Calendar of Events

The award-winning theatrical experience Blue Man Group is making their triumphant return to the Tennessee Theatre after three sold-out performances in 2011!

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

The Legacy and Challenge of Suffrage: Votes for Women in Tennessee
Brown Bag Lecture by Wanda Sobieski

In November 1917, Knoxville was scene to a tense showdown between activists for women’s votes, local law enforcement, and Tennessee lawyers. In a Brown Bag Lecture on Wednesday, March 9, Wanda Sobieski will use this story of controversy and courage as a starting point to explore the struggle over voting rights in our region. Tennessee was deeply divided on the suffrage issue, but eventually the final vote to make the 19th Amendment a reality was cast by Harry Burn, a young state legislator from McMinn County.

Wanda Sobieski is an experienced Knoxville attorney, President of Sobieski, Messer & Associates PLLC, and an adjunct professor with the University of Tennessee College Of Law. An expert on women’s suffrage movement and women’s history, Ms. Sobieski was the driving force behind the creation of the Tennessee Woman’s Suffrage Memorial on Market Square. She has been involved in many women’s organizations including the League of Women Voters, East Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women, Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women, National Conference of Women’s Bar Association, Woman Suffrage Coalition, American Association of University Women, National Women’s History Museum, and Executive Women’s Association.

The lecture is sponsored by the Harriet Z. Albers Memorial and is free and open to the public. Guests are invited to bring a “Brown Bag” lunch and enjoy the lecture. East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

Bliss Home is pleased to present new artwork by Knoxville artist, Lindsey Teague, for April's First Friday! Bliss Home, located at 29 Market Square, will host an opening reception on Friday, April 1st from 6pm to 9pm. Complimentary treats from Wild Love Bakehouse will be provided and Lindsey's art will be featured for the month of April.

Lindsey Teague graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a BFA in Graphic Design in 2009. She is a freelance graphic designer with over 7 years of experience in the design field. She has worked with clients on every level from billion dollar corporations to first time small business owners. She volunteers her photography skills, which have been awarded by AIGA, by teaching inner city children photography workshop classes. She gives back to her community and various non-profit organizations by donating art, design work, and photography. She uses her spare time to refine her fine art work which has been showcased in over 12 First Fridays in the Knoxville area and will be presented in the Dogwood Arts Festival this spring.

Lindsey's April exhibit is inspired by what is meaningful in her life such as the people, places, and the history of this scruffy little city by the river. Lindsey's art process begins with taking photographs then she vectors the images down and prints them on wood boards. Along with an interesting texture, the wood carries an organic tone which is representative of the surrounding natural landscape. Each board is stained with an acrylic based paint to add a little vibrancy and contrast.

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

Opening reception on Fri, Mar 4, 6:30-8:00 PM. Free and open to the public.

The Fountain City Art Center is proud to announce that it will be hosting a 'double feature" exhibit throughout the month of March. The general public is welcome to attend the opening reception for "The Knoxville Book Arts Guild and Southern Appalachian Nature Photography." The pairing in this exhibit of exquisite and clever handmade books with high quality professional nature photography has become an early spring tradition at the Art Center, allowing the viewers to enjoy both 3-D works of art as well as 2-D works in one outstanding collection. Most of the books can be purchased from the artists; inquiries about purchasing the framed and matted photos may also be made throughout the exhibit and will be passed on to the photographers. The handmade book exhibit has been organized by FCAC art instructor and board member Bob Meadows and Book Guild member Cheryl Prose. The photography exhibit has been made possible through the efforts of FCAC Board member Dr. Holland Rowe.

Exhibit viewing hours: Tu-Th 9-5; F 10-5; Sat 9-1. Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartctr.com

Cherry Blossom Wine Glasses - Mar 4th - 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM - Melting Pot - Gatlinburg
**Cookies and Canvas** Easter Bunny - Mar 6th - 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Golden Corral - Sevierville
Yellow Bird - Mar 9th - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Quaker Steak and Lube - Sevierville
Belk - Ladies night - March 10th - three mini-classes, an hour each, starting at 6pm for only $10 per painter per class.
Tennessee Theater at Night - Mar 12th - 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM - Saw Works Brewing Co.
5 Wine Bottles - Mar 14th - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - The Orangery
Emerald Island Castle - Mar 15th - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Mind Yer P's & Q's
Two Lillies - Mar 16th - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Le Noir Restaurant - Lenoir City
A Magical Night - Mar 21st - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Gibby's Dining & Drinks
Easter Lily - Mar 22nd - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Gavino's Pizzeria and Restaurant
Starry Night in Knoxville - Mar 23rd - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Carolina Ale House
Psychedelic Seascape - Mar 24th - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Tellico Village Yacht Club - Loudon
Sunset in the Smokies - Mar 29th - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - TGIFriday's - Sevierville
Super Moon - Mar 31st - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Casual Pint - Farragut

Classes are $35 unless otherwise noted. Wine & Canvas: Knoxville, TN, 865-356-9179, http://www.wineandcanvas.com/knoxville-tn.html

The Central Collective will host a First Friday Art Opening and Reception on March 4 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. featuring new work by local artist Beth Meadows. Refreshments will be served and the event is free and open to the public.

