Calendar of Events

Central High School National Art Honor Society exhibition
Reception date TBA.

Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 9AM-5PM; Wednesday & Friday, 10AM-5PM; 2nd and 3rd Saturdays, 9AM-1PM. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartctr.com

Contest prizes will be awarded in a ceremony April 28th at 6:00 p.m. in the O'Brien Theater on Roane State Community College's Harriman Campus.

The contest was conceived to encourage children to discover the joys of good writing and appreciate the difference it could make in their futures. Now in its sixth year, the contest rewards their exploration into the literary arts with more than $4000 in prizes, including a Grand Prize, $2,500 Continuing Education Award presented for the best overall entry submitted by a college- or technical school-bound senior.

In addition to earning cash prizes, the winning entries in each category and each age group (elementary, middle school, and high school), along with “the best of the rest” are collected into in a professionally printed and bound anthology, giving students full rights to claim they are published authors – a very distinctive attribute to list in future college and job applications.

www.artscouncilRC.org

At Painting with a Twist, 10932 Murdock Dr, Ste 103-A, Knoxville, TN 37932 - (865) 675-2500

“Painting for Joy” is a REALLY fun, unique event for anyone who wants to try their hand with a brush and paint on canvas. Plus, you're supporting the School! It's creative fun for all ages and experience levels. Channel your inner Picasso while supporting free music lessons and instruments for financially disadvantaged youth. You get everything you need, including the guidance of a professional artist. Everyone is guided to create a painting to take home at the end of the evening. Enjoy delicious barbecue from Archer's BBQ!

Admission is $35 and includes food and drink (oh, and bring your own wine if you like!) There are door prizes, too!
http://m.paintingwithatwist.com/events/viewEvent.aspx?eventid=367867

Joy of Music School: 865-525-6806, www.joyofmusicschool.org

The Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation invites you to a free open house to celebrate the arts in Knoxville in the spirit of the Dogwood Arts Festival and learn about the legendary artists who have performed on our stage. Join us for this free event from 5:00-9:00pm featuring backstage tours, Wurlitzer organ music, a book signing from 6:30 to 7:30 and a talk with Jack Neely, author of our new book, starting at 8pm! Tours begin at 5:30, 6:00, 6:30 and 7pm. Space for tours is limited and is first-come, first served.

This event is sponsored by Downtown Knoxville. Visit the Downtown Knoxville parking website at www.parkdowntownknoxville.com to help you find great parking downtown!

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

The Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House in April 1865 may have legally ended the Civil War, but it did not end East Tennessee’s bitter internal war. As Union and Confederate veterans returned home, fierce partisanship and settling of old scores often continued. Some Confederates, feeling unwelcome in their own homeland, left the region, many never to return. Yet, as the months and years passed, the vast majority on each side began to work together to mend their differences and to rebuild their war-ravaged lives and communities. The new exhibit Memories of the Blue and Gray: The Civil War in East Tennessee at 150 will explore early attempts at reconciliation and how we as East Tennesseans continue to remember the Civil War 150 years later.

The exhibition will feature more than 125 artifacts from the collections of ETHS, Gerald and Sandra Augustus, Drs. Anthony and Jill Hodges, and others, highlighting reconstruction, reunions, the Sultana disaster, cemeteries and monuments, commemorative art, educational institutions, collecting of artifacts and memorabilia, and state and local preservation efforts. Clothing varying from period gowns to a Ku Klux Klan uniform to a Confederate reunion frock coat will be on display, alongside a brush believed carried by a soldier who survived the explosion and sinking of the Sultana, a piece of furniture made by the former slave Lewis Buckner, and the diaries of Ellen Renshaw House. Featured Civil War Reunion memorabilia will range from 1881 to 2013 with the 150th anniversary of the battle of Fort Sanders. The “Looking Back” Civil War artifact documentation program of the Tennessee State Library and Archives will be represented with an odd-shaped shoe, fashioned by the Union for a Confederate soldier from Grainger County who lost half his foot in the Battle of Franklin. In addition to artifacts, the exhibition will include a video of Civil War collectors Gerald and Sandra Augustus and a slide show highlighting East Tennessee’s Civil War cemeteries and monuments.

