Calendar of Events

Two receptions: May 1, 5-9 PM at the UT Downtown Gallery and June 5, 5-9PM at the UT Downtown Gallery

Richard J. LeFevre’s Civil War Series presents the history of the War Between the States (1861 – 1865) through works on paper that depict 32 of the war’s most significant battles. By combining his love of history and his skill as an illustrator, LeFevre used inventive mixed-media techniques to create these powerful images inspired by his personal investigation into that terrible and definitive era. He sought to authenticate the audience experience by incorporating images from period publications such as Harper’s Weekly and Leslie’s Illustrated. Century-old woodcut engravings, made from sketches by Civil War artists who were present at the battles, were flash-framed onto paper with a copier. They were further manipulated with watercolor, pencil, and collage techniques. Some contain photographic tintype images of prominent battle figures. The Civil War Series, which took LeFevre four years to complete, portrays the Civil War without bias toward the Union or the Confederacy.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Wednesday-Friday: 11AM - 6PM, Saturday: 10AM - 3PM. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

Recent works by Inna Nasonova Knox and Mary Saylor, both of Knoxville, will be on display during the month of May at the Art Market Gallery. An opening reception for the featured artists will be held during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk, beginning at 5:30 p.m. May 1. There will be complimentary refreshments and live music performed by "Poiesis", with Kelvin Walters on the alto saxophone and Jeremy Wright on guitar.

Inna Nasonova Knox was born in in Kazan Russia, and came to the United States in 2000. She now is a dual citizen. Her educational training in Russia includes fashion design, graduating with honors in interior design and, in the United States a degree in graphic technology design at Gateway Technical College in Racine, WI. During her years of studies she has shown and sold her work at numerous art galleries and exhibitions. Nasonova Knox creates her images with a vivid and rich use of color. Drawing on a fascination with new art ideas and her varied educational background, Inna likes to use different oil painting techniques and styles. Her wish is that the viewer's eye sees the dramatic hues and feels her passion for art.

Mary Saylor has created art for as long as she can remember and grew up in a household with artistic parents. Born in Eastern Kentucky and raised in Columbus, Ohio, she earned a BFA from Ohio University and taught art in middle school for some time. She worked in a variety of media and materials through the years, but this now-full-time health professional recently has focused on creating unique paper mache sculptures from found and recycled objects. A love and appreciation of all animals serves as her primary inspiration for these whimsical creatures which often are imbued with humor and warmth. As Saylor's sculptures transform from rough to finished painted pieces, each comes to life with its own story to tell.

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

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present the International Biscuit Festival Art Exhibition, a new exhibition “about the biscuit” and featuring works in a variety of 2-D and 3-D media, completed within the past two years, by artists 18 years and older from across the United States. All works are for sale. A public reception will take place on Friday, May 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM with a brief awards ceremony at 6:00 PM in which $1,000 in cash awards will be announced. The First Friday reception also features a flamenco dance performance by Pasión Flamenco from 6:00-6:30 PM in the Black Box Theatre and a Jazz Jam Session from 7:00-8:45 PM in the Black Box Theatre. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be available and chocolate fondue will be provided by the Melting Pot of Knoxville.

The International Biscuit Festival Art Exhibition occurs in celebration with the Festival itself, which celebrates that most perfect of foods – the Biscuit – and takes place May 14-16 in Knoxville. The Festival draws over 20,000 biscuit lovers to downtown Knoxville each year and was selected the #1 Food Festival in the U.S by Livability.com. The event has been featured in Southern Living, Garden and Gun, the New Yorker, the New York Post, as well as on CNN. For more information about the International Biscuit Festival, go to www.biscuitfest.com.

Jurors for the 2015 exhibition included Preston Farabow of Aespyre Metal Design at Ironwood Studios in Knoxville and Claire Stigliani, associate professor of Drawing & Painting at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

The International Biscuit Festival Art Exhibition is on display May 1-30, 2015 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Saturday, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM. 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 the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition by the Artists Association of Monroe County and the Community Artists League of Athens, two similar groups existing for the purpose of artistic education in Southern Tennessee. Each group has around 50 members and strives to support the arts in our communities. The exhibition features original art by 22 artists including oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastels, photography, colored pencil, silk painting, and mixed media and will be displayed at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from May 1-30, 2015. An opening reception will take place on Friday, May 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features a flamenco dance performance by Pasión Flamenco from 6:00-6:30 PM in the Black Box Theatre and a Jazz Jam Session hosted by Vance Thompson and Friends from 7:00-8:45 PM in the Black Box Theatre. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be available and chocolate fondue will be provided by the Melting Pot of Knoxville.

“This is AAMC’s second show at the Emporium Center, and we are very excited about the opportunity to present the breadth and quality of Monroe County artists’ works as represented by our members and the members of the Community Artist League of Athens,” said Claudia Walker, exhibition chair.

The Artists Association of Monroe County exists to promote artistic development and growth of visual fine artists in Monroe County and surrounding areas and to further support and encourage creativity in appreciation of and patronage of the visual arts through educational programs such as lectures, tours, workshops, classes and exhibits. AAMC hosts annual art shows, classes, and workshops and provides support for local artists, galleries, festivals, and its members’ creative endeavors. They have an ongoing show at Monroe County Courthouse in Madisonville. AAMC currently has almost 60 members, including professional artists, retired artists, art teachers, hobbyists, and students. They meet each month at the First United Methodist Church in Madisonville, and guests are welcome to attend. Meetings include a program or invited speaker, artwork critiques, and time for fellowship and refreshments. Yearly dues are $20 for individuals, $30 for couples and $10 for students. For more information, find Artists Association of Monroe County on Facebook or call 423-337-2866.

