Calendar of Events

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.

Tennessee Stage Company Presents its 19th Annual NEW PLAY FESTIVAL with the World Premiere Production of Gayle Greene’s THE CAST LIST and through special cooperation with Tiger Lily Theatre & Theatre Knoxville Downtown.

The Tennessee Stage Company New Play Festival has expanded this year to include two Full World Premiere Productions as well as the table readings and staged readings. We opened the Festival with Staci Swedeen’s House Rules and will close the festival with the second World Premiere production. Imagine a theatre is casting a very important production of Romeo & Juliet, a production that can make or break the future of the theatre – the auditions are held, the cast list is prepared, a list of the non cast actors is set aside. The stage manager comes in to call the cast with the good news - and picks up the wrong list! The first rehearsal arrives and the rehearsal hall fills with – well, not the actors the director is expecting to see. How do you create a work of art with all the worst actors who attended the auditions?

*Opening night, March 4, will include a post show playwright’s reception to honor Playwright Gayle Greene.

Directed by Tiffany Talent, Stage Managed by Randy Thompson
Performances: Thursday–Saturday 8:00 PM and Sunday matinee 3:00 PM. Tickets $15. At Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 319 N Gay St, Knoxville. Info: 865-546-4280 or www.tennesseestage.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.

Start Your Spring Cleaning! Changing a life has never been easier! Dry cleaners in Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Clinton, Farragut, Maryville, Sevierville, and Morristown are lending a hand by collecting donations during Project Wear and Share, an annual donation drive for Goodwill throughout the month of March. Donations are sold in local Goodwill stores to generate funds for Goodwill's job training programs and employment services. In 2015, Goodwill served over 4,100 individuals with barriers to employment in East Tennessee. Find a list of participating dry cleaners at http://www.gwiktn.org/projectwearandshare. There, you can also learn about Goodwill's vocational training programs, which are supported through donations from community members year-round.

Information: Goodwill Industries: 865-588-8567, www.gwiktn.org

Recent works by painter Lynda Best and pipe maker Ron Smith will be on display March 1, 2016 through March 27 at the Art Market Gallery. An opening reception for the featured artists will begin at 5:30 p.m., March 4; with complimentary refreshments and music performed by Em Chitty Turner and Brian Sward (easy swing jazz, vocal and guitar).

Lynda Best of Tellico Plains has taught in public schools and has also been instrumental in starting many art organizations in the places she has lived including Monroe County. Her works are displayed and sold nationally. She specializes in original impressionistic, contemporary paintings of nature.

Ron Smith's introduction to the burl of the white heath tree, aka briar, began at the Iwan Ries shop, just around the corner from Chicago's Art Institute. Last year he attended the International Pipe Makers Seminar at Chicago. He is inspired by the Danish school of pipe making; modern, natural and organic in forms which highlight the grain and the outer plateau of the briar.

The Art Market Gallery is a unique gallery because it is owned and operated by more than 60 of the best professional artists in our regional area. It is located at 422 South Gay St. and is conveniently located just a few doors away from Mast General Store and next to Downtown Grill & Brewery. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The gallery is wheelchair accessible. Parking is in the abutting garage and on the street and is free on weekends and after 6 p.m. weekdays. For more information call 865-525-5265 or visit artmarketgallery.net or Facebook.com/Art.Market.Gallery.

Peace is Patriotic by Mark Joseph Runge

“Peace is Patriotic: A Soldier’s (mis)Remembrances” is a collection of drawings and sculptures by Mark Runge, who expresses his memories, or mis-remembrances, through his artwork. This body of work that encompasses pieces from the last 8 years is an ongoing exploration and will be on exhibit in the Denso Gallery March 1 – 25. There will be a spoken-word performance at the Artist Reception on March 25 (6-8 PM) at 7pm.

Runge’s art training wound its way through community college, the Maryland Institute, College of Art, and the University of South Florida’s MFA program. Runge currently makes art in Maryville, TN, where he continues to experiment with a variety of media to express his ideas, including making hollow body, stringed instruments.

Artist Statement: About the same time every year–I begin to have nightmares. By the time Val wakes me up, I am aware that I have been dreaming, but I can’t do anything to stop myself. Val saves me. The echo of my screams remain in my head, and I must live the day after my nightmares with the memory, or maybe residue, of the desert life that haunts my senses still. Yet memories of childhood wargames commingle with memories of adulthood wartime. Like the nightmares, memories and realities fade slowly, if at all. I cannot always verbalize this struggle, but it shows up in my work. Toys stand in for those who live in my memories–myself included. The burning of images on paper is my attempt to share with the viewer my recollection of burned flesh, and there is nothing like the smell of burning flesh. The smell enters your nose, but it lives on in your mouth as a gritty and acrid taste. I brushed my teeth a lot while I served in the Iraq. I was there for only six months and one day, but I still feel as if I was there for a lifetime. I lived and died there, but not like the burning bodies. They would never go home, or, maybe they already were home, where they became the residue of my war in the desert.

DENSO Gallery, Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

This exhibit includes photography on a myriad of topics by second-year photography students.

The exhibit is free. Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Bagwell Center Gallery hours: M-F 10-6:30. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

OPENING RECEPTION - Monday, February 29, 2016 at the Ewing Gallery, 6-8PM Awards at 7PM

Begun in 1947 by C. Kermit Ewing, founder of The University of Tennessee School of Art, the annual student exhibition has become one of the oldest competitions in the country and one of the highlights of the Ewing Gallery's exhibition season. This competition has been an outlet for UT's talented students for 69 years, wherein countless works of art of every form and medium have been displayed and applauded by The University and Knoxville community. The selection of a student art exhibition is a challenging but meaningful task, and we are grateful for this year's jurors: Pete Schulte and Amy Pleasant (Fine Arts), Bob Newman (Graphic Design), and Nathan Rees (Academic Papers). Please join us for this exciting reception and to see what the UT students have been hard at work creating.

Gallery hours: Mon-Wed & Fri 10-5, Thurs 10-7:30, Sun 1-4.

Ewing Gallery, 1715 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu