Calendar of Events

Stories in Stitches: Quilts from the East Tennessee Historical Society’s Permanent Collection

East Tennessee families treasure quilts made by their ancestors. Besides warming and decorating the bed, quilts also serve as reminders of important events—births, weddings, service to our country, the death of loved ones. Often, these memories are preserved in notes attached to the quilts or through stories handed down to younger generations. Sometimes notes are lost and memories fade, leaving families with a "mystery quilt." Did Grandma Jones or Granny Smith make this quilt? Or, was it Aunt Jane? When did she make it? Why did she choose this pattern? What caused this stain or that tear? These are some of the mysteries that quilt historians try to address through genealogical research and technical analysis.

From histories handed down to mysteries that remain, the new feature exhibition at the Museum of East Tennessee History provides visitors the opportunity to learn the "stories in stitches" from the quilts that have been entrusted to the East Tennessee Historical Society. Stories in Stitches features more than two dozen quilts with dates ranging from c. 1820 to 2001. The exhibition will be on display in the Rogers-Claussen Feature Gallery of the East Tennessee History Center from August 7, 2017 - January 2, 2018. Stories in Stitches is dedicated to Linda Claussen and Ginny Rogers for their years of service and support of the East Tennessee Historical Society’s quilt collection.

When the East Tennessee Historical Society was founded in 1834, early collection efforts focused on books and manuscripts. In more recent decades, objects began to be added, and the idea of displaying them in a museum grew. The ETHS Permanent Collection acquired its first quilt in 1992, one year before the Museum of East Tennessee History opened on the first floor of the renovated Customs House. Now a part of the expanded East Tennessee History Center, the museum and its collection includes more than 100 quilts. The ETHS Permanent Collection focuses on quilts made or used in one of East Tennessee’s 35 counties. An acquisitions committee reviews potential additions, evaluating the quilt’s history, condition, and importance to the collection as a whole. Some quilts are displayed in the museum’s signature exhibition, Voices of the Land: The People of East Tennessee. Others are cared for in climate-controlled storage and are brought out for special events or exhibitions like this one. The exhibition highlights more than two dozen quilts in a variety of fabrics, and patterns, and highlights some of the families who have made and cherished them. Patterns include everything from Rose of Sharon and “Knoxville Crazy Quilt” to a Civil War memory quilt and one pieced together out of clothing labels. The quilters range from John Sevier’s wife Bonny Kate to the Smoky Mountain Quilters of Tennessee.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

Doors open at 11:30 AM. This is a free event.

Enjoy Mighty Wurlitzer organ performances by Dr. Bill Snyder and Freddie Brabson and special guest, K-Town Sound. K-Town Sound is a chorus of women affiliated with Sweet Adelines who sing in the barbershop style.Brown bag lunches consisting of a sandwich, chips, and a dessert may be purchased in the lobby for $5.00 while supplies last. Soft drinks, bottled water, popcorn, and candy will also be available for purchase. Mighty Musical Monday is presented by LHP Capital, LLC.

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com

Join us on for our Annual Open House. This year will feature solar eclipse-themed activities including a Q&A with eclipse expert, Professor Mark Littmann. Get a behind the scenes tour of the station, meet the WUOT staff, and savor delicious treats from Three Rivers Market, Holly's Eventful Dining, and Magpies. Hear live music from on-air personalities Melony Dodson, Kelle Jolly, Garrett McQueen, and Todd Steed. This year's door prizes are out of this word, including solar eclipse gift packages, tickets to UT's Clarence Brown Theatre, tickets to see Garrison Keeler live at the Civic Auditorium, gift certificates to Holly's Eventful Dining and Wild Birds Unlimited, WUOT memorabilia, and more!

We hope you'll join us at this fun, family-friendly (AND FREE) event.

Please note that Circle Park Drive is currently closed due to construction.

