Calendar of Events

Special Public Opening: Friday, April 15, from 5:30-8:00 p.m.

In 1929 and again in 1930, Brunswick Records' Vocalion label set up a temporary recording studio at the St. James Hotel in downtown Knoxville and invited locals to come make records. These old-time, jazz, blues, and gospel recordings added Knoxville's voice to American popular music and inspired the next generation of country music stars. In an exciting new exhibition, the East Tennessee Historical Society and the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound present a first-time look at the impact of these recordings and the region’s contributions to American popular music. The exhibition features an array of artifacts, videos, sound recordings, and photographs showcasing East Tennessee’s diverse musical heritage. Come to Make Records explores Knoxville’s growth in the early 20th century, the importance of fiddling contests in generating fans and driving record sales, the role of Sterchi Bros. in exposing local talent to a national audience, and examines why Knoxville was selected for the recordings. The exhibit offers a closer look at the St. James Hotel, the site of the Knoxville Sessions, an overview of the local talent that arose from the sessions, and a look at the next generation of artists, such as Chet Atkins and Roy Acuff. The exhibit includes a display demonstrating 130 years of recorded sound from the wax cylinder to the iPod, a re-creation of the St. James Hotel room where the Knoxville Sessions took place, Roy Acuff’s fiddle, Cal Davenport’s banjo, a Bairdola, and an assortment of other instruments. Other artifacts featured are original records from the Knoxville Sessions, a painting by Howard Armstrong, and Carl and Pearl Butler’s performance suits, designed by Nathan Turk. Special video presentations include a film produced by East Tennessee PBS on the Knoxville Sessions, a look at how 78 rpm discs are made, rare footage of Knoxville Sessions artists, and recordings of Roy Acuff, Uncle Dave Macon, and Carl and Pearl Butler.

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., Julie Belcher from the Pioneer House will display an art exhibition in the Bilo Nelson Auditorium of the East Tennessee History Center with music provided by saw player Robert Maddox. At 7:00 p.m. there will be a program with musical performances by local musicians, including Kelle Jolly, David Balle, saw player Robert Maddox, and the Tennessee Stiff Legs, of songs from the 1929 and 1930 Knoxville Sessions with remarks by Dr. Ted Olson, co-producer and co-author of The Knoxville Sessions box set book. The evening will conclude with a screening of rare film footage of Knoxville sessions artists Uncle Dave Macon, Willie Seivers, and Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong. Relatives and descendants of the musicians that recorded during the Knoxville Sessions will also be acknowledged during the program.

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

Explore more than 60 miles of trails, open gardens, and camera site sites as you enjoy a walk, bike, or drive the time honored tradition of the Dogwood Trails and Open Gardens. Holston Hills is the 2016 Featured Trail.
For an online version of the Dogwood Trails & Gardens Guide please visit
http://www.dogwoodarts.com/trails-and-gardens/
Dogwood Arts: 865-637-4561

Knoxville Watercolor Society announces a new All Media art exhibit! The Knoxville Watercolor Society will exhibit recent works from its members. For more information about the Knoxville Watercolor Society, membership requirements and to view members' art works go to www.knxvillewatercolorsociety.com.

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

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

Selections from the Permanent Collection: Opening Friday, April 8, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

These Ukiyo-e prints (literally "pictures of floating world") represent the Buddhist concepts of death and rebirth. Subjects represent the entertainments in urban life such as courtesans, red-light districts, beautiful women, kabuki scenes and actors, and traveling. Woodblock prints are regarded as the most characteristic expression of the Japanese artistic genius. Great quantities of this popular art form were made during the Edo period (1603-1868) and sold inexpensively to a pubic captivated by Kabuki theater, sumo wrestling, and courtesans of the brothel districts. Representing these active, colorful ways of life often allowed for great freedom and creativity on the part of the artist. Ukiyo-e artists formed a school of painting and print design from which basic themes were drawn from everyday life. This genre became very popular among the working class of Japanese society.

