Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance proudly presents its 2015 Members Show, the largest annual exhibition of local artists in the Greater Knoxville area. The fresh mix of two- and three-dimensional works created within the last two years encompasses a wide variety of media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, mixed media, photography, fine craft, sculpture, ceramics, fiber, and more from regional artists who are all individual members of the Arts & Culture Alliance, which serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Membership is open to all, and information may be found at www.knoxalliance.com/join.html. Most of the works in the 2015 Members Show are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition as holiday gifts.

The exhibition will be on display throughout the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville from December 4, 2015 – January 29, 2016. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on December 4 from 5:00-9:00 PM.

Gallery hours for the 2015 Members Show are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sundays, December 6 & 20 and January 3 & 17, 3:30-6:30 PM. Additional special hours are posted at www.theemporiumcenter.com/visit.html. Please note, the Emporium will be closed December 24 – January 1 for the holidays. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

Artist reception: Fri Dec 4, 5-9 PM
Closing reception Friday, January 29, 5-7pm

The UT Downtown Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of editorial cartoons by Knoxville News Sentinel cartoonist Charlie Daniel. The exhibition will feature a large selection of “Rosy’s Diner” cartoons as well as a variety of subjects and themes from the past two decades. Charlie Daniel came to Knoxville in 1958 as the editorial cartoonist for The Knoxville Journal. He moved to the Knoxville News Sentinel in January 1992 and has been the editorial cartoonist here ever since.

Free admission! UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: W-F 11-6, Sat 10-3. The gallery will be closed from December 24 - January 2 for the holidays. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

Opening reception Friday, December 4, 6:30-8:30pm

Works by Jessie Van der Laan in conjunction with Rose Center's Holiday Open House. Food, fun, and music!

Hours are 9-5, M-F through December 18. Please call ahead for holiday schedule after Dec. 18.

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

Feast Your Eyes. An ART exhibit ALL about FOOD! Artists reflect on food as it pervades our lives, from the profound to the mundane.

Opening Reception and Awards Night will be held on "FIRST" Friday December 4, 5-9pm. It is suggested that all guests for the reception bring one can of food for donation to a local food bank.

To view the show afterward the regular gallery hours are be 11-7pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday and 11-3pm Sunday. Please note: we will be open Christmas Eve until 3 PM and closed Christmas Day.

Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 Broadway St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: www.BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com

After forty years of painting Knoxville’s cityscapes, Joe Parrott has turned to the architecture of the Mediterranean. With inspiration drawn from recent travels to Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Turkey, he has produced a vivid series of light-drenched, textural oil paintings.

Please join us Friday, December 4 from 5-8 p.m. for an art opening and Holiday Open House. Meet the artist, and experience the brilliant light of the Mediterranean the Impressionists often spoke of. Enjoy holiday cuisine from Holly’s Gourmet’s Market and live music by Michael Whitesides. Joe will also be performing a painting demonstration in the gallery on Saturday, December 5 from 1-4 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

Bliss Home is pleased to present Aurora by Knoxville artist Jane Nickels, for December's First Friday. Bliss Home will host an opening reception on Friday, December 4th from 6pm to 9pm. Complimentary treats from Wild Love Bakehouse will be provided and Jane's art will be featured for the month of December.

Jane grew up in Europe, the USA and Asia attending high school at the United World College Of South East Asia, Singapore. Jane earned her BFA from Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame, IN. Inspired by international experiences during her formative years, Jane chooses to use pattern and color presented in a non figurative format to filter out cultural bias and the visual experience of region, religion and politics. Patterns and designs found in cultures and the natural world around the globe and crossing multiple eras have been collected and studied, these patterns then are deconstructed and reformed in a foam printing or line drawing process seeking to illustrate a universal aesthetic of pattern and color. Aurora is a series of paintings that invite the viewer to explore optimism, anticipation and the energy of the aurora, of the dawn.

Bliss Home, 29 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-329-8868, www.shopinbliss.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of recent photographs by Dean Rice of Knoxville at the Emporium Center. These photographs show the faces of Syrian children who now live in the Zaatari Refugee Camp in the desert of Jordan and children who are orphaned living in Amman, Jordan. “We talk often of instability in the Middle East, and today we struggle with balancing our national security interests with our humanitarian desires to help the helpless,” says Dean Rice. “Through these photographs, however, we see the faces that can bring lasting stability, peace, friendship and gratitude.”

Dean Rice is chief of staff to Knox County Tim Burchett and also a member of the national advisory board of the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF). In the spring of 2015, he traveled to Jordan to visit the Zaatari refugee camp and meet with various Syrians in exile. The photographs of children in this exhibition are some of those he met. Rice is a Global Security Fellow with the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Nuclear Security and serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tennessee’s College of Communication and Information. In 2013, Rice received the Society of Universal Dialogue’s Atlantic Institute "Peace Award" in recognition of his efforts to promote inter-cultural engagement and dialogue. His photographs and paintings have been displayed in multiple exhibitions. A permanent exhibition of his refugee photos is scheduled to open at the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC in January, 2016.

The exhibition will be on display in the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville from December 4-23, 2015. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on December 4 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and chocolate fondue by the Melting Pot of Knoxville. The First Friday reception features music by Pistol Creek Catch of the Day from 5:00-7:00 PM. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sundays, December 6 & 20, 3:30-6:30 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed December 24 – January 1 for the holidays.

