Calendar of Events

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

Artist Lecture: Thursday, April 5, 7:30 PM, McCarty Auditorium, Art+ Architecture Building

Opening Reception: Friday, April 6, 5-9PM
Clarence Morgan is a visual artist whose studio focus is centered on painting, drawing and printmaking – often of an abstract nature. Utilizing random shapes and biomorphic forms within an intricate network of drawing, collage elements and subtle color, Morgan’s work ranges from highly patterned organic painting compositions to meticulously articulated and somewhat minimal collage-drawings. He approaches each work intuitively allowing the forms and elements to find their own natural cadence visual pulse. He studied painting and drawing at the Pennsylvania Academy of The Fine Arts with continued study in painting at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Fine Arts (now renamed Penn Design). Morgan’s prints, paintings and works on paper can be found in the collections of the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Pennsylvania Academy of The Fine Arts, Asheville Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Art and Weisman Museum of Art as well as many private collections throughout the United Sates. Clarence Morgan resides in Minneapolis, MN where he maintains a studio and is a Professor of Art at the University of Minnesota.

UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: W-F 11-6, Sa 10-3. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

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.

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 past August, I had a unique opportunity to watch the total eclipse from a friend’s mountaintop home. We were in an area of totality for over two minutes, and it was an awe-inspiring experience. The common thread in featuring eclipse pictures with wedding photography is all about the storytelling: it was just like a wedding in that, in order to tell the story of the eclipse, I had to capture all of the elements from the phases to Bailey’s beads to the diamond ring to totality. What I am sharing in this show are scenes from some of my downtown weddings through the past 18 years combined with the artistic fun that I had creating the piece titled “Eclipse Descending” and trying my hand at this new “stellar” art.

Eric Thompson has been a musician and photographer in the Knoxville area for over 20 years. He was described by his mentor and instructor in the 1990’s as being a natural. His sense of detail and perceptiveness to his surroundings allows him to capture the physical, emotional and reactive responses of his subjects in real time. He also has a photo-journalistic nature and loves to chronicle any momentous occasion in a way that expresses a complete story. For more information, please visit www.photographybyerick.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.

Recent research has demonstrated definitively that Parkinson’s Disease, along with dopamine-based medication is actually causing some people to be more creative. Many people report that before being diagnosed with the disease they had not engaged in any particular creative activity, and after the onset of the disease, they took up creative activities such as poetry, painting, and photography, while those who were already creative have reported a surge in creative output. The research has concluded that when involved in an intense creative activity, the brain produces more dopamine and the symptoms of the disease are reduced.

This exhibition will feature the work of several individuals who have experienced this phenomenon. Most of these participants are not professional artists. The value of their work is the pleasure and relief they garner from the creative experience. The work to be displayed includes painting, photography, poetry, furniture making and more. The displays are designed as a traveling show and will be displayed in the future in locations such as hospital lobbies. The project is designed by Architect David Denton and sponsored by Dr. Michele Brewer, MD.

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.

Sculptures created by nine University of Tennessee art students that incorporate materials provided by steel recycler Gerdau will be on display April 5-22 at the Knoxville Convention Center on its Clinch Concourse. “The Art of Recycling” sculpture exhibition celebrates April’s National Recycling Month and is a partnership among Gerdau, Dogwood Arts and the University of Tennessee Sculpture Program. The artworks will be unveiled in a public ceremony Thursday, April 5, at 10 a.m.

In January, Gerdau’s Knoxville steel mill opened its scrapyard to the students, along with John Powers, UT associate professor of sculpture and time-based art. The students selected 3,540 pounds of discarded metal and steel, provided free of charge by Gerdau, and gained inspiration for new works of art. “Every day, Gerdau creates new steel from discarded scrap metal, preparing it for use in our cities’ infrastructures and keeping it from landfills,” said Johnny Miller, vice president and general manager of Gerdau’s steel mill in Knoxville. “This art project provides an excellent opportunity to support these student sculptors, celebrate National Recycling Month and educate the public about how ‘green’ steel manufacturing really is.”

This marks the fourth year the partnership has culminated in a public art exhibition, and the Knoxville Convention Center remains an enthusiastic supporter of the project. Gerdau has partnered with Dogwood Arts for the past eight years and appreciates the opportunity to provide the students with both raw materials and artistic inspiration. Participating UT students include Reid Arowood, Mary Badillo, Amanda Beasley, Thomas Colabella, Zachary Edwards, Shannon Frisco, Troy Houk, Michaela Leib and Dylan Tan.

Questions: 865-544-0088 ext. 109 or http://www.moxleycarmichael.com

To celebrate spring and the coming Dogwood Arts festival, the Art Market Gallery will hold a silent auction of artwork by its members throughout the month of APril. Bidders can make a "buy it now" bid at tremendously reduced prices or make regular bids on paintings, jewelry, pottery, fiber art and more.

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

Woven designs by Carol Pritcher and paintings by Lynda Best will be featured at The Art Market Gallery.

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

"Foot Traffic", featuring new xerography work by Artist R.L. Gibson, opens at The Tomato Head in Knoxville on April 2 and runs through May 6th. The Tomato Head is located at 12 Market Square, Knoxville, TN.

"For the past few months, I have been working on a "Traffic" series which consists of delicate xerography transfers on pigment-stained wood, including transfers of maps, surveys, blueprints and schematics of civil engineering projects that span a wide range of built environments (e.g. streets, bridges, parks & plazas). The pigment stains are chosen to connect the transfers to their literal locations while the quiet over-painting echoes the universal details of those environments."

"Foot Traffic" is an extension of the Traffic series that concentrates on physical footsteps as opposed to driving patterns that underlie the patterns of common human behavior. Think of it as"Cha, Cha, Cha" instead of "Honk, Honk". To see more work by R.L. Gibson, visit http://RLGibson.com/

Dogwood Arts Art In Public Places - Temporary Sculpture Exhibition

Art in Public Places is a large-scale outdoor sculpture program showcased throughout Knoxville, Oak Ridge, and Alcoa, Tennessee. The annual rotating installation is one of many Dogwood Arts programs focused on providing access to the arts for everyone, promoting awareness of the strong visual arts community thriving in our region, and creating a vibrant and inspiring environment for residents and visitors to experience. Over the past eleven years, Dogwood Arts has curated and installed over 220 works of art, and the Art In Public Places program has gained national recognition as a platform for world-class artists. This year’s ambitious collection of sculptures created by artists from across the nation has been selected by Director of the Zuckerman Museum of Art, Justin Rabideau.

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