Calendar of Events

On the heels of his latest critically acclaimed theatrical release Don't Think Twice, comedian Mike Birbiglia hits the U.S. Cellular with an act The New York Times describes as "the best night I've spent in a theatre in a very long time."

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Join us for Holiday Sparkles and Spirits, a festive fundraising event to benefit The Joy of Music School. Tuesday, December 6th, 6:30PM, at Cherokee Country Club, 5138 Lyons View Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919.

Experience the warmth of a holiday gathering, children’s voices, delicious food and drink. Get a head start on gift-buying for loved ones—all for a great cause. Bid on unique items in arts & culture, travel, food & wine, home & garden, and more in silent and live auctions. Enjoy a brief holiday performance from students of the School.

Semi-formal attire. Sumptuous heavy hors d‘oeuvres, wine, cocktails, beverages. Admission is $125 per person.
Event proceeds support free music lessons and instruments for financially disadvantaged children and teens in Knoxville.

$125 per person. Please RSVP at 865 525 6806 or email info@joyofmusicschool.org.

Joy of Music School, 1209 Euclid Avenue Knoxville, TN 37921. Information: 865-525-6806, www.joyofmusicschool.org

With a variety of local holiday and winter farmers' markets there are so many opportunities to continue eating seasonally, shopping locally, and supporting your local farmers, local artisans, and local craft producers. Grow Oak Ridge will open their new Oak Ridge Winter Farmers Market at St. Mary's School in Anderson County. With a bounty of local farms and producers in attendance, folks in Anderson County and the surrounding areas will have an indoor market to shop every Saturday, 10 AM - 1 PM (closed Dec. 24th & 31st).

https://www.facebook.com/events/1550346168601296/

Popcorn balls and paper chains… fruits and nuts in their stockings … carols by the fire... a cedar tree cut in the nearby woods- that’s the Christmas most rural Appalachian children knew. And it's the Christmas we recreate each year throughout the Museum village at our special.... Join us as we recreate a meaningful holiday of simpler times. Traditional trees and hand-made decorations, typical of austere pioneer days, transform the Museum’s authentic log buildings.

Wander through the village and marvel at the simple treasures of their settlement days. In the one-room, dirt-floored “Dan'l Boone” cabin, strings of popcorn and cotton bolls circle a dormant tree; Paper chains and other ornaments trim the tree in the Little Tater Valley Schoolhouse. Sweet gum and sycamore balls are strung throughout the Mark Twain Family Cabin, and a traditional silver star tops a native red cedar Christmas tree in the turn-of-the-century Peters Homestead House. Apples, nuts, homemade toys, and oranges fill stockings hung in the cabins. Pick up some stocking stuffers in the Museum Gift and Antique Shop, which features everything from hand-crafted ornaments, locally made muscadine and moonshine jellies, and beautiful pottery, along with baskets, quilts, and plenty of Appalachian specialties. Or just come and enjoy a homemade southern country lunch in front of the warm fireplace.

Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Hwy., Clinton, TN 37716 (16 miles north of Knoxville at I-75, exit 122, then one mile east). Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Information: 865-494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org

Featuring oil paintings of Downtown Knoxville by Inna Nasonova Knox and wood designs by Nelson Ziegler. An opening reception for the featured artists will begin at 5:30 p.m., December 2, during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk with complimentary refreshments.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Th & Sa 11-6, Fri 11-9, Su 1-6. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net or www.Facebook.com/Art.Market.Gallery

4th Annual Uncommon Core - Exhibition & Performance
Opening Dec 2, 6-10 PM with awards at 8 PM

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. The Visitor Center, including exhibits, gift shop, offices and restrooms is open M-Sat 9-5 and Sun 11-5. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

The District Gallery is pleased to present a group exhibition celebrating the city of Knoxville and its importance in the lives and hearts of local artists. Featuring the work of Cinamon Airhart, Mike C. Berry, Gary Dagnan, Connie Gaertner, Kathie Odom, and Joe Parrott, My Knoxville: Interpretations of Home is a personal and compelling collection of landscapes, memories, and city scenes dedicated to the place we’re proud to call home.

