Calendar of Events

Opening Reception on Friday, May 22, 2015, 5:30 - 7:30pm in the Geoffrey A. Wolpert Gallery.

The exhibit features expressive woodworking by artist and professor, Kim Winkle. The opening reception and exhibition are free. Community members are encouraged to attend with their family and friends.

Kimberly Winkle uses hardwood to create unique forms based on traditional wooden utilitarian objects, and then activates the surfaces with paint and graphite with varying arrangements of lines and dots. “My interest lies in the pursuit and potential of the medium as an expressive device,” states Winkle about her work. This results in playful objects, characterized by a sense of spontaneity and calculated gesture.

Kimberly Winkle is an Associate Professor of Art at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN. She has a BFA in Ceramics from the University of Oklahoma and an MFA in furniture design from San Diego State University. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, and her work has been included in a number of publications, including Fine Woodworking and Woodworker magazines, and books—500 Tables, and 500 Chairs. She was awarded artist residencies including the Windgate Artist Residency at SUNY Purchase, and the International Turning Exchange at the Center for Art in Wood in Philadelphia. She was also awarded a State of Tennessee Individual Artist Award in 2011, and the Society of Arts and Crafts (Boston) John D. Mineck Furniture Fellowship in 2014. To see more of Winkle’s work, please visit her website: www.kimberlywinkle.com.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Gallery hours: M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa-Su 10AM-4PM. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

“Operation Famous Salute” makes it return to Famous Dave’s East Tennessee restaurants over the Memorial Day Weekend holiday. The event, now in its ninth year, is a letter writing campaign geared to deliver thank you messages and notes of encouragement to our nation’s active and recovering military service members. Beginning Friday, May 22nd, all East Tennessee Famous Dave’s restaurants, including our Knoxville location, will invite their patrons to write to active Service Members and those recovering in our nation’s military hospitals. Famous Dave’s provides all the stationary for letters to be created, and this year, a coloring page for children to get involved. At the end of the holiday weekend, Famous Dave’s staff will gather messages from all five Tennessee locations and pick up the tab for the postage to send them to these well-deserving Service Members.

“This is one of the best things we can do to honor those who have given their lives in service to defend our nation, and each one of us,” said franchise co-owner Mike Lister. “And that is, to take care of those presently serving...to remind those men and women that we are always thinking of them.” Since its inception, “Operation Famous Salute” has collected more than 11,000 letters, and sent them to soldiers and other military personnel serving around the world. Doug Renegar, franchise co-owner at Famous Dave’s notes the restaurants’ vendors have always supported this event and jump on board to help each and every year. “Our printer, Kwik Kopy for example, is providing the stationary, while TG Promotions is donating the pens. The list goes on and on!” Famous Dave’s will also provide patrons a list of suggested “talking points,” with which to communicate their support. Follow up communication with soldiers is encouraged as well.

Middle Tennessee Famous Dave’s locations will collect letters for “Operation Famous Salute” beginning Friday, May 22nd through the close of business on Memorial Day; Monday, May 25th. For questions or more information about how to participate, please email info@homeofthebigslab.com, or contact your local Famous Dave’s restaurant: 208 Advantage Drive, Knoxville, TN 37922; 865-694-9990

The Museum of Appalachia, a Smithsonian Affiliate museum, will host its third annual Barn Dance on May 22, 2015. The evening will feature horse drawn wagon rides, a sumptuous Southern buffet dinner, and traditional Appalachian dancing accompanied by live music.

Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Hwy., Clinton, TN 37716 (16 miles north of Knoxville at I-75, exit 122, then one mile east). Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Information: 865-494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org

Ijams Nature Center will open The Ijams Crag with a ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 4:30 pm. The Ijams Crag will offer an outdoor climbing area for both the beginning and experienced climber. The site features a cliff line with moderate grades, solid rock, reliable access, and close proximity to Downtown Knoxville. The Ijams Crag has been created by some of Knoxville’s most experienced climbers including Benjy Darnell, Kelly Brown, Robert Blackwell, Sam Adams and Charlie VanAnda. This event will unveil the first 10 climbing routes and give a glimpse of 20 more routes that are currently in development and which will open soon.

Knoxville is home to a vibrant community of rock climbers. Countless enthusiasts start their climbing career at local area climbing gyms, but beginners have always faced one major obstacle when trying to break into the realm of outdoor climbing: Knoxville has no good beginner outdoor climbing. Until now, the closest outdoor climbing area has been located at the Obed Wild and Scenic River which is an hour from Knoxville.

