Calendar of Events

Please join KBS for our annual Winter Show at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum. Guest artist Mark Fields of Bonsai By Fields.

Hours: Sat 10-5, Sun 10-3. Free admission! At Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum, 2743 Wimpole Ave, Knoxville, TN 37914.

https://knoxvillebonsaisociety.com/

Part of the Chamber Music Series of the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association's 73rd season! Pre-concert talk begins at 7:00 PM at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church

The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association is pleased to present the Oak Ridge String Quartet on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 7:30 PM at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. Featuring the principal string players of the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, the Quartet includes Karen Kartal and Sarah Ringer, violins; Sara Cho, viola; and Theodore Ihsan Kartal, cello.

The quartet will perform Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3 in F major, Glazunov’s 5 Novelettes for String Quartet, and music from Oak Ridge composer, Rachel DeVore Fogarty’s quartet, At no time was any of this untrue.

Rachel DeVore Fogarty's works have been commissioned, awarded, and performed by organizations in the U.S. and internationally, including ACDA, KMEA, IAWM, the Bryan Symphony, the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, St. Olaf's College, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, SACRA/PROFANA, Oklahoma State University, University of Kentucky, Conundrum, Tapestry Singers, Muse (Cincinnati Women's Ensemble), the Young New Yorker's Chorus, the Concert Chorale of Nashville, the Six Degree Singers, the Festival Singers of Atlanta and VocalEssence. Her works have been chosen for inclusion in Vox Reflexa's New Millenium Composers project, the Cro Patria Choir Festival and in the London Contemporary Church Music Festival. At no time was any of this untrue is a string quartet of four movements commissioned by Tennessee visual artist Bill Killebrew interpreting four of his massive 78" x 80" paintings for an exhibition at the Parthenon Art Museum in Nashville in 2012.

The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association is a proud participant in the Penny4Arts program. All students, 18 & under, may attend any Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, Chorus, or Chamber Music concert for free during the 2017-18 season. General admission is $25; a discounted young adult ticket (ages 19-29) is available for $10. Seating is limited for this performance; advance reservations are recommended. Tickets are available at www.ORCMA.org or by calling (865) 483-5569.

Did you make a New Year’s resolutions to get more exercise or spend more time outdoors? The UT Arboretum Society can help with both! In 2018, the UT Arboretum Society is now offering a monthly hike on the third Saturday of each month.

The hikes will be led by Arboretum staff or a member of the UT Arboretum Society. The hike will begin at the parking lot of the UT Arboretum, 901 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge at 9:00 a.m. This is approximately a one-hour fun, short trail hike. Participants are asked to wear clothes appropriate to the weather and boots or good shoes for outdoor walking. This is a free program offered by the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society. To learn more about this hike or the UT Arboretum Society, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org. For more information on the program, call 865-483-7277.

Guest artist recital; in conjunction with the UT Percussion Ensemble, directed by Andrew Bliss
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

With Billy Crawford and the Billy D Blues Band
Blues Harmonica

Growing up in East Tennessee, Wallace Coleman was captivated by the sounds he heard late at night from Nashville's WLAC. It was on WLAC that Coleman first heard his greatest musical influences: Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters. Coleman left Tennessee in 1956 to find work in Cleveland. He began playing professionally with Cleveland's Guitar Slim and caught the ear of audience member Robert "Jr." Lockwood, joining his band in 1987. Still based in Cleveland, Wallace has been leading his own band since 1997.

Tickets (discounts apply to advance purchase, JCA members, students & seniors) available through http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/1118485, 1-800-838-3006 ext 1, and at the door. At the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916. For information: 865-522-5851, www.jubileearts.org.

Blount Mansion is proud to host an early spring seed swap. This is a free event and open to the public. Bring your open pollinated or heirloom seeds (non-hybrid as they won’t come true from seed) and trade and swap them with like minded local gardeners. All are welcome. We would like the swap to be as close to a one for one swap as we can but if you don’t save your own seed or are just getting into gardening we’ll have seeds for you too! Full rules will be posted the day of the event.
The swap will start at 10 am. And it will be on a first come first serve basis. If you know you are planning on attending please RSVP by call, email, or on Facebook.

For any questions please call us at 865-525-2375, email us at info@blountmansion.org or through our Facebook at facebook.com/blountmansion.

When possible each packet of seeds should be accompanied by an information card containing as much information as possible, including:
• Name of plant
• Variety
• Year
• Location
• Description
• Sowing directions (seed depth, spacing, etc.)
• Time to harvest
• Any other notes

Join us at Marble Springs on Saturday, February 17th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm for the first of our 2018 stargazing sessions. This program is titled New Moon and will be facilitated by Gary Noland, adjunct instructor of Astronomy at the University of Tennessee. Guests will meet at the cottage office at 6:00 pm where they will begin with a discussion and video about the winter night sky followed by the stargazing portion of the program.

