Calendar of Events

“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

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

An exhibition of four faculty members from the UT School of Art. Opening December 1, 5-9 PM with a second reception on January 5, 2018, 5-9 PM

Emily Ward Bivens is an Associate Professor of 4D arts and Time-Based Art at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She received her MFA from The University of Colorado, Boulder in 2004. Bivens uses found and made objects to forge narratives, provoke or encourage interaction, and reveal fictional and non-fictional mysteries. These objects shift from prop to subject to evidence when used in performance, video, and installation. Characters or identities are created to act as subjects, authors, inventors, and curators of the work.

John C. Kelley is an Assistant Professor of 4D and Time-Based Arts at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. His video work has screened domestically at venues such as The Mid-America Arts Alliance (Kansas City, MO), the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, AR) the Arizona International Film Festival (Tucson, AZ), The Front (New Orleans, LA), the Index Art Center (Newark, NJ), Living Arts (Tulsa, OK), internationally in cities such as London, Moscow, Berlin, Sao Paolo, Mexico City, Edinburgh, Vienna, Prague, Amsterdam and others. Kelley has written original music for award winning feature length narrative and documentary films through Gray Picture in St. Louis, MO, released music as a solo artist through King Electric Records in Austin, TX, and has appeared on more than 25 recordings and albums.

Mary Laube was born in Seoul, South Korea. She received her M.F.A. from the University of Iowa. Recent exhibitions include Piecing It Togetherat the Hawn Gallery in Dallas, Signaling to the Cipher towards a Segway at Field Projects in New York City, and Paper Planes at Whitdel Arts in Detroit. Her work has been supported by several artist residencies including the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and Stiwdeo Maelor in Wales. She received the Illinois National Women in the Arts Award in 2009 and a Project Grant from the Iowa Arts Council in 2014. Laube is co-founder of the Warp Whistle Project, a collaborative duo with composer Paul Schuette. Their work was presented at the 2016 International Symposium on Electronic Art in Hong Kong. Recent exhibitions include shows at the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art in Gimpo, South Korea and Phyllis Weston in Cincinnati. Laube has served as a visiting artist at various institutions including the Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar, Kent State University, and Knox College. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

John Douglas Powers studied art history at Vanderbilt University and earned his MFA in sculpture, with distinction, at The University of Georgia. His work has been featured in The New York Times, World Sculpture News, Sculpture Magazine, Art Forum, The Huffington Post, Art in America, The Boston Globe and on CBS News Sunday Morning. He is the recipient of the 2013 Virginia A. Groot Foundation Award, a Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant as well as a Southeastern College Art Conference Individual Artist Fellowship, an Alabama State Council on the Arts Fellowship, and the Margaret Stonewall Wooldridge Hamblet Award. Powers currently lives and works in Knoxville, Tennessee and is Assistant Professor of Sculpture at The University of Tennessee.

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

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

The District Gallery is pleased to present "Kathie Odom: Home for the Season", a collection of the special scenes and moments captured throughout the artist's many travels. Painted on locations far and wide, Home for the Season searches for the qualities of the one place she holds most dear. "Since my art career takes me to many places across the country, it is so good to be home with friends and family, " says Kathie.

Please join us Friday, December 1, from 5:00-8:00PM for an opening reception and a live artist's talk from Kathie in the gallery. The show will be on display through December 30.

The District Gallery, 5113 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-F 10-5:30, Sa 10-4. Information: 865-200-4452, www.TheDistrictGallery.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance proudly presents its 2017 Members Show, the largest annual exhibition of local artists in the Greater Knoxville area. The fresh mix of two- and three-dimensional works created within the last two years encompasses a wide variety of media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, mixed media, photography, fine craft, sculpture, ceramics, fiber, and more from regional artists who are all individual members of the Arts & Culture Alliance, which serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Membership is open to all, and information may be found at www.knoxalliance.com/join-renew. Most of the works in the 2017 Members Show are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on December 1 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and sweets. The First Friday reception features violin carolers at 5:30 PM and dance by Pasión Flamenca at 6:15 PM. The WIVK Santa Claus Parade starts at 7:00 PM along Gay Street and passes right by the Emporium.

“The annual Members Show is a perfect way to round out a year of diverse programming at the Emporium,” says Liza Zenni, Executive Director for the Arts & Culture Alliance. “We’re excited to see what so many local artists have been working on throughout the year.”

Individual members of the Alliance participate locally and regionally in gallery exhibitions, art festivals, sculpture trails, weekend shows, studio tours, and public murals. Some of the members are full-time artists, while others have day jobs and create on evenings and weekends. Some Alliance members include art professors with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Carson-Newman University, Maryville College, Pellissippi State, Roane State, and Walters State. Others are teachers within Knox and surrounding county’s elementary, middle and high schools. Some Alliance members teach classes privately or through community classes with the Fountain City Art Center, Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center, or Knoxville Museum of Art. Many of the artists have working studios in their own homes, while some are part of studio collectives such as The Emporium Center, The Vacuum Shop, 17th Street Studios, Mighty Mud, Studio 2515, and Broadway Studios & Gallery.

Please note, the Emporium will be closed December 23 – January 1 for the holidays.

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.

Based on the Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin. The play will be performed December 1 – 17, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM; Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM; Sundays at 3 PM. Also, a special 7 PM performance will be held on Sunday, December 10.

