Calendar of Events

JOIN US IN THE EWING GALLERY!
Friday, March 24, 4-6PM for a soft opening
Friday, March 31, 6-9PM for a closing reception

ANNA WEHRWEIN - TO TURN AROUND THE DRAWING ROOM
CORINNA RAY - WHETSTONE
ABIGAIL LUCIEN - JUICE AISLE
JESSICA GATLIN - HERE, A VIBRATION

Ewing Gallery, 1715 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu

Nearly 100 Performances by Over 60 Extraordinary Artists! Described as “one of the most quietly earth-shattering, subtly luminous festivals the world over” by the Oxford American, the Big Ears Festival will return to Knoxville’s historic downtown for the weekend of March 23 – 26, 2017, expanding to 4 days and new venues, including two beautiful downtown churches, with nearly 100 performances from over 60 of the world’s most extraordinary musical creators – coming from classical music, jazz, rock, electronica, folk, bluegrass, and beyond. GA and VIP Weekend Passes, along with the newly announced “Premier Weekend Pass,” are on sale now at BigEarsFestival.com. There will be more solo performances, collaborations, permutations and surprises. Plus, there’ll be more musical additions, an extraordinary film program plus installations, exhibitions, talks, discussions, interactive experiences, food, wine, beer and countless surprises to share in the coming weeks. Performances include:

Big Ears Festival Presents ACME: American Contemporary Music Ensemble
Friday, March 24, 2017 at 4:30pm at The Mill & Mine
ACME performs Charlemagne Palestine's iconic minimalist work Strumming Music, plus music by Meredith Monk, Timo Andres and Caroline Shaw.

Big Ears Festival Presents Jóhann Jóhannsson's Drone Mass featuring ACME and Theatre of Voices
Friday, March 24, 2017 at 7pm at The Mill & Mine
Jóhann Jóhannsson is joined by American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME), Theatre of Voices, and conductor Donato Cabrera to present his 2015 composition Drone Mass.

Big Ears Festival Presents Maya Beiser: 'Uncovered' with Gyan Riley and Glenn Kotche
Saturday, March 25, 2017 at 5pm at Bijou Theatre
"Cello rock star" (Rolling Stone) Maya Beiser performs re-imagined and re-contextualized rock tunes alongside bassist Gyan Riley and drummer Glenn Kotche.

This year's lineup is a rich and diverse musical feast. Dive in! http://www.bigearsfestival.com/

All of our programming at Big Ears is accessible with a Film Programming Pass (only $50 + fees) or with any other festival pass.
http://www.publiccinema.org/bigears/

The Public Cinema exists to share vital works of contemporary international and American cinema—works that might otherwise be unseen or overlooked by Knoxville audiences. Many of the films we screen are discoveries from the festival circuit; some will be Tennessee or regional premieres. Whatever we screen, our only agenda is to create a space for cinema as an art form and to promote discussion among discerning moviegoers. http://www.publiccinema.org/films/

Four days with over 40 bands! Performing at Preservation Pub and Scruffy City Hall. Presented by ScruffyCity.com, Sierra Nevada & Miller Lite. Schedule & details at https://www.facebook.com/Funny-Ears-Fringe-Festival-1405220369779628/.

Ever-popular, make plans now to enjoy the combination of jazz and bluegrass at this performance, which features Pellissippi State’s Jazz Band and Bluegrass Ensemble, the Hardin Valley under.. Free and open to the public!

In the Clayton Performing Arts Center. Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Guest artist recital; program includes Bach's "Busoni Chaconne," Schubert's "Wanderer Fantasy," and a multimedia presentation on Mussorgsky's "Pictures at An Exhibition"

Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall , Natalie L. Haslam Music Cente
Unless otherwise noted, concerts are FREE and open to the public. The Natalie Haslam Music Center is located at 1741 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, and the Alumni Memorial Building is located at 1408 Middle Drive on the UT campus. *For individual or small group performances, please check the web site or call the day of the event for updates or cancellations: 865-974-5678, www.music.utk.edu/events

East Tennessee native and best-selling author Amy Greene will deliver the annual Wilma Dykeman Stokely Memorial Lecture. Bloodroot, Greene's first novel, was a national bestseller. Her second novel, Long Man, is the story of people who were forced to relocate when the Tennessee Valley Authority decided to flood their town. Greene is currently working on her third novel. Copies of Greene's books will be available for purchase, and the author will sign books after the lecture. The Atlantic Constitution describes her writing as “Luminous . . . . In language as unadorned and lovely as a country quilt, Greene invites the reader deeply into the seclusion of the valley and the mountains above. A remarkable love letter to a forgotten time and place.”

Greene was born in Russellville, Tennessee. She currently resides in Hawkins County, Tennessee.

Free and open to the public. Hosted by the Library Society of UT Knoxville and the Friends of the Knox County Public Library. East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

Part of the Merchant & Gould Concertmaster Series

Gabriel Lefkowitz, violin and Kevin Class, piano

GERSHWIN arr. HEIFETZ: Three Preludes
Dvořák: Humoresque
SIBELIUS: Valse
CHAUSSON: Concerto for Violin, Piano & Strings

At the Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr. Tickets and information: 865-291-3310, www.knoxvillesymphony.com

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