Calendar of Events

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

I am pleased to announce my one man show at Maryville College. My large scale contemporary artwork will be on display for the month of February. There will be a reception held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, February 2nd at the Denso Gallery at the Clayton Center for the Arts located at:
502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway
Maryville, Tn. 37804

With featured artist Synthia Clark throughout the month!

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

Recent works by pipe maker Ron Smith and artist Carl Gombert will be on display. An opening reception for the featured artists will begin at 5:30 p.m., January 6, during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk, with complimentary refreshments, and music performed by Carl Gombert.

Ohio native Carl Gombert started taking painting lessons at the age of 14 with money he earned delivering newspapers. He completed a BFA in Drawing from the University of Akron and an MFA in Painting from Kent State University. “I love pattern. I love decoration, and I love sparkle. These hand stamped works rely on radial structure to explore complexity and pattern arising from the application of simple rules.” He has exhibited widely and his work is in numerous museum, collegiate, and corporate collections. Since 1993 has taught painting, drawing and art history at Maryville College in Tennessee.

Ron Smith's fascination with pipes began with the hours he spent at the Iwan Ries Pipe Shop in Chicago, a regular stop following his frequent visits to the Art Institute only a block away. Following retirement he received formal training under American Pipe Maker, Tim West in 2014 and at the 2014 International Pipe Makers' Seminar in Chicago under the guidance of such masters as Lee von Erck, Rex Poggenpohl, Mike Butera and Jeff Gracik. His freehand pipes are hand shaped, each one a unique creation. Although a fan of the Danish freeform style, he often adopts more classical shapes in his productions and in most pieces attempts to bring out the grain of the briar to bring out the material's natural and often hidden features. His pipes and pens are forms of functional art.

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