This hilarious musical play is based on the 2003 comedy film. William “Buddy” Hobbs, a young orphan child, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Years later, Buddy finds out that he’s an ordinary human being and heads off to New York City in search of his father, Walter Hobbs. But Walter, like many New Yorkers, doesn’t believe in Santa Claus. Neither dies Buddy’s brother Michael! Buddy is determined to win over his birth family and help New York City remember the true meaning of Christmas.

The play is performed by 27 talented young actors, from ages 8 to 17.

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.childrenstheatreknoxville.com.

Featuring Terra Madre Artists at the Dogwood Arts Festival gallery.

The Pop - Up Shop Sale includes a Friday evening opening reception on December 1st from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Everyone is invited to stop by Dogwood Arts before, after or during the Christmas Parade to buy holiday gifts and decor. The pop-up shop will also be open on Saturday, December 2nd from 10am-5pm. Traditional exhibition hours will be Mondays-Fridays 9am-5pm with the exhibition closing on December 15th.

This sale will feature the handmade pottery and clay art of 21 members of the group. Terra Madre is an eclectic group of female artists with diverse approaches to clay. Unique additions to the home and distinctive gifts for the season will be featured including functional, sculptural, traditional, contemporary and whimsical works of clay art. The Madres whose work will be included in the Pop Up Sale and Exhibition are: Elaine Barnes, Judy Brater, Karen Briggs, Jane Cartwright, Pat Clapsaddle, Carolyn Cooper, June Crowe, Tina Curry, Annamaria Gundlach, LeJean Hardin, Pat Herzog, Ellie Kotsianas, Lisa Kurtz, LeAnn Lewis, Wendie Love, Wendy Mosca Hughes, Sandra McEntire, Kristi O’Connell, Shauna Stevens, Jessica Stewart, and Debbie Whelan.

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

The Knoxville Museum of Art and the Tennessee Art Education Association present the East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition. Now in its 12th year, the exhibition offers middle and high school students from around East Tennessee the opportunity to participate in a juried exhibition and to display their talents and be honored for their accomplishments in a professional art museum environment.

Students, family, friends, and the public are invited to a reception and awards ceremony Tuesday, December 5 from 6 to 8pm at the Knoxville Museum of Art. The event is free and open to the public.

The East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition is open to students in grades 6-12, attending public, private, or home schools in 32 counties across East Tennessee. Fewer than a third (349) of the more than 1073 entries in this highly competitive show made it through a rigorous jury process. The best-in-show winner will receive a purchase award of $500, and the artwork will become a permanent part of the collection of Mr. James Dodson, on loan to the Knoxville Museum of Art's Education Collection.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM, Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

Knoxville's Holidays on Ice, presented by Home Federal Bank, is an outdoor ice skating rink in the heart of downtown Knoxville on Market Square. Enjoy skating under Christmas lights and stars while listening to music every night. The ice rink will be closed during inclement weather, please check the Holidays on Ice Facebook page to stay updated, Facebook.com/KnoxvillesHolidaysonIce. For questions about Knoxville's Holidays on Ice please call 865-215-4423.

Admission price includes entry fee, skate rental and unlimited time on ice!

RINK HOURS:
Regular Hours Nov. 24, 2017 - Dec. 17, 2017
Monday thru Thursday 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Extended Hours Dec. 18, 2017 - Jan. 7, 2018
Monday thru Thursday 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Special Holiday Hours Christmas & New Years
Christmas Eve 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Christmas Day Closed
December 26: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
New Years Eve 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
New Years Day 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/special_events/knoxvilles_holidays_on_ice/

Flying Anvil Theatre skewers holiday stress in The Big F.A.T. Holiday Cabaret opening Friday, Nov 24. ‘Tis the season for food, family, parties and gifts. And let’s face it – also feuds, indigestion, hangovers, busted budgets and weird Uncle Hal who tells those cringe-worthy jokes. Flying Anvil Theatre’s The Big F.A.T. Holiday Cabaret is the perfect antidote for holiday angst!

This comic musical review is full of songs and scenes that take a slightly twisted view of the season. Flying Anvil Artistic Director Jayne Morgan writes and directs, and Carol Z. Shane will musical direct. The show opens the Friday after Thanksgiving to give everyone something to do with those lingering out-of-town relatives.

Morgan says the show acknowledges that the holiday season can often be more frantic than fun. “The end of the year has gotten so intense, with impossible expectations on our schedules and psyches,” she says. “We laugh about that, and things like “Mean Santa” office games, weird holiday gifts and inappropriate relatives.”

Cast members include Emily Helton, Mandi Lawson and Curtis Bower, who previously appeared in The Great American Trailer Park Musical at the theatre. They are joined by Donald Thorne, Jessica Magers-Rankin, Carmen Brown and Brandon Phillips.

The Big F.A.T Holiday Cabaret opens Friday, November 24. Pay What You Can Nights are Wednesday, November 22 (Preview Performance), and Wednesday, November 29. The show runs through December 17 and reopens December 27 – 31 with a special New Year’s Eve performance with reception and champagne after the show.

This show is recommended for adults. Flying Anvil Theatre, 1300 Rocky Hill Road, Knoxville. Information: 865-357-1309, www.flyinganviltheatre.com