Calendar of Events

Bliss Home is pleased to present Knoxville photographer Brian Murray for June First Friday! Bliss Home, located at 29 Market Square, will host an opening reception on Friday, June 3rd from 6pm to 9pm and another reception on Friday, July 1st from 6pm to 9pm. Complimentary treats from Wild Love Bakehouse will be provided.

Brian Murray is a local photographer who has had prints in several exhibits including the Arts In The Airport, Dogwood Arts Fine Art Exhibition, National Juried Photo Exhibit at the Emporium, and the Mayor's office. Brian is primarily known for his photos of local landmarks and historic buildings but he enjoys taking pictures of anything and everything in between. Brian's passion is for abstract or minimalist style of photos. Brian often strives to create images that focus on lines, shapes, or textures. Brian's June exhibit will reflect his changed perspective on photography. Last year Brian finally got an Instagram account a year ago, which has inspired Brian to compose his images in a square format. Each piece that Brian has selected for his June exhibit is an image that he personally likes and has taken over the past year for his Instagram account. Brian is a big fan of vinyl and imagines each piece as an album cover; each one with its own story to tell. http://bmurrayphoto.yolasite.com/

Bliss Home, 29 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-329-8868, www.shopinbliss.com

This month's Hallway Gallery shows off the amazing collaboration of the artists Melissa Steele and Kate Sherill of Georgia. Bright, colorful, and enchanting- you won't want to miss out on seeing these beautiful works of art from now until the end of June.

More events at http://ijams.org/events/. Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

WDVX's own Freddy Smith is at Wild Wing Cafe each week for the Tuesday Night Shindig. The music starts at 6:30 PM.

Wild Wing Cafe, 11335 Campbell Lakes Dr., Farragut, TN 37934. Info: 865-544-1029, http://www.wdvx.com

In the Sandra J. Blain Gallery. A group exhibit showcasing work from over 100 skilled and talented instructors teaching at Arrowmont in 2016.

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 Town of Farragut Arts Council presents watercolor artist Joe Trout as the featured artist for May and June. Located at the Farragut Town Hall, the exhibit highlights Trout's paintings of nature and wildlife. An East Tennessee native and Lenoir City resident, Trout has been creating watercolor paintings for more than 40 years. His work masterfully depicts the incredible beauty of the area's landscapes - specifically the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - including its abundant wildflowers, lush greenery, gentle streams and tumbling waterfalls. Many of his watercolors are also inspired by the quiet beaches and low country of South Carolina and North Carolina's Outer Banks. Trout has participated in numerous one-man art shows, and his work is housed in collectors' homes in several states and countries.

Each month, the work of an artist or group of artists is featured in specially designed cases on the second floor of the rotunda in the Farragut Town Hall. For more information about this exhibit or to access a Featured Artist of the Month application, please contact Lauren Cox at lcox@townoffarragut.org or 966-7057 or visit www.townoffarragut.org/artsandculture. The Farragut Town Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 11408 Municipal Center Drive directly across from the Farragut Branch Post Office.

FULL STOP is an elaborate, room-sized installation fabricated entirely of cardboard and ink by New York-based painter Tom Burckhardt. It takes the form of a mythical modern artist’s studio, complete with hundreds of lifelike tools, paint brushes, and other supplies, each painstakingly constructed of cardboard, the details rendered in ink with great attention to the smallest details. Organized by the Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, Ohio. Presenting sponsor for FULL STOP: Tom Burckhardt is McCarty, Holsaple, McCarty Architects and Interior Designers.

The public is invited to an exhibition preview reception on Thursday, May 5, 5:30-7:30pm, preceded by a gallery talk by Full Stop artist Tom Burckhardt at 4:30pm. Free and open to the public.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM, Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

Contemporary Focus 2016 is part of a series of exhibitions organized by the KMA that spotlights significant but under-recognized artists living and working in East Tennessee. John Douglas Powers, assistant professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville School of Art, is this year’s featured artist. His larger-than-life motorized machine-like sculptures and video projections combine cinema, engineering, computation, music, and physical space, drawing from areas as diverse as natural history, architecture, and the history of technology.

The public is invited to an exhibition preview reception on Thursday, May 5, 5:30-7:30pm. Contemporary Focus 2016 artist John Douglas Powers will give a talk at the museum on Wednesday, June 15, 5:30-7pm. These events are free and open to the public.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM, Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

Rhenda Clevenger’s art is currently on Exhibit at Newport Printing & Office Supplies during the months of May & June. Address: 315 E Broadway St, Newport, TN 37821

A casual Artist reception will be held on June 22nd, 2016 from Noon-3PM. Come an experience beautiful art that will make your heart sing. Everyone is cordially invited to meet and greet with Miss Clevenger at this event which is Free & Open to the public. Stop by and ask questions or let her know how much you enjoy her creations.

Learn more about Rhenda Clevenger by visiting her online member Portfolio here: http://www.dnatn.com/rhenda-clevenger-meet-artist

Marble City 5 will provide the cool jazz on Tuesdays! The free tunes will flow from the Bill Lyons Pavilion. The event is free. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket, or sit on one of the outdoor patios of one of the fine restaurants along the square.

Upcoming artists:
Kieth Brown & Blueprint - Tuesday, July 5

Parking is free after 6 p.m. at the City-owned Market Square, State Street and Locust Street garages. To stay updated on the bands and on any cancellations due to the weather please check out the Special Events Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CityofKnoxvilleSpecialEvents.
http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/special_events/concerts_on_the_square

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

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

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.