Calendar of Events

Throughout his journalism career, Sam Venable interviewed literally thousands of individuals from all walks of life. Seeking to pay tribute to some of those mountain folks, Venable decided to focus on their hands, hands that plowed fields, stitched garments, created music, made moonshine, crafted fishing lures, molded pottery … and you get the idea. Venable will share stories from the book that resulted from his desire to honor the people he interviewed. He will talk about “Mountain Hands: A Portrait of Southern Appalachia”. This presentation is a continuation of the library’s Southern Appalachian Studies Series, sponsored by the Blount County Friends of the Library.

Venable says, “I have always maintained that the hands of Southern Appalachia are especially gifted.” In the hills and “hollers” of the mountains, people from days gone by were often isolated and therefore had to depend on themselves for eking out a living. When a person thinks of Southern Appalachia, some trades and skills may come immediately to mind: beekeeping, quilt making, sawing timber, mining coal, baking biscuits, stirring molasses. In the chapter about grave digging, With a touch of grim humor, Venable quotes Johnny King as saying, “I’m the last man to ever let you down.” In his presentation at the library, Venable will talk about how the book got started, the four and a half years of research and writing, and he will share stories about some of the interesting people featured in the book. “I offer this collection,” says Venable, “as a celebration of gifted people who understand and appreciate their heritage. In one way or another, each person herein is bonded inseparably with the misty ridge, the fertile valleys, the rushing streams, and towering forests of this land … Southern Appalachians were, and are, an intelligent, independent, innovative, industrious lot … [They] are honest and friendly, infused with powerful senses of humor, justice, integrity, and fair play, and I am honored to introduce them to you. For they are good people. Proud people. My people.”

Venable is a native of Southern Appalachia, a University of Tennessee alum, a columnist for the “Knoxville News Sentinel,” author of 13 books and a member of the “Talk is Cheap” comedy troupe. He is a member of the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame and of the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame. Open to the public.

Blount County Public Library, 508 N. Cusick Street, Maryville, TN. Information: 865-982-0981, www.blountlibrary.org

Art work by Kate Aubrey and Lee Edge is on exhibit in the gallery at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN.
The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The opening reception is June 16 from 6 to 7:30PM; artists' talks at 6:30PM.
Exhibit runs through August 10, 2017
Gallery hours: 10 AM – 5 PM, Monday through Thursday
10 AM – 1 PM, Sunday

A devoted watercolorist for 40 years, Kate Aubrey has won numerous awards and was a finalist in The Artists Magazine's Over 60 Competition of 2013 for her painting, "Invisible." Since arriving in the Knoxville area in 2014, Aubrey has taught workshops in Tennessee and Nevada, is Vice President of the Knoxville Watercolor Society, and is a member of the Art Guild of Tellico Village, the Fountain City Art Center, the Tennessee Artist's Association, the Southern Watercolor Society, and the Arts Alliance of Knoxville. Her paintings have been in the Oak Ridge Art Center's Annual Juried Shows of 2014 and 2015, winning awards each year, and The Arts and Culture Alliance's National Juried Exhibition of 2016. She won awards in the 2016 and 2017 Southern Watercolor Society Juried Exhibits, and her painting "Old Soul, Dear Heart" took the top Jerry's Artarama Purchase Award in the 2016 Tennessee Watercolor Society Biennial Exhibition.
Lee Edge uses a variety of techniques to create artwork ranging from portraits to landscapes to still lifes. Edge's artwork has appeared in juried shows in numerous locations including the Denver Art Museum, the Rocky Mountain states, Philadelphia, and Knoxville. She received an award in the 18-state-plus-D.C. Southern Watercolor Society show in 2017 and was awarded "Excellence of Watercolor" in the 2014 Oak Ridge Open Show. She has worked as an art teacher in various states over thirty years while raising her family and moving often, necessitated by husband's jobs. She and her husband have resided in Tellico Village since 2003.

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Gallery
2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918

nnSF began as a percussion chamber music festival back in 2011, and has grown into a multi-faceted think-tank for the exchange of ideas surrounding contemporary music. Each year, dozens of composers, interpreters, and scholars gather to create, discuss, and analyze both the classics and the newer, unknown gems in contemporary chamber music. Friendships are formed, collaborations are forged, and concerts are presented nearly every day for two weeks.

Here are a few of the highlights that we have in store at the the 2017 Nief-Norf Festival:

/// Musician, visual artist, and instrument builder Ellen Fullman will perform her Long String Instrument, an installation she has been developing for more than 30 years, which was recently covered by The Guardian. She will be in residence building the installation in preparation for her performance in collaboration with cellist Theresa Wong at the Ewing Gallery in the University of Tennessee’s Art & Architecture Building on Saturday June 24th at 7:30PM.

/// Carolyn Chen, one of our International Call for Scores winners, will be in town to work with our performance fellows on her new work for mixed piano quartet Sentence. On Saturday June 17th, we will also offer the world premiere of Chen’s Hamlet, her 30’ sextet for percussionists, at UT’s Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall.

/// We will welcome Nina Young, 2015-16 Rome Prize winner and visiting faculty at the Peabody Institute, as our first week’s Composer-in-Residence. Young’s works will be featured on events beginning on the opening faculty concert on Monday June 12th, and wrapping up on Saturday June 17th.

/// As always, there is a heavy research component to nnSF, led once again by our very own Kerry O’Brien. This year our Research Summit has been swapped out for The Society for Minimalist Music’s 6th International Conference (MinSoc). Dozens of scholars of musical minimalism from around the globe will be visiting Knoxville to share their professional thoughts surrounding music and minimalism.

