Calendar of Events

Artist Lela E. Buis presents “Whimsical Creatures,” an exhibit of painting and photography, at Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center, August 1, 2016 - October 31, 2016.
Meet and greet with the artist August 19 from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

The artist finds that animals have an unusual attraction. They capture her with their colors, their expressions, their activity. Ordinary animals like chickens and cows are a tradition in East Tennessee, especially for anyone who has grown up on a farm, or had grandparents with a farm. This exhibit brings together paintings and photographs from around the area, featuring some of these whimsical creatures and the beautiful countryside of the East Tennessee farm country.

Lela E. Buis was born in Middlesboro, Kentucky, grew up in Tazewell, Tennessee, and lived in Central Florida for a long time. She worked at Kennedy Space Center for about 15 years, and currently lives in Knoxville. She has been drawing and painting since she was a child, and has sold photos and illustrations to a number of books and magazines. In 2015 she had a photograph featured in the Florida State Poets Association Anthology.

The Arts & Fine Crafts Center is located in North Knoxville at 1127B Broadway Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. The organization is affiliated with the City of Knoxville Parks and Recreation. Please phone 865-523-1401 for more information on the gallery and arts classes.

Featuring the History of the Fourth & Gill Neighborhood Center!

The Gallery reception and potluck dinner will start at 6:00 on Sunday, August 28th, the presentation starts at 7:00. The program will include a collection of speakers dating back through the forty-year history of the Neighborhood Center as a progressive community space with speakers from the Community Center’s more recent history as the Birdhouse.

Bird Feeder Gallery at The Birdhouse, 800 N. Fourth Ave. Please check the Birdhouse website for open hours to view the exhibition: https://birdhouseknoxville.com/events-calendar/

The East Tennessee Historical Society is pleased to partner with East Tennessee PBS and the Beck Cultural Exchange Center to commemorate the 8th of August as the date traditionally observed as the day on which Andrew Johnson freed his slaves. Although President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation took effect January 1, 1863, it did not apply to Tennessee, since it was no longer in rebellion to the United States government. On August 8, 1863, Andrew Johnson, then military governor of Tennessee, took the personal step to free his slaves, sparking a celebration that spread throughout the region and into other states. It is still observed today in some communities.

August 1-7th, the exhibition, Photo Recollection: 8th of August Jubilee will be on view at the East Tennessee History Center during regular operating hours and for First Friday from 5:00-9:00 p.m. on August 5. The exhibit is composed of photographs by Holly Raney and features celebrations in Newport and Greeneville.

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

Zoo Knoxville has declared August 1-7, 2016, as Pokémon GO Week. Players who show the Pokémon GO app on their mobile devices at the ticket window will receive $10 zoo admission for each member of their party to the zoo.

Zoo Knoxville has 15 Pokéstops and three gyms in the park, and to help attendees catch plenty of characters, lures will be dropped throughout each day of the week, with updates on their locations shared on the Zoo Knoxville Twitter feed (@zooknoxville). Zoo Knoxville has plenty of real creatures to admire as well, and visitors are encouraged to take a break from augmented reality to enjoy the zoo’s animals, keeper chats, shows and play areas while they incubate PokéEggs. Safety is always Zoo Knoxville’s top priority, and visitors are asked to keep their Pokémon hunt on the zoo’s public pathways.

Discounted admission for Pokémon GO players and their accompanying guests are good August 1-7, 2016, and valid at time of purchase for same-day admission only. This promotion cannot be combined with any other discount or offer.

Zoo Knoxville, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Open every day except Christmas. Information: 865-637-5331, www.zooknoxville.org

Enjoy Mighty Wurlitzer organ performances by Dr. Bill Snyder and our special guest Emily Campen. Brown bag lunches consisting of a sandwich, chips, and a dessert may be purchased in the lobby for $5.00 while supplies last. Soft drinks, bottled water, popcorn, and candy will also be available for purchase.

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

ENCORE, an exhibition of the work of 11 graduates from the University of Tennessee School of Art living in Nashville, TN opens Friday, July 15. Exhibiting artists are: Jodi Hays, Rob Matthews, Sterling Goller-Brown, Brandon Donahue, Briena Harmening, Jonathan Lisenby, Mary Addison Hackett, David King, Lakesha Moore, Lain York, and Terry Thacker.

Closing Reception to be held on Sunday, August 28th 1:00-4:00 pm - Artists will be present

Summer Hours (through Tuesday, August 16): Tues, Thurs & Fri - 12-5 PM

School Hours (starting Wednesday, August 17): Mon-Fri - 10 AM - 5 PM

Ewing Gallery, 1715 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu

The Town of Farragut Arts Council presents Mary Agnes Schaefer as the featured artist for July and August. Located at the Farragut Town Hall, her exhibit features quilt squares painted on canvas.

Schaefer's featured painted quilt squares are smaller in size and suitable to be hung inside. Typical quilt squares are not fabric but are quilt square images painted on prepared surfaces to be hung outside on sides of buildings, business establishments, barns, homes. They also appear on routes through communities to be seen from highways or back roads. Quilt square trails is a movement across the United States and includes one in Tennessee called the Appalachian Quilt Square Trail (www.vacationaqt.com). The quilt squares on this trail represent patterns that were used in quilts pieced by our ancestors as well as modern day designs. Some of these quilt squares are quite large and can be seen from a great distance. Schaefer hopes to encourage the creation of a Farragut Quilt Square Trail in our community.

The Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Dr, Farragut, TN 37934. Hours: M-F 8 AM - 5 PM. Information: 865-966-7057, www.townoffarragut.org

Our exhibit features the work of quilters Melissa Everett and Emily Doane. Melissa describes her quilting in this way: "I started quilting in 2011, after my first son was born. I wanted to make him something he could have forever. The obsession just snowballed from there. In 2012, I opened my Etsy shop, Cycling Jane's Closet, and through it met Emily Doane. Emily, whose work is also featured in this exhibition, invited me to a Knoxville Modern Quilt Guild meeting. That meeting, i joined the guild. I have continued to be an active member and in 2014 became the president. I've enjoyed the creativity, inspiration and education I've gained from the other members. My work is somewhat all over the map. I love trying new techniques, taking classes and learning how others approach the craft. I am a self-taught quilter, learning the craft form other bloggers. My grandmothers were seamstresses and made clothing, but only a great-grandmother, whom I never met, was a quilter. It has been such a healthy outlet for me while staying at home to raise my two boys. This is my first solo exhibition and you can see my growth and exploration of styles throughout the pieces showcased."

On display at Westminister Presbyterian Church, 6500 S Northshore Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919. Info: (865) 584-3957 or www.wpcknox.org.

Hours: Monday thru Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM

Rusted Beings: attachments to survival for life, oxidations marked by the passing of generations clinging to a physical space that blinds reality, where we evaded the basic needs of human beings.

Please join us for an artist reception for First Friday, August 5, 5:00 to 9:00 PM

HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Gallery hours: M-F 1-5 PM. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holahoralatina.org

"Home" - a Mixed Media Exhibition by Regional Artists and Selections from the Permanent Collection
Featuring International Artists including Henri Matisse, Georges Rouault, Salvador Dali and many others.

Artists Reception: Friday Evening, July 8 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, 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

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is exhibiting works by new Artists-in-Residence – Grant Benoit, Richard W. James, Maia Leppo, Austin Riddle, and Emily Schubert. The Artists-in-Residence Program provides early career, self-directed artists time, space and support to experiment and develop a new body of work in a creative community environment. Each year, five artists of different media are selected for the eleven-month program, which begins mid-June and continues through late May of the following year. Participants receive exhibition opportunities, teaching experience, professional development and a private studio.

Showcasing work in a range of media including functional and sculptural ceramics, fiber, mixed media, jewelry and collage, the exhibit introduces work by Arrowmont’s five Artists-in-Residence as they begin their 11-month residency. 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.

Grant Benoit is a mixed media artist interested in narrative, place and memory. He received his MFA in printmaking from Southern Illinois University and his BA from Spring Hill College. Grant utilizes techniques from ceramics, printmaking, and textiles in his installation and sculptural pieces. www.grantbenoit.com

Richard W. James received his MFA in ceramics from the University of Kansas and his BFA from University of Tennessee, Martin. His figurative sculptures explore childhood experiences and psychological narratives by combining clay, found objects and textiles. www.richardwjames.com

Maia Leppo is a metalsmith and jeweler. Maia received her MFA in metals from SUNY New Paltz. Studying first in Biology and Community Health at Tufts University, Maia incorporates those interests and research into her jewelry and body adornment pieces. www.maialeppo.com

Austin Riddle recently completed his BFA in ceramics from University of Utah. He has previously been to Arrowmont as a studio assistant and makes utilitarian clay objects using a variety of construction, decorative, and firing techniques. www.instagram.com/austinriddlepottery

Emily Schubert graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art with BFA in fiber and textile art. She has spent the past several years studying and working in the art of puppetry and performance. "Drawing from mythology, folktales, memories, and personal experience I create sculptures, characters, puppets, and multi-media performances that aim to make some sense of our existence by giving form to our collective fears, sorrows, and desires," says Emily. www.emily-schubert.com

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

To celebrate the 2016 Judged and Juried Fine Art Show at the Plateau Creative Arts Center (PCAC), the public is invited to the opening reception and awards presentation on Friday, June 24, at 5:00 p.m. at the PCAC. Sponsored by the First National Bank of Tennessee, the show’s winning entries will receive cash prizes, which will be presented at the reception. The Judged and Juried Fine Art Show will run through Tuesday, August 2.

Professional artist, Carol Grant Stevens, will be the Juror/Judge for the Art Guild’s Judged and Juried Fine Arts Show. Carol’s education, work experience, skills, and talents are firmly rooted in the visual arts. Carol graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BSE degree in Art Education, and she also earned an MS degree from Silver Lake College. At Hartford Union High School, Carol was a Studio Art instructor and Humanities teacher and was chosen Teacher of the Year in 1996. She also wrote and audited Art curriculum for the State of Wisconsin. Carol has been a member and exhibitor in several professional art organizations. Carol and her husband Charlie are professional artists and have recently moved to Fairfield Glade.

View the Judged and Juried Fine Arts Show and enjoy the opening reception at the Art Guild’s Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive (off Peavine Road).