Calendar of Events

Following their 2014 album A JOHNNYSWIM Christmas, husband & wife duo JOHNNYSWIM is set to bring their twangy twist on classic Christmas tunes to the Bijou just in time for the Holidays!

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

Art exhibit featuring work by Nick DeFord and Kate McCullough at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.
Free and open to the public. Opening reception Dec. 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.; artists' talks at 6:30 p.m.

Nick DeFord is an artist, educator, and arts administrator who resides in Knoxville, TN. He received his MFA from Arizona State University, and a MS and BFA from the University of Tennessee. He exhibits nationally, with recent exhibitions at the University of Mississippi, Vanderbilt University, Lindenwood University and the William King Museum in Virginia. He has had artwork or writing published in Surface Design Journal, Elephant Magazine, Hayden Ferry Review, and Willow Springs. He has upcoming exhibitions and lectures at Coastal Carolina University and Eastern Carolina University. Currently, Nick is the Program Director at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Tennessee. This series is the culmination of a multi-year effort that examines the confusion and abstraction of text and language. DeFord manipulates words in his fiber arts as well as in his poetry.

Kate McCullough began painting in watercolor about 12 years ago after a 35-year hiatus from art. Initially her studies at Villa Maria College and SUNY College at Buffalo included general design, art history, and oil and acrylic painting. When she returned to painting she decided that watercolor was a medium that she would like to explore, and she has not looked back. She started with courses with Marcia Goldenstein and Whitney Leland at the University of Tennessee and then moved on to workshops at Arrowmont with Don Lake and Sue Archer, Kanuga with Linda Baker and Don Andrews, Cheap Joe's with Linda Kemp, Gibson County with John Salminen, and a couple of workshops with Paul Jackson. She presently teaches two watercolor classes at the Fountain City Art Center and is the president of the Knoxville Watercolor Society and a member of the Art Market Gallery, The Tennessee Watercolor Society, and Fountain City Art Guild.

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Gallery hours: M-Th 9-5, Su 10:30-1. Information: 865-523-4176, www.tvuuc.org

The Winter Solstice is fast approaching. This time of rest and renewal is an appropriate time to reflect on the year that is coming to a close, connect with our bodies in a deep way, and experience the silence that this season offers.

Karl Hess will be leading a retreat with Daniel Webb during the Winter Solstice December 18th – 20th! Karl and Daniel know each other through yoga and Reiki circles and share a love for energy and metaphysical work. They have co-led Reiki shares and together have over 25 years of experience in the healing arts.

The retreat will offer tai chi and yoga, guided meditation, mindful shares and listening, Reiki introduction and practice, and a fire ceremony by the river on Saturday evening (weather permitting).

The Winter Solstice Retreat will be held at Well Being Conference Center nestled in the Cumberland Mountains of Northeastern Tennessee approximately 1 1/4 hours north of Knoxville. A view from the hilltop offers panoramic views with Kentucky and Virginia in the distance. The Powell River surrounds the 160 acre property for 2 1/2 miles. Canoeing and kayaking are included, if desired.

Patty and Don, co-Directors and the on-site caretakers of Well Being Conference Center, will provide delicious, gluten-free, non-vegetarian meals with vegetarian option(s) available at each meal. The retreat will begin with supper on Friday evening December 18th and end with lunch on Sunday December 20th. The cabins are very affordable and comfortable with multiple accommodation options. Please see the Cabin Rentals for further details about the cabins. The setting is abundant with birds, deer and other wildlife; it is an opportunity to experience true solitude on this extraordinarily quiet and peaceful land; and the conference building (where most events and all meals will take place) is very supportive of a meditative and healing event such as this Winter Solstice Retreat.

Karl and Daniel will share their love of movement, meditation, and mindfulness practices. Experience a weekend of exploration and enjoyment!

Cost ranges from $110-$260 (depending on accommodations) which includes three meals a day, lodging and use of the conference center and grounds. If you choose to come just for the day on Saturday, the cost for meals and facilities will be $75. The teaching itself will be donation-based.

Reiki Level I Certification will be offered as a separate class Sunday afternoon for $99.

If you have any questions about the retreat program feel free to contact Karl at (865) 208-9206 or karlalanhess@gmail.com. To find out more about accommodations you may contact Patty@WellBeingCC.org or call Patty at 423-626-9000.

29th Annual Clayton Holiday Concert: An Appalachian Christmas
The KSO and special guests, including the Knoxville Choral Society, GO! Contemporary Dance Works and local folk musicians celebrate the spirit of the season with "An Appalachian Christmas." This concert features your favorite holiday songs and carols, beloved music of the Appalachian region, and even an appearance by Santa himself! Sponsored by Clayton Bank, Clayton Homes and Clayton Volvo.

PERFORMANCES: Friday, December 18th, 7:30pm
Saturday, December 19th, 3:00pm & 7:30pm
Sunday, December 20th, 3:00pm

At the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Jr Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37915. Tickets and information: 865-291-3310, www.knoxvillesymphony.com

Folk art paintings of Tennessee Volunteer football legends by WILL JOHNSON are on display at Pioneer House. ALL VOL: KNOX COUNTY WARRIORS of the GRIDIRON paintings will be on view & for sale!

Pioneer House of Letterpress, 413 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Info: julie@pioneer-house.com

Part of the 2015-2016 Broadway at the Tennessee Theatre season!

A brand new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, directed by three-time Tony Award® winner Jack O’Brien, will tour North America beginning September 2015. This lavish new production will launch at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, under the auspices of the Center Theatre Group, and will then tour North America for multiple seasons, playing multi-week and week-long engagements.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp. This new production is directed by Jack O’Brien (credits include: Hairspray, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Coast of Utopia), and choreographed by Danny Mefford (Broadway’s Fun Home, The Bridges of Madison County and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson). The design and production team is comprised of Douglas Schmidt, Set Design (Tony Award® nominee: 42nd Street, Into the Woods); Jane Greenwood, Costume Design (2014 recipient of Special Tony Award ® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre), Natasha Katz, Lighting Design (Four-time Tony Award® winner: Once, Aida, The Coast of Utopia, The Glass Menagerie) and Ken Travis, Sound Design (Aladdin, Newsies, Memphis).

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Popcorn balls and paper chains… fruits and nuts in their stockings … carols by the fire... a cedar tree cut in the nearby woods- that’s the Christmas most rural Appalachian children knew. And it's the Christmas we recreate each year throughout the Museum village at our special.... Join us as we recreate a meaningful holiday of simpler times. Traditional trees and hand-made decorations, typical of austere pioneer days, transform the Museum’s authentic log buildings.

Wander through the village and marvel at the simple treasures of their settlement days. In the one-room, dirt-floored “Dan'l Boone” cabin, strings of popcorn and cotton bolls circle a dormant tree; Paper chains and other ornaments trim the tree in the Little Tater Valley Schoolhouse. Sweet gum and sycamore balls are strung throughout the Mark Twain Family Cabin, and a traditional silver star tops a native red cedar Christmas tree in the turn-of-the-century Peters Homestead House. Apples, nuts, homemade toys, and oranges fill stockings hung in the cabins. Pick up some stocking stuffers in the Museum Gift and Antique Shop, which features everything from hand-crafted ornaments, locally made muscadine and moonshine jellies, and beautiful pottery, along with baskets, quilts, and plenty of Appalachian specialties. Or just come and enjoy a homemade southern country lunch in front of the warm fireplace. You'll want to make Christmas in Old Appalachia part of your family's annual holiday tradition!

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

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.

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

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