The exhibition is presented in conjunction with the Blue & Gray Reunion and Freedom Jubilee to be held in Knoxville, April 30-May 3, 2015. Four days of special programming highlighting Knoxville and the region’s Civil War history begins with the state's Civil War Sesquicentennial Signature Event with lectures by nationally recognized speakers, a performance by the Fisk Jubilee Singers, Civil War artifact documentation by the Tennessee State Library and Archives, student and teacher programs, a Blue & Gray Dinner, and more. Weekend activities include music, vintage baseball games, bus tours to historic homes, forts, and cemeteries, living history, heritage groups, exhibits, a service of remembrance, a Peace Jubilee, fireworks, and more. For more information on the programs of the Blue & Gray Reunion and Freedom Jubilee, please visit www.eastTNhistory.org/BlueGray.

The Museum of East Tennessee History is open 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Saturday; and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Sunday. Museum Admission is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors, and FREE for children under 16. Each Sunday admission is FREE to all and ETHS members always receive FREE admission. The Museum is located in the East Tennessee History Center, 601 South Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37901. For more information about booking the exhibition, scheduling a school tour, or visiting the museum, call (865) 215-8824, email eths@eastTNhistory.org, or visit www.easttnhistory.org.

The Town of Farragut and Farragut Arts Council will sponsor the 2015 Farragut Intermediate School Art Show beginning in April at the Farragut Town Hall. Don't miss this opportunity to marvel at the work of some of Farragut's most talented young artists. Awards will be given for best in show and first, second and third places during the reception.

View during regular Town Hall hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Reception: Tuesday, May 5 - 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Dr, Farragut, TN 37934. Information: 865-966-7057, www.townoffarragut.org

The District Gallery & Framery is pleased to present Automata: Art Cars by Clark Stewart, opening April 24. Stewart, a retired professor, taught drawing and painting at the University of Tennessee for 42 years. His work, which is largely figurative, has been shown in over 200 exhibitions worldwide and is included in many private, corporate and museum collections.

Opening Reception: Friday, April 24, 5-9 p.m. - Meet the artist, and, if you own a classic car, we invite you to drive it to the opening reception for a fun evening with fellow gear heads!

As a teenager in Orange County, California, Stewart restored an MG-TC to concours level and progressed through an Alpha Romeo, Porsche, MG, Jaguar and more. An avowed motoring enthusiast, he is now involved in various vintage motorcycles—Nortons, a Benelli, and a classic BMW. Stewart’s “Automata” project is an attempt to bring his passions of art-making, modeling and machinery together. “Automata” are sculptures of imaginary, somewhat fantastic cars that are loosely based on exotic cars of the ’30s deco period. Most are around 15 inches long and made of wood, metal, and materials not associated with cars, such as velvet. They have no provision for passengers and are conceived as pure machines, their qualities uncompromised by human occupancy. The series concept is that they are imaginary maquettes for full-scale vehicles that would cruise urban areas controlled by sensors and computer programs—like drones for the viewing pleasure of passing onlookers.

The exhibit features over 20 of Stewart’s art cars and motorcycles. Also included in the show are displays that were custom-built by The Framery for these sculptures.

The District Gallery, 5113 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-4. Information: 865-200-4452, www.TheDistrictGallery.com

Join us Tuesdays at Two at the Heritage Center for fun and informative programs on history, nature, and more! FREE for GSMHC Members or with paid admission.

Tuesday April 21 at 2 PM FEATURING Dr. Gail Palmer - "Midwives and Healers: Ahead of Their Time"
Plus: BOOK SALE AND SIGNING WITH DR GAIL PALMER. WE WILL HAVE ALL OF DR. PALMER'S BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.

Tuesday April 28 at 2 PM - "Appalachian Moonshining" presented by Alex Gabbard
Plus: Book Sale and Signing with Alex Gabbard - author Return to Thunder Road

Tuesday May 5 at 2 PM - "Life and Times of Sequoyah: Forging a Syllabary" presented by Charlie Rhodarmer, Sequoyah Museum

Tuesday May 12 at 2 PM - "Logging Railroads in the Smokies" presented by Rick Turner, Little River Railroad Museum

Tuesday May 19 at 2 PM - "Elkmont: Then and Now" presented by Daniel. L. Paulin
Plus: Book Sale and Signing with Daniel L. Paulin author Lost Elkmont

Tuesday June 2 at 2 PM - "Wildlife Management in Tennessee: Successes and Challenges of the TWRA" presented by
Daryl Ratajczak, Chief Wildlife Officer, TN

Tuesday June 9 at 2 PM - "History of Townsend" presented by Missy Tipton Green and Paulette Ledbetter
Plus: Book Sale and Signing. We will have all of Missy Tipton Green and Paulette Ledbetter books available for purchase and signing.

