Calendar of Events

The work of Asheville artist, Kathryn Gunn is a vibrant collection of color, light and reflection that comes from an intuitive place where music and mindfulness mingle with canvas, acrylic, and curiosity. Gunn only recently started painting – in fact, until last year, she thought that she couldn’t: “I have always been a lover of art and when I was younger I pursued a career in Art history, but never believed that I could be an artist.”

But when she salvaged the remains of a children’s tempura paint set, Gunn’s artistic interest started her on a path that would lead to art shows and juried events across the southeast even though the beginning of the journey was a very, very private affair that included only one set of eyes: her own.

“I took [the children’s’ paints] home with me. I just loved mixing colors. I would hide in my basement and paint on cardboard so I could throw them away as soon as I was finished and no one would ever look at anything I did.” And even when a friend lured her to a live model drawing event with a promise that the event had “really chill music and you get to drink wine,” Gunn only agreed to attend when she was assured that no one would actually see what she had drawn. The event proved to be much more than a pleasant afternoon of wine and song because when her drawing turned out to actually look like the model Gunn was moved to continue to explore her artistic side. Her subsequent experiments with drawing led to more painting and more work with color and form.

Gunn’s approach remains intuitive – she adds color based on a sense of what’s missing and remains open in terms of style and subject style. “I’m not sure that I’ve found my niche, and maybe never will as I find the next style and go ‘I want to try that out!’”

But her work is certainly informed by nature – in landscapes and even in her abstract and “Flow” works, the colors might leap from the flowers and vistas of the Appalachian Mountains. But more than that, Gunn’s work reflects a peaceful beauty, one that’s attune to her creative process. When she works, Gunn is absorbed by the present, because, she says, “When I’m painting, I lose myself in the work, lose track of time, forget to eat, completely absorbed, I don’t even know that I am sore from standing for hours and hours until I am finished. There is really no separation between me and the painting.”

You can get lost in Gunn’s paintings, too at the downtown Market Square Tomato Head through October 1st. She will then hang at the West Knoxville Tomato Head from October 3rd through November 6th.

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

By: Anton Chekhov; New Version by Libby Appel

“If you are new to Chekhov, this version would be a marvelous introduction; for the repeat viewer, it may in some ways be a revelation.” The Five Points Star

Olga, Masha, and Irina struggle to let go of their past and to shape their future. A domineering sister-in-law, romance, soldiers, and money challenge the Prozorov family’s happiness and unity. With artful depiction of three very different women, Chekhov fascinates audiences with his deeply sensitive observations on life’s struggles.

Carousel 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

Singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens is the co-founder of the GRAMMY award-winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops, in which she also plays banjo and fiddle.
She began gaining recognition as a solo artist when she stole the show at the T Bone Burnett’produced Another Day, Another Time concert at New York City’s Town Hall in 2013. The elegant bearing, prodigious voice, and fierce spirit that brought the audience to its feet that night is also abundantly evident on Giddens’ critically acclaimed solo debut, the Grammy nominated album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, which masterfully blends American musical genres like gospel, jazz, blues, and country, showcasing her extraordinary emotional range and dazzling vocal prowess.

On February 24, 2017, Giddens follow-up album Freedom Highway will be released. It includes 9 original songs Giddens wrote or co-wrote along with a traditional song and two civil rights-era songs, “Birmingham Sunday” and Staple Singers’ well-known “Freedom Highway,” from which the album takes its name.

Giddens’ recent televised performances include The Late Show, Austin City Limits, Later…with Jools Holland, and both CBS Saturday and Sunday Morning, among numerous other notable media appearances. She performed for President Obama and the First Lady on a White House Tribute to Gospel, along with Aretha Franklin and Emmylou Harris; the program was televised on PBS. Giddens duets with country superstar Eric Church on his powerful anti-racism song “Kill a Word,” which is currently top 15 on country radio; the two have performed the song on The Tonight Show and the CMA Awards, among other programs. Giddens received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Singer of the Year and has won the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Bluegrass and Banjo in 2016.

Giddens, who studied opera at Oberlin, makes her acting debut with a recurring role on the recently revived television drama Nashville, which debuts on CMT in January, playing the role of Hanna Lee "Hallie" Jordan, a young social worker with "the voice of an angel”.

At Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com, www.ticketmaster.com

The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra presents THE Q SERIES at the SQUARE ROOM for classical music Wednesdays! Single tickets are $18 in advance/$20 at the door. This concert features a one-hour performance by the Principal Quartet and tickets include lunch.

The Square Room at Café 4, 4 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902. Tickets and information: 865-291-3310, www.knoxvillesymphony.com

The Clayton Center for the Arts is one of 8 venues in the Southeast to screen 6 films as part of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers. One film will be shown per month in the Lambert Recital Hall. Screenings will be free for High School and College students with a student ID, and admission for the general public $5. All films will be shown at 7pm followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.

