Calendar of Events

Marble City Opera will present the professional premiere of two-act opera by composer, Griffin Candey, Sweets by Kate. Performances will be presented at The Knoxville Museum of Art at 3:00pm on May 15th, and at Sugar Mama’s Bakery on May 16th at 8:00pm, 2016.

Mr. Candey will be in attendance for both performances and available to speak about his composition. Sweets by Kate will be presented with Inner Voices String Quartet, and in collaboration with Sugar Mama’s Bakery. Marble City Opera is excited to welcome conductor by Peter Leonard, former Artistic Director of the Volkstheater in Rostock, Germany, back to the MCO stage.

Marble City Opera was founded in May of 2013 and continues to make waves in the Knoxville music scene by making opera accessible.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.marblecityopera.com. For the May 15th performance at the Knoxville Museum of Art, general admission is $20, student admission is $10. For the May 16th performance at Sugar Mama’s Bakery, general admission is $40. Marble City Opera: 646-217-1580, www.facebook.com/marblecityopera

Details TBA!
http://openstreetsknoxville.com/

It's Official! BWK is Hosting Two Open Streets Events in 2016.

Confirmed Dates: Sunday, May 15th and Sunday, October 9th - 1 to 6pm

Open Streets turns streets into safe, fun places for walking, bicycling, dancing, and other activities. During Open Streets Knoxville, Central St will be filled with people of all ages and abilities. This free event provides everyone with a chance to walk, ride bicycles, hula hoop, zumba in the streets — all in a setting that is fun and safe. There will be free crossfit, yoga, and dance classes. Test your skills in a creative obstacle course, or play pickleball. You can play with bubbles, or make a pennant banner to decorate the route. The event is hosted by Bike Walk Knoxville, with significant support from the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization and City of Knoxville. More info at http://openstreetsknoxville.com/

Book signing with Rheta Grimsley Johnson reading from her new book, Dogs Buried over the Bridge : A Memoir in Dog Years.

Union Ave Books, 517 Union Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-951-2180, www.unionavebooks.com

Darkhorse Entertainment, LLC, invites you to go back to the early Middle Ages (c. 500) and celebrate King Arthur and Camelot at the second annual Tennessee Medieval Faire, situated in Harriman just 30 miles west of Turkey Creek. This rugged outdoor festival opens on May 14 and runs the last three weekends in May, including Memorial Day.

Leading the charge is The Royal Joust performed three times a day by the Hanlon-Lees Action Theatre. There will also be sword fighting at the Warriors’ Chess Matches, performed twice daily. Between arena shows, Unicorn and Warhorse Rides will be offered. Rotating on three stages will be professional, interactive, family-friendly shows. Acts returning this year include Aaron Bonk’s “ridiculously dangerous” Fire * Whip * Sword Show; The Jackdaws, previously named Banish Misfortune; Professor DeWitt’s Punch and Judy Puppet Show; Albi Belly Dance; and Aristotle Simplified, aka Einstein Simplified. New acts this year include Topsy Turvy, an acrobatic duo; Feckless Fear Dearg, a Kentucky Celtic band; Tom Smiter--Bizarre Feats of Rhythm and Melody; and Dendarah Middle Eastern Dance with Raks el Anwar. There will be other musicians, interactive folk dancers, fairy tale shows and medieval games. The Royal Players, who roam the Faire and interact with patrons, include the characters of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere and Merlin. Performance schedules will be posted on the festival website by May 11 and will be available at the Faire.

Enjoy nearly 50 medieval village merchants: Artisans will sell their handcrafted wares made of leather, wood, clay, metal, glass, cloth, etc. Hungry patrons can enjoy delicious medieval fare including turkey legs, gyros, hearty soups, scotch eggs, dragon jerky, fresh fruits and desserts. Hot and cold beverages including beer will also be available.

The Tennessee Medieval Faire will be open on May 14-15, 21-22, 28-29-30; rain or shine. Hours are 10-5 EDT. Ticket prices are $16.95 for ages 13 and up, $8.95 for ages 5 to 12, and will be free for ages 4 and under. Parking is free, and tickets will be available for purchase at the gate with cash or credit. Onsite camping for patrons is not included, but public campgrounds and hotels are nearby. The festival is located at 550 Fiske Road, Harriman, TN. For Faire rules, guidelines and more information, please visit www.TMFaire.com or like them on Facebook.

Part of the 2015-2016 Broadway at the Tennessee Theatre season!

AT THE DAWN OF A NEW CENTURY, everything is changing…and anything is possible. RAGTIME returns to the road in all-new touring production Directed & Choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge and Produced by the team that most recently brought you THE ADDAMS FAMILY, SPAMALOT, ROCK OF AGES and THE COLOR PURPLE. The stories of an upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician unfold - set in turn-of-the-century New York - all three united by their desire and belief in a brighter tomorrow. Their compelling stories are set to theatre’s richest and most glorious Tony Award®-winning score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens. Winning Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Musical Score, this 13 time Tony Award nominated musical is a timeless celebration of life - what it could and should be!