Join us First Friday, December 2 from 5-8 p.m. to meet the artists and enjoy a very special evening of festive food from Gourmet’s Market. Experience fine art in the gallery, and enjoy our annual Stocking Stuffers Sale with special offers on handcrafted gifts for the holidays as a part of The District in Bearden’s annual Holiday Open House. Also, don’t miss an exclusive group artists’ demonstration held in the gallery on Saturday, December 3 from 1-4 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

"Handmade and Hand Printed" exhibit by Nashville artist Emily Tuttle

Opening reception Friday, December 2, 6-8pm

The Rose Center, 442 West Second North St., Morristown, TN, 37814. Hours: M-F 9-5. Call ahead for holiday hours. Information: 423-581-4330, www.rosecenter.org

The Arts & Culture Alliance proudly presents its 2016 Members Show, the largest annual exhibition of local artists in the Greater Knoxville area. The fresh mix of two- and three-dimensional works created within the last two years encompasses a wide variety of media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, mixed media, photography, fine craft, sculpture, ceramics, fiber, and more from regional artists who are all individual members of the Arts & Culture Alliance, which serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Membership is open to all, and information may be found at www.knoxalliance.com/join-renew. Most of the works in the 2016 Members Show are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

The exhibition will be on display throughout the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville from December 2-23, 2016. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on December 2 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and chocolate fondue by the Melting Pot of Knoxville. The First Friday reception features music and dance by Pasion Flamenca from 6:00-6:30 PM. Additionally, the resident artists of the Emporium will host an Artist Studio Holiday Show & Sale from 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM on Friday, December 2.

Individual members of the Alliance participate locally and regionally in gallery exhibitions, art festivals, sculpture trails, weekend shows, studio tours, and public murals. Some of the members are full-time artists, while others have day jobs and create on evenings and weekends. Some Alliance members include art professors with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Carson-Newman University, Maryville College, Pellissippi State, Roane State, and Walters State. Others are teachers within Knox and surrounding county’s elementary, middle and high schools. Some Alliance members teach classes privately or through community classes with the Fountain City Art Center, Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center, or Knoxville Museum of Art. Many of the artists have working studios in their own homes, while some are part of studio collectives such as the Emporium Center, Vacuum Shop, 17th Street Studios, 2515 Sutherland, and Broadway Studios & Gallery.

Gallery hours for the 2016 Members Show are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed December 24 – January 2 for the holidays. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

Opening on Fri Dec 2, 5-9 PM

Exhibit and sale of one-of-a-kind crafts include pinatas by Margarita Figueroa Garza and Alebrijes by Hector Saldivar.

Hours: Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri 1-5 PM

HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holahoralatina.org

Zoo Knoxville is offering “Buy One, Get One Free” admission tickets during Kroger BOGO Days, December 1 through February 28, 2017.

During Kroger BOGO Days, the zoo encourages guests to discover why this is the perfect time to see animals, including red pandas, river otters, elephants, gorillas, red wolves, lions and tigers, actively enjoying the cooler weather. On days when the temperature drops below 40 degrees, some animals will be moved indoors, but visitors can still see many animals in their indoor viewing areas. The Pilot Flying J Wee Play Adventure is a popular indoor play area that’s an entertaining stop for creative play during winter visits as well.

Buy one, get one free tickets can be purchased at the zoo ticket window during regular zoo hours and online at zooknoxville.org. Discounted admission tickets must be used by Feb. 28, 2017, and cannot be combined with any other promotion, discount, or coupon.

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

Students, family, friends, and the public are invited to a reception and awards ceremony Tuesday, December 6, 6-8 PM. The event is free and open to the public.

The Knoxville Museum of Art and the Tennessee Art Education Association celebrates the 11th anniversary of the East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition Friday. The exhibition offers middle and high school students from around East Tennessee the opportunity to participate in a juried exhibition and to display their talents and be honored for their accomplishments in a professional art museum environment. The East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition is open to students in grades 6-12, attending public, private, or home schools in 32 counties across East Tennessee. Since 2005, the East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition has presented the work of nearly 3,000 students who have competed for a total of $7 million in scholarships made available to eligible juniors and seniors by colleges and universities from around the nation.

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