Calendar of Events

At Knoxville Civic Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Jr Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37915

FREE EVENT! No tickets needed!
Join us for the 49th annual Nativity Pageant of Knoxville at the Civic Coliseum

Saturday, Dec 9 at 3 pm
Sunday, Dec 10 at 3 pm
Monday, Dec 11 at 7 pm

https://www.facebook.com/events/464948107217025/

Mabry-Hazen House invites you to join us for our annual Christmas Tours. Our final event of the year before we close for the winter, the rooms of the house will be decorated in the spirit of the holiday season. Tours are scheduled for Saturday, December 9th from 5-8pm and Sunday, December 10th from 2-5pm. The event is free of charge and light refreshments will be served. Donations are encouraged and appreciated. Mabry-Hazen House will be open by appointment from December 11th until March 1st, 2018.

Mabry-Hazen House, 1711 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915. Information: 865-522-8661, www.mabryhazen.com

The second annual ‘BSG Holiday Market Sale’ will showcase the resident artists’ holiday art and gifts. BSG will be open on Dec. 9th from 10am-6pm and Dec. 10th from 12pm-5pm.

BSG will showcase all original artwork such as: jewelry, paintings, stained glass, cornshuck dolls, sculpture, Ukrainian Eggs, photography, scarves, coffee mugs, totes, all natural soaps, lotions, scented essential oils,bath salts, prints, and gift cards.

Light refreshments will be available and parking is easy and on site for FREE. Come snow, rain, or shine there will be 11 artists working in their studios who will be available to answer questions while you shop and tour the building.

Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 Broadway St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Hours: Thurs-Sat, 10-6; Sun-Wed by appointment (or when the "open" sign is turned on). Information: 865-556-8676, www.BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com

The enchanting tale that brought the trial of the legendary St. Nick will close the season. Join FCP during your holiday season with a story that examines what happens when a department store Santa claims to be the real thing.

Foothills Community Players: 865-712-6428, www.foothillscommunityplayers.com

Based on Italian folk tales of the Nativity and Epiphany, Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors is a short opera originally created for television that retells the story of the Magi from the point of view of a young disabled boy named Amahl. The boy lives in poverty with his widowed mother near Bethlehem, and one night he sees a bright star in the night sky. Three kings loaded with treasure and gifts, have been following that same star in search of “the Child” and come across Amahl and his mother’s meager hut seeking shelter. What happens next is truly a Christmas miracle! A vivid and accessible tale, Amahl and the Night Visitors is a perfect first opera--or hundredth!

Performances are December 8 at 7:30 PM and December 10 at 3 PM. Tickets can be purchased on line at https://marblecityopera.brownpapertickets.com.

At St. John’s Cathedral, 413 Cumberland Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7347, www.stjohnscathedral.org. Marble City Opera: 646-217-1580, www.marblecityopera.com

Thursday, December 7 through Sunday, December 24.
The Unusual Tale of Mary & Joseph's Baby dares to take the classic story at its word. There really is a pregnant virgin. There are shepherds, angels, foreign dignitaries (a.k.a. wise men), a ratty extra room/stable at an inn, and a maniacal, bloodthirsty dictator whose menacing shadow hangs over everything.

And obviously, it's a comedy. Seriously it is.
The Unusual Tale of Mary & Joseph's Baby surprises both virgin-believing and non-virgin-believing audiences alike by telling the most over-told story in a sincerely human way that bursts with imagination and wonder.

The Green Room at the Jackson Avenue Terminal in the Old City
211 Jackson Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37902

River & Rail Theatre Company, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 106, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-407-0727, www.riverandrailtheatre.com

Cattywampus Puppet Council and the Good Guy Collective will present their first collaborative theatre piece at Modern Studio: What the Water Tells Me. Through hip-hop, puppetry, and dance, What the Water Tells Me follows two children’s journeys to adulthood as they navigate the changes that occur in their home town and within themselves, when a large utility company threatens the waters that raised them. This collaborative and innovative show has involved many hands throughout its creation and has truly become a community art project. Four performances will be offered during the four day run and each will feature an audience “talkback” session afterward:

Thursday, Dec.7th-Doors 7:30pm, Show 8pm "Pay What You Can Night"- This donation-based show is open for everyone to attend regardless of funds. Tickets will only be sold at door. Cost: Suggested Donation ($10-$20)

Friday, Dec.8th- Doors 7:30pm, Show 8pm "Hip-Hop & Puppets Night"-This evening will also include several local hip-hop acts after the show. Cost: $15

Saturday, Dec.9th- Doors 7:30pm, Show 8pm "Puppet Dance Party"- This evening will include a DJ'd Puppet Dance Party after the show. Cost: $15

Sunday, Dec. 10th- Doors 2pm, Show 2:30pm- "Family Show"- This matinee will be geared towards kids and will include a free puppetmaking station open from 2-2:30pm. Cost: Kids 2 & under (FREE), Kids 3 & up ($10), Adults ($15). Ticket price includes puppetmaking. For more info about the show, visit our facebook page What the Water Tells Me. To buy advance tickets, please visit: https://whatthewatertellsme.bpt.me.

