Calendar of Events

The Clayton Center will welcome the winner of the 2015 Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album. His spirited, soul-gospel fusion has found an enthusiastic audience.

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

Free Concert
Under the direction of Stacey Wilner, the Maryville College Choirs and ensembles have delighted audiences regionally, nationally, and over-seas. Making their second appearance on the Community Church Concert Series, the auditioned choirs will perform a wide variety of works from classical to pop. The concert is free to the public and a free-will offering will be collected to support the choir’s upcoming tour of England and Scotland.

At the Community Church at Tellico Village, 130 Chota Center, Loudon, TN 37774. Information: 865-458-1516, www.tellicochurch.com

This musical performance features our Concert Chorale and Variations Ensemble.

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Acclaimed rock act Breaking Benjamin returns to the Tennessee Theatre this spring!

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

The presentation, "Appalachia Then and Now," begins at 2 p.m. in the Goins Building Auditorium. It is free and the community is invited to attend. Brosi will have a display of Appalachian books for sale following his presentation.

Brosi, a 1960 graduate of Oak Ridge High School, will discuss major cultural and social changes in Southern Appalachia since the time he was a student in East Tennessee. "The first picket line I walked was at a segregated laundromat in Oak Ridge in 1961," Brosi said. "When I was growing up, there were still deep coal mines in Anderson County. Knowing the historical perspective of things like this gives us hope that really dramatic social changes are possible in America."

Brosi is the owner of Appalachian Mountain Books, a seller of books specializing in books about Southern Appalachia. He was editor of Appalachian Heritage literary magazine for more than a decade, and has served as an English and Appalachian studies instructor in Kentucky's higher education system, including at the University of Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky University. Brosi also co-edited "No Lonesome Road: Selected Prose and Poems of Don West" with Jeff Biggers, the author of Pellissippi State's Common Book, "The United States of Appalachia."

Brosi's presentation is a Common Academic Experience event. Pellissippi State's Common Academic Experience unites all Pellissippi State freshmen students in a shared reading experience of a Common Book -- this academic year, "The United States of Appalachia" -- which becomes the basis of a year-long discussion of issues related to the book.

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is exhibiting works by its staff members – Jeda Barr, Nick DeFord, Kelly Sullivan, Vickie Bradshaw, Bill Griffith, Kelly Hider, Jennifer Blackburn, Ernie Schultz, Heather Ashworth, Laura Tuttle, Bob Biddlestone and Jason Burnett. Although Arrowmont staff members are not required to have a background in art – many are makers, craftspeople and artists. Arrowmont is proud to showcase works by its talented staff, demonstrating their passion and support for the arts and crafts community.

The exhibit showcases work in a range of media including paper, ceramics, woodworking, drawing, bookmaking, quilting and collage. The exhibit is on view in the Geoffrey A. Wolpert Gallery. Admission is free and the community is encouraged to attend with their friends and family.

Gallery hours are Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturday 10am - 4pm. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

The McClung Museum Store’s annual Spring Sale will be open to the public April 26 - May 6. Christmas merchandise, jewelry, books, and toys are just a few of the items that will be discounted up to 70%! As always, tax is included and all proceeds from the store sales go to support our free educational programming. Hurry in for Spring savings while supplies last.

The Store is open during regular museum hours: Monday–Saturday: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and Sunday: 1:00–5:00 p.m

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-2144, http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

A celebration of film and music, Film Score and the Scruffy City Film Music Festival features live musical performances, music documentaries, music videos, animation, shorts and feature films. Our festival is conveniently located in the epicenter of the Downtown Knoxville Renaissance, on Historic Market Square, where cafes, street musicians, magicians and shops keep our festival company. But the films are the focus. Out of around 400 submissions from all over the world, only fifty were accepted. The highly selective nature of the festival is an attraction, but Michael told me having a music focus is unique for a film festival and that, along with being in a state associated with music brings participants from all over.

Info & tickets: http://www.scruffycityfilmfest.com/

Presenting an Open House with Photographer Dean Rice on April 23, 4:30-7 PM. Showcasing his exhibit, "The Children of Zaatari": an exhibition of photographs of Syrian children living as refugees in Jordan’s Zaatari Camp.

The Golden Roast, 825 Melrose Pl, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916. Information: 865-544-1004

Kathie's third solo exhibition with the gallery, "Along the Way" is a collection of works in oil featuring simple and nostalgic scenes that too often go unnoticed. Kathie’s paintings are timeless interpretations of the atmosphere, light, and story in the landscape around her.

Day in and day out, we spend our time rushing from place to place in anticipation of whatever might be next. In our haste, countless vistas fly past us, hardly glimpsed. Kathie stops for us, beginning an unhindered dialogue with the landscape through the medium of oil paints. Skillful infusions of color, light and shade grant each image a special resonance. Whether a forgotten farmland, an ordinary cityscape, a common food truck or an unnoticed rural home, Kathie introduces us to the common made beautiful along the way. www.KathieOdom.com

An opening reception will be held Friday, April 22 from 5-8 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

Envision Art Gallery is pleased to introduce emerging artist Sarah Moore during the opening reception of her solo exhibition, "Find Ourselves." "Find Ourselves" reminds us that the root of our existence is the natural environment, and the celebration of that existence is the time we spend with those we love. Moore's paintings and drawings depict lush landscapes and gatherings of people sharing stolen delights like long meals, the outdoors, and an expanded sense of time.

Please join us on Earth Day, Friday April 22, from 5-8 PM to welcome this exciting new artist to the Knoxville community and enjoy refreshments, wine, and a live violin performance. Works in the exhibition include large-scale acrylic paintings on canvas and drawings in mixed media. Information: www.smoorestudio.com

Envision Art Gallery, 4050 Sutherland Avenue (Corner of Sutherland Ave. and Carr St.), Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: Wed-Thu 11-5, Fri 11-7. Information: 865-438-4154, www.envisionartgallery.com

This funny show with the funny name is a hilarious side-splitting take on greed, love, revolution - and musicals! Set in a time when water is worth its weight in gold, a Gotham-like city is facing a 20-year drought that leads to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. As a result, the citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs. But those who fail to pay are sentenced to a dreaded penal colony. A hero decides he's had enough, and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom! An irreverently humorous satire in which no one is safe from scrutiny.

Oak Ridge Playhouse, 227 Broadway, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Information and tickets: 865-482-9999, www.orplayhouse.com