Tuesday June 16 at 2 PM - "Touching the Face of History- The Story of the Plott Hound" presented by Bob Plott
The Plott Hound is the North Carolina state dog

Tuesday June 23 at 2 PM - "History of Alcoa Aluminum" presented by Christy Newman

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 3/4 mile east of traffic light at the Highway 321 and 73 intersection towards the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Townsend, TN. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM. Information: 865-448-0044, www.gsmheritagecenter.org

Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964
Also: Gente Not Numbers and Border Monster sculptures by Angel Luna

Opening reception Sunday April 19, 1:30pm

This exhibit, created by the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit Service and presented by Humanities Tennessee, highlights the historical program which imported Latin American agricultural workers to the United States. For a full list of events and exhibits for this celebration, visit www.rosecenter.org. Rose Center has received a generous grant from Humanities Tennessee to support these events.

The Rose Center, 442 West Second North St., Morristown, TN, 37814. Information: 423-581-4330

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary Season!

Book and Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht; Music by Kurt Weill; Directed by Calvin MacLean
Clarence Brown Theatre

“The greatest musical of all time.” Newsweek

With a haunting jazz score and biting lyrics, the “haves” clash with the “have-nots” in Brecht’s sharp critique of Capitalism.

This brilliant masterpiece of epic theatre originated the popular songs “The Ballad of Mack the Knife,” “Solomon Song,” and “Pirate Jenny.”

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

Many people consider Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy​ to be one of the world's greatest novels. Published in 1877 against the backdrop of Russian high society and its frequent hypocrisy, Tolstoy explores themes of love, selfishness, family, and how to lead the best possible life.

Often masterpieces such as Anna Karenina can be intimidating. Knox County Public Library is pleased to partner with the University of Tennessee's Department of Modern Languages to present Tuesdays with Tolstoy throughout April to encourage readers to try Tolstoy's classic story of passion. Everyone is invited to read along and join the discussion.

UTK Russian literature student, Erika Knowles, under the guidance of her major professor, Dr. Stephen Blackwell, will facilitate a four-part study of Anna Karenina at Lawson McGhee Library from 6:00-7:30 p.m. starting on Tuesday, April 7 and continuing on April 14, 21, and 28. Each week, participants will read a section of the book, which they will discuss at the Library. Registration is encouraged at http://www.knoxlib.org/Tolstoy.

Tuesdays with Tolstoy is held in conjunction with the UTK's Leo Tolstoy Festival, which takes place April 23-25 . More information is available at http://mfll.utk.edu/tolstoy/. Dr. Blackwell began the Leo Tolstoy Festival as part of a bigger series called the Great Author Festival.

Many copies of Anna Karenina are available for check out at the Knox County Public Library.
Knox County Public Library: 500 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-215-8750, www.knoxlib.org

Where: Downtown Knoxville and McGhee Tyson Airport
When: April 4, 2014-March 20, 2015
How Much: Free

Art comes in all shapes and sizes. We invite you to experience some of the larger variety with Art in Public Places, an annual event featuring large-scale outdoor sculptures in Knoxville’s downtown public spaces and also at McGhee Tyson Airport. These larger scale pieces are thought provoking and awe-inspiring.

By displaying these works outdoors, we celebrate not only the art of sculpture but Knoxville’s natural beauty during this year-round outdoor exhibition.

The exhibition presently on view, an interesting and inspirational collection of works by sculptors from across the nation, was selected and awarded by noted sculptor Kenneth M. Thompson. Kenneth holds a Master of Liberal Studies in Sculpture from the University of Toledo and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Siena Heights College, in Adrian, MI. While many of his sculptures are in Ohio and Michigan, Thompson’s work can be seen in other states. He has done 41 pieces of public sculpture across the country. Ken has been making sculpture for over thirty years out of his car-dealership-turned-studio in Blissfield, Michigan. From this facility he operates Flatlanders Sculpture Supply and Art Galleries as well as Midwest Sculpture Initiative, which provides exhibitions that feature outdoor sculpture. Fourteen shows are planned for next year, he says. He also serves or has served on numerous arts-oriented boards.

The Art in Public Places Knoxville program, the 2015-2016 year being its 9th is a featured presentation of Dogwood Arts in partnership with the City of Knoxville Public Art Committee. The 2014-2015 Art in Public Places Knoxville Co-Chairs are Bart Watkins and Jason Brown.

To purchase a sculpture, please call [865] 637.4561.

Dogwood Arts: 865-637-4561 www.dogwoodarts.com