Cattywampus Puppet Council is a registered non-profit in the state of Tennessee and fiscally sponsored by Community Shares. CPC gathers and imagines stories inspired by nature and the human experience in the South East to bring people together. Through workshops, public art, performances, and parades, CPC seeks to promote play and community-based storytelling as integral to our individual growth and the health of our communities. CPC believes art accessibility invigorates an individual's sense of ownership and power within community.

Good Guy Collective’s mission is to empower young creatives to find the best version of themselves and build community through the culture of Hip-Hop.

Venue: Modern Studio, 109 W Anderson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-323-2425, www.modernstudio.org

Cattywampus Puppet Council information: 865-300-3736, www.cattywampuspuppetcouncil.com

“What does it mean?” I haven’t taken a poll, but it might be interesting to ask how often an artist working in the Abstract hears that particular question. It might be more enlightening to ask if that question becomes challenging to hear over time – not because it’s necessarily a bad question, but because most people ask the wrong person. It’s not a question for the artist: It’s a question for you.

Gretchen Adreon’s exhibit at our Market Square restaurant is an opportunity for you to pose that question to yourself over and over again. And that’s just how Adreon likes it. When a work is complete, she says, her hope is to “leave an open space and the viewer will be able to add their own feelings and connect with the piece to complete the process.” And of course, that means that there are many answers to the question of what’s all about. “From the very beginning I have had people telling me their feelings and impressions of my work. I LOVE that – that’s when the whole process comes full circle to me. When someone is engaged in the work, I feel I have succeeded. Sometimes one viewer sees what another cannot see at all but sees or, even better, feels something totally different. “

Adreon’s art begins as an emotional expression that, through any number of implements and materials -from trowels to sandpaper, and more- remains an open and emotional experience to share with the people who see it. Although this may leave the definition of her imagery in the eyes of others, Adreon is more than comfortable with that process: “My emotions went to abstractions rather than concrete imagery. I have never regretted taking that direction, however many, many people see images, figures and, yes, landscapes as well.”

Gretchen Adreon will be on view at the Market Square Tomato Head from December 4th through January 7th, 2018. She will then exhibit with the West Knoxville Gallery Tomato Head from January 9th through February 5th, 2018.

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

The Art Gallery at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church will present an exhibit of multi-media art by six local artists, opening on Sunday, December 3, at 12:30 p.m. with a reception and gallery talk led by the artists. It is free and open to the public. The exhibit will continue through February 2.

The six artists whose work will be featured are Pat Fain, Mary Ann Damos, Jan Hill, Pat Fitchpatrick, Ina Sue Marlin, and Betsy Spooner. These six artists have studied side-by-side for the past five years under Chico Osten at the Oak Ridge Art Center. They all work with different paint media and in different painting styles.

ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Free and open to the public, Gallery hours are Monday – Thursday, 9 am to 3 pm. and Sunday 9:30 am to 1 pm. For more information call (865) 483-6761.

Zoo Knoxville is offering $5 off admission tickets during Kroger Discount Days, December 1 through February 28, 2018. During Kroger Discount Days, guests can discover why winter is an enjoyable time to visit the zoo. Many animals, including red pandas, river otters, elephants, gorillas, red wolves, lions and tigers, enjoy the cooler temperatures. On days when the temperature drops below 40 degrees, some animals will be moved indoors, but visitors can still see many in their indoor viewing areas. The Pilot Flying J Wee Play Adventure is a popular indoor area that’s an entertaining stop for creative play during visits as well.

A December trip to the zoo may even include a visit to Santa’s Village, a special holiday encounter and photo opportunity with Santa Claus. Santa’s Village will be open for holiday photos and Christmas wishes December 14 through 17, from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. each day in the heated Kids Cove tent. Discounted tickets can be purchased at the zoo ticket window during regular zoo hours and online at zooknoxville.org. Discounted admission tickets must be used by Feb. 28, 2018, and cannot be combined with any other promotion, discount, or coupon.

Currently, the zoo is open from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. daily. Admission and ticket sales stop one-hour before the zoo closes. Zoo Knoxville, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Open every day except Christmas. Information: 865-637-5331, https://www.zooknoxville.org

Join the McClung Museum for holiday specials, and unique gifts, stocking stuffers, jewelry, handmade artisan items, and more throughout the month of December.

Members and UT students always receive 10% off, and faculty/staff receive a special 10% discount from December 1–25. All proceeds benefit the museum’s free K-12 educational programming.

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

Recent works by Gordon Fowler and Eric Gebhardt will be on display with an opening reception will be held Friday, December 1st at the gallery.

Gordon Fowler says about his work: "I make bowls, platters, and hollow forms from wood using a woodturning lathe. I find the wood on roadsides or friends tell me about a tree they cut down. I get a kick out of “recycling” these logs that would otherwise go to a landfill or a fireplace. Most of my work is twice-turned. That means I cut the logs with a chainsaw, rough turn it, let it dry for at least six months, then turn it again to its final thickness. Making round things is inherent to the lathe, and I’m inspired by the symbolism and symmetry."

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