Closing Reception on Wednesday, March 30, 6:30-8:30pm, Artist Talk at 7:30. Light refreshments will be served and the event is free and open to the public.

The exhibition will feature fashion-themed drawings and paintings. Meadows has been creating artwork along these lines for several years but has only recently explored the subject using traditional materials such as paint, paper, and canvas. This is her first solo exhibition in Knoxville since 2014. Original artwork as well as fine art prints will be for sale during the entirety of the exhibition. For purchasing information, contact Dale Mackey of The Central Collective at (865) 236-1590 or info@thecentralcollective.com.

Meadows lives and makes artwork in Knoxville, Tennessee where she graduated with a BFA in Studio Art in 2007. She grew up in Memphis but decided to settle in East Tennessee mainly because of her love for the Smoky Mountains. She co-founded and manages 17th Street Studios near downtown Knoxville, serves on the Biscuit Art Committee for the International Biscuit Festival, and shows artwork frequently around Knoxville. You may view and purchase her work at withbearhands.com.

The Central Collective, 923 N. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. Hours: by appointment or during other scheduled events. Information: 865-236-1590, info@thecentralcollective.com, www.thecentralcollective.com

Opens with a reception on Friday, March 4, 5-9 PM

Allison Berkoy presents recent works in video, electronic sculpture, and interactive installation. The exhibition features performances by tea cups, a cockroach, a clock, projected actors, computer algorithms, and more.

Jonathan Lukens employs design as a means of understanding and explaining relationships beyond the visual. This exhibition presents time-based visualizations of particulate matter data recorded at an air monitoring station near Pearl Place and Stewart Street in Knoxville. Particulate matter is a term for airborne pollution in the form of very small particles which can pass through the throat and nose and enter the lungs.

Free admission! UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: W-F 11-6, Sat 10-3. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

Opening reception March 4, 5:00 to 9:00 PM

Works by Melanie Reid.

The study of law can be very “left brained” - logical, analytical, and objective. … art allows me to explore my “right-brained” self – the intuitive, introspective, and subjective forms of being… my feelings as a first-time mother, a never-ending student of law and criminal procedure, and a great admirer of Latin American culture and traditions. These expressions came out in the form of mixed media, superimposing graphics from the codices and using multiple layers and dimensions found in Photoshop.

The Aztec and Mayan codices are books written by pre-Columbian and colonial-era Aztecs and Mayans describing everyday life during their empires. One of these, the Codex Mendoza, a pictorial document with Spanish annotations and commentary created in 1541, provides a general description of daily Aztec life. Throughout the years it has been a source of inspiration for artists all over.

Most of the photographs from this exhibit were taken in Tikal, an ancient city found in a rainforest in Guatemala.

HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 109, Knoxville, TN 37902. Gallery hours: MWF 1-5 PM and Tues-Thur 12-5 PM, or by appointment. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holafestival.org

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present “Three Views of Reality”, a new exhibition showcasing nearly 50 paintings by Brandon Douglas, Catherine Haverkamp, and Seth Haverkamp. Husband and wife, Seth and Catherine Haverkamp, are both international competition finalists; in addition to painting, Brandon Douglas has worked as a firefighter in Knox County for thirteen years. The exhibition highlights these artists’ shared love of family, creation, and realism and will be displayed in the Emporium Center. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. A public reception will take place on Friday, March 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view their paintings.

In addition to working as a firefighter and paramedic in Knox County, Brandon Douglas has spent the last nine years honing his craft as a realist painter. For the past two years, he has furthered his techniques and skills under Seth Haverkamp’s guidance. Painting portraits is Douglas’ passion because the process allows him to identify with someone else, which enables him to analyze himself on a deeper level. His wife and young daughter inspire much of his work, and he hopes his paintings impart the beauty he witnesses every day. Douglas’ artwork has been featured in various art competitions and exhibits: Arts & Culture Alliance National Juried Exhibition in 2016 and 2015, where his “Self Portrait 2014” received Second Place; Dogwood Arts Regional Fine Art Exhibition; and Arts in the Airport. Several publications have showcased his work, including Professional Artist Magazine and E-Volved Magazine. For more information on Brandon Douglas, visit www.brandondouglas.net.

Like her husband Seth, Catherine Haverkamp’s four children inspire much of her artwork. While she took an eleven-year hiatus from professional painting to raise her children, she resumed her career as an artist three years ago. A self-taught artist, she honed her skills at Cleveland Institute of Art and Memphis College of Art. A gifted portrait and landscape painter, Haverkamp has received several notable awards, including Best of Show in the Arts & Culture Alliance National Juried Exhibition in 2015, an Award of Excellence in the Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition in 2015, and finalist in the 2013 and 2014 Art Renewal Center International Art Competition.

