Calendar of Events

A public reception will take place on Friday, April 7, 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 jazz music by Vance Thompson & Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Black Box.

Raised in a small coal mining community in southern West Virginia, Sharon Gillenwater was always interested in art. While living in Fort Worth, Texas, she saw an ad in the local paper stating, "If you can hold a brush, I can teach you to paint." This was the beginning - she started to pursue her passion for art. She lived at the Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio for several years before moving to Kentucky and then to Knoxville. While in Knoxville, Gillenwater took lessons from several teachers and eventually found her way to Bob Ross, where she became a Bob Ross instructor. Her next move was to Johnnie Liliedahl at the Liliedahl School of Classical Oil Painting. Sharon completed her training at the school and became a certified Liliedahl Fine Art Instructor. She teaches locally and in her home studio as well as nationally at workshops, seminars and conventions. For more information, visit www.sharongillenwaterfineart.com/.

In the field of art, Michael McKee is largely self-taught and has cultivated his talents through practice and observation. His subjects of choice are animals and landscapes, and his medium of choice is acrylic. The art of noted Sumner County wildlife artist Ralph McDonald has greatly influenced McKee since the 1970s and is likely most responsible for his current interest in wildlife art. He has attended art workshops featuring some of the best wildlife artists in the business, including Robert Bateman, Terry Isaac and Rod Frederick, and his works have won Best of Show and First Place Awards in local art shows. McKee is a native Tennessean and has been a member of the Tennessee Artists Association since 1992. For more information, visit www.michaelemckee.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. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Friday, April 14, for the holiday. 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, April 7, 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 jazz music by Vance Thompson & Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Black Box.

Renee Suich creates mixed media art including collages inspired by nature, history and the energy that surrounds us all. Early years spent in design were further fostered by time spent working at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Her work has been referred to as ‘Heritage Collage’, as she incorporates vintage imagery in a contemporary composition. “My vision starts with a story that I want to share,” says Suich. “I then use layers of my own artist-made altered paper, natural objects, and painting.” Suich now resides in East Tennessee and enjoys experimenting with new media including encaustic work. Different mediums, like encaustic work, allow her to explore color and texture in a new way. Every piece becomes a new challenge. For more information, visit www.reneesuich.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. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Friday, April 14, for the holiday. 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, April 7, 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 jazz music by Vance Thompson & Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Black Box.

Kat Lewis is an East Tennessee native who grew up in Andersonville. She studied art at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville as well as Pellissippi State Community College. She has previously worked with oil and acrylic mediums. She currently resides in Knoxville as a mother and hairstylist. Kat Lewis will display a collection of works that illustrate dreams, visions and stories of spiritual awakening and enlightenment. These illustrations of enlightenment are through the artist's perspective as well as shared experiences from others. These are experiences that go beyond the tangible, physical realm in order to touch the soul and create a new state of mind.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Friday, April 14, for the holiday. 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, April 7, 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 jazz music by Vance Thompson & Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Black Box.

The original art group was formed in 2001 by a wonderful person named Barbara West. When she died, the group decided to continue meeting in her name. Members have come from various parts of the US and other countries, as well as from Tennessee. Their list of occupations is amazing: photographers, teachers, architects, doctors, nurses, scientists, homemakers, and artists, to name just a few. Many are just starting to explore art but range all the way up to professional artists and use a variety of media. Although the common thread is art, the group tries to provide a strong sense of community – an important gift as they move through life. The exhibition includes work by Sandra Abraham, Sandy Armel, Carrie Ellen Barnes, Debbie Barnes, Beverly Burdette, Shannon Duggan, Nancy Erickson, Barbara Gray, Tony Kampwerth, Steve Romer, Bob Weir, Owen Weston, and others.

The Barbara West Portrait Group has exhibited at the Farragut Town Hall, Peace Lutheran Church, Ball Camp Baptist, and Candoro Marble. They meet every Wednesday & Saturday from 2:00-4:00 PM in Knoxville-area churches. The open studio is $5 to attend with live model; no instruction provided. For more information, please contact Debbie Barnes at 865-675-6339, or visit https://www.facebook.com/TheBarbaraWestPortraitGroup/.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Friday, April 14, for the holiday. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

Sculptures created by 11 University of Tennessee art students that incorporate materials provided by steel recycler Gerdau will be on public display April 6-19 at the Knoxville Convention Center.

“The Art of Recycling” sculpture exhibition celebrates April’s National Recycling Month and is a partnership among Gerdau, Dogwood Arts and the University of Tennessee Sculpture Program. The artworks will be unveiled in a public ceremony Thursday, April 6, at 10 a.m.

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

Sculptures created by 11 University of Tennessee art students that incorporate materials provided by steel recycler Gerdau have been unveiled and are on public display through April 19 at the Knoxville Convention Center. “The Art of Recycling” sculpture exhibition celebrates April’s National Recycling Month and is a partnership among Gerdau, Dogwood Arts and the University of Tennessee Sculpture Program.

In January, Gerdau’s Knoxville steel mill opened its scrap yard to the students, along with UT associate professor Jason Brown, visiting lecturer Jessica Ann and 3D area technician Erin Tucker. The students selected 4,860 pounds of discarded metal and steel, provided free of charge by Gerdau, and gained inspiration for new works of art.

“Most people don’t realize how ‘green’ our business really is,” said Johnny Miller, vice president and general manager of Gerdau’s steel mill in Knoxville. “This project provides an excellent opportunity to support these students and the arts, celebrate National Recycling Month and educate the public about our business.”