To celebrate the opening of Knoxville’s first outdoor climbing area, please join us at the entrance to Ijams on Aberdeen Lane. Parking will be limited, and carpooling is encouraged. Limited shuttles will also be available to transport people who are unable to make the roughly half mile hike on rocky terrain to the site of the climbing area. Please arrive by 4:00 p.m. for the opening ceremony at 4:30 p.m.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Hosted by Sundress Academy for the Arts in the Black Box at The Emporium Center for Arts & Culture, 100 S Gay St, Knoxville.

Join SAFTA Stage for four short plays at The Emporium. Directed by Erik Schiller, these plays discuss themes of race, gender, sexuality, and more!

Thursday, May 21st, 7PM: Preview Night/$5
Friday, May 22nd, 7PM: $12 in advance or $15 at the door
Sunday, May 24th, 3PM: $12 in advance or $15 at the door

Tortillas By Cathy Adams
In the face of an impending tornado at a north Georgia chicken farm, Pete and Roynell are sent to watch the poultry buildings. They believe it is because they’re the only ones who know how to keep the generator running, but after assessing their lives as they wait for the tornado to hit, each man realizes just how expendable he really is.

A Brief Play By Alicia Cole
A Brief Play deals with the intersection of faiths and races in a relationship—Muslim and JudeoChristian, African and Caucasian.

Shelter By Laryssa Wirstiuk
Ashely and Randall are in a relationship. Randall’s dog dies. He decides to get a new one. Ashley wants to support him, but can’t break through the barriers Randall puts up. This piece studies the dynamics of a relationship as it falls apart. How do we survive when someone we’re close to leaves us? Where do we go to find shelter?

Unactualized By Saba Waheed
An unnamed narrator searches for the stories of her life and family and finds that they have been lost or forgotten when her family made their journey to the US. This piece weaves together lost stories, family silences, and a mystery that is experienced yet remains unspoken. When the truth is finally revealed, it is simultaneously denied. Non-linear and repetitive, and spanning over two decades and across three continents, Unactualized is a story about the loss of stories.

https://www.facebook.com/events/722503827858607/

Sundress Academy for the Arts: 195 Tobby Hollow Ln, Knoxville, TN 37931, (865) 560-6106, safta@sundresspublications.com

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts invites the public to the Opening Reception of the 2015 Instructor Exhibition, June 5, 2015, 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the Sandra J. Blain Gallery.

The Exhibition showcases the work of over 100 Arrowmont instructors who are teaching during the 2015 workshop season. Both the opening reception and the exhibition are free and open to the public. Community members are encouraged to attend with their family and friends.

“The Instructor Exhibition is an annual Arrowmont tradition and offers the work of nationally and internationally recognized artists who make up Arrowmont’s faculty. They come from across the globe to share skills and ideas, foster new thinking, artistic growth and creative camaraderie. We are pleased to provide the community with the opportunity to view these outstanding works of art,” Bill May, Arrowmont Executive Director said.

The exhibit features a wide range of diverse media including woodworking, glass, ceramics, painting, fiber and textile work, metals, jewelry, book arts, photography and printmaking. The show celebrates Arrowmont’s instructors and functions as an educational tool, demonstrating the skills and techniques that the instructors focus on in their workshops.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is a national arts education center. The School offers weekend, one- and two-week workshops for the beginner to advanced artist, taught by national and international practicing studio artists and university faculty. Students work and learn in professionally equipped studios on a 14-acre residential campus in Gatlinburg, TN. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the workshop immersion by registering for on campus housing and meals offered by Arrowmont.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Gallery hours: M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa-Su 10AM-4PM. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

Dollywood's Little Engine Playhouse is bringing to life a favorite title in the Imagination Library collection through song and dance. Old Bear and his Cub by Olivier Dunrea is the charming tale of tables turned when Little Cub takes care of Old Bear who has come down with a cold. Little Cub is served some of his own medicine. The Dollywood production presented by the Penguin Players will kick off the Children's Festival of Reading on the main stage at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 16 in World's Fair Park. The show will then tour 10 branches of the Knox County Public Library from May 18-22.

The free performances will tour the following libraries:
May 18 at 11:00 a.m. -- Howard Pinkston
May 18 at 4:00 p.m. -- Bearden
May 19 at 10:00 a.m. -- Murphy
May 19 at 4:00 p.m. -- Farragut
May 20 at 11:00 a.m-- Sequoyah
May 20 at 4:00 p.m. -- Carter
May 21 at 11:00 a.m. -- Karns
May 21 at 4:00 p.m. -- Norwood
May 22 at 10:30 a.m -- Powell
May 22 at 3:30 p.m. -- Burlington

Dollywood's Little Engine Playhouse's production of Old Bear and his Little Cub is part of on-going summer programs at the Library to encourage summer reading. For times, dates, and a full schedule of events, please visit www.knoxlib.org. Registration for the Summer Library Clubs opens on May 16 at the Children's Festival of Reading, online at www.knoxlib.org or at any Knox County Public Library facility.

