 JCA Members, Students, Seniors • $11 General Advance
$12 General Day of Show • $6 Children 12 & under

Jubilee Community Arts, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916. For information: 865-522-5851, www.jubileearts.org. For tickets: 865-523-7521, www.KnoxTIX.com

Hollie Cook & Arin Streeter Reviews Methods and Tips on Researching Historic Properties

Knox Heritage presents the next installment of the monthly series Preservation Network on Saturday, January 10th at 10:00 a.m. Preservation Network is held at Historic Westwood, 3425 Kingston Pike. Parking is at Laurel Church of Christ, 3457 Kingston Pike. It is free and open to the public.

Preservation Network’s January session features Hollie Cook, Director of Education at Knox Heritage. And Arin Streeter, designer at Brewer Ingram Fuller Architects, Inc. Ms. Cook and Mr. Streeter will review methods and tips on researching historic properties. This session will be particularly useful for anyone owning a historic home and who is interested in learning the year it was built, previous owners of the home, their occupations, and other anecdotal information. Historic property research is also interesting for anyone wanting to learn more about properties located within the Knoxville City limits.

Preservation Network is a series of free workshops held once every month on the second Saturday. Many people have dubbed this the “support group for owners of old homes,” and in many ways this is true. In a relaxed round-table setting with coffee, smoothies, and other goodies, the workshops have presented guest speakers who are specialists in windows, flooring, roofing, stained glass, tile, plumbing, electrical, and more. Other guest speakers have included those in real estate sales or appraisals, or city codes and zoning officials discussing historic overlays and building requirements.

Knox Heritage advocates for the preservation of places and structures with historic or cultural significance. The nonprofit organization celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2014. For more information, visit www.knoxheritage.org.

Knox Heritage: 865-523-8008, www.knoxheritage.org

R&M Tribute Entertainment presents an evening paying tribute to the King of Rock N’ Roll. Join us for an evening as we pay tributes and celebrate the 80th birthday anniversary of Elvis Presley at the historical Grove Theater on Saturday, January 10 at 7:00 PM. The Grove Theater is located at 123 Randolph Street, Oak Ridge, TN. Admission is $15.00 per adult, $7.50 for 12- 6 years old and 5 and under are FREE. For reserved seats contact (865) 684-6082.

The show will feature multi award winning entertainers Ronnie Miller and Brandon E. A portion of the show proceeds will be donated to High Places Community Church at The Grove. Also, a portion of the proceeds will go to St. Jude’s in Memphis. St. Jude’s was one of Elvis’ favorite charities.

Ronnie Miller is originally from Knoxville, TN. He is a multi-award winning, professional Elvis Tribute Artist, entertainer, singer, and performer with over 15 years of experience in the music business. Ronnie has won several local and national singing awards in Country and Gospel music. Also, he has been inducted into National Elvis Organizations. In addition, Ronnie has a natural gift of singing gospel music. Ronnie and Brandon E. both have helped raise thousands of dollars for veterans and charity organizations. Brandon E is from Athens, TN. Brandon grew up surrounded by all of the music Elvis loved so much; blues, country, rock and gospel. Brandon developed a love for Elvis and his music at an early age. To add, Brandon is very musically gifted and inclined. Brandon is also a very skilled musician, sound technician and disc jockey. He has performed Elvis tributes in many venues all over the Southeast. Brandon has won many awards and accolades in his many years as an Elvis Tribute Artist.

For more information or to purchase advance reserved seats contact Missy Miller at (865) 684-6082 or tribute.entertainment@yahoo.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the door at 6:15 PM.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new group exhibition featuring seven regional artists opening Friday, January 9, at 5:00 PM in the Balcony of the Emporium Center:

+ Lynn Corsi Bland (Gatlinburg) – Mixed media paintings using collage; www.lynnbland.com

+ Terina Gillette (Knoxville) – Mixed media, pastels, photography of living canvas works; http://terinagillettefinearts.blogspot.com

+ Tony Henson (Kingsport) – Acrylic paintings; www.tonyhensonart.com

+ Beth Meadows (Knoxville) – Mixed media drawings; www.withbearhands.com

+ Emily Shane (Knoxville) – Mixed media works

+ Tony Sobota (Knoxville) – Acrylic paintings, oil paintings and drawing; www.tonysobota.com

+ Jennifer Willard (Knoxville) – Mixed media on fabric

The exhibition will be displayed in the Balcony gallery of the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville from January 9-31, 2015, and an opening reception will take place on Friday, January 9, from 5:00-9:00 PM. The reception also features music by the Pea Pickin’ Hearts in the gallery as well as a Jazz Jam Session hosted by Vance Thompson and Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Black Box Theatre.