For more information and directions to the station, visit our website at WUOT.org or contact Jeff Taylor at (865) 974-9558 or jtaylor@utk.edu. www.wuot.org

A resident of Maryville, Jon Pemberton makes wildly creative pop culture art work featuring icons. A self-proclaimed nerd, Jon says "I used to hide the fact that I may or may not be a geek, but I have come to understand that being a geek means that you are passionate about something to an extreme point. These are images of my passion, and I accept that."

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

The Art Guild at Fairfield Glade presents its 8th Annual Judged and Juried Fine Arts Show. This exciting show will begin with an Awards Reception on Friday, August 4th, starting at 5:00 p.m.

In addition to wall art including pieces in photography, watercolor, oil, acrylic, pastel, pen, ink, and pencil, artists proficient in clay, sculpture, jewelry, wood-working, and mixed-media will be displayed. This year’s Juror-Judge is Joseph S. Mella, director of the Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery. With almost 30 years of experience working in art museums, Joseph Mella manages, curates, and oversees the operations of the Vanderbilt Fine Arts Gallery and its collections within the College of Fine Arts and Science.

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

Broadway Studios and Gallery located at 1127 N Broadway, Knoxville will be hosting Dino Day Liddick and Brandy Slaybaugh in an art show being held Friday, August 4th through Saturday, August 26th.

The opening reception will be held on First Friday, August 4th from 5-9pm
Light refreshments will be served and parking is on premises.

Dino Day Liddick is a self-taught painter currently from Knoxville TN. Rather than pulling ideas together traditionally used to produce "art", he practices clearing his mind through the process of abstract painting resulting in an artistic product than can be shared. Dino's work looks like controlled chaos. The paint is placed in swirls and the explosions of color function, in part and as a whole, in a pleasing yet subtly challenging way. Extremely refreshing and enjoyable for the fan of "outsider-ish" abstract art.

The second artist is Brandy Slaybough. A lawyer by profession she describes: "I have no formal training as an artist- I have always just 'arted.' "

Brandy works primarily with ink and watercolor. Her work is geared toward pantheistic themes and divinity in small things inspired by mythology & magic, fairy tales, and gods. She questions what is part of this world, what is supernatural, and the blurring of the line between the two. Subject matter ranges from spirit animals to figures to insects to portraits done in a style that resembles pen and ink along with washes found in the journals of old masters such as Leonardo DaVinci.
Brady is also currently a candidate for Knoxville City Council District 6.

Come say hello to two very interesting Knoxvillians during your First Friday travels.

Regular business hours are 10am-6pm Thursday-Saturday or whenever the "open" sign is on throughout the week.
Broadway Studios and Gallery is located at 1127 N Broadway, Knoxville, TN. Found 1.5 miles north of the Old City and is between 4th and Gill and Old North Neighborhoods next to Vinyard Flooring.
www.BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com

Bangles & Bubbles! We are celebrating August’s First Friday with a showcase of Knoxville’s talented jewelry artists. View our month long exhibition and buy jewelry at our pop-up shop from 4:30-9:00 on August 4th!

Artists: Jessica Weiss, Wendy Seaward, Katie Dirnbauer, Karen Dwyer, Ryan-Ashley Anderson, Megan Craig, Kristine Taylor, Amanda Thompson, Alaina Smith, and Cameron Kite

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Viewing hours: Monday- Friday 9-5. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

A reception will take place on Friday, August 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown 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.

In the lower gallery - “Temperance: An Expose of Emotion” is a journey through color, texture, and raw expression. The works reflect a myriad of feelings influenced by the artist's psychology background and each piece is symbolic of a particular moment of personal emotional expression from the artist. Elements of nature are integrated throughout the collection as an additional component of emotion to bring her view of the world full circle in experiencing and expressing a multitude of emotions. "Emotion is the essence that influences our entire thought process, and ultimately it culminates our mental state and world view,” says Terina Gillette. “Emotions allow us to experience life fully."