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

Bring your preschooler to Story Thyme in the Garden every Wednesday from April through October, 10:30-11:30! Story Thyme integrates education, nature, crafts and physical activity and is free to all preschool aged children and their parents or guardians. Questions? Call us at 865-862-8717.

Remember, Story Thyme is rain or shine in the EcoGarden! Hosted by UTIA Every Child Outdoors (ECO) & the Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum. At 2743 Wimpole Ave, Knoxville, TN 37914. Hours: Gardens open daily from dawn to dusk. Information: 865-862-8717, www.knoxgarden.org

At Westminister Presbyterian Church-Schilling Gallery, 6500 Northshore Drive, Knoxville

Free and open to the public, Monday thru Friday, 9 A.M. to 4 P.M.
Information: 865-584-3957

A world-class visual arts exhibition of large-scale outdoor sculpture which enliven downtown Knoxville, the McGhee Tyson Airport and Oak Ridge. Sculpture artist Isaac Duncan III, a Brooklyn, New York native who currently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee served as the Juror for the 2016-2017 exhibition. #AIPP

Dogwood Arts: 865-637-4561 www.dogwoodarts.com

Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA) invites you to Scruffy ‘Scapes and Sonnets, an art and poetry exhibit featuring two-dimensional art depicting the scruffy city of Knoxville, TN and the sonnets that were written with the pieces of art in mind.

SAFTA introduces this exhibit from 6 to 8 p.m. in Preservation Pub’s second floor Speakeasy. This event will feature a reception with the artists as well as a reading from the featured poets. Please join us as we celebrate the tremendous amount of talent that Knoxville holds!

The show itself runs from April 1 through May 5, 2016 and features photography by Michelle Jephcott, Jessica Hanneken, Anita Koester, Keith Norris, and Shae Hacker, paintings by Starr Cline and Dawn Hawkins, and sonnets by nationally-acclaimed poets Kristi Maxwell, Chris Petruccelli, Ben McClendon, Keri Withington, Erin Elizabeth Smith, and more!

Sundress Academy for the Arts: (865) 560-6106, safta@sundresspublications.com, http://www.sundresspublications.com

A celebration of the artwork of Susanne C. Barrie (née Susan Jenkins). Selected drawings and prints will be on exhibit from April 1-30th. The exhibit’s opening reception is on April 8th from 6-9 pm.

Susanne earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Arizona State University. Susanne traveled the world honing her skills as an artist/printmaker, with extensive travel and work in Mexico, Europe, and Japan. Susanne moved to Knoxville in the early 1980s where she has been a long-time, active member of the local arts community.

Cafe hours 10-2 every Friday. The gallery is often accessible, but one would need to check the website for a complete schedule of when the Birdhouse is open and the gallery is accessible to the public. The Birdhouse Bird Feeder Gallery, 800 N 4th Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: http://birdhouseknoxville.com, birdhouseknoxvillegallery@gmail.com

ART OPENING & Show
PODS, Sculpted by Nature, recent double exposure photography
by Darrell Cecil Belcher, a University of Tennessee graduate, living in New York City.

Show opens First Friday April, 1, come by for a reception for the artist from 6-9pm.
The show will be on display & pieces for sale April 1 - April 30. Free
Hours per the Pioneer House web site.
413 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902
865-200-8084
http://www.pioneer-house.com/events/

A dynamic survey of diverse art encompassing all styles and genres from both emerging and established artists from a seven stage region selected by juror, Nandini Makrandi, chief curator at the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga.

The Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Mon-Fri 9 AM - 5 PM and Saturday, April 16, 10 AM - 4 PM (open for Art DeTour) and Sunday, April 17, 10 AM - 6:30 PM (Art DeTour and Jazz Jam in the Black Box).
Dogwood Arts: 865-637-4561 www.dogwoodarts.com

First Friday Opening Reception at Casa HoLa. Whimsical and Reflective: oil paintings and drawings by Stephanie Robertson. April 1, from 5:00-9:00PM.

HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holahoralatina.org