Gallery hours for 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, January 19, for the holiday. Additional special hours are posted at www.theemporiumcenter.com/visit.html. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Alliance receives financial support from the Tennessee Arts Commission (www.tn.gov/arts), the City of Knoxville (www.cityofknoxville.org), and First Tennessee Foundation (www.firsttennesseefoundation.com).

Arts & Culture Alliance at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM. Information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta proudly present a new exhibition entitled “A Narrative of Light and Shadow” featuring the artistry of Taiwan’s female photographers. Three photographers will each present a series of images depicting portraiture, humanitarian concerns, landscape, aboriginal culture, and culture in general: Chang Hsiu-huang presents “Light and shadow”, which displays the interaction of light and shadow and composition in landscape photography; Chien Fu-yu presents “Women’s history”, which includes sensitive, careful portraits of women poets, journalists, artists, pathologists, and entomologists; and Wang Hsiao-chin presents “Mother’s time chart”, which uses the self-portrait to explore the historical implications of creative work, acting both as the photographer and protagonist in her shots.

The exhibition will be on display in the main gallery of the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville from January 9-31, 2015, and an opening reception will take place on Friday, January 9, from 5:00-9:00 PM. The First Friday reception also features music by the Pea Pickin’ Hearts in the gallery as well as a Jazz Jam Session hosted by Vance Thompson and Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Black Box Theatre.

Since the 1970s, photography has flourished in concert with Taiwan’s economic development, democratization and the universalization of education so that female photographers have become common. Nothing can stop the flow of time – only photography can crystallize the moment and the surrounding environment into a permanent image. Photography can capture scenes that are inexpressible in language; thus the old adage, a picture is worth a thousand words. With close attention paid during both shooting and arrangement, the series of pictures in “A Narrative of Light and Shadow” are used to create photographic narratives, much as a director might compose a film montage.

Gallery hours for “A Narrative of Light and Shadow” 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, January 19, for the holiday. Additional special hours are posted at www.theemporiumcenter.com/visit.html. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

About the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta
The office offers consular, commercial, informational and cultural services to the six states in the Southeastern United States: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky and commercial services to Florida. Although the U.S. and Taiwan do not have official diplomatic relations, the friendship between the two is long-standing and marked by mutual benefit and cooperation. Under the guidance of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington DC, TECO in Atlanta has developed ever closer ties to our friends in the Southeast. For more information, please visit http://www.taiwanembassy.org/US/ATL.

About the Arts & Culture Alliance
The Arts & Culture Alliance serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Alliance receives financial support from the Tennessee Arts Commission (www.tn.gov/arts), the City of Knoxville (www.cityofknoxville.org), and First Tennessee Foundation (www.firsttennesseefoundation.com).

Arts & Culture Alliance at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM. Information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com

By Del Shores. Set in a small Texas town, Daddy's Dyin' concerns the reunion of a family gathered to await the imminent death of their patriarch, who has recently suffered a physically as well as mentally disabling stroke. But it is not the story of the impending demise of the father or of the drafting of his will ... it's a story of a rebirth of the spirit of the family unit.

"It's a fast, delicious, easy tale with funny moments, tense moments, touching moments, and characters you care about." – The Hollywood Reporter
"A masterful comedy." – Variety
"A well written piece of mainstream theatre that's consistently funny and occasionally touching." – The Los Angeles Times
"A knockout." – L.A. Weekly

Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 319 North Gay Street, Knoxville. Info: 865-544-1999 or email: info@theatreknoxville.com. www.theatreknoxville.com

Make plans now to at-tend TMW's January Jumpstart XV, January 9-11, 2015 at the Best Western Morristown Conference Center at exit 8 off I-81 in Morris-town TN. Concurrent workshops will be led by Jane Sasser in fiction and Bill Brown in poetry. Jumpstart will open with an informal social hour on Friday evening; workshop sessions will run from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Participation will be limited to 20 registrants per workshop. Deadline for registering is January 2. Coffee and tea before the morning sessions and lunch on Saturday are included in the registration fee of $135. Attendees should mention TMW for a special rate when calling Best Western Conference Center (423-587-2400) for reservations.

For a registration form or additional information see the Tennessee Mountain Writers website, www.tmwi.org, or contact Sue Richardson Orr at theorrs@usit.net.

The Arts Council of Roane County (ACRC) announced that its 2015 Roane Open Art Show will hold its official opening January 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the O'Brien Art Gallery on the campus of Roane State Community College. In previews since January 8, the exhibit features nearly 20 local artists displaying paintings, sculptures, photographs, pottery, mixed media works, and short films. In a departure from previous ACRC art shows, which ran for just a single weekend, this year’s exhibition will be in place through February 28. Admission is free.

