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

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 The Porch Sale, held each spring features outdated stock, seconds, student crafts and unjuried work by members of the Center.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

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

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

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.

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.

"When I was a little boy, I put my hand in a meat grinder and lost most of my left arm. That was the beginning of my life as an artist. The loneliness and isolation I experienced during childhood now allow me to delve into the deepest realms of my emotions and release them at will onto the image. My subjects are usually emotionally-charged themes brought about by my own life experiences.

My paintings are influenced by my love of architecture, graphic novels and the great masters. Painting gives me the freedom to delve deep within myself and connect with the side that most people try to keep repressed. I want viewers to say, “I’ve been in that same emotional place.” The act of painting is a collection of my thoughts, energy and experiences. Painting allows me to focus on myself, listen to my inner voice and sort my feelings out. You can love my paintings or hate them, but if they move you then I have done that which I set out to do as an artist, I have touched you deep within your soul, and in the end, that is all that really matters." For more information, visit http://www.joseroberto.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, 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.

Including hand screen printed fabric and needlepoint. I am interested in working with spaces that already exist in my art; previously I had worked as a site specific sound installation artist. While my materials have changed I still see myself working within these parameters except my site has become much smaller. Everyday household objects are the space that I utilize in my current work, a linen gust towel or a wool pillow. These pieces all use pictograms as part of the imagery. I have been collecting pictograms off of packaging and from books for years because I love the way they are drawn and I see a kind of beauty in the simplicity of their purpose. Within my work some of the pictograms function as literal instructions for the possible use of the object and others allude to a message while also creating a decorative pattern. It is the efficiency of these images that I strive for in my own communications with people, whether it is in my work or my life. For more information, please visit http://www.coralgraceturner.com/art.html.

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.