Calendar of Events

Knox County Public Library invites the public to join Umoja Abdul-Ahad for a discussion of Muslims and the Making of America by Amir Hussain.

"There has never been an America without Muslims," author Hussain says. Hussain, one of the most important scholars and teachers of Islam in America -- and an American Muslim himself -- contends that Muslims played an essential role in the creation and cultivation of the United States. The stereotype that all followers of Islam are violent extremists who want to overturn the American way of life and the rise of global terrorism fuel concerns about American Muslims. Inherent to this stereotype is the popular misconception that Islam is a new religion to America. In Muslims and the Making of America, Hussain makes it clear this is not true.

Abdul-Ahad is Executive Director of Zero Waste Neighborhoods/Project 2000, Inc. and a long-time member of the Muslim Community of Knoxville. He also serves as logistics & facilities consultant with the Carpetbag Theatre, Inc. He is a member of the Committee for the Development of the Black Community, Rescue & Restoration, and 2017 City Council Movement. He is a past recipient of the Community Shares Danny Mayfield Champion of Change Award, and 100 Black Men's "Man of The Year". He was presented an Eagle Feather by the Chief of the Seminole Nation. Books Sandwiched In is generously sponsored by the Friends of Knox County Public Library.

In the East Tennessee History Center auditorium, 601 South Gay Street. Bring your lunch or pick up something downtown. Drinks are available for fifty cents. Reading the book is optional. Books Sandwiched In is sponsored by the Friends of Knox County Public Library: 865-215-8750, www.knoxlib.org

Chicago, Wednesday, May 23, 7:30PM at the Tennessee Theatre.

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Celebration of STORIES, the Gay Street Jackson Avenue Stairwell Mural

The Mayor will join CBID, the Old City Association, Robin Easter, the Public Arts Committee, and others on the All Occasions patio at the Terminal in the Old City. Lots of public art has been installed in the last few years, and Robin Easter’s mural is just the latest! Lots more to come – more than $1 million in value, counting City and Public Arts Committee projects, privately funded projects, and the remake of the Cradle of Country Music space (art and grounds). We’ll celebrate the mural on the staircase connecting Jackson and Gay Street, and we’ll explain the importance of this pedestrian connection once the Jackson Avenue ramp replacement project gets underway later this year. Join us!

Ribbon cutting at 4 PM, cookout 5 PM (hamburgers & hotdogs) until dark, and neighborhood association meeting at 5:30 PM. Live music, food & fun! Everyone is welcome.

Information: evreeland@knoxvilletn.gov or 865-215-3480

The Muslim Community of Knoxville invites you to our 8th annual Ramadan Community Iftar, with honored guest and keynote speaker, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero.

This is an opportunity for the Greater Knoxville and interfaith communities to share food and fellowship with members of the Muslim community.

Seats are limited. Reserve yours today: http://bit.do/ARIftar2018
At The Mill & Mine, 227 West Depot Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee 37917

Come celebrate World Lindy Hop Day with us on May 23rd at our Wednesday Night Swing dance. No experience required! No partner required! Just come and meet some fun people.

World Lindy Hop Day, May 16th, is the birthday of the ambassador of swing dancing, Frankie Manning. Frankie was one of the earliest Lindy Hoppers, with a career dancing and performing all over the world which spanned from 1935 to 1955. He came out of "swing dance retirement" in 1986 and spent the last two decades of his life spreading the love of swing dancing to a new generation of dancers and creating a global community of dancers. He died in 2009, just 1 month before his 95th birthday; and he never stopped dancing.

Frankie was a prolific choreographer, having created some of Lindy Hop's most famous dance routines. You can see his dancing and choreography in early movies such as Hellzapoppin' (1941) and Keep Punching (1939). He won a Tony Award for his choreography in the 1989 Broadway musical Black and Blue. And the 1992 movie Malcolm X features his choreography. Read more: https://swungover.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/why-frankie/

Wednesday Night Swing
7:30 - beginner drop-in class (get on the dance floor on your first night!)
8:15-10:30 - Social dance
At The Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916

The beginner drop-in lesson is included with admission, only $3 (or $2 for students)! Swing dancing is fun and social – meet new people, learn a new hobby, and hear some amazing music! Bring some friends or come by yourself – no partner is required. See you Wednesday! http://swingknoxville.org/

The project, inspired by a similar exhibit at Rotary Botanical Garden in Janesville, Wisconsin, is designed to promote community participation and artist collaboration at the UT Gardens, Knoxville, as well as to raise awareness and support for the Gardens. 27 local professional and amateur artists have created unique interpretations of a wooden hummingbird silhouette. The pieces will be displayed throughout the summer of 2018 for Gardens visitors to enjoy. The Hummingbirds will then be sold at a live auction on September 8, 2018 with all proceeds benefiting the UT Gardens, Knoxville.

UT Gardens, Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-7151, https://ag.tennessee.edu/utg/Pages/default.aspx

Darkhorse Entertainment, LLC, invites you to time-travel back to the Middle Ages at the fourth annual Tennessee Medieval Faire. The festival is located in Harriman near I-40 just 30 miles west of Turkey Creek. This rugged outdoor festival will spring to life on May 19 and run for three weekends, including Memorial Day. “Our theme this year is Robin Hood, and patrons are invited to Live the Age of Chivalry in the High Middle Ages (circa 1194). Patrons can interact with well-loved characters of Sherwood Forrest, meet Maid Marian, and even get knighted,” said Barrie Paulson, VP-Manager and Entertainment Director.

The festival will include continuous professional family-friendly entertainment. In the tournament arena will be Real Jousting and Warriors’ Chess, where the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and his henchmen square off against good Robin and his Merry Men. There will also be interactive comedy shows, puppet shows, Irish and Celtic music, English folk dances, patron costume contests, and costumed street characters. In addition, vendors will be selling medieval crafts, food and beverages, including beer.

The Tennessee Medieval Faire is a family-friendly outdoor festival. Dates are May 19-20, 26-27-28, June 2-3. Hours are 10am-5pm ET. Ticket prices are $17 for ages 13+, $9 for ages 5 to 12, and free for ages 4 and under. Field parking is free. The festival is located at 550 Fiske Road, Harriman, TN. For more information, please visit www.TMFaire.com, find the Tennessee Medieval Faire on Facebook, or call 865-376-0319.

Fabulous discounts available on assorted pottery, art glass, jewelry, and art prints while supplies last. This is a wonderful opportunity to get a great price on Phyllis Shipley, Cynthia Markert and Jim Gray art prints. Our contact information will remain the same, so give us a call for all your art and framing needs!

Liz-Beth & Co.: 7240 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-691-8129, www.liz-beth.com
https://www.facebook.com/LizBethArt/

Reception date TBA

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

This group painting show, titled By Candle Or By Bulb, features a trio of Knoxville-based painters including Eleanor Aldrich, Heather Hartman, and David Wolff. The show continues through May 25.

Fluorescent Gallery, 627 N. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: https://www.facebook.com/fluorescentknoxville/

Stop by Ijams' Hallway Gallery to see May's photography exhibit by Chuck Cooper! His beautiful shots of historic Knoxville and wildlife will inspire you to get outside to see these sights for yourself.

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

David Underwood: Image/Text

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