Calendar of Events

Books Sandwiched In will feature a panel discussion of The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez, led by Patricia Robledo, Business Liaison for the City of Knoxville.

Books Sandwiched In, a program series sponsored by the Friends of Knox County Public Library. In the East Tennessee History Center auditorium, 601 South Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-215-8750, www.knoxlib.org

1st Wednesday of each month - $15 admission includes lunch. Hosted by Wes Lunsford.

The Jazz Lunch performance will feature “Tribute to Ornette Coleman with Mike Baggetta”.

Drawing from the works of the Free-Jazz pioneer, saxophonist and composer Ornette Coleman, Mike Baggetta has assembled a group of fearless improvisors with whom to reinterpret Coleman’s music with a newfound experimentalism paying tribute to the spirit of its creator. Expect classic Ornette tunes like Lonely Woman and Ramblin’ next to lesser known masterpieces like What Reason Could I Give and War Orphans, among others. Matt Nelson (bass) and Nolan Nevels (drums) will join Mike Baggetta for this special jazz lunch concert.

4 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902. Knoxville Jazz Orchestra: 865-573-3226, www.knoxjazz.org

"The Miniature World" with Jolie Gaston & Annelle Ferguson, miniature artists and collectors.

Participants may bring lunch or call Kate Faulkner at 865-525-6101 x246 in advance to order a boxed lunch.

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

"From the Archives: Finding East Tennessee’s Marble Story" is the subject of a lecture to be presented by Dr. Susan W. Knowles, Wednesday, December 7, at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 South Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37901-1629.

Her interest piqued by Tennessee marble she saw in the United States Capitol, Knowles set out to learn more about marble from the East Tennessee region and its use in buildings and monuments across the nation. The resulting research, images, and interviews became the subject of her doctoral dissertation and now form the basis of a feature exhibition Rock of Ages: East Tennessee’s Marble Industry, of which Knowles is the guest curator.

East Tennessee marble is prized the world over. The exhibition explores the industry and offers a first-time look into the factors that launched the rock’s fame and crowned Knoxville as the Marble City. The beautiful exhibit features an array of artifacts, videos, and photographs showcasing the importance and diversity of East Tennessee’s marble industry. Lecture attendees are invited to tour the exhibition following the lecture

The program is sponsored by Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC and is and free and open to the public. The lecture will begin at noon at the East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville. Guests are invited to bring a “Brown Bag” lunch and enjoy the lecture. Soft drinks will be available. For more information on the lecture, exhibitions, or museum hours, call 865-215-8824 or visit the website at www.EastTNHistory.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.

The UT Downtown Gallery is pleased to present a selection of sketches and lithographs from the Ewing Gallery Permanent Collection. On display are working and finished sketches and print portfolios from four illustrators working during the “Golden Age” of illustration, Harrison Cady, Norman Rockwell, F.R. Gruger, and Walter Haskell Hinton. The four men whose works are in the gallery, worked tirelessly drafting ad campaigns, illustrating children’s books, comic strips, and covers for weekly publications, such as The Saturday Evening Post. The Ewing Gallery is fortunate to have acquired many of these works through generous gifts to the gallery. We hope you enjoy this opportunity to see the works of these four illustrators from the Ewing Collection exhibited together for the first time.

Reception is December 2 from 5-9PM and is free and open to the public.

Free admission! UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: W-F 12-5, Sat 10-3. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown