Calendar of Events

A public reception will take place on Friday, June 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. The First Friday reception also features music by Bethany Hankins and Swing Serenade at 7:00 PM. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be available.

Susanne Tanner is best known for her Australian-inspired paintings depicting the natural beauty, native cultures and modern interpretations of the Australian outback. She has exhibited her work in London, United Kingdom; Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia; and Taipei, Taiwan. The majority of her work is inspired and based upon her living experiences in Australia, United Kingdom and most recently America. Tanner brings a wealth of talent and knowledge from her years of solo traveling, and circumnavigating the world twice, experiencing native cultures and the remote natural beauty of this planet.

“As an artist, I hope to show the beauty, multiple cultures, and my personal experiences of living in Australia,” says Susanne Tanner. “With every finished piece of work I intend to resurrect a feeling of an ancient culture, combined with my modern interpretation of the world as I see it, so it can hopefully be enjoyed by the viewer.” In this exhibition, she will feature works painted on stretched canvas using acrylic paint. The technique used in these works are with traditional handmade Australian "bush tools" which create the "dots".

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 Monday, May 29, 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, June 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. The First Friday reception also features music by Bethany Hankins and Swing Serenade at 7:00 PM. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be available.

Christian Branson is an emerging artist who lives and works in the Knoxville area. A native of Panama City, FL, his colorful paintings derive from his desire for exploration into the areas of form and color cohesion, as well as contrasts between them. His art emanates a wide range of emotions and expresses the vibrant spirit and atmosphere of the human mind, individual condition and perception of the world around him. Branson, a self-taught artist, has been painting for less than one year and has already sold several pieces to private collectors across the U.S.

In his inaugural exhibition, Branson showcases paintings in various mediums from acrylic to mixed media. His abstract forms, flowers, symbols and patterns of colors are all brought to life with contrasting and harmonious hues and bold compositions. “When I paint, I try to let the painting inspire me or tell me what to do, as opposed to placing too much emphasis on what I want it to do or be,” says Branson. “If I go into it with a preconceived notion or idea, I struggle. It’s only after I relax and have fun that a painting evolves on its own. In this way, I believe art comes to life, naturally. It’s ok to have an idea or opinion, but I let my pieces evolve from there.” He is a member of the Creative Ministries at Faith Promise Church where he attends regularly. For more information, please visit www.christianbranson.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 Monday, May 29, 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.

The Music Show is an art competition based on the theme of music and what it means to the artist. All different types of interpretations will be represented. Juried by Carl Gombert.

Winners will be awarded cash prizes at the opening on "First" Friday, June, 2 at 6pm. Doors open at 5pm. Light refreshments will be served.

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

Opening June 2, 5-7 PM

The Juror is Monique Carr, a contemporary, abstract, impressionist, plein air painter. Awards include cash and ribbons with over $1,000 in total cash to be awarded.

Info: 865-828-8168 or https://www.facebook.com/MorristownArtAssociation/

In the Edith Davis Gallery of The Rose Center, 442 West Second North St., Morristown, TN, 37814. Hours: M-F 9-5. Information: 423-581-4330, www.rosecenter.org

Opening reception June 2, 5-9 PM

Holly has been doing illustration for as long as she could hold a pencil. Her focus on the female figure began in high school and became what it is today after completing her degree in Fashion Design at VCU. Most of her work comes from personal thoughts or experience embellished in a playful world of color, texture, linework, detail, and a little of the surreal. Holly draws inspiration from a variety of fashion eras... artists like Friday Kahlo, music, nature... Her love of details is what keeps her creating and constantly challenging herself.

Hours: M-F 11 AM - 4 PM until July 15. Limited schedule through end of August.

Casa HoLa, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holahoralatina.org

By Neil Simon; Directed by Windie Wilson

Leon Tolchinsky is ecstatic. He's landed a terrific teaching job in an idyllic Russian hamlet. When he arrives he finds people sweeping dust from the stoops back into their houses and people milking upside down to get more cream.

The town has been cursed with Chronic Stupidity for 200 years and Leon's job is to break the curse. No one tells him that if he stays over 24 hours and fails to break the curse, he too becomes Stupid. But, he has fallen in love with a girl so Stupid that she has only recently learned how to sit down.

"The brightest, freshest, funniest, wittiest, warmest and happiest to do on Broadway in many a day."
– CBS-TV

Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 319 North Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information & tickets: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

Reception: September 1 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Stone, Mesh and Metal features prints by faculty from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville School of Art in the school’s nationally ranked printmaking program. Beauvais Lyons, Althea Murphy-Price and Koichi Yamamoto are pursuing their art using a variety of printmaking methods including lithography, screenprint and intaglio, reflecting the materials and processes of their chosen media. This exhibition offers a sampling of some of their recent investigations.

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

This will be a free, fun, lighthearted, easy, no commitment, no pressure time playing music in a large group. This is open to any adult musician whether they belong to Scruffy City Orchestra or not, who wants to give it a whirl. So please spread the word and invite your friends who might want to try it. The details are as follows: Every week, Conductor Ace Edewards will send out a link where we can download and print at least two pieces of music from our computers. We all will sight-read together and play the piece with gusto. There will be no concert this summer, so we are not practicing for a performance. This is totally for our enjoyment and to satisfy our musical appetite. There is only one rule: as we want it to be an equal opportunity summer, you must switch parts on every piece. Very important: There will be no copies available for any musician. You must bring your own copy or you will have nothing to play from.

Rehearsals will still be at Trentham Hall at the back side of First Baptist Church 510 Main Street, Knoxville 37902. We will meet from 7:00-9:00 pm on Thursdays from June 1- August 10, 2017. Again, there is NO cost and NO commitment. Just come along and have fun. To receive more information: scruffycityorchestra@gmail.com. Additional information about the orchestra can be found at http://www.facebook.com/scruffycityorchestra.

Asafe Pereira

Amity serves as a visual love letter to the friends who allow themselves to be vulnerable with me. Every form has a unique characteristics, making them alluring. My longing to create and photograph comes from the desire to know those I love in a deeper way. The vulnerability they share, I reward with anonymity. The familiarity and comfort we indulge in ignites an excitement in me which pushes me to create.

Old City Java / 109 S. Central St., Knoxville

Stop by to see both of our exhibits this month by Brandy Slaybaugh and Miah Weaver. Brandy's delicate ink and watercolor pieces and Miah's whimsical collages will captivate you!

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

During the American Gilded Age, which offered unprecedented access to consumer goods, what one owned or had the ability to buy became an important way to assert one’s identity.

The American Gilded Age (1870–1900) was a time of rapid modernization and great expansion of the country’s middle class. Though there was also vast income disparity, most Americans experienced an increase in overall quality of life.

Mass manufacturing permitted most people to buy a wealth of new goods, and the growth of trade and travel meant that Americans had new access to, and interest in, goods from around the world. Suddenly, even the middle class could emulate the wealthy, and identity was bound more than ever to what one owned.

From fish forks and fashionable dress, to furniture and fine china, this exhibition explores the seemingly superficial personal and household objects consumed during this era and how they were visible and powerful symbols of wealth, power, and social class. They speak not only to the great change changes occurring in America at the time, but to our continuing preoccupation today with the objects we choose to buy, wear, and display.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9AM-5PM, Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-974-2144, http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

The Farragut Museum, located inside Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Drive, will host “Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science.” May 25 through August 27. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.

The museum will be open 2 - 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 27, with a special take-home craft for kids. Don't miss your chance to experience these stories of ecological and cultural restoration from Native communities, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

This exhibition focuses on local ecosystems that face serious environmental challenges. It addresses the innovative solutions found by Native communities that combine traditional knowledge with science, and features stories of ecological and cultural restoration from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Tulalip Tribes, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Native Hawaiians. “Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science.” was developed, produced, and circulated by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. The exhibition was made possible with funds provided by the National Science Foundation. Four Native community partners graciously shared their restoration stories and their voices throughout the exhibition and the overall project.

For more information or to schedule a tour, contact Historic Resources Coordinator Julia Barham at jbarham@townoffarragut.org or 966-7057, or visit our website at www.townoffarragut.org/rootsofwisdom. Farragut Museum, 11408 Municipal Center Dr, Farragut, TN 37934. Hours: M-F 10-4:30. Information: 865-966-7057, www.townoffarragut.org/museum.