Students at the dig were enthusiastic about the project and grateful for the opportunity. "To create something of beauty and purpose from what many would consider to be ugly waste is an exciting prospect,” art student Thomas Colabella said. This marks the third year the partnership has culminated in a public art exhibition, and the Knoxville Convention Center remains an enthusiastic supporter of the project.

Participating UT students include Colabella, Reid Arrowood, Mary Badillo, Zachary Edwards, Mary Hallman, Holly Kelly, Otis Kennedy, Elena Lee, Cara McKinley, Hannah Shimabukuro and Drew Shorter.

Around the world, Gerdau transforms millions of metric tons of scrap into steel every year. The company’s Knoxville mill recycles discarded steel into reinforcing bar, which is used to support concrete in new bridges, buildings and other structures.

Recent works by painter Harriet Howell and mixed-media artist Marilyn Avery Turner will be on display during April. An opening reception for the featured artists will begin at 5:30 p.m., April 7, during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk, with complimentary refreshments, and music performed by Matt Tilley.

Harriet Howell’s work uses color and movement to express the emotional content of the landscape. She prefers plein air painting which, she feels, encourages an interactive relationship between the artist and the subject. She teaches classes in pastel landscape drawing and in experimental water-media painting. Her art training includes a BFA from the University of Tennessee and studying with master painters over many years. She has taught in pastel landscape drawing at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts for many years.

Marilyn Avery Turner draws from numerous sources, ancient and contemporary, to blend personal experiences with archetypal images. The use of drawings and statuary from early Mexican cultures reflects her abiding attraction to the country where she spent a formative part of her childhood. With a background in painting and collage, her use of monoprinting has become an ideal synthesis for these two mediums.

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

By day, Casey Fox is the celebrated manager of Library Fund Development for the Knox County Public Library. Featured as one of the Knoxville News-Sentinel’s “40 under 40,” Fox gets kudos for her fund-raising efforts, particularly a capital campaign to help digitize the library’s historic archives. But when she’s not busy contributing to the Library’s mission, Fox has a secret identity, and it’s one that Tomato Head has proudly unveiled and put on public display in our Market Square restaurant. Casey Fox is also a photographer.

Now through May 1st, Fox presents her first solo exhibit in our downtown location. Titled “Landscaped,” the exhibit features a collection of images that Fox captured over the last 7 or 8 years but without intending to create a series. Fox says it was only after the fact that she realized that not only did she have enough shots for a show, she had also uncovered a style: “I was just looking back through my pictures and realized, ‘oh this is what I do’. I remember sitting on the couch once lookin

"Landscaped", an exhibit of photographs by Casey Fox will be on view at the downtown Knoxville Tomato Head Restaurant from April 3rd to April 30th, 2017. The exhibit will then display at the West Knoxville Gallery Tomato Head from May 2nd to June 5th, 2017. Tomato Head, 12 Market Square (865-637-4067) and 7240 Kingston Pike, Suite 172 (865-584-1075), in Knoxville. http://thetomatohead.com

At Blackberry Farm Gallery, Clayton Center for the Arts. 3D art ceramic

Barron Hall graduated from the University of South Florida with his BFA in 3D studies followed by an MFA in Ceramics from The University of Tennessee in 2008. His work has been exhibited nationally including solo and group exhibits in New York, Maryland, Kentucky, Arkansas, Florida and Alabama. Past collaborations include sculptural installation projects with Robmat Butler as The Art Team. He is an Adjunct Instructor of Ceramics and 3-D Sculpture at Maryville College and is the owner/operator of Mighty Mud Studios in Knoxville. Barron originally hails from Auburn, Ala. and grew up in both Alabama and Florida. Barron currently resides in Knoxville, Tenn. with his family. http://barronart.net/

A reception will be held in the galleries on Fri., April 28 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., in conjunction with Downtown Maryville’s “Friday Night Lights” event.

Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

Art in Public Places Knoxville (AIPPK), now in its 10th year, is a featured presentation of Dogwood Arts. In partnership with the City of Knoxville, Art in Public Places Knoxville is a juried exhibition of large-scale sculptures created by exceptional local, regional and national artists. The 2017-2018 Exhibition will feature up to twenty sculptures in downtown Knoxville, the McGhee Tyson Airport, and Oak Ridge as juried by Knoxville-based sculpture artist John Douglas Powers.

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

Explore more than 60 miles of trails, open gardens, and camera sites as you enjoy a walk, bike or drive, March 31 through April 30.

Dogwood Arts celebrates its North Knoxville trails in 2017. The Featured Trail, Historic Fountain City, dates back to 1957, covers 16 miles and boasts over 3200 blooming dogwoods and abundant flowering azaleas as it winds through the neighborhood. At the center of this welcoming community is a 12 acre park with walking trails, the Fountain City Art Center and the iconic Fountain City Lake where residents gather to visit and enjoy nature.

As you explore North Knoxville, visit the Historic North Hills Trail, with its blooming boulevard along with a charming mix of 1930s Neo-classical, English Cottage, Bungalow, Craftsman and Italian Renaissance homes. Further north and in the foothills of the Clinch mountains, the Halls-Timberline neighborhood was designed as a beautiful building site abundant with native Tennessee flowering dogwood trees. As part of our Bazillion Blooms Program, over 100 dogwood trees have been added in recent years.

For a complete list of the 2017 Open Gardens and Camera sites, please visit http://www.dogwoodarts.com/trails-and-gardens.
Dogwood Arts Festival: 865-637-4561 www.dogwoodarts.com.

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