Calendar of Events

Flying Anvil Anvil Theatre takes a twisted comedic look at love, bad breakups and revenge in Carrying a Torch. The show features a quartet of female singers performing jazz and blues standards, Broadway show tunes and even a little rock and roll, all arranged by acclaimed local musician, Musical Director Wendel Werner.

Writer/Director Jayne Morgan says the cabaret-style musical is a special reunion for her and Werner. “A couple of decades ago, we did a version of this show with a cabaret act. I’ve always wanted to work with him again and we’re finally making it happen with this updated version. It’s a fun show, particularly for anyone who has ever suffered through a bad breakup…and lived to laugh about it.” Morgan says. “In the second act, audiences get a chance to share their own stories. Which could get interesting.” Werner is a well-known jazz musician who recently directed an all-female version of Jesus Christ Superstar. Morgan is Artistic Director of Flying Anvil Theatre, which opened a new theatre space in Rocky Hill in 2017.

Carrying a Torch showcases familiar and new faces to local audiences. Dana Wham (The Great American Trailer Park Musical) and Jessica Magers-Rankin (The Big F.A.T. Holiday Cabaret) appeared in previous musicals for the theatre. Making their F.A.T. debuts are Broadway veteran Laura Beth Wells, who is also Associate Producer of the show, and recent UT Theatre graduate Lauren Winder. Terry Pfeiffer stage manages.

“We’ve had some fabulous voices on our stage,” Morgan says. “But this cast tops them all. The harmonies Wendel has created are just thrilling. Jaw-droppingly good. If you love harmony, you really shouldn’t miss this.”

Carrying a Torch has two preview performances Wednesday, April 18 (Pay What You Can night), and Thursday, April 19, and opens on Friday, April 20, with an after-party with cast and crew. The show runs for four weeks only – through May 13. Wednesday through Saturdays at 7:30 and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm. Tickets are available online at flyinganviltheatre.com, or reservations can be made by calling 865-357-1309.

Flying Anvil Theatre, 1300 Rocky Hill Road, Knoxville.

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

By Charles Marowitz. Picking up where the famous stories ended, the play centers on a death threat against Sherlock Holmes by the supposed son of his late nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Oddly enough, however, Holmes is warned of the plot by Moriarty's daughter, to whom Holmes (who turns out to be quite a ladies' man) is strongly attracted. The plot then twists and turns until Holmes finds himself imprisoned in a dank cellar, trapped not by young Moriarty but, to his shocked surprise, by the good Dr. Watson—who, it turns out, has long been bitterly resentful of his second-class status as Holmes' lackey. After Holmes' demise Watson comes into his own, or seems to, until a number of impostors turn up claiming to be the real Sherlock Holmes. In sorting all this out the play mixes humor and suspense in equal amounts, leading to a stunning final twist that will surely catch audiences by complete and breath-stopping surprise.

"Sherlock's Last Case is certainly a wonder … throwing social consciousness to the wind and simply entertaining an audience with a delightful theatrical sleight-of-hand."
—LA Daily News

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

Music and Lyrics by Mark Hollman; Book and Lyrics by Greg Kotis

"For anarchic, first-rate comic relief, get thee to Urinetown." Time Out New York

A water shortage caused by a 20-year drought has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. Citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission. Deciding he has had enough, a hero plans a revolution!

Winner of three Tony Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards and two Obie Awards, this hilarious musical is a satire of capitalism, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, politics, greed, and the musical theatre!

Clarence Brown Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com. For tickets: 865-974-5161, 865-656-4444, www.knoxvilletickets.com

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

"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

Pick Your Poison examines how mind-altering drugs have been used throughout the history of America.

Featuring over forty medicines, advertisements, historic and popular culture documents and books, video footage, and paraphernalia, the exhibition explores why some drugs remain socially acceptable, while others are outlawed because of their toxic, and intoxicating, characteristics.

These classifications have shifted at different times in history because of social and historical factors, and will continue to change. The exhibition explores some of the factors that have shaped the changing definition of some of our most potent drugs––alcohol, tobacco, opium, cocaine, and marijuana––from medical miracle to social menace.

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

GALLERY HOURS Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM in THE MURIEL S. MAYFIELD GALLERY IN REECE HALL TN Wesleyan Campus, 216 North Jackson Street

Heather Hartman is not a native Tennesseean, but when her family moved to Tennessee, she was deeply impacted by the atmosphere, weather, and constantly changing skies in her new home. Hartman lives and works in Knoxville, Tennessee where she is a member of the Vacuum Shop Studios Artist Collaborative. Hartman is an Adjunct Instructor of Art at Carson-Newman University and Walters State Community College.Her work has been featured in various solo and group shows throughout the country, as well as several publications.

https://www.facebook.com/events/310874436106136/

Please join us for the reception on Saturday, April 7th in the Blain Gallery for light refreshments.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts announces Alternative Bodies, a group exhibition showcasing new work by the 2017-2018 Arrowmont Artists-in-Residence: Xia Zhang, Paige Ward, Elyse-Krista Mische, Emily Culver, and Max Adrian. In vulnerable ways, these artists touch on a variety of topics related to the body such as queerness, sexuality, faith, race, and death. These artists are playful and inventive with their processes in order to start conversations that may otherwise be difficult to digest.

Works such as those by Zhang, Culver, and Adrian focus on matters of flesh and bone: what it means to touch bodies, to express ourselves through our bodies and the objects we interact with, to be celebrated, stigmatized, or separated because of our bodies. Tactility is a key element for these works which span a breadth of materials like faux-fur, orange peels, and rubber. Works by Mische and Ward, on the other hand, consider spiritual existences in pursuit of greater understanding of our mortality and what lies in wait beyond the body. Objects like concrete pillows and monumental papier-mâché vessels reference the body through its absence. Metaphors for faith and self-preservation speak to multiple possibilities of seeking and finding comfort.

Collectively, all five artists encourage the viewer to contemplate other perspectives and expressions of humanness at a time when the world feels more divided than unified. Alternative Bodies aspires to a level of empathy and compassion for the hopes, hardships, and successes we all have within our physical forms.

The Artists-in-Residence Program is an 11-month program which provides early career, self-directed artists time, space and support to experiment and develop a new body of work in a creative community environment. Each year, five artists of different media are selected for the eleven-month program, which begins mid-June and continues through late May of the following year. Participants receive exhibition opportunities, teaching experience, professional development and a private studio.

In the Sandra J. Blain Gallery, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

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

We have a full event calendar that grows by the day!

Monday - Singer/songwriter night (open sign-up)
Tuesday - Open mic night (open sign-up)
Wed through Sun - Various Americana/Folk artists from Knoxville and across the country

The Troubadour Roadhouse and Performance Hall located in Bearden, 4705 Old Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
Information: 865-851-8650, www.troubadourroadhouse.com
www.facebook.com/troubadourroadhouse