Calendar of Events

From domesticated cats to mythic symbols of divinities, felines played an important role in ancient Egyptian imagery for thousands of years. Now, 80 items from the Egyptian holdings of the Brooklyn Museum will be on view in "Divine Felines". Likely first domesticated in ancient Egypt, cats were revered for their fertility and valued for their ability to protect homes and granaries from vermin. But felines were also associated with royalty and deities. Combining a lion's body and a king's head, sphinxes guarded temple entrances and provided protection as temple objects. The ferocious goddess Sakhmet, depicted as a lioness or lion-headed woman, and the goddess Bastet, represented as a cat or a cat-headed woman, together symbolized the duality of feline nature — caring yet dangerous. The male leonine gods Bes and Tutu were popularly worshiped as protectors of fertility, health and fortune.

Exhibition programming, all free and open to the public, also will include:
• A lecture on mummification in ancient Egypt by scholar Bob Brier, co-sponsored by the East Tennessee Society of the Archaeological Institute of America, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21.
• Two free family fun days—"Purrs from the Past," 1–4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, and "To Kitties' Health," 1¬–4 p.m. Saturday, March 25.
• A stroller tour for caregivers and infants through four-year-olds, "Kitties and Toddlers," at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27.
• A lecture on cat behavior by Julie Albright from UT's School of Veterinary Medicine at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 19.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9AM-5PM, Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-974-2144, http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

Tori Mason Shoes is pleased to present original music and new art from local artist, Robert Thompson, for February and March First Fridays! This is the first time Tori Mason Shoes will feature an artist who is displaying new works while serenading first Friday attendees with original compositions, ragtime and Bach.

Tori Mason Shoes, located at 29 Market Square, will host an opening reception on Friday, February 3, 6-9 PM and again on Friday, March 3, 6-9 PM. Complimentary treats from Wild Love Bakehouse will be provided and Robert's art will be featured for the months of February-March. Half of all proceeds from sale of his art will be donated to the Love Kitchen.

Robert Thompson was born and grew up in Kansas City; however, he has called Knoxville home since 1981. Thompson worked as a lawyer for nearly 30 years but now has the time to try other things. Active in A1 LabArts, South Doyle Neighborhood Association, and Knox County Board of Zoning Appeals. Artist's Website: http://t3andp.wixsite.com/artist-painter

Tori Mason Shoes, 29 Market Square, Knoxville. https://www.torimasonshoes.com/

See artwork by Beth Meadows of With Bear Hands and featured artist Sarah McFalls opening Friday, February 3, 5-7 PM in the With Bear Hands Gallery at Magpies. Refreshments provided! All artwork will be for sale.

846 N. Central Street, Knoxville. 865-673-0471, www.magpiescakes.com

Join us for a First Friday Event on Friday, February 3rd from 5:00-8:00 p.m. with an exhibit and sale by River Rock Studios. Our featured artists are Karen Briggs and Jeff Lane of River Rock Studios. Come and see the beautiful fiber works of Karen and the unique wood turned & ceramic art collaborations by Karen and Jeff. Hope to see you!

Woodworker ~ Jeff Lane
Fiber and Pottery ~ Karen Briggs

Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center, 1127 Broadway Suite B, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-523-1401, www.cityofknoxville.org/recreation/arts

Rala: Regional and Local Artisans

Local gal Amanda is a thrift store-country music-honky tonk-glam enthusiast who turns all of that vintage inspiration into one of a kind ceramic pieces. Her textures are reminicent of peeling paint on old buildings, maps, vintage fabrics and antique glass. She uses a variety of tools, stencils, and glazes to create these funky designs. We are very excited to feature Amanda as our February First Friday artist. She's got all sorts of fabulous new designs for us, and we think y'all are going to love them! Don't miss this event! It will be our last First Friday at 323 Union before moving to the Old City.