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

The Tennessee Watercolor Society (TnWS), founded in 1972, has represented the finest artists in the state for 44 years and hosts yearly juried exhibitions and biennial exhibitions. The biennial exhibition showcases 55 watermedia paintings chosen from nearly 200 entries. Juror John T. Salminen is a signature member of numerous art societies such as the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America and recipient of more than 220 national and international awards. Prizes for the TnWS Biennial Exhibition total $10,000. A juried collection of 30 paintings from the exhibition will later travel across Tennessee into January 2017 to six locations for public and visual arts outreach, including Memphis, Humboldt, Columbia, Chattanooga, Elizabethton, and Clarksville.

The following artists’ works will be shown:
+ From Region I (Memphis, Clarksville and points far west): Bill Bailey, Angela Broyles, Sandra Carpenter, Ronda K. Coop, Judy Duke, Robert Eoff, Tim Hacker, Larry Hughes, Susan Hyback, Floyd Speck, Mary Spellings, and Tuva Stephens
+ From Region II (Nashville, Franklin, and surrounding areas): Glenna Cook, Abby Eblen, Pam Francis, Vinci Kolodziejski, Frank Lott, Pam Pate, Patricia Patrick, Noriko Register, and John Wilkison
+ From Region III (Chattanooga, Cleveland, Signal Mountain, and surrounding areas): Sandy Boone, Sandy Brown, Phyllis Burkhart-Wilson, Helen Burton, Harriet Chipley, Joan Clark, Leslie Dulin, Marie Spaeder Haas, Jennie Kirkpatrick, Mary Britten Lynch, Effton Mitchell, Denton Ridge, Ann Rutledge, Alan Shuptrine, Sandra Washburn, Lana Wilson, and Patricia Wilson
+ From Region IV (Knoxville, Maryville, Oak Ridge, Tellico Plains, Tellico Village, Rarity Bay): Kate Aubrey, Claudia Balthrop, Lil Clinard, Thomas Eckert, Loretta Lee Edge, Linda Johnson, Judy Lavoie, Kate McCullough, Susan Miller, Brenda Mills, Max Robinson, Laurie Szilvagyi ,Mary Ann Valvoda, and Ulla Veiro
+ From Region V (Johnson City, Tri-Cities, Bristol): Barbara Wilson Carter, Jim Stagner, and Thomas White
For more information on the Tennessee Watercolor Society, visit http://tnws.org/.

A public reception will take place on Friday, June 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

This exhibition and others are on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Sundays, May 15, June 5 & 19, 3:30-6:30 PM; Friday, May 20, 5-7 PM; and Saturday, May 21, 11 AM - 3 PM. Info: 865-523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

Knoxville, Tennessee: home of the UT Volunteers, the 1982 World's Fair, and Lindy Hop's prestigious School of Hard Knox.

Join us for a Lindy Hop workshop weekend featuring international dance instructors, three track levels (plus a one-day beginner crash course), the best live music the southeast has to offer, swing DJs from across the nation, our favorite venues (have you heard about our floors?), and more Lindy Hoppers than you know what to do with... all while enjoying the beautiful city of Knoxville.

Our goal is to provide high quality classes covering a myriad of subjects for dancers of all levels - if you want to Lindy Hop, we want you at School of Hard Knox. Come dance with us! http://schoolofhardknox.rocks/our-story/

A Celebration of the New Welcome Center! Join us for an exhibition of work by three artists with unique views of the same subject!

David Denton - Virtual Reality
Norman Magden - Video
Margaret Scanlan - Painting

Opening Reception, May 12, 6-8 p.m.

At KBGA Welcome Center, 2817 Boyd’s Bridge Pike, Knoxville, TN 37914. Hours: Gardens open daily from dawn to dusk. Information: 865-862-8717, www.knoxgarden.org

An exhibition of three artists and their unique views of the same subject in celebration of the new Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum Welcome Center:
David Denton, Virtual Reality
Norman Magden, Video
Margaret Scanlan, Painting

Opening reception May 12, 6-8 PM

Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, 2743 Wimpole Ave, Knoxville, TN 37914. Hours: Gardens open daily from dawn to dusk. Information: 865-862-8717, www.knoxgarden.org

Lew Bolton started performing Jack’s adventures at the Jack Tales Storytelling Theater as trickster-hero Jack, celebrating his 30th season. Adults and youth take part in these interactive tales. Jack Tales are rooted in traditional folk stories from Appalachian settlers. Richard Chase, in a 1943 folk classic, The Jack Tales, published part of our rich cultural heritage. Bolton has also published Smoky Mountain Jack Tales of Winter and Old Christmas for the family to read at home. NEW in 2016, enjoy professional storytelling from the *Smoky Mountain Storytellers Association (info: www.smokymountaintellers.org)

Most events occur on Saturdays and Sundays with occasional performances on Wednesdays and Mondays. See the website for full schedule.

At ABC (Adventure Bound Camping Resort) 4609 US 321, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Supporting Jack Tale Theater since 1987. Info: (865) 436-4434 or www.Smokymountainjacktales.com

Also featuring Selections from the Permanent Collection - featuring International Artists including Henri Matisse, Georges Rouault, Salvador Dali and many others.
And in the Foyer Gallery - A Summer Thing: Summer Class Instructors

Artists Reception: Friday Evening, May 13, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM with Gallery Talk at 5:30 PM
The event is free and open to the public. Bring your friends and family!

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tu-F 9-5, Sa-M 1-4. Information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org