Arts & Culture Alliance at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com

Encore will wrap up its 9th season with a “FRA-GIL-E” package just in time for the holidays with “A Christmas Story: The Musical.” Ralphie Parker wants only one thing for Christmas; An Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle. “A Christmas Story The Musical” is the hilarious account of Ralphie's desperate quest to ensure that this most perfect of gifts ends up under his tree this Christmas. A kooky leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a cranky department store Santa and a triple-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the obstacles that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas dream. This new Broadway musical is based on the classic 1983 movie, which itself was based on stories by legendary radio humorist Jean Shepherd. With songs both funny and heartfelt by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, and a faithful yet inventive book by Joseph Robinette, “A Christmas Story: The Musical” captures holiday wonder with such deliciously wicked wit that it is sure to delight children and grown-ups alike. It's the Christmas present that you'll cherish all holiday long.

Performances are December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, and 19 at 8pm. Matinee performances are December 6, 13, 19, and 20 at 2pm. Tickets are $20 for adults, $17 for Seniors, and $12 for Students and Youth.

At Walters State Community College. Encore Theatrical Company: 423-218-8331, www.etcplays.org

Knoxville Children’s Theatre will present Cinderella And Ebenezer, a new holiday play, based on the timeless tales of “Cinderella” and “A Christmas Carol.” The play will be performed Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM; Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM; Sundays at 3 PM.

Cinderella & Ebenezer is a comic modern-day mash-up of two classic tales, containing the crystal slipper, rude step-sisters, midnight deadline, and all the romance of "Cinderella," as well as all the good-natured holiday spirit of Charles Dickens' classic Yuletide novel, "A Christmas Carol." A heart-warming comedy for all ages, "Cinderella & Ebenezer" is written by Zack Allen and directed by Ashlee Latimer.

The play is performed by 14 talented young actors, from ages 9 to 16. KCT is East Tennessee’s leading producer of stage plays for children. Cinderella And Ebenezer is the 72nd play to be produced by Knoxville Children’s Theatre. The company is also the area’s leading producer of new works; Cinderella And Ebenenzer is the 30th original play to be created by the company. Over 9,500 people attended a KCT play in 2014. The play is written and directed by Zack Allen.

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

Christmas Dinner with the Ramsey's will be held December 4-8 starting at 6:30 p.m. each night.

Each evening will feature a candlelight tour of the beautifully decorated home and lovely holiday dinner prepared by Rosa's Catering. The dinner will be held in the 1797 home of Francis Alexander Ramsey, his wife Peggy, and their children. This is a great opportunity to entertain the special people in your life, employees, or clients. Seating for a total of twenty guests in the dining room and the parlor is available each evening, and individual ticket purchases are also welcome. All proceeds go directly to Historic Ramsey House. Reservations are a must and will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets are $125 per person ($100 of the cost is a tax-deductible donation). For more information or reservations, call Historic Ramsey House at 865-546-0745 or visit our website at www.ramseyhouse.org.

Historic Ramsey House, 2614 Thorngrove Pike, Knoxville, TN 37914

Marble City Opera will produce Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian-Carlo Menotti, which will be presented by St. John’s Cathedral in Knoxville, Tennessee. This is a family friendly production with FREE admission. MCO will feature some of Knoxville’s favorite talent including bass-baritone, Daniel Webb and Artistic Director, Kathryn Frady Marvel, as well as young rising stars Josiah Mustaleski, and Joseph Coram as the title character Amahl. Amahl and the Night Visitors is Gian-Carlo Menotti’s beloved masterpiece. A unique Christmas story about a young crippled boy and his mother who are visited by three kings, and the miracle that follows. It is the perfect way to start the season. Tickets are free and can be acquired by contacting St. John’s Cathedral at 865-525-7347.

Dec 4 at 7:30pm, Dec 6 at 3pm at St. John's Cathedral, downtown Knoxville. Free admission.

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

Witty banter and physical humor create a hilarious spoof and a love letter to the screwball comedies of the 1930s in this play by Ron Bernas. "A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody" is the story of a well-to-do businessman, Matthew Perry, who finds himself wanting to enjoy life, so he decides to be a widower. He divulges his plan to his wife, Julia, who in light of their daughter's recent engagement, decides to stay alive. Over the course of one year, Matthew's attempts to kill Julia only seem to work on their house-guests. Bunny, the Perry's ditsy daughter, is left wondering whether her wedding should still go on, but her bright fiancee Donald supports her through the year of turmoil. A not so supportive butler, Buttram, seems to harbor a dreadful secret - or two. As the bodies start piling up, Detective Plotnik tries to figure out 'who-done-it' --- that is if something really has been done. Who will succeed in his or her resolution --- and who gets caught in the crossfire? This hilarious comedy has lots of surprises, right up to the end!

December 4, 5 and 6, 2015
Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2:00 p.m.
Clayton Center for the Arts - Haslam Flexible Theatre
502 East Lamar Alexander Pkwy., Maryville, TN, 37804

Tickets are $12.00 + fees for all performances. The Clayton Center for the Arts will add $1.00 printing fee for each ticket purchased through the Box Office. Tickets purchased online will have an additional service fee. Tickets are available at the Clayton Center box office at 865-981-8590 or for purchase online at http://www.claytonartscenter.com or http://www.knoxvilletickets.com. The play does contain some adult themes and, thus, parental guidance is suggested.

Foothills Community Players, in partnership with First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, is gathering new coats for Blount County Fire Protection District's yearly program COATS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. Each donation of one coat qualifies for a "FCP Coat Voucher." The voucher will be accepted at the Box Office and will take $3.00 off per ticket purchased in one transaction. FCP will refund $3.00 per ticket per transaction for purchases made over the phone or online, provided that receipt of transaction and new coat is donated at the lobby to FCP's volunteer on the day of the show.

http://foothillscommunityplayers.com/