Darkhorse Entertainment, LLC invites you to go back in time at the Tennessee Medieval Faire. The Grand Opening is the last three weekends in May, including Memorial Day, in Harriman, TN. It’s a new tradition – Joust for You! “The Medieval Faire has something for everyone,” said Barrie Paulson, VP-Manager & Entertainment Director. “The Faire is fun and family-friendly – and includes plenty of theatrical violence,” she said with a grin.

The rock stars of the Faire perform The Royal Joust in the tournament arena. There will also be Warriors’ Chess where the characters fight to take over the square. Warhorse rides will be offered between arena shows. Rotating on the stages will be professional, interactive, comedy shows. These include The ridiculously dangerous Fire * Whip * Sword Show; The Steele Sisters; Fantasies, Fables & Fortunes; and Albi Belly Dancers. There will also be Celtic musicians, interactive folk dancers, puppet shows, games, and The Royal Players whose characters include young King Henry VIII. Period crafts, food and beer will be available.

The Tennessee Medieval Faire will run the last three weekends in May, including Memorial Day: May 16-17, 23-24-25, 30-31. Hours are 10-5 EDT. Ticket prices are $14.95 for ages 13 and up, $7.95 for ages 5 to 12, free for ages 4 and under. Free parking is included. The festival is located at 550 Fiske Road, Harriman, TN. For more information, please visit the website: www.TMFaire.com. Please like us on Facebook. A New Tradition -- Joust for You. Fun for the Entire Family!

New in the Bearden Art District! Please join us for refreshments, live music, drawings to win art prints, and more! Meet Kay List, artist/owner and Larry S. Cole, artist, at the opening on May 15, 5-9 PM.

View 22 of Kay List's original oil paintings as well as numerous framed and unframed archival quality prints and note cards with images of her paintings. Kay works in a wide range of subject matter so the show is a sampling of a few of them. The show features abstracts, historical barns, nautical, whimsical, animals, flowers and landscapes.

Gallery hours: Tues-Thurs 10-5, Fri-Sat 10-6

Envision Art Gallery, 4050 Sutherland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-438-4154, www.kaylistart.com

Reception, everyone invited, Friday, May 15, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Also showing: Handmade books by Bob Meadows' students and watercolors by Mary Baumgartner's students.

Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 9AM-5PM, Friday, 10AM-5PM, Saturday, 9AM-1PM. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartctr.com

The Town of Farragut Arts Council presents Carol Erikson as the featured artist for May and June. Located at the Farragut Town Hall, the exhibit highlights her photographic art, titled "Images that Inspire."

A New Jersey native, Erikson's exhibit features a mix of customer favorites and her newer work, including birds in South Texas, the Tybee Island lighthouse, and angel statuary from cemeteries in Savannah and Ohio. Her photography focuses on local nature images, especially waterfalls, wildflowers, old barns and landscapes. Mainly self-taught, Erikson has taken non-credit photography and editing courses at the University of Tennessee. A Rutgers University and University of North Carolina graduate, she works as an analytical project manager in Oak Ridge, supporting the ongoing decontamination and decommissioning work on the Oak Ridge reservation.

Each month, the work of an artist or group of artists is featured in specially designed cases on the second floor of the rotunda in the Farragut Town Hall. For more information about this exhibit or to access a Featured Artist of the Month application, please contact Lauren Cox at lauren.cox@townoffarragut.org or 966-7057 or visit www.townoffarragut.org/artsandculture.

The Farragut Town Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 11408 Municipal Center Drive directly across from the Farragut Branch Post Office.

Showing work by Athens’ Mayfield Dairy entrepreneur, Goldie Mayfield. The exhibit is scheduled at The Arts Center, 320 North White Street, Athens, Tennessee. AACA invites community members with original work by Goldie Mayfield to loan pieces to this special exhibit. Goldie Mayfield, one of Athens’ most prolific local artists, is among the women fundamental in bringing the visual arts to our community by teaching and supporting other local artists and by starting our Community Artist’s League. Her work was often featured in Mayfield Dairy’s Christmas cards in the 1980s and early 1990s. She used various mediums and is known for her expert use of watercolor.

Goldie was known for graciously giving away her work to friends and family. Community members who loan work to the exhibit will be duly credited as donors.

The exhibit reception is Friday, May 22, 2015 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Mayfield’s friends and family will be on hand to informally discuss her art. The reception will include light refreshments and is free and open to the public.

Athens Area Council for the Arts, 320 North White Street | Athens, TN 37303. Info: 423.745.8781 or www.athensartscouncil.org