Terina Gillette resides in Knoxville. She works in a variety of media such as window painting, chalk art murals, traditional wall murals, working with acrylics, papers, pencils, and face & body painting. She publishes an International art magazine that highlights professional artists and students. The magazine has been sent to Belgium, Italy, Holland, and the UK. You will find Gillette teaching art to local home education students at her private studio as well as summer art camps at the Knoxville Museum of Art. She is a member of numerous associations nationwide and locally that promote and support arts and culture. Each weekend you can find her face painting unique and beautiful designs for public and private events around town. She is in her master’s program for psychology and recently graduated with a double Bachelors in psychology. She believes that art is an important venue for healing and enjoying life, and that art is the fullest expression of emotions. Her printed work can be purchased at Visit Knoxville or online at www.TheColoredPalette.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. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

A reception will take place on Friday, August 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown 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.

In the Balcony gallery - A1LabArts is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1995 by a group of local artists and remains one of the oldest artist-run organizations based in Knoxville. During their membership meeting at the beginning of the year, they selected the title for the exhibition a la Dada during which attendees wrote a word on a piece of paper. Three words – Goddess, Japan, and Peace – were chosen to help inspire works to appear in the exhibition.

A1LabArts is dedicated to multi-disciplinary and experimental exploration of contemporary art issues in all media. Through events, workshops, shows and performances, A1LabArts aims to make connections in the community among artists of different ages, interests and backgrounds. They see art as a bridge between ideas and people and use their space in Emory Place as a catalyst to spark innovation and make connections. Their current membership includes 60 artists and is open to the public. For more information or to learn about becoming a member of this art collective, please visit www.A1LabArts.org.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

A reception will take place on Friday, August 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown 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.

In the display case - Mary Saylor has been fascinated by all sorts of artistic endeavors from her childhood and was raised by parents who themselves were creative individuals. She obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ohio University with a minor in Sculpture and taught art in middle school for some time in Ohio. Over the years, she has dabbled in various creative outlets including drawing, quilting, painting, woodcarving and clay and recently has focused on paper mâché sculptures. Saylor has a profound love and appreciation of all animals, great and small, and this devotion is clearly seen in her whimsical, humorous animal sculptures.

“Most of my recent work has been fashioned from paper mâché and mixed media using recycled materials,” says Mary Saylor. “I have a whimsical bent and a deep love and appreciation for all animals, but especially for dogs and cats. I never know how each new sculpture may evolve as I begin. They always surprise me as they come to life with their own personalities and stories!” Saylor tries to inject humor and warmth into each piece and hopes that when each is finished, their happiness and joy radiate to all who see them. For more information, please visit www.thecraftydonkey.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. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

A reception will take place on Friday, August 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown 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.

In the Atrium and North Wall - Dick Wills is an older adult with a broad background and many hobbies. A Chemical Engineer by training, he owns and operates a manufacturing company in West Knoxville. He plays over 20 instruments and is a member of his church music worship program. Wills frequents the gym and hikes as much as possible. Several times each year, he travels to the northwest to search for and excavate dinosaur fossils.

His art is multimedia: he utilizes oil, acrylic, dye, watercolor and more for paper and tissue collages and canvas/other surfaces. “Colors are full of joy and are therapeutic,” says Wills. “They attract the eye and lift the spirit. It is not so much what you see, but how you feel when you see it. Simple color and form can change your attitude and brighten your day in one look.”

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

Honoring the Struggle of the African Elephant

First Friday opening reception: August 4, 2017 from 5:00 until 9:00 PM

“Giants in the Bush” is a collection of multimedia art by three artists joining efforts in support of wildlife conservation in Kenya. Artwork in honor of the African Elephants was exclusively created for this exposition, and attempts to capture the magnitude and glory of these amazing creatures in the wild. Through poetry, sketches, watercolors, oils and photography the artists’ evoke a personal experience with these creatures; and convey the importance of their existence and conservation. Amateur Zambian artist Christie Lindsay, Photographer Nicole Perez and painter Susana Esrequis bring together a vibrant collection depicting these amazing creatures in their natural habitat. Special collaboration by poet Ana Moreno. Proceeds of the collection will benefit the Steve Weru Education Fund Animal Conservation Project in Kenya. For additional information call 865-607-9382.

Hours: M-F 1-4:30 PM. Casa HoLa, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holahoralatina.org