Calendar of Events

Stop by to see April's colorful photography exhibit by Alan and Diana Lyle in the Ijams' Hallway Gallery! Their majestic shots of wildlife and rustic architecture capture the smallest of details. http://www.adlphotography.com/ADLPHOTOGRAPHY/About_Us.html

More events at http://ijams.org/events/. 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

This exhibit is a display of Media Technologies student design projects completed during the 2017-2018 academic year from the Communication Graphics and Design for Web and Print concentrations. The exhibit will showcase an extensive range and variety of visual communication solutions.

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Bagwell Center Gallery hours: M-F 10-6:30. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

The WordPlayers Presents a STAGED READING of Over the River & Through the Woods - a comedy by Joe DiPietro
At The Square Room, 4 Market Square, Knoxville
Free Admission - Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

THE STORY: Nick is a single, Italian-American guy from New Jersey. His parents retired and moved to Florida. That doesn't mean his family isn't still in Jersey. In fact, he sees both sets of his grandparents every Sunday for dinner. This is routine until he has to tell them that he's been offered a dream job. The job he's been waiting for—marketing executive—would take him away from his beloved, but annoying, grandparents. He tells them. The news doesn't sit so well. Thus begins a series of schemes to keep Nick around. How could he betray his family's love to move to Seattle, for a job, wonder his grandparents? Well, Frank, Aida, Nunzio and Emma do their level best, and that includes bringing to dinner the lovely—and single—Caitlin O'Hare as bait…we won't give the ending away here. - Dramatists Play Service

"A hilarious family comedy that is even funnier than his long-running musical revue "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." —BackStage.
"Loaded with laughs every step of the way." —Star-Ledger.

Parking is FREE at the City's Market Square (406 Walnut St.), State Street Garage (520 State St.) and Locust Street Garage (540 Locust St.) after 6 p.m.

For more information, please call 865-539-2490 or visit www.wordplayers.org.

Join us for a morning out as our museum educator leads engaging gallery tours for parents and caregivers and their infants through four year olds. Crying and wiggly babies welcome!

Little ones and their caregivers will learn about love in art and make their own valentines in this month’s tour.

The event is free, but limited, and all attendees must register to attend online. Registration opens a month in advance and closes the day before the tour.

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

On Monday, April 16, poet and editor Brenda Hillman will read as part of the University of Tennessee’s Writers in the Library reading series. Brenda Hillman is the author of ten collections of poetry: White Dress, Fortress, Death Tractates, Bright Existence, Loose Sugar, Cascadia, Pieces of Air in the Epic, Practical Water, for which she won the LA Times Book Award for Poetry, Seasonal Works with Letters on Fire,which received the 2014 Griffin Poetry Prize and the Northern California Book Award for Poetry; and her most recent Extra Hidden Life, Among the Days.

In 2016 Brenda Hillman was named Academy of American Poets Chancellor. Among other awards Hillman has received are the 2012 Academy of American Poets Fellowship, the 2005 William Carlos Williams Prize for poetry, and Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. Included in their list of “50 of the Most Inspiring Authors in the World,” Poets & Writers states, “[Hillman] reminds us that the language we use when ordering a sandwich is also the language we use to make art. Her environmental concerns prove writers can offer more than just aesthetic pleasure.”

The reading begins at 7 p.m. in the Lindsay Young Auditorium of the John C. Hodges Library. The event is free and open to the public; all are encouraged to attend.

The mission of Writers in the Library is to “showcase the work of novelists, poets, and other literary craftsmen.” Some of the best voices in contemporary literature are invited to read. The series is sponsored by the UT Libraries and the Creative Writing Program in association with the John C. Hodges Better English Fund.

Used Book Sales are back! The Friends of the Library: invite you to attend their annual used book sales beginning April 14. Most books will be $2 or less with proceeds benefiting the Knox County Public Library. All sales will take place in the Jacob Building at Chilhowee Park. Parking is free! Don't miss out on these amazing deals.