The show will feature short documentary films by Lenoir City filmmaker Jesse Brass, each of which features the work of one artist and provides a glimpse into their passions, motivations, and processes.

The Grand Opening of the show is open to the public. Many of the artists with works on display will be on hand for the event and awards will be presented to the best works in several categories as judged by Roane State Art Department Associate Professor Stacy Jacobs.

Subsequent to the opening, the public is invited to check the Event page of the ACRC website at ArtsCouncilRC.org for gallery hours. Specially scheduled visits can be arranged for groups of five or more by emailing artscouncilofroanecounty@gmail.com at least one week in advance. The ACRC particularly encourages art teachers in Roane County Schools to consider class trips to the gallery.

O’Brien Art Gallery, Roane State Community College, 276 Patton Lane, Harriman, TN, 37748. Information: www.roanestate.edu/art/gallery

Arts Council of Roane County: artscouncilofroanecounty@gmail.com

Thursday-Saturday, January 8-10, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame: Have a Ball at the Hall

Up to four children will receive free admission per paying adult.
Contact: Margo Pressley, 865-633-9000, e-mail
700 Hall of Fame Drive, Knoxville, TN 37915 | www.wbhof.com

Contact: Margo Pressley, 865-633-9000, e-mail
700 Hall of Fame Drive, Knoxville, TN 37915 | www.wbhof.com

Leapin’ Lizards! The world’s best-loved musical returns in time-honored form. Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin and choreographed by Liza Gennaro, this production of ANNIE will be a brand new incarnation of the iconic original. Featuring book and score by Tony Award-winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, ANNIE includes such unforgettable songs as “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You,” plus the eternal anthem of optimism, “Tomorrow.”

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Eun-Sook Kim of Oak Ridge and Harriet Smith Howell of Rutledge will be featured artists for January in the Art Market Gallery’s historic space at 422 S. Gay St. The opening reception during downtown Knoxville’s traditional date for the First Friday Art Walk will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 2, with light refreshments and Bluegrass music performed live by Caring Committee.

Kim and Howell share certain attributes. While their styles and interpretations may differ, both are award winning versatile artists who look to nature for inspiration. They teach and conduct art workshops, have exhibited widely, and were juried into this cooperative in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional mediums, a feat accomplished by just a handful of current active members. For this exhibit, Eun-Sook Kim, who also works in clay, will be showing her paintings, and Harriet Howell, who also creates paintings, will show one-of-a-kind silk scarves as wearable art.

Eun-Sook Kim’s primary medium is ceramics, in which she has a MFA from the University of Tennessee, but this former gallery owner in Oak Ridge considers herself a painter first. “Through brushwork, I feel in harmony with nature,“ she says of her Chinese brushstroke watercolor paintings. “Like a speck in the landscape of a classical Chinese painting, I am infinitely small, yet essential in nature. Interweaving different strands from different cultures and countries, my art reflects the multicolored pattern of my life.” Kim’s works have been exhibited and collected regionally, nationally and internationally, particularly in Korea and Japan, where she has had educational collaborations. She is a supporter of the Knoxville Area Korean-American Association.

Harriet Howell, past president and signature member of the Tennessee Watercolor Society, uses color and movement to capture the images and emotional content of nature. “I’ve always loved fabrics, and used to make all of my own clothes,” she says. “Painting on scarves allows me to play with color and natural shapes and then turn the art into something wearable.” Starting with stretched silk, she uses brushes to apply successive layers of fabric dyes. Sometimes, a resist is used or a hand-cut stencil. Other times, the dye is applied wet-in-wet. Finished scarves are then steam set, washed, ironed, and sewn. This former Arrowmont instructor and longtime Howell Graphics owner earned a BFA in watercolor and graphic design from the University of Tennessee.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11AM-6PM, Sunday 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net

Bliss Home is pleased to present photographer, Phil Savage, for January's First Friday. Bliss Home, located at 29 Market Square, will host an opening reception on Friday, January 2nd, from 6pm to 9pm. Complimentary refreshments will be provided and Phil's art will be featured for the month of January.

Phil Savage was born in Mexico City and is a world-traveler, which has helped him hone his ability to "turn the ordinary into the extraordinary". Phil loves to explore the endless possibilities that photography has to offer, by embracing black and white panoramic photos with hand-tinted touches. Phil's First Friday exhibit aims to challenge viewers to rediscover the beauty and complexities that can be found all around Knoxville.

Bliss Home, 29 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-329-8868, www.shopinbliss.com