Opening Fri, Feb 3 at 6 PM

We will close on Monday February 27th to start moving and reopen in the Old City on March 3rd for First Friday.
RALA, 323 Union Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7888, https://shoprala.com/

The UT Downtown Gallery is pleased to announce Intersections, an exhibition of glass works from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, on display at the gallery during the month of February. Ball State University Glick Center for Glass opened in fall 2011. This relatively new program has grown with the support of fellow educators and artists. Joining Ball State University in this exhibit are, artist Jonathan Chapman, Professor Kristin Thinking from the University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point, and Professor Eoin Breadon from the University of Wisconsin River Falls. It is through the intersections of Ball State University's students and their mentors that this program thrives.

Please join us First Friday February 3, for an opening reception with the artists from 5-9pm. This event is free and open to the public.

Free admission! UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: W-F 11-6, Sat 10-3. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

Broadway Studios and Gallery presents "Divergent and Bloom," with art by Sam Artman and Lisa Luterno. Sam Artman (Knoxville) is a self-taught, multi-disciplinary artist. Although he works in various media, Sam is probably best known for his uniquely stretched canvases that give a 3 dimensional effect to his paintings. He uses contemporary popular realist artists for inspiration. His work has been shown in the Arcade Building and 113 Gallery. After holding a series of blue collar jobs, Sam now concentrates on art and has been commissioned for large murals throughout the area.

Lisa Luterno (Knoxville) has recently shown her work at The Bird Feeder Gallery. Her work is an exploration of the maturation that takes place during young adulthood where, through various romantic twists and turns, one learns to love one's friends and oneself at a deeper level than previously thought possible. She uses the female form as her symbolic and re-occurring subject matter and the colorful, graphic imagery is multi-layered using acrylic paint and India ink. She also uses intuition and self-exploration to create complex autobiographical narratives in her work. She is a graduate of the College of Communications at UT.

Exhibit opens "First" Friday, Feb. 3rd at 5pm-9pm. Parking is on site and light refreshments and beverages will be served.

Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 Broadway St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Hours: Thurs-Sat, 11-7. Information: 865-556-8676, www.BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com

A public reception will take place on Friday, February 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and catering by Zoës Kitchen will be available.

This exhibition showcases the diversity of styles and approaches used today within the field of contemporary graphic illustration in Slovenia. The more than 50 artists on display are alumni of the Independent Biennial and have won multiple national and international awards and grants for their work. Slovenia, a member of the European Union, is located in Central Europe at the northern tip of the Adriatic Sea.

In recognition of the fact that modern technological trends in illustration have eclipsed more traditional ways of visual depiction for the public, the Biennial of Slovene Independent Illustrators, established in 2007, seeks to redefine long-established concepts. The Biennial supports and promotes a wide variety of media and art forms, including digital work; but in order to be assessable to the public abroad, this particular exhibit emphasizes printed forms. Our hope is to provoke an open discussion about contemporary art and culture. The project is supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Washington, Republic of Slovenia Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Slovene Consulate in Tennessee, Kino Šiška and Tretaroka association. For more information, please visit http://www.culture.si/en/Independent_Biennial.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

A public reception will take place on Friday, February 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. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and catering by Zoës Kitchen will be available.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present its eleventh annual National Juried Exhibition, a new exhibition featuring selected works from 45 artists throughout the United States. The National Juried Exhibition was developed in 2006 to provide a forum for local artists to compete on a national scale and display their highest quality work. The exhibition encompasses all styles and genres from both emerging and established artists working in a variety of media such as photography, acrylic, pencil, fibers, oil, paper, and more. Over $1,000 in cash awards will be announced at a brief awards ceremony at 6:00 PM on February 3.

