Calendar of Events

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/.

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 The Porch Sale, held each spring features outdated stock, seconds, student crafts and unjuried work by members of the Center.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

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

Opening reception Fri Mar 10, 6:30-8 PM. Free and open to the public.

Featuring works by the Knoxville Book Arts Guild and Southern Appalachian Nature Photography.

Exhibit viewing hours: Tu, Th 9-5; W, F 10-5; Sat 9-1. Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartcenter.com

The Tennessee Stage Company is preparing another World Premiere for our 2017 New Play Festival. It is a farce called The Nearly Final Almost Posthumous Play of the Not-Quite-Dead Sutton McAllister by Florida Playwright Kris Bauske, author of the Christmas Perennial A Good Old Fashioned Redneck Country Christmas. Directed by Leigh Monet & Tom Parkhill; Stage Managed by Tyler Gregory.

A backstage comedy of relatively deathly dimensions. Thursday thru Saturday at 8pm & Sunday matinees at 3pm.

The show runs at Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 317 N. Gay Street, Knoxville. Tennessee Stage Company: 865-546-4280, www.tennesseestage.com

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

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

An exhibition of about 40 new oil painting by Aleex Conner, a local artist who paints in the style of the 19th Century French Impressionists. Aleex Conner has painted for over 30 years and has traveled to Europe many times. On location in France, she has studied with some of today's best instructors in the Impressionists' style. In the south of France, the light is extraordinary for plein air oil painters. She has frequently painted in the very same areas where Monet, Renoir, Cassatt, and other Impressionists painted in the latter part of the 19th century and into the early 20th Century.

Reception held Saturday, March 4, 4:00-6:00 PM, Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Avenue. 10% of the proceeds will be donated by the artist to the Fountain City Art Center. Everyone 21 and above is welcome to attend. No entry fees will be charged.

Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Hours: Tu-Th 9-5, F 10-5, Sa 9-1. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartcenter.com

Please join us First Friday March 3, for an opening reception from 5-9pm.

On Friday, March 24, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM, the UT Downtown Gallery will be holding a second artist's reception for Kevin Everson and his exhibition in partnership with Big Ears and The Public Cinema, Open Ended: Films by Kevin Jerome Everson. Come to the gallery to say hello and meet Kevin. Everson currently has work on display in the 2017 Whitney Biennial.

For the Big Ears weekend, The UT Downtown Gallery will be having extended operating hours.
Thursday March 23, 11:00am - 6:00pm
Friday March 24, 11:00am - 8:00pm
Saturday March 25, 10:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday March 26, 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Please remember that on Saturday, March 25 from 12:15 - 1:30PM, at the Knoxville Museum of Art will be a screening session of more of Kevin's films. This screening at the KMA 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

Rala: Regional and Local Artisans

During First Friday on March 3rd, Rala will be celebrating their Grand "Re-Opening" at 112 W. Jackson Ave in the Old City. Featured artist for March is local artist Sarah Moore. Moore is a painter who creates nostalgic landscapes. Her paintings feature places that "evoke both nostalgia and sense of longing for spans of stolen delight." Be sure to stop by from 6-9 pm to meet the artist and see Rala's new location! http://smoorestudio.com/

RALA, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7888, https://shoprala.com/

The "Peace Works" event hosted by Broadway Studios And Gallery in collaboration with the Knoxville Art and Fine Craft Center. "Peace Works" was conceived by Broadway Studios and Gallery to question and celebrate peace in the world especially during the politically charged environment we face today. All perspectives are welcomed and celebrated in this unique one of a kind Knoxville event. At the centerpiece of the "Peace Works" event is an open call art competition exhibited in the Broadway Studios and Gallery arts space showcasing art based on the premise of what peace means visually. Local artists were encouraged to express their views of the state of peace in the world be it locally or globally or simply how they find peace on personally level.

There will be another exhibit by local abstract painter Dino Day Liddick located in the Knoxville Arts and a Fine Craft Center unrelated to the "Peace Works" theme.

Popular food truck cuisine by Oishii will be available for patrons for a nominal fee. Entertainment will consist of a drum circle and dancers associated with the Knoxville Art and Fine Center.... named Indigenous Vibes and African Dance by Alaba. All ages are welcome and beverages will be available.

Show opens on "First" Friday March 3, 5-9 PM.

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

For the 27th year in a row, dozens of regional dry cleaners are coming together to support job training in their community through Goodwill’s Project Wear and Share. This annual clothing drive, a collaboration between Goodwill Industries-Knoxville and participating dry cleaning establishments, is designed to raise awareness about Goodwill’s vocational services while providing dozens of new opportunities to donate unneeded clothes and linens.

Donations will be sold at Goodwill’s 28 regional thrift stores; proceeds will benefit Goodwill’s vocational training and employment opportunities for individuals with barriers to employment. Training programs range from computer literacy to certified nurse assistant courses, career assessment and planning to job placement services. In 2016, Goodwill Industries-Knoxville served over 3,750 individuals in their 15-county East Tennessee service area.

Participating dry cleaners are located in Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Farragut, Maryville, Alcoa, Seymour, Sevierville, and Morristown. Donations can be made at any participating cleaner during their regular business hours. Helpful donations include gently used clothing, shoes and linens. Find a list of participating dry cleaners at www.goodwillknoxville.org or contact the Goodwill Marketing Team at 865.588.8567.