Calendar of Events

While ancient Roman coins usually display emperors, a surprising number depict female members of the imperial family, particularly empresses. Coins are powerful propaganda used to advance political ideals and reinforce social mores. Closer observation of these coins reveals a tension between Roman society’s expectations for women and the reality some created for themselves.

In ancient Rome, women had no formal political role and were not allowed to vote or hold public office. They were expected to devote themselves to their family and oversee the domestic sphere. Depictions of goddesses on coins highlight this feminine ideal. Women who stepped outside gender norms, especially empresses who gained informal power, were seen as a threat to social and political order. Julia Domna is one such woman. She exerted political influence over two consecutive reigning emperors—her husband, Septimius Severus, and son, Caracalla—and jump started a dynasty of influential imperial women from the East.

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

Broadway Studios and Gallery presents Misty Tippens in her show ‘Vision’ as their January artist. Misty is completely self-taught with the help of YouTube videos. She uses pencil, colored pencil, watercolor, alcohol ink and other media along with gold leaf accents to create her work. She states: “Life motivates me. I love doing portraits because I see a story in everyone. I enjoy trying to capture a bit of that story and emotion in my work.”

Capture is an understatement. Misty’s work is masterful in technique, which rivals schooled artists in the style of realism. The works speak of an unconditional love through life’s power source where the images depicted feel as if they are almost breathing.

Show opens January 5th, in First Friday, from 5pm-9pm. Parking is on site and refreshments will be served.

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

A reception will take place on Friday, January 5, 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.

Genevieve S. Byrd: Pour L'amour des Chevaux in the lower gallery
Genevieve S. Byrd specializes in equestrian paintings and will display artwork created with pencil, oil, watercolor and acrylic in this solo exhibition. An avid equestrian herself, Byrd has worked with horses for her entire life. As a child, she rode on her family farm and competed for East TN Hunter/Jumper Association, and then she continued to ride for the Intercollegiate Equestrian Team at the University of Tennessee. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Drawing from UT-Knoxville, graduating in 1999. Specializing in pastel, watercolor and oil paint, her works include a variety of mediums. Some of her current work is featured in veterinary hospitals, art galleries, restaurants, private collections and various businesses throughout Georgia, Maryland, California and Tennessee.

Genevieve S. Byrd lives in Maryville where she teaches private art lessons and works as an independent artist. Her paintings capture the boldness, silent power and spirit of the horse. Whether working abstractly or in realism, Genevieve hopes to allow the art critic to feel the emotional reverence, power and energy of this amazing creature. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/genevievesartbarn.

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, January 5, 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.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission Gallery of Arts Tribute in the Balcony gallery
The MLK Gallery of Arts Tribute will kick-off the 2018 King Week Celebration (January 10-15, 2018). The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission is partnering with the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville to provide this annual exhibition. The Galley of Arts Tribute is a juried exhibition developed to recognize local artists and most importantly honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The exhibit will feature works by local artists reflecting the 2018 theme, Transforming the Community by Committing to Service, attributed to the Dream and the Dreamer who affirmed, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” Works in the exhibitions may also be a reflection of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and have pertinence to the themes of Unity, Community, Love, Reconciliation, Social Justice, and Civil Rights. For more information, please visit http://www.mlkknoxville.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, January 5, 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.

Works by Jo Marie Brotherton, Renee Mathies, and Cheryl Prose in the display case
Jo Marie Brotherton, Renee Mathies, and Cheryl Prose are all recipients of 2017-2018 Bailey Opportunity Grants.

Jo Marie Brotherton has been passionate about glass her entire life, and the fascination has gotten more intense. The orb is the unspoken visceral shape to which humanity is drawn. Held, it allows the viewer to have ownership in the exploration of visual absorption. Her work forces the viewer to engage in rotating it to explore. In creating a finished piece, there is a peace coupled with challenged anxiety when she is sitting at the flame. Both have drawn her into pushing herself and her work. For more information, visit http://www.jomariebrotherton.com.

