Calendar of Events

Making music in the womb? Close to it! Chris Blue started singing in church at age 3, and he hasn’t stopped since. Prior to winning NBC’s The Voice, Chris lent his “Blue Ribbon” vocals to Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin and his own group, the Blue Brothers. The Voice gave Chris a chance to hold his own vocally not only alongside other contestants, but with recording artists Alicia Keys and Usher. When he performs, Chris shares every ounce of his talent with his audience.

“I give every performance my all, when I’m on stage it may be the first time someone in the audience is seeing me, or it may be their last. I make the most of every second we have together.”

Along the way, Chris has left his indelible mark across the globe, touring through England, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Virgin Islands. Closer to home, Chris has sung the National Anthem at MLB games and at University of Tennessee sporting events. He has most recently offered his voice to support Knoxville community efforts such as “Save our Sons.”

Chris Blue’s versatility and virtuosity extend far beyond his love of music and into the fields of dance and acting (TV’s Homicide Hunter and Fatal Attraction). Chris is the complete package, equally at home in the concert arena and on the church stage.

Sept 7, 8 & 10!

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

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts invites you to attend our latest exhibit entitled Of the Earth: Selections from Arrowmont’s Permanent Collection.” The exhibit opens in the Sandra J. Blain Gallery September 1 and will run through December 9. Admission is free.

Works included in Of the Earth reflect a range of themes including nature, human emotion and the passage of time. Some of the pieces display overcoming struggle while others focus on hope. The earth tones and scorched surfaces found in many of the wood and ceramic pieces tie the show together. Arrowmont’s permanent collection is made up of pieces that were made by current and past artists-in-residence, instructors, national and international artists - all of the pieces and their creators have ties to Arrowmont and are part of the school’s history. This is the second large-scale curated exhibition utilizing works from Arrowmont’s permanent collection that Kelly Hider, Arrowmont’s Gallery Manager, has created, the first being Pieces of the Whole, in 2015.

The permanent collection includes nearly 1,000 works in a variety of arts and crafts media, including fiber, ceramics, wood, metals, and mixed media work. Made by the hands of current and past Arrowmont instructors, individuals from the settlement school’s days, and past artists-in- residence, the works represent the arts and craft school’s history, present, and future. “Arrowmont’s permanent collection encompasses such a diverse range of work,” Hider said. “It’s an impressive collection.”

The Sandra J. Blain Gallery is located at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway in Gatlinburg, and is open Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. It is closed on Sunday. The gallery serves as an educational resource, enabling students and visitors to learn about various media and techniques.

Hosted by With Bear Hands and Magpies Bakery. Please join us for a First Friday Opening Reception with Knoxville-based artist and sign painter Bud Ries. Snacks and drinks will be served, artwork and prints by Ries and Beth Meadows will be for sale, and the artists will be present for questions or comments. White Oak Gallery is located inside Magpies Bakery and is open to the public during their regular business hours. It is managed by local artist Beth Meadows whose work is on display there throughout the year and features a new artist every two months.

About Bud Ries and his work: "I am a local sign painter who has lived and worked in Knoxville since 2011. When I first moved to town I began documenting the ever-changing local scenery of signs and hand lettering on my website KnoxFlair.blogspot.com (now on Instagram @KnoxFlair). These paintings are of particular favorite photos I've posted in the past."

White Oak Gallery, 846 N Central St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Hours: M 10-4, Tu-F 10-5:30, Sat 10-4. Information: http://withbearhands.com/gallery/

Featuring abstracts by Marty Elmer
South Knoxville Library, 4500 Chapman Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920. (865) 573-1772

Reception: Friday, September 1, 5-9PM

Josef Albers, Matthew Deleget, Peter Dudek, Cris Gianakos, Michelle Grabner, Lynne Harlow, Changha Hwang, Russell Maltz, Rossana Martinez, Kristine Marx, Manfred Mohr

Dual Current: Inseparable Elements in Painting and Architecture, curated by Gabriele Evertz, examines the relationship between painting and architecture in a contemporary context through color, shape, and theory.

The artists whose works are featured in this exhibition are: Josef Albers (American, born Germany, 1888–1976), Matthew Deleget (American, born 1972), Peter Dudek (American, born 1952), Cris Gianakos (Greek-American, born 1934), Michelle Grabner (American, born 1962), Lynne Harlow (American, born 1968), Changha Hwang (Korean, born 1969), Russell Maltz (American, born 1952), Rossana Martinez (Puerto Rican, born 1969), Kristine Marx (American, born 1969), and Manfred Mohr (German, born 1938). Their works link three-dimensional space and the picture plane to create radical new forms. Dual Current explores the relationship between painting and architecture, closely intertwined since the Renaissance.