There has been a lot written about our closest celestial neighbor. Due to its proximity it is often the subject that is viewed in an effort to see all its surface features. Even as great as it is to watch the moon, it does have a downside, especially when there is a full moon. The light that is being reflected off its surface will cast a lot of bright light which interferes with constellation viewing. During the summer months, warm humid air will only amplify the moonlight which tends to make it difficult to see some of the fainter objects. If you wish to view some of the harder to see constellations and asterisms it is best to view them during the new moon. Some of the constellations that will be viewed include Pegasus, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Draco, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor.

Participation in our nighttime viewing sessions is a $1 donation per person. Guests are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather. In the event of overcast skies, the discussion portion will still take place. For those who have their own telescope, setup is between 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Details are subject to change.

For more information email grounds@marblesprings.net or call (865)573-5508.
Marble Springs: 1220 West Gov. John Sevier Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920. www.marblesprings.net

With Writer Caitlin Hamilton Summie

Ms. Summie’s short stories have been widely published; her recent collection, To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts, has received national raves. Combining her fiction skills and long experience as a literary publicist, Caitlin lays out guidelines for powerful, publishable, satisfying short stories. All KWG Workshops are $50 for non-members, $30 for members and $15 for student members: https://knoxvillewritersguild.org/events/feb2018workshop/

At Central United Methodist Church in 4th and Gill (201 East Third Avenue).

Enjoy entertainment, crafts, and cuisines from cultures around the world. Featuring dancers, musicians and crafters. Children can try their hand at make-and-take crafts, learn origami, and more! Admission is $12 for adults, $11 seniors, and $10 for children ages 3-17.

Children's Museum of Oak Ridge, 461 West Outer Drive, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Information: 865-482-1074, www.childrensmuseumofoakridge.org

Seán Finnerty, Irish comedian extraordinaire, will be showing his love for the Knoxville Irish Society
Seán will be performing at Comedy at the Grove (123 Randolph Rd., Oak Ridge, TN 37830). Doors open at 7:00 PM and the show starts at 8:00. You must be at least 18 to attend. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased here: https://m.bpt.me/event/3322661.

After 21 years of “growing up” in Longford, Ireland, Sean Finnerty decided to move stateside where a series of mature decisions that he failed to make led him to stand up comedy. Sean first cut his teeth in the Orlando comedy scene and quickly learned that his no holds barred humor and charming accent were well received (when people could actually understand what he was saying). Selected for Comedy Central’s Up Next competition and as a semi-finalist in both the 2014 Florida’s Funniest Comedian Competition and the 2014 Charleston Comedy Festival, Sean has been seen at comedy clubs and festivals across the Southeast, including The Improv, the Orlando Fringe Festival, the Orlando Indie Comedy Festival, and at Gringos Locos Tacos at 3 in the morning after a night out. He has worked alongside touring headliners such as Dan Cummins, Mick Foley, Tommy Johnagin, Shane Mauss, Sean Patton, Rich Vos, Bobby Slayton, Mark Normand, Joe List, Maronzio Vance, Ben Kronberg, and Dustin Diamond. Born and raised in Ireland, comedian Sean Finnerty offers a unique perspective on everyday life. A finalist at the 2014 Florida’s Funniest Comedian Competition and the 2014 Charleston Comedy Festival, Finnerty brings his brash, unapologetic and distinctive perspective.

Saturday, February 17, 2018 - 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Instructor: Eric Head, BA, Knox Co. Archives and/or KCPLS staff. Discover more of your family history through stories, historical events, obituaries, images, etc. Newsbank has access to nearly 10,000 sources from more than 160 countries, including the Knoxville News Sentinel’s 1922-1990 digitized editions, and Proquest has five other digitized publications as early as 1851. Call 865-215-8809 starting February 5 to register.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

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

By John Cariani. "On a cold, clear moonless night in the middle of winter, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost's residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend - almost - in this delightful midwinter night's dream."

Almost, Maine is based on the fictional "unorganized" town of the same name in Maine. It is comprised of 9 short vignettes centered around the exploration of love and loss, and what happens to ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. As the play is about love, it involves a lot of kissing. Actors should be comfortable with the possibility of being cast in one of those roles.

"A whimsical approach to the joys and perils of romance. Magical happenings bloom beneath the snowdrifts."
– The New York Times

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