Calendar of Events

Texas-bred singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen is making his way to Knoxville!

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

The WordPlayers of Knoxville presents a Concert Reading of Jam Jar Sonnets, a musical comedy/drama, at The Square Room, 4 Market Square in downtown Knoxville.

Jam Jar Sonnets is a compelling story told through poetry, dialogue, and music. It is the story of Charles and Amanda who, as children, formed an intimate bond through poetry. Charles had a troubled childhood and Amanda helped him conquer his insecurities. Over time, the two lost touch with one another. When Charles finds one of Amanda's poems on the back of a jam jar label, he is determined to find the girl who understood him when no one else could. The WordPlayers is a 501(c)3 theatre company based in Knoxville since 1995. Jam Jar Sonnets is one of three Staged Readings in a series sponsored by Brad Croisdale, Realty Executives.

Admission is free and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Information: 865-539-2490, www.wordplayers.org

Distinguished poet, Potomac Review poetry editor, and UT alumna Katherine Smith will be reading from her collection, “Woman Alone on the Mountain.” The event is part of the University of Tennessee’s Writers in the Library reading series. The mission of Writers in the Library is to “showcase the work of novelists, poets, and other literary craftsmen.” Some of the best voices on the literary scene today are invited to read.

The reading begins at 7 p.m. in the Lindsay Young Auditorium of the John C. Hodges Library. The event is free and open to the public; all are encouraged to attend.

Katherine Smith’s poems voyage from Paris to Appalachia. The ride is smooth and entertaining, and the music of the language impressive. “Katherine Smith is a poet of the taste buds, the tongue, the fingertips. Her sensual music makes us long for love and ‘lavender honey’ in the South of France. But her life alone and with her [daughter] in America is painted richly too,” E.S. Morgan wrote, about Smith’s “Argument by Design.” “The poet astounds by her incredible range,” Richard Jackson agreed. Smith’s new book focuses on strong women living in our mountains. Katherine Smith received her MFA from the University of Virginia. Her poems have appeared in Ploughshares and Missouri Review, among scores of journals.

Opening for Katherine Smith will be Tanque Jones, one of the first poets to receive an MFA from the University of Tennessee in 2014. Her first book, “Woman in Transition,” was published by WordTech in 2014. In this sultry, hard-hitting collection, the poet is a truth-teller, speaking of race and class in East Tennessee, embodying strength and honor. But first and foremost Tanque Jones is a love poet, singing the blues.

Writers in the Library is sponsored by the UT Libraries and the Creative Writing Program in association with the John C. Hodges Better English Fund. For more information, contact Erin Elizabeth Smith, Jack E. Reese Writer-in-Residence at the UT Libraries, at esmith83@utk.edu or visit http://library.utk.edu/writers for a complete schedule of Writers in the Library readings for the 2016-2017 academic year.

The Appalachian Arts Craft Center will hold its Spring Porch Sale starting on Thursday, March 16, and running for about two weeks. The Porch Sale, held each spring features outdated stock, seconds, student crafts and unjuried work by members of the Center. It’s an excellent time to get great deals.

The Appalachian Arts Craft Center is a nonprofit center that has been fulfilling its mission by promoting traditional artists and crafts in the East Tennessee area for over 40 years. The center is located at 2716 Andersonville Highway 61 in Norris, Tenn., one mile east of I-75 north at Exit 122. For more information, call 865-494-9854, or visit www.appalachianarts.net.

Beth Meadows’ current studio is a working space, not open to the public; but if you were to find your way there, you would find yourself in a nest of ideas – one lined with images and materials that the artist collects because they draw her attention. In the exhibit now hanging at Tomato Head Market Square, Meadows has assembled a collection of pieces that feature two prominent classes of things that consistently catch her eye: fashion and food packaging.

Many of the images depicted might seem familiar, and that’s because they’re drawn from the pages of fashion magazines. “They’re super models, “ Meadows says, “and the clothing is made out of a collage of food packaging. The idea was to mix this fascination I have with fashion that’s grown over the years with a negative feeling I have about grocery shopping. I don’t love it, grocery shopping, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that I’m trying not to be swayed by how things are packaged – because I don’t want to be marketed to or persuaded to buy things that are packaged beautifully. That’s really hard for an artist like me because I’m aesthetically inclined.”

The works are a mix of collage and drawing that are, in fact, based on photographs of super models; but as the she creates the piece, Meadows creates her own line of clothing for each – one that’s built from the food packaging that she normally resists. Meadows has a broad range of work, in addition to visiting her exhibit at our downtown place, you’ll want to explore the complete range of her portfolio and find out more about her on her website: http://withbearhands.com/.