The Community Artist League of Athens serves the artists of the greater McMinn County/Athens area and promotes the arts, supports and encourages student, amateur, and professional artists with monthly meetings, and offers opportunities to exhibit artwork. They meet each month at the E.G. Fisher Library in Athens, and guests are welcome to attend. Additionally, CAL programs artwork at the library each month. Yearly dues are $15. For more information, find Community Artist League of Athens on Facebook.

The joint exhibition 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. 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 the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

A group show of Latin American artists' work.

Friday, May 1, 7 PM: Opening reception

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

Opening Friday, May 1st, from 5pm - 9pm

Chris McAdoo - New Paintings: My most recent series focuses on memory (or the lack thereof) and the significance that we attach to objects and places, particularly when we take them out of their original context. My work is an extension of my own experiences growing up in the south and a comment on my connections that give me a visceral reaction to the past rather than simple nostalgia. While the paintings speak to me in a very particular way, I would much rather suggest a narrative to the viewer than to lay it all on the table. www.chrismcadoo.com

Andrew Saftel - Works on Paper & Selected Works on Panel

Bennett Galleries, 5308 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. (865) 584-6791 or http://www.bennettgalleries.com/
Hours: Mon.-Thur. 10-6 Fri. & Sat. 10-5:30

Casa HoLa, the Hispanic Suite in the Emporium Center, will feature a special showing of art by Hispanic artist Graceila Barlesi Snyder who was born in Argentina but recently moved to Chattanooga.

Ms Snyder is a self-taught painter who began at the age of four with chalk and colored-pencils and then later with tempera and acrylic paints. Currently, her art is primarily oils. Her works have been on exhibit in several prestigious art galleries of Buenos Aires and she recently had several exhibitions at the York Art Association in York, Pennsylvania. She is the recipient of several prizes for her exhibit at the National Gallery of Visual Arts in Buenos Aires. For several year, Ms Snyder taught art to disabled people in England and currently resides in Chattanooga where her artistic creations tend to be bodies and portraits as well as floral, horses, and landscapes. She recently received an artist diploma from master artist teacher Wilson Brickford of Watertown, New York, certifying her as Instructor of Art in all subjects.

This special exhibit at Casa HoLa, her first in Tennessee, will open with a reception on Friday, May 1st from 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM and is open to the public without charge. The exhibit will be available for viewing without admission charge at Casa HoLa Tuesdays through Fridays, 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM throughout the month of May. Ms. Snyder will also offer a limited number of free art classes. HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holaknoxville.org, www.holafestival.org

Reception: Friday, May 1, 2015 3-5PM in the Ewing Gallery

Initiated by the Ewing’s Director Sam Yates 25 years ago, this exhibition recognizes outstanding students graduating from The University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Art, College of Arts and Sciences; a Bachelor of Architecture or Bachelor of Science, Interior Design, a Master of Architecture, and a Master of Landscape Design from the College of Architecture and Design.

Selected by a School of Art Faculty Scholarship committee, chaired by graphic design professor Cary Staples, seven art students from various art disciplines were chosen from the qualifying applicants for this year’s exhibition. These students are Samuel Bendriem, Rachel Byrd, Aimee Claire Chico, Alizebeth Patterson, Ericka Ryba, Lauren Sanders, and Brayan Zavala.

The College of Architecture and Design participants were selected by the faculty-at-large, and by outside review teams. The seven projects representing the disciplines of Interior Design, Architecture, and Landscape Architecture were created independently and collaboratively by eleven students. These exhibitors are Kristin Bowman, Emanuel Huber-Feely, Coleen O’ Leary, William Harvell, Emily Johnson, Caroline Sneed, Clay Lezon, Lewis Williams, Zach Mulitauaopele, Clint Wayman, and Jared Wilkins.

Ewing Gallery, 1715 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu

With hilariously witty and heartbreakingly moving moments of adoration, regret and desire, this sweeping musical explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress Desirée Armfeldt, the men who love her, and their jealous wives - all invited for a weekend in the country. With everyone in one place, infinite possibilities of new romances and second chances bring endless surprises in Stephen Sondheim’s masterful musical take on Ingmar Bergman's comedy of manners, “Smiles of a Summer Night.”

Oak Ridge Playhouse, 227 Broadway, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Information and tickets: 865-482-9999, www.orplayhouse.com

Harriet The Spy has been recognized as a literary classic with a modern sensibility. In 2002, the School Library Association ranked the book 17th in a list of “Top 100 Children’s Novels.” The novel won the Sequoyah Book Award for 1964.

Harriet loves writing and wants to be a spy when she grows up. So what could be more natural for Harriet than keeping a journal? A journal that contains everything she thinks about or observes in all of her friends and family. A journal that is the complete, uncensored truth.

But Harriet will need all her super-spy techniques when the notebook goes missing. What if everything she wrote about her friends is made public? The comic fallout that ensues will delight audiences and teach some valuable lessons.

14 regular performances: May 1 through 17, Thursdays through Sundays.

Knoxville Children's Theatre: 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917, (865) 208-3677, knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

Held at the Tellico Vil-lage Community Church on 130 Chota Center in Loudon, TN. All artists, aspiring artists and art enthusiasts are invited to attend. There are over 175 new 2D and 3D works in a wide variety of mediums. Refreshments and live music are scheduled for the reception on Friday, May 1st from 7-9 pm.

Art Guild of Tellico Village: www.tellicoartguild.org

44th Annual Spring Tennessee Craft Fair, May 1, 2 & 3.
Friday and Saturday 10:00AM-6:00PM and Sunday 10:00AM-5:00PM.
Hands-on kids' activities and live demonstrations.
Free admission and parking.
Nashville's Centennial Park. Free shuttle--park and ride from the HCA lots on Park Plaza, courtesy Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, Saturday and Sunday during fair hours.
www.tennesseecraft.org