“Through the Southern Circuit, we are reshaping the relationship between films, filmmakers, and audiences,” said Teresa Hollingsworth, senior program director with South Arts. “Our Screening Partners are developing thriving audiences who support independent films, and filmmakers have the opportunity to interact with audiences in each community at receptions, Q&As, and workshops. The Southern Circuit is about creating a deeper, more conversational approach to film. Instead of catching a documentary in your living room, audiences get to meet the filmmaker and discuss the creative process." In total, there will be 21 Screening Partners, 18 filmmakers and a total of 124 screenings spanning nine states.

Films to be screened at the Clayton Center are:
• September 27, 2017: When God Sleeps with filmmaker Till Schauder
• October 25, 2017: Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four with filmmaker Deborah Esquenazi
• November 08, 2017: Jackson with filmmaker Maisie Crow
• February 14, 2018: Liyana with filmmakers Amanda Kopp & Aaron Kopp
• March 14, 2018: Quest with filmmaker Jonathan Olshefski
• April 18, 2018: 78/52 with filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe

Clayton Center for the Arts: 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information/tickets: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

Knox County Public Library invites the public to join Dr. Oleg Manaev, Global Security Fellow at the Institute for Nuclear Security, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who will discuss The Man without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladmir Putin by Masha Gessen.

Manaev has an insider's perspective of Eastern European politics. When in 2010 the leadership of the Belarusian State University—on order from the KGB—pressured Manaev to resign,130 well-known scholars from 30 countries sent a letter of protest to the Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, preserving his position. Manaev was arrested the following year by the Minsk Riot Police and was called “a pawn of the West” by President Lukashenko. Finally, Manaev's contract with the University was cancelled, ending his 40-year tenure. Manaev has held visiting professorships at universities in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Europe and Japan. He has authored 200 scholarly articles and 20 books on media, political process, and democracy. Currently Manaev serves as a Global Security Fellow at the University of Tennessee Institute for Nuclear Security.

"I’m really impressed by how Gessen's book flows on multiple tracks, tracing Putin’s life back to boyhood, the story of his hometown of St. Petersburg, his KGB experience, and finally the last quarter-century of Russian history," Manaev said. "Even though many interpretations remain controversial, this book helps to understand modern Russia."

Vladmir Putin had been a former deputy mayor of St. Petersburg and briefly a director of the secret police, but had very little governmental or administrative experience. When the “family” surrounding Boris Yeltsin went looking for a successor to the ailing and increasingly unpopular president, Putin nevertheless seemed the perfect choice: a “faceless” creature whom Yeltsin and his cronies could mold in their own image.

“Not only the White House and the Congress, the Department of State and the Pentagon, mass media and civil activists, but many fellow Americans think and talk about Russia today,” Manaev said. “Was Russia really meddling in the 2016 election, and colluded with the Trump campaign? Does Russia seriously threaten the USA and the existing world order? And more fundamental question: why after collapse of Communism and the end of the Cold war 25 years ago, instead of building democracy, market economy and rule of law Russia has built a new aggressive autocracy?”

Books Sandwiched In is sponsored by the Friends of Knox County Public Library. Attendees may bring lunch. Drinks are available to purchase. In the East Tennessee History Center auditorium, 601 S. Gay Street. Knox County Public Library: 500 West Church Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-215-8750, www.knoxlib.org

Health Data Influencing Design - UT West Campus Housing Redevelopment

This Fryer Talk is intended to engage the community in on-going conversations about quality design, place making and community building, specifically pertaining to how student health data is influencing the design of UT's latest development. We are especially interested in the participation of practicing architects and planners, plus design-major students, so please help spread the word.
RSVP to charis@communitydc.org.

Join us to learn about UT's West Campus Housing Redevelopment, led by:
o Bill Bruce, Principal in Charge, CRJA
o Cliff Brooks, Project Manager, CRJA
o Andy Powers, Director of Design, University of Tennessee

Enjoy a Fryer Talk led by the principals involved in the development of the new housing village at The University of Tennessee. Outdoor courtyard spaces connect the new development with the campus through an extension of an existing pedestrian mall. With a $260 million project budget, this is the largest capital improvement project in UT's history and will be constructed in four phases. The project offers CRJA-IBI Group the opportunity to plan and design exterior improvements, which follow the guiding principles codified within the Campus Landscape Vision document, also produced by CRJA-IBI Group.

CRJA-IBI Group will use three principals in guiding the landscape architectural design: 1) Adapt planning principles of Collegiate Gothic Architecture; 2) Follow the principals of the CLVSS for building siting, campus connections, campus spaces, planting, and sustainability; 3) Incorporate design strategies to alleviate the top negative impacts to student health while promoting student well-being.

