Calendar of Events

Love is in the air. And it’s on our walls. It’s hanging there, mostly in bold colors, as a clear statement that photographer Ric Brooks loves music makers almost as much as he loves their music. For years, Brooks has been the official unofficial photographer of Big Ears. And it’s a role he loves. He’s a straightforward guy, I suspect he wouldn’t tell you any lies. So when he repeats that he isn’t a professional photographer, you believe that he believes it. Yet when you look at his work, you’ll recognize that he is a passionate shutterbug – which, in many ways, is exactly what you want for a festival that touches the very heart of passion.

His collection of work now hanging on our Market Square walls spans 2009 – 2017 and is mostly comprised of artists in action shots. Each one is a studied photo in its way. Brooks says, “I’m in the audience, listening, and I see a photograph that I want to take. Say, I see this look on the artist’s face, and I know I want to photograph it. I’ll have to take 3 or 4 just to get that expression. Lots of musicians will do certain things, make a move or something to get that high note; you know it – it’s what people call the guitar face. But you can see that happening in the song so you know it’s going to come back on the chorus or somewhere. I’m waiting for it. I know what photo I want.”

The exhibit represents just a fraction of his search for the images he likes and an extensive association with musicians. Brooks and Big Ears founder Ashley Capps have a long and continuous friendship that dates back to Kindergarten. When Capps started doing concerts at the Laurel Theatre way back when, Brooks was there with a camera and, sometimes, catering too. When Capps opened Ella Guru’s, Brooks was there, managing, taking tickets, and meeting, hearing and watching.

“Big Ears Big Eyes – Big Ears photos from 2009-2017”, an exhibit of photographs by Ric Brooks will be on view at the downtown Tomato Head on Market Square from March 5th thru April 1st. The exhibit will then be on view at the West Knoxville Gallery Tomato Head from April 3rd thru May 7th.

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

Stop by for local art that will put a smile on your face! March's exhibit features Gayla D. Seale's bright watercolor paintings and Mtn. Girl Design's adorable pebble collages. Both capture the charm and magic of everyday life.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Paintings by Max Robinson, patchwork fabric art by Melissa Everett and screen painted fabrics and embroidery by Coral Turner.

Westminister Presbyterian Church, 6500 S Northshore Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-F 9-4. Info: (865) 584-3957 or www.wpcknox.org

Join us on March 2, 5-9 PM for our second First Friday Art Show EVER in our newly updated gallery space! This month we're excited to be featuring the work of #Knoxville's Adam Pernell Deal!

Adam Pernell Deal is an illustrator and performance artist working in Knoxville's underground art scene. His art is influenced by Albrecht Durer's detailed woodcuts, Austin Spare's esoteric symbolism, and a pleasant childhood spent in the woods and abandoned buildings of rural Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Adam's illustration work is primarily in ink and watercolor, generated through surrealist automatism. His guided hand reproduces worlds and their inhabitants beyond the veil, whether they may be on the far side of the universe, or as near as the empty lot next door. Adam is currently working on fantasy- based children's literature, gothic rock n' roll, and his biceps. You'll often find him in DIY studio spaces or corner tables of coffee shops. He crafted his technique in the moonlight.

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-522-0832, https://knoxbijou.org/art-gallery/

A reception will take place on Friday, March 2, 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.

The Fountain City Art Guild will feature original art by nearly 30 local artists including oils, watercolors, woodworking, and more. The mission of the Guild is to create an atmosphere that promotes, encourages, guides, supports, and informs artists in our guild, which currently has about 50 members.

The Fountain City Art Guild began in 1979 as a group of women who met in the "Art Cellar," the basement of Chloe Harrington's home. Most of the Guild members were watercolor artists. For several decades, they were known as the Fountain City Watercolor Guild, and they met in various churches and homes in the community, holding exhibitions in local businesses. In 2000, the Guild voted to allow other 2-D media in their exhibits, and in 2015 members voted to allow nonfunctional 3-D work as well. In 2004, the Guild was instrumental in helping open the Fountain City Art Center at 213 Hotel Avenue, the location of the old Fountain City Library. They welcome creative, committed artists who will bring fresh ideas, energy, and enthusiasm to join the Guild. Applications for admission are accepted each spring and fall. The Guild meets monthly and holds two exhibits each year at the Art Center. They also coordinate painting retreats and workshops. For more information, please visit www.fountaincityartguild.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. Closed Friday, Marhc 30. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

A reception will take place on Friday, March 2, 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.

Richardson Turner: Recent Works 2018 in the upper gallery
The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of recent, narrative works by Knoxville artist Richardson Turner. The exhibition includes paintings, photographs, lithographs, and sculptures.

