Calendar of Events

Theme : South of the River, Live, Work, Play
We seek to recognize local South of the River Artist, and while preference will be given to South Knoxville Artists, all local artists are welcome to apply. The show will Open April 16th with a reception May 12th 5-8 p.m. for Vestival, and officially end on May 13th. Approximately 25 – 35 pieces will be selected for display in the historic marble showrooms.

Candoro Marble Arts & Heritage Center, 4450 Candora Drive, Knoxville, TN 37920. Information: 865-577-0078, www.candoromarble.org

Arrowmont invites you to view works by Mary Ruden – The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage “Artist of the Year." Join us for the opening reception on April 12, 5:30-7 PM. Bring your family and friends and enjoy an evening of art, live music and refreshments. Live music will be performed by “Pistol Creek Catch of the Day” – a local bluegrass band comprised of Edward Harper, Bill Cabage and Carl Gombert. Admission is free.

The exhibition showcases Mary Ruden’s sculptures, prints and drawings depicting natural subjects such as orchids, wildflowers and butterflies. Her work is inspired by her Welsh roots and her travels to Europe. The exhibition is on view in the Geoffrey A. Wolpert Gallery. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Mary Ruden, sculptor and mixed-media artist, creates outdoor and collectible art. She received her BFA from University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida and has taught art and design classes for over eight years. Her work is displayed in two state parks, various government buildings and at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. to honor the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service. Mary is an active member of the Knoxville Arts and Culture Alliance and exhibits her work throughout the southeastern United States. For more information about Mary and her work, visit: www.maryruden.com.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

The visual work of L&N STEM Academy's junior and senior art students includes everything from digital pieces to graphite and watercolor renderings. Enjoy this impressive collection through the month of April at Ijams!

Ijams' Visitor Center is open Monday – Saturday 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Exhibiting April through June will be Nashville based painter Catrina Long. Join us for a First Friday Artist's Reception on April 7th from 5:30– 8:00.

Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center, 1127 Broadway Suite B, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-523-1401, www.cityofknoxville.org/recreation/arts

On Friday, April 7, from 5 - 7 p.m., The Art Guild at Fairfield Glade will host a special Opening Reception for the Spring Bounty Art Show. Progressive Savings Bank is sponsoring this show and providing the awards. This show is special because the viewers will cast their votes for their favorite artworks beginning on April 7 and ending on April 28. Winners will then be announced to the public.

The Opening Reception will feature a large assortment of hors d’oeuvres and wine, soda, and water to attendees. This event is free and open to the public. The PCAC is a great place to shop for art including paintings, photographs, pottery, jewelry, wood carvings, and greeting cards.

Art Guild at Fairfield Glade at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive, Fairfield Glade, TN 38558. Hours: M-Sa 9-4. Information: 931-707-7249, www.artguildfairfieldglade.net

Please join us First Friday April 7, for an opening reception from 5-9pm.

Alison Saar weaves narratives relating to the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 into the mixed-media sculpture and paintings featured in “Breach.” Saar explores issues of gender, race, racism, and the African diaspora. She mines mythology, ritual, history, music, and her biracial heritage as sources for her work.

During a 2013 residency at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans, Saar was dismayed to see how little had been done to rebuild African American communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina eight years earlier. Upon her return to Los Angeles, she began researching the histories of American floods and the effect on African Americans. The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927, described as one of the worst natural river disasters in U.S. history, piqued her interest. Heavy rains resulted in the river breaching levees, creating a historic catastrophe that had a profound impact on the life of African Americans living in the Mississippi Delta. The flood exposed the conditions of poor African American sharecroppers and tenant farmers and their relationship with cotton plantation owners. The flood also resulted in social, cultural, federal policy, and political changes.

With water imagery woven throughout, “Breach” is the culmination of Saar’s creative research on American rivers and their historical relationship to the lives of African Americans. Through mixed media sculpture, paintings, and works on paper, she explores floods not only as natural phenomena; but also the complex interaction of social, cultural, and political factors associated with flooding and its aftermath.

Saar will also be giving a public lecture on her work on Thursday, April 6 at 7:30 PM in room 109 of the Art + Architecture Building.

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

On your way downtown to Rhythm and Blooms, stop by and celebrate "Big (EYES) Festival" with us. Broadway Studios and Gallery proudly presents artist Charlesey Charlton-McCallister in her solo exhibit entitled "Interrupted Signal." In this exhibit Charlesey displays abstract work dealing with digital media as a way to make the viewer contemplate it's role in our society.

Under a festival TENT we will have ethereal music by guitar god, Laith Keilany. Asian food will be provided by the popular Oishii Food Truck. And inspirational works of poerty will be recited by Sundress Academy of Art, featuring Jennie Frost and Erin Elizabeth Smith. All is FREE except for food. Parking is free and on site.

The event opens "First" Friday April 7th from 5-9pm. All ages are welcome.

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

Little River Art & Frame, a family owned business located in West Knoxville, was begun by artist and art broker Thomas Cover. Since its beginnings in 2006, Little River has become the leading supplier of Fine Art to the Knoxville Interior Design industry. Outside of Knoxville, their artists reach interior design houses and fine furniture galleries in ten surrounding states with an ever-increasing client base. Little River recently launched an international website selling fine art giclees from originals created by their artists. In addition, Little River owns several collections of 18th and 19th Century bird, botanical and equine prints. They handcraft frames for their pieces from the finest moldings, and craft one-of-a-kind art boxes from the spare pieces.

Little River Artists include: Thomas Cover, Aleksandr Cherepov, J Austin Jennings, Michael Cover, Annalee Bohon, and Brittany Elle. The exhibition will feature various styles, which make up an impressive collection of contemporary art with an eye toward interior trends. They use a variety of mediums including oil, acrylic, glass and wood. While specializing in large scale atmospheric abstract paintings, they also feature more traditional landscape oils as well as a beautiful array of wooden “frame boxes”. For more information, visit www.littleriverartists.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.

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.