Calendar of Events

We've picked up a few new venues for June! We're really excited to add Baneberry Golf Resort, Tennessee Valley Winery and Gettysvue Polo and Golf club to our list of venues. We've also added a few new artists and as always have loads of great new paintings awaiting your brush! We look forward to seeing you out at class! Life's too short for blank walls!

Thursday, 6/4, 6 - 9 pm
Dandelion Dance at Baneberry Golf and Resort

Monday, 6/8, 6 - 9 pm
JFG Coffee Sign at Chuy's

Tuesday, 6/9, 6 - 9 pm
Tennessee Moonshine at Mimi's Cafe

Monday, 6/15, 6 - 9 pm
Flip Flops on the Beach at Mind Yer P's & Q's - Farragut

Tuesday, 6/16, 6 - 9 pm
Bluetiful at Stir Fry Cafe

Saturday, 6/20, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Blue Sky Butterfly at Tennessee Valley Winery

Monday, 6/22, 6 - 9 pm
Zen at Uncorked

Tuesday, 6/23, 6 - 9 pm
Red Moonrise at Barley's Maryville

Wednesday, 6/24, 6 - 9 pm
Dessert First at Gettysvue Polo and Golf Club

Thursday, 6/25, 6 - 9 pm
Light Saver at Original Copper Cellar

Monday, 6/29, 6 - 9 pm
Strawberry at Carolina Ale House

Wine & Canvas: Knoxville, TN, 865-356-9179, http://www.wineandcanvas.com/knoxville-tn.html

Marble City Opera will present Gershwin’s jazz-opera, Blue Monday at The Square Room in Knoxville. Blue Monday is often considered to be the blueprint to Gershwin’s later symphonic jazz works, and with the help of jazz ensemble Marble City 5, Marble City Opera will transform The Square Room into the jazz nightclub setting the opera takes place in. This production will also feature some of Knoxville’s favorite talent including baritones Brandon J. Gibson and Michael Rodgers.

Marble City Opera was founded in May of 2013 and continues to make waves in the Knoxville music scene by making opera accessible. This season has shown enormous growth in attendance and approval from local arts critic, Alan Sherrod. For more information, read reviews at ArtsKnoxville.com.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheSquareRoom.com, by calling Café 4, or at the door. Bar service will be offered before, during, and after the performance for all attendees. Presale admission is $25 for Premium Tables, $15 for General admission, and $10 for students. General and Student tickets may be purchased at the door for $20 and $12 respectively. Premium Tables are by reservation only and provide a table and server to order dinner from Cafe 4. Doors for Premium Tables open at 6:30pm. General admission seating begins at 7:30pm.

Marble City Opera: 646-217-1580, www.facebook.com/marblecityopera & WWW.marblecityopera.com

Novelist and screenwriter Shannon Burke will read from his newest book, "Into the Savage Country," at the June program of the Knoxville Writers' Guild. "I'll be talking about the book, and how I became interested in the subject," Burke said about the program. "Into the Savage Country" is a historical adventure novel that mostly takes place on a trapping brigade in the 1820s. The novel begins as the protagonist - a young man named William Wyeth - starts west on a trapping brigade. The character makes friends, falls in love, chases buffalos and becomes involved in a struggle where the future of the country hangs in the balance. "I grew up reading books like 'Kidnapped,' 'Treasure Island,' 'White Fang' and 'The Count of Monte Cristo,' and my intent was to write a book in that vein," he said.

His first two novels were well-received and have been translated into several languages. "Safelight" (Random House 2005) was on the Kirkus and Publishers Weekly end of the year lists. "Black Flies" (Soft Skull Press 2008) was on numerous end of the year lists, was a New York Times Notable Book, a finalist for the Believer Book Award, on the Impac Dublin Literary Award Long List and runner up for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière. He has worked on various films, including work on the script for the film "Syriana."

Copies of "Into the Savage Country" will be available for purchase at the program. For more information about Burke, please visit www.shannonburkewebsite.com.

Knoxville Writer’s Guild: Meetings take place at the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37916. The building is handicapped accessible. Additional parking is available at Redeemer Church of Knoxville, 1642 Highland Ave. The public is invited to attend. A $2 donation is requested at the door. www.knoxvillewritersguild.org

Join the Blount County Shape Note Singers for a quarterly sing from the New Harp of Columbia.
No experience necessary. All are welcome to participate or listen and loaner books are available.

Thursday, June 4, at 6:30PM.
Asbury Place, Maryville
www.oldharp.org or 865 691 9506 (call to confirm).

Let's Go Back to the Hop! The first annual Knox County Museum of Education fundraiser. Music of the 50's & 60's, dancing, food, fun and more!
Featuring your favorite doo wop group, Four Dots and a Dash.

Tickets are limited! Get your right now! Every ticket includes: admission, photo package, sock-hop food, $10 credit toward silent auction. Only $40 each!
Get your tickets right now at branches of Knoxville Teachers Federal Credit Union!
Don't wait! Do it now!

Thursday, June 4, starting at 7:00PM at the Sarah Simpson Professional Development & Technology Center. South of downtown at 801 Tipton Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920.
865 579-8264 ext. 1072.

“After They’ve Seen Paree: Tennesseans and the First World War” will be the topic of Dr. Michael E. Birdwell’s address at the annual meeting of the East Tennessee Historical Society at the Foundry World’s Fair Park. The event begins with a reception, 5:30-6:30 p.m., followed at 6:30 p.m. by a dinner, a lecture, and awards presentations. Both members and the general public are welcome.