Richardson Turner received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1968. In 1981, he started his own construction company for commercial buildings. During this time, he continued to create images through painting, sculpture, lithography, screen printing, ceramics, and photography. Since 2003, Turner has taken classes at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, including painting and drawing with Michiko Itatani, Moe Brooker, and Emily Brown; clay with Andrea and John Gill; and lithography with Beauvais Lyons. His work has displayed in McGhee Tyson Airport and the Emporium Center in Knoxville as well as in various regional juried shows.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Closed Friday, Marhc 30. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

A reception will take place on Friday, March 2, 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.

I am fascinated by natural design: seashells, budding forms, organic architecture. A sculptor first, I approach clay as an explorer. I chose hand building with slab construction to best express these organic forms in my pottery. This exhibition is about looking back with new perspective and re-interpretations. All of the work is durable stoneware clay, glazed with overlapping layers of studio made glazes.

Thirty years ago, I began using overlapping clay sections to build ceramic pots and sculpture. What started as student exploration while at the University of Tennessee in the mid-80s has now blossomed into more mature work. The funnel vases and feather vessels were some of the refined forms I created, an approach that leaned heavily on observation of organic systems of growth and structure such as flower buds and bird plumage. Many older works were made of raku clay. Over the years, my work developed in a more functional direction, and I created an ongoing collection that I could sell at retail art fair shows and wholesale to shops. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/BillLeePottery or https://www.etsy.com/shop/BillLeePottery.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Closed Friday, Marhc 30. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

A reception will take place on Friday, March 2, 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.

Kailey Leehans is a young, emerging artist whose preferred medium is watercolor. She enjoys experimenting with acrylic, mixed media and clay. She also creates jewelry, such as clay beads, resin with dried local flowers and bugs, and metal working. Leehans first realized her abilities in drawing when she was very young. She copied children's books covers and then online photographs with pencil. Eventually, she realized she could create original artwork from her imagination, which proved more satisfying and expressive.

This new exhibition includes a variety of styles. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/oddysshopart/ or https://www.etsy.com/shop/OddysShop.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Closed Friday, Marhc 30. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

A reception will take place on Friday, March 2, 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.

In this new exhibition, participants ranging from middle and high school students to professional artists were asked to reflect on what happens when mental illness and the criminal justice system collide and present an ethical dichotomy. This exhibition reflects the challenges faced by both the defendant and the judges, attorneys, law enforcement, and mental health professionals tasked with ensuring justice for all. These defendants are our nation's veterans, our next door neighbors, our families and our friends. Some are forgotten. Some are ignored. Some are never seen at all. And, while their actions thrust them into the spotlight of the criminal courts, their internal struggles often remain unseen. This collection of artwork is dedicated to ensuring justice for the unseen.

This installation includes artwork contributed from the community, students in the law school, as well as students from East Tennessee State University and Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate. These pieces are just a glimpse into the overall show which will also include many pieces and diverse mediums contributed by veterans, children, and others who have felt the effects of trauma and abuse.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Closed Friday, Marhc 30. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

Opening reception Friday, March 2, 5-7pm free

Early years spent in design were further fostered by time spent working at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Renee Suich now resides in East Tennessee and enjoys experimenting with new media including encaustic work. Different mediums, like encaustic work, allow Suich to explore color and texture in a new way. Every piece becomes a new challenge. For more information, visit www.reneesuich.com.

The Rose Center, 442 West Second North St., Morristown, TN, 37814. Hours: M-F 9-5. Information: 423-581-4330, www.rosecenter.org

Join us for the opening exhibition in First Friday, March 2, 5-9 PM

Gallery hours:
Wed & Fri - 2:30pm - 5:00pm
Thurs - 11:00am-1:00pm
or by appointment at 865-335-3358

HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: www.holahoralatina.org

Don't miss the opportunity to view the work of some of the community's most talented young artists!

The 2018 Farragut Intermediate School Art Show opens Friday, March 2, and will be on display through Friday, March 9. A reception to honor the artists is 5-6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 6.

The 2018 Farragut Middle School Art Show opens Monday, March 19, and will be on display through Thursday, March 29. There will be a juried reception for artists from 5-6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27. First, second and third-place prizes will be awarded.

Both shows are sponsored by the Farragut Arts Council. For more information: ParksandRecInfo@townoffarragut.org.

Incorporated in 1980, the Town of Farragut has top schools, safe neighborhoods and high development standards, making it one of the best places to live in the Southeast. Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Dr, Farragut, TN 37934. Hours: M-F 10-4:30. Information: 865-966-7057, www.townoffarragut.org/museum