For this process, health and student well-being were driving factors. The student health data collected influenced the landscape architectural process thus mitigating student health issues. Student health data was collected based on student populations and past research, then utilized within the design process to create a healthy environment for students and staff.

At Fieldhouse Social, 2525 University Commons Way. East Tennessee Community Design Center, 1300 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-525-9945, www.communitydc.org

Guest artist recital; Colin Carr appears throughout the world as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and teacher. He has played with major orchestras worldwide, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, The Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, the orchestras of Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, Philadelphia, Montréal and all the major orchestras of Australia and New Zealand. Conductors with whom he has worked include Rattle, Gergiev, Dutoit, Elder, Skrowasczewski and Marriner. He has been a regular guest at the BBC Proms and has twice toured Australia. Carr will perform Bach suites.

Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall, Natalie L. Haslam Music Center

Unless otherwise noted, concerts are FREE and open to the public. The Natalie Haslam Music Center is located at 1741 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, and the Alumni Memorial Building is located at 1408 Middle Drive on the UT campus. *For individual or small group performances, please check the web site or call the day of the event for updates or cancellations: 865-974-5678, www.music.utk.edu/events

Presented by The CEB Arts and Culture Committee

Tickets available Friday August 25th, 2017 at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Tennessee Theatre box office, and 800-745-3000. UT Students: Opted In student tickets will be free of charge while supplies last. Opted In tickets are available for pick up Monday, August 28, 2017 at the Center for Student Engagement in Dunford Hall between 8am – 5pm. Please bring a valid student ID.

As the founder of the street portrait blog, Humans of New York, Brandon has emerged as a worldwide Internet phenomenon and one of today’s most influential storytellers. With millions of social media followers, his individual story, like those on HONY, illustrates the power of the Internet, the value of storytelling, and our desire to remain connected with real people in a tech-driven world.

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

Co-Presented with Tennessee Consortium for International Studies. Pellissippi State Community College will host an exhibit on the lives of Oskar and Emilie Schindler, who put their own lives at risk to save 1,200 people from concentration camps during World War II. The exhibit tells the story of the Schindlers' lives -- as made famous in the film "Schindler's List" -- using texts and photographs, many never published before.

Exhibit opening date delayed: The opening of the Schindler Exhibit at Pellissippi State has been delayed. The exhibit, which was intended to arrive from Germany to Miami International Airport, was initially delayed by Hurricane Irma and subsequently by the damage in and around Miami. The exhibit's opening date has been pushed back one week to Monday, September 25. The opening reception will be from 3-5 p.m., Monday, Sept. 25. During the reception, history instructor Amanda Carr-Wilcoxson will be on hand to briefly discuss the historical impact of the Schindlers and their actions.

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Bagwell Center Gallery hours: M-F 10-6:30. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Opening reception on Fri Sep 22, 6:30-8:00 PM. Free and open to the public.

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

Cindy & Ella, the Knoxville Theatre Club's inaugural production, runs September 22-23 & 29-30 at Modern Studio. It is based on the ancient folktale of Cinderella, but if you're only familiar with the Disney cartoon, the plot of this dark comedy may be a bit surprising. Stranded in the lifeless heart of Dust Bowl-era Oklahoma, and reeling from the traumatic death of her mother, young Cindy Wicket is left teetering on the brink of madness. When her scheming Aunt Eudora arrives claiming ownership of the home, a violent battle of wits and wills ensues. Meanwhile, Eudora's daughter Ella must wrestle with her own mounting desperation as she watches her hopes for the future vanish beneath dust, dead crops, and her mother's all-consuming greed. When a handsome young man from Chicago arrives offering to buy the land, the stage is set for a final conflict over control of the homestead and the fate of all who live there.

Cindy & Ella stars Theatre Knoxville Downtown President Bonny Pendleton, Raine Palmer (The Office, Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night's Dream), Chad Wood (Two Gentlemen of Verona, Tennessee Medieval Faire, Hamlet) and Maria Kauffman (Pride and Prejudice, Sleeping Beauty, The Crucible.) The show's co-creators Gaddis and JP Schuffman have been producing original work together in NYC, Nashville, and Knoxville since 2010. In 2017 they founded Knoxville Theatre Club (www.knoxvilletheatreclub.org) which has hosted workshops and local community events such as The Pop-Up Theatre Project, Drama & Drinks, The Crow Flies Scriptworks, and the Knoxville Theatre Slam.

Cindy & Ella runs September 22-23 & 29-30 at Modern Studio, 109 W Anderson Ave, Knoxville, 37917. For tickets and more information please visit knoxvilletheatreclub.org, Tel: (865)469-6142.
Website: knoxvilletheatreclub.org