Renee Mathies is a glass and metal artist that loves to play with fire. She is a member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, the Smoky Mountain Firecrackers, and The Creative Hands Street Team which is an East Tennessee group of Etsy sellers. She loves to sell her work in person at shows because it gives her a chance to show people the craft and work it requires. Her media include handmade glass beads, acid etched copper, forged copper, and bronze and sterling jewelry components. Every piece comes out unique. Teaching glass beadmaking (lampworking) and metalsmithing have become her passion. For more information, visit http://www.outofthefiredesigns.com/.

Cheryl Prose will display encaustic wall art, handmade books, artist jewelry featuring wire work, lampwork beads, and mixed metal. Prose is a bookbinder and mixed media artist. She is a co-founder and coordinator of the Knoxville Book Arts Guild. She frequently serves as a studio and instructor’s assistant at Penland School of Arts and Crafts, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and John C. Campbell Folk School. Her work has shown in numerous group exhibits in Knoxville and Lenoir City as well as Shelby, NC and Asheville, NC. Her work is published in Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin by Lark Press. She has worked as an assistant binder at The Gilded Leaf Bindery: Fine Bookbinding and Restoration in Maryville since 2013. For more information, visit www.gildedleafbindery.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, January 5, 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.

Sam Stapleton: Stilled Life on the North Wall
As the son of a 40-year employee of Eastman Kodak, photography seemed ordained to be a meaningful part of Sam Stapleton’s life, if not his livelihood. His first camera, a Kodak Brownie, was purchased with money earned at Eastman, and among his first images were photos of the smoke plume rising from the 1960 Eastman plant explosion that killed 16 employees including one of his neighbors. Through the years, his dedication to the varying pursuits of rock concert photography, color landscape imagery, magazine collaboration with his freelance writer/wife, Patricia Hudson, as well as black and white portraiture arising from the births of two daughters, have led inexorably to the maturation of his photographic vision. “I now see myself engaged in a continual search for beauty in the hidden recesses of nature,” says Sam Stapleton.

Artist statement: My series, Stilled Life, juxtaposes the ephemeral beauty of flowers with the concept of eternal beauty. By freezing the flowers that I photograph, the otherwise transient splendor of the blooms is placed in stasis, potentially forever. The resultant ice texture is meant to have a profound effect upon the viewer, adding an unexpected dimension that commands closer inspection of the imagery. In essence, one’s attention is to be momentarily frozen. I created these photographs to serve as a reminder that although nature only permits the blossoms to flourish for a few hours to a few days, their beauty is something that resonates in our souls forever. For more information, please visit http://samstapletonphotography.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, January 5, 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.

Carol Robin King: Jewelry For The Walls in the Atrium
Tennessee artist Carol Robin King was born and raised in Argentina as a daughter of foreign missionaries. She remembers loving drawing as early as the age of three. While in Argentina, she attended a professional art school for several years and continues learning through workshops, books and videos. King has had opportunities to paint commissions and create illustrations as well as teach art classes for children and teens in a private school setting. King works in various mediums including watercolor, acrylics, and pastel and she recently began working in bas relief 3D art with drywall. She currently resides in Kodak.

“Quiet times, pleasant memories and peaceful places are what I strive to capture in my art,” says Carol Robin King. “When I choose a subject, my main goal is to bring the viewer a moment’s peace in a hectic day or a pleasant memory to lift their spirit. I am inspired by people in everyday life and the beauty of nature. I often paint children in my works to help bring the viewer back to those simple times when life was new, fresh and less complicated. I’m driven to paint; it is an expression of my very being, and my hope is that somehow that expression will touch another person.” For more information, please visit http://www.CarolRobinKing.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.

Dogwood Arts and the Camera Club of Oak Ridge present the best images of the 69th Annual Photographic Salon, featuring 40 ribbon-winning prints and a series of projected digital and student entries.