Saturday, April 14, 10 AM - 6 PM: Members only day
Sunday, April 15, 10 AM - 6 PM: Sales open to the public
Monday, April 16, 10 AM - 6 PM: Half-Price Day! Open to the public
Tuesday, April 17, 10 AM - 3 PM: Bag Sale Day! ($5/bag)
http://www.knoxfriends.org/book-sales/annual-used-book-sale/

MFA Thesis Exhibitions: Carey, LeFever, and Winters

Reception: Friday, April 13, 6-9PM

The third group of MFA Thesis Exhibitions will take place in the Ewing Gallery. In partial fulfillment of their graduation requirements, students pursuing the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree are required to mount a solo exhibition of work, and to defend their work during an oral examination in front of a faculty committee. Due to the number of graduate students enrolled in the UT School of Art, these exhibitions generally take the form of small groups of students presenting concurrent solo exhibitions in the gallery space.

MaryAnne Carey – Destruction’s Security Unit
Amy LeFever – Point Counterpoint
Johanna Winters – The Middle Tell

Ewing Gallery, 1715 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu

Free and open to the public - Reception Friday, April 13, 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Artists’ talks at 6:30 pm.

Marcia Goldenstein approaches landscape painting through composites of different times and places, constructed in such a way as to produce new, believable and striking situations. The aerial view of the land is paired with a spectacular evening sky that dominates with its dramatic forms and hues. Giving substance and structure to color-infused air and atmosphere is in contrast to the dwarfed panorama below the horizon. Where they meet becomes the heart of the work. Goldenstein received her BFA and MFA degrees in Painting and Drawing from the University of Nebraska. She has been a visiting artist at the National Academy of Fine Arts, Bratislava, Slovakia; Sichuan University, Chengdu; Beihang University, Beijing; University of Texas, San Antonio; Arizona State University; University of Indianapolis; Tudor Hall, UK; College of the Ozarks; Knoxville Museum of Art; F.I.T, NY, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts; and many other schools and museums. She has an international exhibition record and is represented in numerous public and private collections in the US, Europe and China. She is currently Professor Emerita of Painting and Drawing at the University of Tennessee School of Art. marciagoldenstein.com

Todd Johnson finds art to be a res cogitans, “a thinking thing.” As an art teacher, he shares the images and ideas of highly regarded artists with his students. In his own studio, this daily experience informs his own art. Indeed, his interest in acrylic painting in miniature on paint chips is in reflecting upon the nature of art itself. He’s more broadly interested in the entirety of ideas surrounding the making, understanding and consuming of art. Johnson studied at Luther College and Eastern Michigan University. His work has been shown throughout the United States, including solo shows at The Clay Studio, in Philadelphia and Pewabic Pottery in Detroit; and traveling exhibitions originating from the San Diego Museum of Art and Baltimore Clayworks. He has received several grants including the Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholarship for travel in Japan, a Lincoln Center Education grant for Teaching Artist Training, and two National Endowment for the Arts awards for study at Anderson Ranch Arts Center and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. toddjohnsonart.com

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Gallery hours: M-Th 10-5, Su 10-1. Information: 865-523-4176, www.tvuuc.org

OPENING FIRST FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 6:00 PM-9:00PM

My journey as an artist began with the comfort and connection associated with quilt making. I taught myself to quilt in 2012 upon the arrival of my first son. It was one of those huge transitions in life when you don’t really know what is about to happen next but you hold on and go for it. Much to my surprise, this “little hobby” I was embarking on would lead to huge personal growth, branching out and meeting some of the most inspirational people here in Knoxville.

Domestic life was a difficult adjustment for me, and through quilting I was able to find beauty and calm in the day to day hustle of child rearing. The historically woman-dominated craft of quilting was becoming a way of life for me, as it has for so many before me. For many years, women have been making these objects of utility to provide warmth and security to their loved ones, pouring their prayers and hardships into each one and weaving broken pieces back together. The quilt’s utility is so appealing and practical, yet what goes into making the surface design of each quilt is so much more than useful--and this method of beautifying the home environment has a deep and rich history into which I step with each quilt I design..

Modern quilt making has evolved into a movement of personal expression which has spurred me to keep exploring, asking questions and searching for more. My work is evolving, centering me and satisfying my need to be stimulated visually through color, composition and concept. I’ve been influenced greatly by cut paper collage, abstract expressionism, print making and a love for what I call organic geometry. There is a deep satisfaction in the calculated imperfections that come from creating by hand and being a work in progress, because these processes resonate with my experience. I discover under-appreciated beauty in life's imperfections. This show is about how much more there is to life than UTILITY.

