Calendar of Events

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

Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Directed by Terry Silver-Alford. At the Clarence Brown Theatre.

“A majestic spectacle.” - The New Yorker

From the haunting “Bali Ha’i” to the exquisite “Some Enchanted Evening,” this Rodgers & Hammerstein classic features some of the most beautiful music ever composed for the theatre. The Pulitzer Prize and 10-time Tony Award winner is set on a tropical island during World War II and tells the romantic tale of how the happiness of two couples is threatened by the realities of war and prejudice.

Clarence Brown Theatre / Carousel Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com. For tickets: 865-974-5161, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Featuring works by David Denton and Max Robinson. Opening reception April 22, 6-7:30 PM with artists' talk at 6:30 PM.

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

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

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

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

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

History, Food, & Fun! Enhance your time in Historic Downtown with Knoxville’s Award Winning, Original Tour! Enjoy a complete Knoxville experience in just a few hours – enjoy tastings of specially selected dishes from some of Knoxville’s best new and iconic restaurants featuring local, regional, Southern & Appalachian cuisine; add pairings of beer from local and craft breweries, wine flights, craft cocktails, Tennessee whiskey, or even moonshine; hear the history of the city and notable buildings. A must for locals and visitors!

Reservations Required. Purchase Tickets at www.knoxvillefoodtours.com or call 865-201-7270.

Maya: Lords of Time explores the time-ordered universe through the Maya’s intricate calendar systems and investigates how their history and culture followed a rhythm set by the motion of heavenly bodies. Learn the story of how divine kings used their control over the calendar and its grand public rituals to assert their power.

With award-winning interactives, numerous full-sized monumental replicas, and many Central American artifacts, visitors can trace the rise and fall of the Maya kingdoms and follow how ideas of time and the calendar changed before and after the Spanish conquest.

This exhibition also explores how those long-standing beliefs can still be found in Mayan regions today.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9AM-5PM, Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-974-2144, http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

Beginning Jan. 18, the Farragut Museum will feature a new special exhibit - "The Farragut Farmers." This exhibit will be on display through May 27, 2016.

As late as the early seventies, the Farragut area was a sprawling rural community dotted with beautiful farmlands. This exhibit will feature artifacts related to farming in the area, photographs of barns and landmarks, and information about the Farragut Schools and their agricultural background. Specific artifacts on display include a barn door from the former Spencer Smith Farm off Smith Road (current site of Smithfield subdivision), a corn sheller with a large rotary handle, and a milk crate from the former Russell Dairy.

The Farragut Museum is committed to preserving the heritage of its East Tennessee community and features a remarkable collection of artifacts from the area, including an extensive collection of the personal belongings of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, first Admiral of the U.S Navy and hero of the Civil War. Housed in the Farragut Town Hall located at 11408 Municipal Center Drive, the museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and offers free admission. For more information, visit www.townoffarragut.org/museum, like Farragut Museum on Facebook, or contact Museum Coordinator Julia Barham at jbarham@townoffarragut.org or 966-7057.

Kendo (剣道, kendō), meaning “Way of the Sword”, is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu. Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements. – Wikipedia

Supported by Asian Culture Center of TN. K-12 students are welcome to participate in the practices!

Wednesdays, 7-8 PM at Cedar Bluff Middle School Gym, 709 N Cedar Bluff Rd, Knoxville, TN 37923. Contact: Shigetoshi Eda, seda@utk.edu