Exhibiting artists include: John Anderson, Mark Bender, Eric Buechel, Rebecca J. Buglio, Genevieve Byrd, Bill Cook, Jr., C Y Cooper, Yvonne Dalschen, Claudia Dean, Khoa Dang Dinh, Roger Fleenor, Gordon Fowler, Michael E. Galyon, William Goolsby, Nina Hardison, Ann Harwell, Chasidy Hathorn, Todd Johnson, Perry Johnson, Pat Kumicich, Vickie Kallies Lee, Brandon Lutterman, Benjamin Madeska, Michael Murphy, Julie Oglesby, Clay Pardue, Christen Parker, Amber Patty, Manya Pirkle, Jose Roberto, Chris S. Rohwer, Mark Runge, Mary Saylor, Byeol Shim, Nancy Stalls, Sam Stapleton, Jessica Stewart, Denise Stewart-Sanabria, Dale Sumner, Cheryl Tarrant, Keith Thomson, Marilyn Avery Turner, Ken Van Dyne, Katherine Wagner, and Marianne Woodside.

Dorothy Habel served as juror for the exhibition. Trained as an art historian, she joined the faculty in Art History of the School of Art at the University of Tennessee in 1980, and she retired as Director of the School in 2016 after eight years of service in that position. She was also a Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at UT. Over the years, she has been involved in regional adjudication, most recently for the Arts in the Airport exhibition in spring 2015. For more information, visit http://www.knoxalliance.com/national-juried-exhibition/.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

A public reception will take place on Friday, February 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. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and catering by Zoës Kitchen will be available.

Derrick Freeman resides in Knoxville and is a 26-year old young man who, at the age of two years old, was diagnosed with autism. Soon after his diagnosis he stopped talking. By the age of three, he began to draw. Thus, Derrick started communicating to his family through his artwork. He has shown outstanding contributions to his community through his gift of art. His art is and has been an inspiration to many families affected by disabilities. Derrick has proven that regardless of any disability one might have, each of us has something to give back to our community.

Over the years, Derrick has exhibited his art at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, the Tennessee Disability Mega Conference, the Art Fair of Madisonville, Very Special Arts (VSA) of Tennessee, Knoxville Museum of Art, East Tennessee Historical Society, Blount Mansion, Davis Art Studio, Beck Cultural Exchange Center and Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center at Austin Peay State University. In addition, Derrick’s art has been featured in several newspapers and magazines throughout Tennessee including: Knoxville City View Arts and Entertainment Issue, the Tennessee Disability Mega Conference Cover Book, the Break Ground Annual Arts Issue and the Knoxville News Sentinel. Derrick has received several awards for his artwork and contributions to the Autism community. In 2009, he was the recipient of the Temple Grandin Award for outstanding contribution to family, community and self; he also received the Humanitarian of the Year Award and Outstanding Artist/Performer Award from the Arc of The Mid South. In 2011, he also was awarded the Clinton T. Walker Foundation Grant. In addition to his art business Eyes of Faith, Derrick and his mother Angela Freeman-Hunter founded “Our Place Art,” a 501C3 non-profit, which provides art workshops for individuals with and without disabilities. For more information, visit www.derrickfreemansart.com.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

A public reception will take place on Friday, February 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. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and catering by Zoës Kitchen will be available.

“The devastating fires in Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have reminded me of how precious our natural resources and historic structures are and how quickly they can be taken from us,” says Cheryl Sharp. Her exhibition will feature several images in Cades Cove and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park reflecting the different seasons of the park, as well as images from the Knoxville area.

Cheryl Sharp is a Knoxville native and a graduate of the University of Tennessee’s College of Business. Her love of photography began as a passion to document the lives of her large family. She and her husband, Myron, have nine siblings between them with many nieces, nephews and extended family members. Their daughter and son-in-law have added a grandson to the large group. Sharp photographs everything from Friday night football to friends and family, travel and nature. She and her husband have been fortunate to travel much of the US and parts of Canada. Her personal favorite is close to home: Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For more information, visit www.cherylsharp.com.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

Drawings by Herb Rieth

Herb Rieth creates mixed media work that touches on the nature of signification and sets up rich narratives. His work has been shown at The Contemporary Arts Center Cincinnati’s UnMuseum, the Mississippi Museum of Art and solo and group shows in twenty three states. He has previously taught painting, drawing and design full time at University of Alabama, Mississippi State University and Ohio Northern University.

Blackberry Farm Gallery, Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information: 865-981-8590