And more! Information available at www.niefnorf.org

The image of the tortured artist is cliché because it’s often true, and, more so, because we talk about it a lot. In fact we love it. It may be that it appeals to a strange human craving for martyrdom: we love those who suffer for their passions. But not all artists fall on their swords or mutilate their ears; for a whole bunch of them the creative process reflects an earnest desire to bring a burning passion or drive to create into harmony with a good, even calm life.

Dino Liddick is one of the seekers of calm. Dino’s exhibit, “With the Eye, For the Mind” is currently hanging in our Market Square location, and the work that comprises the show is built upon a foundation of mindfulness and kindness. Some of that is a reaction to an emotional life, and some is related to sheer practicality. Certainly the artist has responded to emotional crises in his work, but for Liddick, the art isn’t merely a kind of therapy: it’s a statement of being. “Sometimes somebody will ask me how I feel, and I say, well, look at that painting – that’s how I feel.” On his website, he writes, “Rather than pulling ideas from the mind to produce ‘art,’” he, “practices clearing his mind through the process of a piece.”

Rather than formulate a work, Liddick hopes the piece will come together intuitively without too much conscious involvement. It’s an effort to feel rather than to think. When he’s moved by a subject or situation, Dino tries “to go home and reach that feeling, and let that feeling come into shape. I try to paint the feeling and then put in the shapes – I don’t try to the paint the shapes and then put in the feeling.”

“With the Eye, for the Mind” by Dino Liddick will be on view at the downtown Knoxville Tomato Head on Market Square from June 5th through July 2nd. The exhibit will display at the West Knoxville Gallery Tomato Head from July 4th through August 3rd.

Tomato Head, 12 Market Square (865-637-4067) and 7240 Kingston Pike, Suite 172 (865-584-1075), in Knoxville. http://thetomatohead.com

The Dogwood Arts Regional Art Exhibition was developed to showcase and award the finest artists of our region. Fine art encompassing all styles and genres from both emerging and established artists has been selected by juror Leslie Noell, Director of Programs at Bakersville, North Carolina’s Penland School of Crafts.

June 2, 2017: Opening & Award Ceremony 5:30-8:30 (awards at 7 PM).

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

A self-taught artist with a background in creative writing and journalism, a passion for advertising, and an unrelenting drive to make. Ryan-Ashley finds herself crafting copy by day, stringing together minimalist-inspired wearables by night, and reading books in hot baths as often as possible.

Ryan-Ashley has been teaching knitting for 14 years, and facilitates workshops on a variety of subjects including peyote-stitch beadwork, bead-making, fiberwork jewelry, intro. to leatherwork, and a host of other DIY-related topics. New to Knoxville, but eager to dig into the maker community, you can learn about any and all upcoming projects, workshops, and shows at http://www.smartandbeckercreative.com/.

Opening reception: 6-9 PM on Friday June 2.

RALA, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7888, https://shoprala.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.

The Knoxville Modern Quilt Guild (KMQG) exists for residents in and around Knoxville who have an interest in modern design and quilting. KMQG hopes to provide members with a community where modern quilters can meet, share ideas, and create in an environment that encourages creativity and acceptance. The Guild is a member of the international Modern Quilt Guild, whose first meeting took place in January 2010 and was organized by Alissa Haight-Carlton. Mary Beth Meadows of the Knoxville Modern Quilt Guild took subsequent steps to establish KMQG in February of that same year.

The Guild will exhibit quilts made using traditional means and featuring a modern aesthetic. The collection will consist of works from KMQG members. For more information, please visit http://knoxvillemqg.blogspot.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.

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.

The artists who make up 17th Street Studios each have a unique background and specific creative inclination. Their differing goals result in bodies of work that notably contrast from one other. Yet, as these artists inhabit the same space, conversations are sparked, similarities are discovered, and a fusion of ideas take shape. As a result, the word amalgam, meaning a mixture or blend, identifies the work produced by the residents of this studio.

The artists of 17th Street Studios are Eric Brittain, Lesley Eaton, Jon Hendricks, Renee Holiday, Beth Meadows, Janet McMullen, Natalie Petrosky, Britton Sharp, and alumni Gwyn Pevonka. 17th Street Studios is a private work space for artists located in Redeemer Church in the Fort Sanders neighborhood near downtown Knoxville. Its primary mission is to promote the success of fine artists through affordable physical space that fosters community and support. To learn more, visit http://17thstreetstudios.gutensite.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.

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.

Anne Freels is a full-time craft artist who has been making corn shuck dolls since 1975. She is devoted to the creative process of craft and especially the alchemy of transforming raw, natural materials into new forms. First, she dyes the natural dried corn shucks by hand; she then rolls and ties them into the doll figures; and finally, she embellishes them with a variety of natural materials and repurposed objects. Freels’ dolls represent her imaginative notions of folklore, legend, myth, and earthly and celestial entities as well as traditional Appalachian themes. Because of her interest in keeping corn shuck doll craft alive, she teaches workshops and classes and has authored an instructional book on the craft entitled "Making Colorful Corn Shuck Dolls”. Her work is available at various craft galleries and shops in the southern Appalachian region.

In addition to her corn shuck artistry, Anne Freels also produces her own line of natural skin care products under the business of Annie Egypt Herbals. She began by experimenting with making her own soaps more than 20 years ago and has since added face and body creams, anointing and massage oils, and other products good for the body and soul. All of her products are made in small batches using all-natural vegetable oils and pure essential oils. https://www.facebook.com/annie.egypt.herbals/

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.

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.

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