This show is dedicated to the women who have taught me and encouraged me to explore. https://www.melissaneverett.com

The Central Collective, 923 N. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-236-1590, info@thecentralcollective.com, www.thecentralcollective.com

A reception will take place on Friday, April 6, 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.

Mind heart and the City documents downtown Asheville, North Carolina's most recent iteration of gentrification as it strives to maintain the diversity of its bohemian mountain culture. The images reveal a people and culture experiencing a paradigm shift as it transitions into the new millennium. The genesis of this project began approximately ten years earlier, and did not come to completion until 2017. The photographs in the exhibition and the two accompanying books were captured completely on film, shot over a ten year period. Although the use of film is not the main focus of the project, Joe Longobardi’s intent was to rediscover the 20th century humanist approach to street photography via the utilization of old manual film cameras to explore and document city life. View a YouTube video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BLrweC47cA.

Joe Longobardi is a photographer, writer, musician, and illustrator who has worked professionally as a documentary and street photographer since 2008. He studied graphic design and Illustration at The Art Institute of Boston. He was also a founding member of the recording and touring Metal band Attika releasing several album in the U.S, Europe and Japan. Longobardi’s photography has been exhibited at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts; the Biltmore Estate; Southeast Gallery of Photographic Art, Vero Beach, FL; CREGS Lens on Gender and Sexuality Exhibition, San Francisco, CA; Lenoir-Rhyne University; and the Asheville Art Museum. Solo exhibitions include Living Art at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, and Urban Photography from the Streets of a Bohemian Mountain Town at UNC Asheville. His photos have appeared in numerous publications including Our State Magazine, The New York Times, F-Stop Magazine, Shelterforce Magazine, Mel Bay Publications, and the Laurel of Asheville Magazine. For more information, please visit http://joelongobardiphotography.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, April 6, 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.

Derrick Freeman is a self-taught artist diagnosed with Autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired verbal and non-verbal communication. By age two, he was completely non-verbal and unable to learn and use language like most children his age. By age three, art became his only form of communication, and he learned to express his perceptions of life and everyday living through drawings and artwork. Each piece of art tells the story of his journey with Autism. Freeman continues to break down the barriers of Autism through sharing his unique artistic talents with the community as well as advocating for more social inclusion for individuals with Autism.

Over the years, Derrick Freeman’s artwork has been featured on WVLT-TV (Channel 8), at the Dogwood Arts Festival, the Knoxville Museum of Art Artists on Location, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, the Tennessee Disability Mega Conference, the Art Fair of Madisonville, Very Special Arts (VSA) of Tennessee, East Tennessee Historical Society, Blount Mansion, Davis Art Studio, Beck Cultural Exchange Center and Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center at Austin Peay State University. In addition, Derrick’s art has been featured in several newspapers and magazines throughout Tennessee including: City View Magazine: Annual Arts Magazine and in the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities Breaking Ground magazine. For additional information, please visit www.derrickfreemansart.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, April 6, 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.

This small exhibition will highlight the recent work of Mike C Berry. Considered a versatile painter who works in vibrant colors, bringing energy and rhythm to each work, Berry creates urban compositions that bend and twist the cityscapes that have become his identifiable style. His paintings consist of gestural brushstrokes and pure bright color. Recently, he illustrated a children’s book, “The Curious Adventures of Wickl Wackl and his Friends” written by his friend Renee D’Elia-Zunino.

Mike C. Berry was the 2007 Dogwood Arts Festival Limited Edition Print Artist and received the Best Visual Artist in Knoxville award by the Knoxville News Sentinel Readers Poll in 2009. He has exhibited his work in numerous group exhibitions and a solo exhibition, Something Blue, in September 2017. He earned his MFA from the Savannah College of Art & Design. Berry is the gallery manager for the UT Downtown Gallery and is represented by The District Gallery in Knoxville and The River Gallery in Chattanooga. He and his wife Leah live in Knoxville with their daughter, Orly. For more information, please visit www.mikecberry.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.