Calendar of Events

Bliss Home is pleased to present Local Nostalgia, by Knoxville artist Christi Shields, for November's First Friday. Bliss Home, located at 29 Market Square, will host an opening reception on Friday, November 6th from 6pm to 9pm. Complimentary treats from Wild Love Bakehouse will be provided and Christi's art will be featured for the month of November.

Local Nostalgia is a collection of work that highlights a few nostalgic moments reflecting Christi's own experiences. It is intended to evoke a sense of nostalgia or feeling in the viewer through the use of local themes, bold complimentary colors and expressive brush strokes. Christi uses a very action oriented process with mixed media on wood support to create interest, depth, texture, movement and vintage flair.

Friday, November 6th, 2015 through the end of the month, Opening Reception: Friday November 6th, 2015, 6pm to 9pm
Admission: Free
Bliss Home 29 Market Square Knoxville, TN 37902
Facebook: Bliss Home Event • Christi Facebook Page

Rala is proud to present Brian Pittman, aka The Cathedral Guy, as our November First Friday artist. Brian works as an architect, however, his long time passion for drawing imaginary cathedrals has made him an established part of the arts community. With no preconceived notion of the finished product, Brian illustrates his cathedrals using only a basic grid and a fountain pen. Even his frames have an interesting relationship with the image: "I start by finding old, used frames in rummage sales and flea markets. I like using old frames as the format that guides my drawing. I cut the paper to fit the frame instead of the other way around."

We invite you to stop by this Friday, November 6th, from 6-10 pm, to meet Brian and view his latest work. Come show your support for one of Knoxville's favorite local artists! You can also check out his brand new Knoxville Skyline T Shirt carried exclusively at Rala and available in our online store.

RALA, 323 Union Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7888, http://shoprala.blogspot.com

ARTIST LECTURE: John Messinger, Thursday, November 5th, 7:30PM in room 109 of the Art + Architecture Building on UT's campus
EXHIBITION OPENING: November First Friday, November 6th, 5-9pm at the UT Downtown Gallery
EXHIBITION DATES: November 6 - 28. (The UT Downtown Gallery will be closed on the 25th and the 26th for the Thanksgiving holiday)

John Messinger combines elements of photography and tapestry to create large-scale, 3-dimension mixed media artworks. His body of work consists of thousands of individual 3.25” x 4.25” instant photographs assembled together to create photographic tapestries that examine the proliferation and ubiquity of the photograph in the digital age. Inspired by the notions of singularity and time, Messinger combines hundreds of varying images and transforms them into a single experience. His work fuses indexical and abstract imagery to question the notion of photography, photographer, and subject. On melding constructed histories into a documentary format to question the perception of truth, Messinger states, “I believe that all documentary work is on some level a self-portrait of the documentarian.”

Free admission! UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: W-F 12-5, Sat 10-3. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

Brad Robertson has painted all his life. Born and raised in the coastal town of Mobile, Alabama, his earliest inspiration was the landscape—the indigenous pines and oak trees, and the waters of Mobile Bay. The coastal landscape is still a major source of inspiration for Robertson.

Robertson earned his B.F.A. in Graphic Arts at Auburn University. During his time in college an art professor nurtured the foundation for what would eventually become Robertson’s career as a professional painter, encouraging his unique ability to work with color and texture to create depth, complexity and expressiveness. Robertson has become an award-winning artist with collectors throughout the United States.

Please join us for an opening reception Friday, November 6 from 5-8 p.m.

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

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of traditional woodenware from Slovenia presented by the Ribnica Handicraft Centre with support from the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Washington, DC and the Slovene Consulate in Knoxville. The exhibition of bowls, buckets, spoons, sieves, and other objects will be displayed in the Balcony gallery of the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from November 6-25, 2015. The opening reception on Friday, November 6, is free and open to the public from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres.

The Ribnica Valley lies in the southeast of the middle-European country of Slovenia. Wooden utensils and pottery have been the major products of Ribnica for perhaps 1,000 years thanks to the area’s abundant forest and clay resources. Until recently, nearly all people in the valley were engaged in agriculture, but many earned a major part of their living by means of their skills in making and trading useful household items of wood and clay. Sieves are products that can't be finished at home and then carried to the market; they simply take too much space. A much simpler solution was found by Ribnica crafts-people perhaps as early as five centuries ago: they packed side rims and bottoms separately and carried everything on their backs. When they sold a sieve, they finished it on the spot. Peddlers travelled from one fair, farm, or village to another, looking for buyers. Realizing that other wooden products would sell well too, they started exchanging goods with other local craftsmen. Soon they were able to complete their packs with all kinds of objects, trading those as well. The name 'kroönjar' came from the packs they carried ('kroönje' in the Slovenian language means “tree-top”). The peddlers carried these packs, as tall as two men, on their shoulders; the packs functioned as a portable display of everything that was for sale. Visible from a distance, the packs advertised the peddlers' purpose without a need for words. Sieve-making, in combination with the privilege to move freely across wide territories trading in woodenware and clay vessels, had an enormous economic and spiritual impact on average inhabitants of the Ribnica Valley. The traders brought back innovative ideas to the villages. Ribnica also gained notoriety as a center of humor, because to gain and retain customers, the peddlers were accomplished jokesters and raconteurs. To this day, Ribnica villagers are thought to be natural comedians.