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

Recent works by painter Kate McCullough and glass artist Johnny Glass will be on display Sept 1st to the end of September at the Art Market Gallery. An opening reception for the featured artists will begin at 5:30 p.m., Sept 1st, during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk, with complimentary refreshments.

Kate McCullough says about her work, " The theme for my Featured Artist wall is called “The Ale Trail of Scruffy City”. You may have noticed that we now have a plethora of breweries and beer merchants popping up around town. The old diner is now a beer merchant, the old gas station is now a brewery. Some have taken a chance in areas that are desperately awaiting renewal. I chose the ones that had interesting architecture and/or signage. Very often the goal of my work is to capture a slice of life around town."

About Johnny Glass: Johnny Glass began his glass career in Los Angeles, CA, where he was first introduced to glass at Santa Monica College. He has spent multiple summers studying at Dale Chihuly’s world renowned Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, WA, where he studied with master glassblowers from around the world. His interests range from fine Italian cane and murrine work to the abstract arts of some of Japan’s most crafted masters.

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

In the exhibition, work in a variety of media will contain only black and white as its primary colors.

Opening night will be held on Friday, "First Friday," September 1st from 5-9pm. Prizes will be awarded at 6pm.

Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 Broadway St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Hours: Thurs-Sat, 10-6. Information: 865-556-8676, www.BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com

Hosted by Rala: Regional and Local Artisans

Join us for the opening of "Black Velvet," a print series by Jarred Elrod. Opening night will be held on First Friday of September, so come see the show and rub elbows with the artist! September 1, 6-9 PM

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

Showtimes
Fri Sep 1, 2017 | 8:00PM
Sat Sep 2, 2017 | 8:00PM
Sun Sep 3, 2017 | 2:00PM
Thu Sep 7, 2017 | 8:00PM
Fri Sep 8, 2017 | 8:00PM
Sat Sep 9, 2017 | 8:00PM
Sun Sep 10, 2017 | 2:00PM

It’s 1934 and the Cleveland Grand Opera is primed to welcome world famous Tito Morelli, AKA Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Otello. The star arrives late and, through a hilarious series of mishaps, the company’s general manager, Saunders, and his assistant Max believe he’s dead. In a frantic attempt to salvage the evening, a string of misguided decisions leads to a comedy of errors with two Otellos running around in costume and two women running around in lingerie, each thinking she is with Il Stupendo.

Oak Ridge Playhouse, 227 Broadway, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Information and tickets: 865-482-9999, www.orplayhouse.com

Flying Anvil Theatre gets Shipwrecked! Following the smash success of The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Flying Anvil Theatre’s second production in their new space is Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies.

An amazing tale of bravery, survival and celebrity that left nineteenth-century England spellbound, this breathless story of a Victorian gentleman and seafaring wanderer springs to life like a theatrical pop-up book. The show features all the magic of a high seas adventure, populated by exotic islanders, flying wombats, giant sea turtles and a monstrous man-eating octopus. The audience is left to judge whether de Rougemont is an inspirational figure touched by genius or a mere con man. Audiences can also consider the possibility that the hero of this (possibly) true story is a little of each. This fast-paced, rollicking show examines how far we're willing to blur the line between fact and fiction to leave our mark on the world.

Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) opens Friday, September 1 and runs for four weeks. Pre-opening previews are Wednesday, August 30 (Pay What You Can Night) and Thursday, August 31. The show is recommended for adults and children over the age of eight.

Performances are Wed-Sat at 7:30 PM and Sun at 2 PM.

Flying Anvil Theatre, 1300 Rocky Hill Road, Knoxville. Information: 865-357-1309, www.flyinganviltheatre.com

By: Rick Elice, based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

“Absurdly entertaining!” Entertainment Weekly

In this multiple Tony Award-winning play with music, a dozen actors portraying more than 100 unforgettable roles take to the high seas to answer the century-old question: How did Peter Pan become The Boy Who Never Grew Up? This magical evening of madcap fun is suitable for younger audiences but most enjoyable for ages 10 and up.

Clarence Brown Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com. For tickets: 865-974-5161, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

Part of the 2017-18 "Best of Theatre Knoxville Downtown" Season!

By Yasmina Rena. The Tony Award-winning comedy of grown ups behaving badly.

God of Carnage begins as two highly strung couples, Alan and Annette Raleigh and Michael and Veronica Novak, meet for a civil discussion about a playground fight between their sons. The conversation quickly morphs into a laugh-out-loud, train wreck of an afternoon among savages, called "ninety minutes of sustained mayhem" by The New Yorker. The New York Times hailed God of Carnage as a "four-way prize fight" and the Chicago Tribune praised Reza's play, calling it a "savvy and deliciously caustic new comedy."

This must-see received the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, as well as the Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Awards for Best Play.

"Elegant, acerbic and entertainingly fueled on pure bile. It's Reza's sharpest work since 'Art'."
—Variety

This production contains strong language.

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