Calendar of Events

Including work by Austin Riddle, Maia Leppo, Heather Ashworth, Grant Benoit, Nick DeFord, Jackson Martin, Lisa D. Line, John Phillips, Peggy Schmid, John McMillan, Katie Grove, and Erin Castellan.

VIP event: May 4th, 4-5:30pm
Opening Reception: May 5, 5:30-8:30pm
Art DeTour Event: May 6, 10-5 and May 7, 12-5

At the Dogwood Arts' office, 123 W. Jackson Ave. Knoxville, TN. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

Knoxville Children’s Theatre, in partnership with The Ritchie Company, will present a world-premiere production of “The Island of Dr. Libris,” based on the 2015 New York Times best-selling novel by Chris Grabenstein. The play, adapted by Chris Grabenstein and Ronny Venable, will be performed May 5 through May 21, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM; Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM; Sundays at 3 PM.

Young Billy Gillfoyle is spending the summer in a lakeside cabin that belongs to the mysterious Dr. Libris. But something strange is going on with Dr. Libris’ private bookcase. Whenever Billy opens the books, he can hear strange sounds coming from the middle of the lake. The clash of swords. The twang of arrows. Sometimes he can even feel the ground shaking. It’s as if the stories he’s reading are coming to life. But that’s impossible… Isn’t it?

The play was written by Chris Grabenstein and Ronny Venable, who first met while performing at the Clarence Brown Theatre in Knoxville. They co-wrote the 1986 CBS movie The Christmas Gift, starring John Denver. Grabenstein is the award-winning author of the New York Times best-seller Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library and co-author of the #1 best-selling series "I Funny."

Both NYC playwrights will attend the 1 PM performance on May 13 and hold an informal Q&A session with the audience immediately following the show.

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.childrenstheatreknoxville.com.

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

Every day, Knox County art teachers devote their time and energy to cultivating creativity and critical skills in their students. For more than a decade, Art Source, the exhibition dedicated solely to Knox County art educators, has given these same teachers an opportunity to nourish and showcase their own artistic talents.

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

Wednesdays from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Saturdays from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
at Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902

The Market Square Farmers’ Market is an open-air farmers’ market located on Market Square in the heart of downtown Knoxville. Everything at the MSFM is grown or made by the vendor in the East Tennessee region. Products vary by the seasons and include produce, eggs, honey, herbs, pasture-raised meat, bread, baked goods, salsas, coffee, artisan crafts, and more. With interactive fountains, delicious local food, and surrounded by shops and restaurants, the MSFM is a perfect family destination. https://nourishknoxville.org/markets/market-square-farmers-market/

Recent works by photographer Dennis Sabo and potter Larry Gabbard will be on display at the Art Market Gallery. An opening reception for the featured artists will begin at 5:30 p.m., May 5, during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk, with complimentary refreshments, and music performed by Boogertown Gap.

Dennis Sabo is an internationally honored photographer specializing in contemporary abstract, stunning landscape, and gorgeous seascape photography. His fine art natural world abstracts and landscapes are often sought out by home decor and interior designers and have been included in solo and group art gallery exhibitions, commercial installations and private home collections throughout the United States and internationally.

Larry Gabbard enjoys fast-firing techniques which create a rich variety of textures and colors on bisque clay. He finds the unexpected marks made when clay, heat, and smoke interact to be among the most intriguing and challenging of finishes to perfect and reproduce.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Th & Sa 11-6, Fri 11-9, Su 1-5. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net

Stop by to see May's exhibit by Kristy Keel-Blackmon, the artist behind Oak Roots Creative, whose beautiful nature photographs and abstract paintings showcase her attention to detail! http://www.oakrootscreative.com/

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

Opening reception on Fri Apr 28, 6:30-8:00 PM. Free and open to the public.

Featuring the opening of the Annual All-Media Show by the Knoxville Watercolor Society. The exhibit does contain 90% watercolors, but other media represented are: oils, pastels, mixed media, and acrylics. KWS allows members to show other media once a year to demonstrate that some of the members are just as competent and comfortable working in other media besides watercolor.

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

Book your tour today! These Celebrity Tours were sold out in 2014, 2015 & 2016.

Kim Delozier - Retired GSMNP Wildlife Ranger and Best Selling Author
Author, naturalist and former Park Ranger will point out and discuss wildlife while searching for Bears in the Smokies. $60 per seat.
Saturdays, Aug 5, 12, 19 - Searching for Bear Tours 4:30 pm departure 8:30 pm return.

Elk Tour: Kim Delozier will point out and discuss wildlife while searching for Elk in the Smokies.
Searching for Elk Tours 2:30 pm departure 9:00 pm return on Sept 16. $85 per seat

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Bill Landry - Host of The Heartland Series
Join Bill Landry of "The Heartland Series" fame for a wonderful guided trip around Cades Cove, while Bill shares stories and tales of the original people who called the Cove home. $60 per seat.
Cades Cove Tours 9:30 am departure 1:30 pm return on Saturdays: April 15, May 20, June 10, June 17, July 15, August 19, September 2, October 21, October 28

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Sam Venable - Retired Knoxville News Sentinel Columnist and Author - Tours of the GSMNP from Sugarlands to Clingmans Dome
Join noted author, columnist, humorist and naturalist, Sam Venable on a trip through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Townsend to Elkmont, Sugarlands, Newfound Gap and Clingmans Dome. $60 per seat
9:30 am departure 1:30 pm return on Saturdays: May 20, August 19, September 16, October 21, October 28

Private Celebrity Tours are available. Reservations required! Please call 865-448-8838 or visit https://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/cades_cove_heritage_tour

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

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

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

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