The exhibition of traditional woodenware from Slovenia will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street for the month of November. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and special hours November 6-8. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit www.theemporiumcenter.com.

The exhibit of photographs are entitled "Ground Cherries and Farm Images" (East Tennessee). Sharon Popek lives in Knoxville.

Opening reception will be held FIRST FRIDAY Nov. 6th from 5-9pm. Convenient parking provided.

Regular hours: Thurs-Sat, 11-7 and Sun, 11-3.
Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 Broadway St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: www.BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com or BroadwayStudiosAndGallery@gmail.com

The Birdhouse Bird-Feeder Gallery/Cafe announces their November exhibition "Community Gardening." The exhibition opening will be on First Friday, November 6th from 6-9, in conjunction with and followed by the Labor Day Sunflower Project Winnowing party 6 - midnight.

On the second Sunday in November, November 15th, Angelia Rateike will be presenting her work on Community Gardens in Knoxville: Insight into Challenges Facing Community Garden Initiatives. So... don't put away your tools just yet!

The Birdhouse Bird-Feeder Gallery/Cafe, 800 N 4th Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: http://birdhouseknoxville.com, birdhouseknoxvillegallery@gmail.com

The East Tennessee Woodworkers Guild and the Arts & Culture Alliance proudly present the 18th Master Woodworkers Show at the Emporium Center. This biennial juried show highlights the handcrafted works of 30 fine woodworkers of East Tennessee and the surrounding region and will feature many types of woodwork, from traditional to whimsical, including fine furniture, cabinetry, turning, sculpture and marquetry. The Emporium Center has hosted five Master Woodworkers Shows since 2005, providing an ideal environment in which to view the work and meet the artists.

The 2015 Show hours are: Friday, November 6, 4:00-9:00 PM; Saturday, November 7, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; and Sunday, November 8, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Admission is free.

A public reception takes place on Friday, November 6, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities in downtown Knoxville. The First Friday reception also features music and dance performances by Pasión Flamenca from 6:00-6:30 PM and a Jazz Jam Session hosted by Vance Thompson and Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Black Box Theatre.

“We’ve got a great show for 2015,” says Scott DeWaard, Show Director. “It only happens every other year, and it goes so fast. So if you love fine handmade furniture and want to know more about what sets it apart, this is the show for you.”

The 18th Master Woodworkers Show will be displayed at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street (corner of Gay/Jackson) in downtown Knoxville. For more information, visit www.masterwoodworkers.org or contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543.

Artsclamation! is a juried fine art sale featuring professional regional artists in all mediums. This year’s event is located in a wonderful new venue, the Lighthouse Knoxville at 6800 Baum Drive, with lake views and opportunities for artists to display outside! The event begins on the evening of Friday, November 6, with an invitation-only gala preview party offering sumptuous hors d'oeuvres coupled with wine, spirits and eager collectors. The 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. sale on Saturday, November 7 is free and open to the public.

2015 Featured Artist - Kate McCullough - Watercolors
Kate began painting in watercolor about 11 years ago after a 35 year hiatus from art. Initially her studies at Villa Marie College and SUNY College at Buffalo included general design, art history and oil and acrylic painting. When she returned to painting Kate decided that watercolor was a medium she would like to explore. She immediately fell in love with it and has not looked back. A Knoxville resident, Kate teaches watercolor classes at the Fountain City Art Center and is a former president of the Knoxville Watercolor Society. She is a member of the Art Market Gallery in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee Watercolor Society and Fountain City Art Guild. “There is so much freedom in being able to create. The world of painting is a magical place where the looking glass is only limited by my imagination,” says Kate. “The goal for my art is to not only reach that deeper place but to offer something to the viewer that could reach a place in them that has meaning as well.”

The Fine art sale with 30+ artists offers paintings, sculpture, fiber art, jewelry, woodworking and more!

Artsclamation! is the primary fundraiser for Peninsula, a community-owned, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing mental health care to children, adolescents, and adults in East Tennessee. In addition to event sponsorships and preview party ticket sales, a percentage of all artists’ sales will go directly to Peninsula.

At 6800 Baum Drive - Knoxville. For more information call (865) 531-5210 or visit www.peninsulabehavioralhealth.org/arts

Pottery designed and crafted by Debbie Whelan.
November 6, 12:00-6:00PM and November 7, 10:00AM-3:00PM.
1136 Keowee Avenue, Knoxville.
Please call for information: 865 406 1841 or see www.facebook.com/dancingpotspottery.

Nov. 6, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Nov. 7, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

We are thankful for all our friends who support The District Gallery! And to show our appreciation… enjoy special offers (you don't want to miss!) on the gallery’s new holiday collection of artisan jewelry, craft & gifts. Featuring new work by Hilborn Pottery, plus seasonal treats & complimentary gift-wrapping all day Friday & Saturday!

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

"In the past, I’ve told stories that were mostly inspired by my own life," the former prizefighter and literal son of a preacher man offers. "This time, I’ve written songs that express more universal truths, and I’ve done it with a purpose: to make people feel good."

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com, www.ticketmaster.com