Dogwood Arts provides artists the opportunities to showcase their talents at First Friday events and month long exhibitions. This exceptional photography exhibit is showcased at the Dogwood Arts Gallery. Traditional gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. First Friday hours are 5:30pm-8:30pm.

The Camera Club’s photographs depict landscapes, urbanscapes, architecture, inanimate objects, creative vision and creative processing. Each photographer shares their unique perspective, selecting scenes from the natural and urban world or setting up unique shots in their studios.

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

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

By Ken Ludwig. In the madcap comedy tradition of Lend Me a Tenor, the hilarious Moon Over Buffalo centers on George and Charlotte Hay, fading stars of the 1950s.

At the moment, they're playing Private Lives and Cyrano De Bergerac in rep in Buffalo, New York with five actors. On the brink of a disastrous split-up caused by George's dalliance with a young ingénue, they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee, and if he likes what he sees, he might cast them in his movie remake of The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Unfortunately for George and Charlotte, everything that could go wrong does go wrong, abetted by a visit from their daughter's clueless fiancé and hilarious uncertainty about which play they're actually performing, caused by Charlotte's deaf, old stage-manager mother who hates every bone in George's body.

"Moon Over Buffalo packs more comic genius onto the stage than anything in recent memory!"
– USA Today

"Ken Ludwig is one of those rare contemporary playwrights who thinks in terms of old-fashioned knockabout farce, and that's something to be cherished."
– The New York Times

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

Friday, January 5, 2018 at 6:00PM, the Twelfth Night Festival Eucharist features Renaissance carols of the season sung by Choirs of the Ascension.

Church of the Ascension, 800 S Northshore Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-588-0589, www.knoxvilleascension.org

The Streamliners Swing Orchestra

Alive After Five is a unique live music series that takes place in the smoke-free, casually elegant setting of the Ann and Steve Bailey Hall in the Knoxville Museum of Art. There is a live band on stage, seating at tables, two cash bars, food from area restaurants, free freshly popped popcorn, and free parking. Audience members can enjoy listening to music, dancing, and browsing the museum’s art galleries. Admission is $15 for general and $10 for museum members and college students with ID. Ages 17 and under are admitted free.

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

Recent works by fiber artist Julia Malia and artist John Fort will be on display Jan 1 through Jan 31 at the Art Market Gallery. An opening reception for the featured artists will begin at 5:30 p.m., Jan. 5, during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk, with complimentary refreshments.

Julia Malia: " I am a fiber, jewelry, and stained glass craftswoman as well as a watercolorist and musician. As a fiber artist specializing in wearable art, I use a variety of fibers and techniques. The styles of my original designs are usually either classical or folk-style in nature, drawing inspiration from historic or ancient themes. For instance, I often base garment designs on our family’s Irish and Scottish roots, and I also favor Japanese kimono garment shapes. Rich textures and colors are central to my life and my work, and I utilize techniques that combine and enhance color variegations. I am a juried member of the Foothills Craft Guild as both a fiber artist (specializing in knitting and crocheting) and a jewelry maker. I also am a member of the Tennessee Valley Handspinners Guild, the Precious Metal Clay Guild of East Tennessee, and the Fountain City Art Center. I am drawn to fabrics and, as a child, used to play at sewing garments and piecing quilt squares for my grandmother, eventually learning standard clothing construction techniques as a teen. My mother taught me how to knit when I was a young child, and I learned to crochet from a friend when I was in my early 20s. In 1977, I won second place in the state of Iowa for my original design and creation of a hand-hooked rug entitled “Sarah’s Fantasy Rug.” In 2013, I had two of my original fiber designs selected for runway appearances at the Dogwood Arts Festival Diva Luncheon Fashion Show in Knoxville. In 2014, I was the invited featured artist for the month of July in a one-woman fiber art exhibit at the Charles City Art Center in Charles City, Iowa. My exhibit, entitled “Wearable Art: Themes and Variations,”

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