Seth Haverkamp has received commissions from several notable clients, including actor Zach Galifianakis, Katharine Weymouth (former publisher of The Washington Post and CEO of Washington Post Media), and Carnegie Institute of Science. Before moving to Knoxville, he spent a year studying at Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia under renowned painter Nelson Shanks and then moved to Washington D.C. where he worked under celebrated artist Robert Liberace. Much of Haverkamp’s artwork reflects the complexity of childhood, highlighting both the innocence and profound introspection of a child’s mind. His wife and their four children are the inspiration behind many of his paintings. The Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition awarded Haverkamp Best in Show in 2008, People’s Choice Award in 2013, and Exceptional Merit in 2015. He was also a finalist and received honors in the Artists Renewal Center International Painting Competition for 2011, 2013, and 2014. Several publications have showcased his artwork, including American Artist, International Art Magazine, Artists on Art, and Southwest Artists. For more information on Seth Haverkamp, visit www.sethhaverkamp.com.

100 S. Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Sundays, March 6 & 20, 3:30-6:30 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition by the Knoxville Watercolor Society at the Emporium Center. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. A public reception will take place on Friday, March 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view their paintings.

In 1963, the Knoxville Watercolor Society began when the head of the University of Tennessee's art department, Kermit (Buck) Ewing, invited watercolor artists exhibiting at the university's McClung Museum to form the nucleus for the organization. The purpose of the organization is to educate the members as well as the community to the understanding of watercolor as a significant art form. Active membership is juried by the members and consists of Knoxville area artists who are currently active in the serious pursuit of aqueous painting. At present, there are 35 active members. Associate membership was added to provide other painters opportunity to benefit from the monthly programs and workshops.

Members exhibit with the Tennessee Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA and American Watercolor Society and consistently win regional, state and national awards. Annually, the organization provides a scholarship for a UT student who is majoring in watercolor painting, donates to the UT Ewing Gallery and maintains membership in the Arts and Culture Alliance of greater Knoxville. Additionally, grants have been made to the Arts Council of greater Knoxville, the Knoxville Museum of Art, the Tennessee Resource Center, and the Tennessee Art Association High School Scholarship Program. Through the years, the area's increasing interest in watercolor painting is a result in part due to the growth and development of the Knoxville Watercolor Society. For more information, please visit www.knxvillewatercolorsociety.com.

100 S. Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Sundays, March 6 & 20, 3:30-6:30 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition entitled “A Stitch in Time” by local artists Bobbie Crews and Judi Gaston, March 4-24, 2016. “A Stitch in Time” combines fiber arts and mixed media to create a fascinating look into the resilient lives of women through the recycling of reality and relationships as well as materials. The works of Crews and Gaston overlap in their concern for women: the layers of who women are and how they exist and subsist in the larger political and material world. A public reception will take place on Friday, March 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view their works.

Bobbie Crews will display part of a series of collage works dealing with women’s issues. She is focused on the ideas and theories that evolve around women’s perceptions of self, how women are perceived by society, and the undercurrent of emotional intelligence as it plays out in relationships. These are complex issues that are often judged by society’s standards of the moment or through whoever speaks the loudest. Women’s issues are constantly evolving even though behavioral patterns exist in relationships with the opposite sex, partners, and/or children that cycle over again, generation by generation. Bobbie Crews has been creating art for women’s issues since 2000. Many of her works are displayed in the Knoxville Family Justice Center where they do double duty as art and as a teaching tool. For more information on Bobbie Crews, please visit www.bobbiecrews.com. The ancient utilitarian craft of weaving evolves into the practical and artistic as Judi Gaston brings the past into the present with her handwoven recycled pieces. The past objects of women’s daily lives transform into present day art and fashion. In her hands the old common objects become visual and structural designs, one stitch at a time. For more information on Judi Gaston, please visit www.judigastonhandwoven.com.

100 S. Gay Street in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Sundays, March 6 & 20, 3:30-6:30 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

Encore Theatrical Company and Walters State Community College are proud to present “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” This exciting and hilarious production is co-produced by the two organizations and kicks off Encore’s 10th anniversary season as well. The production runs March 4-20 at Walters State Community College.

Lovingly ripped off from the motion picture, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", “Spamalot” is the outrageous musical comedy that tells the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail. Rude Frenchmen, cancan dancers, the Lady of the Lake and her Laker Girls, Killer rabbits, catapulting cows, and the somewhat odd Knights who say "ni" are just part of the adventures and dangers awaiting King Arthur and his knights.

“Spamalot” was nominated for 14 Tony Awards, winning three, including Best New Musical. This hysterical musical features a hilarious and several show-stopping musical numbers including the popular “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

Encore and Walters State’s production of “Spamalot” will feature the original costumes from the London production that were designed by Tony Award-winning costume designer Tim Hatley. The production has over 150 intricate costumes, bringing to life the many zany characters made popular by Monty Python.

Performances are scheduled for March 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 8:00 p.m. and March 6, 13, 19, and 20 at 2:00 p.m. Performances will be held at the William H. Inman Humanities Theatre located on the Morristown campus of Walters State Community College, 500 S Davy Crockett Pkwy, Morristown, TN 37813 . For tickets, please visit www.etcplays.org or call 423-318-8331.