Michael E. Birdwell, Ph.D. is a professor of history at Tennessee Technological University at Cookeville and chair of the Tennessee Great War Commission, whose mission it is to commemorate the one-hundredth anniversary of World War I. “The war has long been overshadowed by the Civil War and World War II,” explains Dr. Birdwell, yet it “mobilized men and women and transformed the culture and politics of the state and nation in profound ways.” The role of Tennessee’s native son Alvin C. York will also be a topic of discussion.

The occasion will also feature the presentation of Awards of Excellence to organizations and individuals across the region for special projects to preserve and promote the history of East Tennessee. These include the Teaching Excellence Award, History in the Media, Award of Distinction, and the Ramsey Award for Lifetime Achievement. Established in 1834, the East Tennessee Historical Society is widely acknowledged to be one of the most active history organizations in the state and enjoys a national reputation for excellence in programming and education.

The event will be held at the Foundry on World’s Fair Park, 747 World’s Fair Park Drive, Knoxville, and is open to the public. Tickets are $40 per person and include both the lecture and dinner. For reservations or for additional information call 865-215-8883 or visit our website at www.eastTNhistory.org.

Sundress Academy for the Arts is excited to present three visiting Portuguese-American writers, Amy Sayre, Carlo Matos, and Paula Neves, in “Kale Soup for the Soul,” the third installment of Holler Salon, an extension of the award-winning SAFTA Reading Series. The event will be held at Firefly Farms (195 Tobby Hollow Ln) in Knoxville at 7PM on Thursday, June 4th. This event is free and open to the public.

Holler Salon is an occasional salon series featuring local and national writers and artists. Hosted at Firefly Farms in Knoxville, each salon will provide an intimate setting conducive to discussing and developing the ideas and inspirations of creative individuals from a variety of disciplines.

The Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) is an artists' colony on a 45-acre farm in Knoxville, Tennessee, that hosts workshops, retreats, and residencies for writers, actors, filmmakers, and visual artists. All are guided by experienced, professional instructors from a variety of creative disciplines who are dedicated to cultivating the arts in Eastern Tennessee.

http://www.sundresspublications.com/safta/ Facebook: SundressPublications

Jean Robinette (Robbie) Anderson, is a native of East Tennessee. Robbie works predominately in the medium of painting but delves in various mediums, from clay to natural materials, as well. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a focus on art history and education.

In the DENSO Gallery. Artist Reception June 4, 6-8pm

Gallery open 10 am to 6pm M-F and during events
At Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Info: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

Recent works by painter Marjorie Horne and ceramic artist Hugh Bailey, both of Knoxville, will be on display 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., June 5, with complimentary refreshments and live music performed by The Accidentals.

Marjorie Spalding Horne’s colored pencil drawings and watercolors span an array of subject matter, but recurring themes are transparent and reflective surfaces and how they are affected and enhanced by their environment. She has received numerous purchase and merit awards in regional and national exhibitions and has had several one-person shows. This Indiana native’s colored pencil works have been juried into six international exhibitions. A signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, she was one of the top 100 winners in the PaintAmerica Competition. Her BFA is from the University of Tennessee.

When watercolor painter Hugh Bailey also started to show his ceramics, he noticed that other artists were making functional ware. Wishing to do something different and combine it with his interest in sculpture, he saw an opportunity to create animal forms. “Turned out to be a good choice,” the Bristol native says of the high-in-demand whimsical clay pieces. Hugh’s B.A. is from Berea College, in Kentucky, with an M.F.A.from Indiana University, Bloomington. He belongs to the Foothills Craft Guild, Highland Handicraft Guild, the Knoxville Watercolor Society, and is a charter member (1982) of the Art Market Gallery.

Owned and operated by 62 professional regional artists! 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

At Bennett Galleries, 5308 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919

Information: Community School of the Arts - 865-523-5684, www.csaknox.org

By Robert Harling / Directed by James Fisher

Concerned with a group of gossipy southern ladies in a small-town beauty parlor, the play is alternately hilarious and touching—and, in the end, deeply revealing of the strength and purposefulness which underlies the antic banter of its characters.

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

For the fifth year, the East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) is pleased to announce its participation in Blue Star Museums to offer free museum admission to the nation’s active duty military personnel and their immediate families, as well as National Guard and Reserves, from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2015. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and 2,000 other museums across America. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families. The program provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation's cultural heritage and learn more about their new communities after completing a military move. The complete list of participating museums is available at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

“As the Volunteer State, Tennesseans are always among the first to respond to our country’s call,” says Cherel Henderson, ETHS executive director. “The Blue Star Museums is a wonderful way for us to give back and to say thank you for your service and sacrifice.”

This year, more than 2,000 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative. Museums are welcome to join Blue Star Museums throughout the summer. This year’s Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science, history, and children’s museums, and nature centers.

About Blue Star Museums
Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 25, 2015 through Labor Day, September 7, 2015.

The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps - and up to five family members. Please see the chart of the acceptable IDs (PDF). Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly. To find out which museums are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The site includes a list of participating museums and a map to help with visit planning.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: Monday-Friday: 9AM-4PM, Saturday: 10AM-4PM, Sunday: 1-5PM. Library: Monday-Tuesday: 9AM-8:30PM, Wednesday-Friday: 9AM-5:30PM, Saturday: 9AM-5PM, Sunday 1-5PM. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org