On display through April 2 at Market Square, then in the Bearden location April 4 - May 1. Tomato Head, 12 Market Square (865-637-4067) and 7240 Kingston Pike, Suite 172 (865-584-1075), in Knoxville. http://thetomatohead.com

The Art Gallery at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church will present work by Oak Ridge artist Eun-Sook Kim from March 10 through early May. The exhibition will also feature work by the artist’s students: Betsy Smith, Will Doran, Cathleen Cottrell, and Peggy Teague. A gallery opening talk and reception will be hosted at the church on Sunday, March 12, at 12:15 p.m. The public is invited.

Although my primary medium is ceramics, I consider myself a painter first. Through brushwork, I feel harmony with nature. Like a speck in the landscape of a classic Chinese painting, I am infinitely small, yet essential in nature. Interweaving different strands from different cultures and countries, my art reflects the multicolored pattern of my life,” said Kim.

ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Free and open to the public, Gallery hours are Monday – Thursday, 9 am to 3 pm. and Sunday 9:30 am to 1 pm. For more information call (865)483-6761.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is exhibiting new works in Un//known by Artists-in-Residence – Grant Benoit, Richard W. James, Maia Leppo, Austin Riddle and Emily Schubert. Community members are invited to view the exhibition and attend the reception on April 7, 2017, 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Un//known showcases work in a range of media including functional and sculptural ceramics, fiber, mixed media, jewelry and collage. This cumulative exhibition features work made during the artists’ 11-month residency.

+ 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 to explore notions of memory. 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 received his BFA in ceramics from University of Utah. Influenced by the forms and colors of mass-produced domestic objects from mid-century America, Riddle’s pieces are one-of-a-kind. He uses a variety of clay construction, glazing 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, Schubert creates work that make sense of our existence by giving form to our collective fears, sorrows, and desires. www.emily-schubert.com

In the Sandra J. Blain Gallery. Admission is free and open to the public. 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

Synergy: East Tennessee Art Educator Exhibition is an exhibition designed to promote the work of East Tennessee’s finest teaching artists. K-12 art teachers and current art interns/student teachers from public schools, private schools and academies are invited to apply. This exciting exhibit will be held in the Blackberry Farm gallery at the Clayton Center for the Arts in Maryville, TN.

March 6, 2017: Opening Exhibit Reception, 5pm -9pm at the Clayton Center for the Arts
March 6 – 24, 2017: Exhibit Open Monday through Friday, 10 am to 5 pm

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

The Student Art Exhibition was developed to provide a forum for student artists to display their work and compete for awards. The juried art that is selected for exhibition will feature both traditional and non-traditional work and will be exhibited at the Clayton Center for the Arts in the Denso Gallery, 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804-5907.

March 6, 2017: Opening Exhibit Reception, 5pm -9pm at the Clayton Center for the Arts
Exhibit Open Monday through Friday, 10 am to 5 pm

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

On Exhibition: Paintings by Shirley Wittman, Lauren Lazarus and Blown Glass by Johnny Glass

Westminister Presbyterian Church, 6500 S Northshore Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-F 9-4. Info: (865) 584-3957 or www.wpcknox.org

Artist’s Reception: Monday, March 20th 4PM to 8PM

At Burlington Library 4614 Asheville Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37914. Information: alan.jones@tys.org

A public reception will take place on Friday, March 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. The First Friday reception also features music and dance by Pasion Flamenca from 6:00-6:30 PM and live music by Swing Serenade from 7:00-9:00 PM. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be available.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of mixed media works by 27 members of the Depot Artists Association in Abingdon, Virginia. For the fourth year, the Arts & Culture Alliance is proud to partner with another community-based art gallery in the Southeast for the purpose of promoting local artists within each community. The Arts Depot will host a simultaneous display of work by 42 Knoxville-area artists in their gallery space at 314 Depot Square in Abingdon during the month of March.

The works chosen to travel to Knoxville were juried by Steven Reeves during the Depot’s 27th Annual Holiday Members Exhibition this past December. Reeves is the Executive Director of the Kingsport Art Guild established in 1949, a non-profit that promotes advocacy, education, and exhibitions. Reeves has a studio at the Arts Depot and holds his BFA from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Members selected to represent the Arts Depot are Jeana Chapman, Sheryl Daniels, J. C. Dean, Jackie Dolpp, Judith Fitzgerald, John David Ford, Nancy Garretson, Jody Houston, Greg Howser, Carl Jessee, Sr., Elizabeth John-Morison, Nancy Johnson, Carina Karlsson, Larry Knott, Michele Marlowe, Lisa May, Rita Montrosse, Helen Morgan, Adelaide Moss, Cecelia Pippin, Fallon Ray, Sara Reece, Steven Reeves, Frank Renault, Joyce Samuel, Josiah Stam, and Michaela Stam. The Association operates the Arts Depot in the historic Depot Square area of downtown Abingdon. The Association is supported in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Tourism Corp. For more information about the Arts Depot, call (276) 628-9091 or visit www.abingdonartsdepot.org.

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.