Calendar of Events

Knox County Public Library invites the public to join Dr. Matt Harris for a discussion of A Fine Mess: A Global Quest for a Simpler, Fairer, and More Efficient Tax System by T. R. Reid, at noon on Wednesday, June 27 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 generously sponsored by the Friends of Knox County Public Library.

"Just about every economist and political figure in America agrees these days that our tax code has to be reformed," the author says. Believing we have reached a breaking point, Reid travels around the globe visiting countries like Estonia, New Zealand and the UK to investigate how others tax their residents. Ultimately, he affirms his belief that the United States is capable of a radical reform for a "fairer, simpler and more efficient" tax system.

Harris is an assistant professor in the University of Tennessee (UT) Department of Economics and a research assistant professor in the UT Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research. He is the inaugural recipient of the Michael Stahl PEMBA Faculty Research Fellowship. Although Harris is primarily a health and labor economist, his work on police militarization was featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and NPR. Harris also serves on the Economic Advisory Council for the Tennessee Department of Health.

Books Sandwiched In is sponsored by the Friends of Knox County Public Library: 865-215-8750, www.knoxlib.org

Mark your calendar for Sweet P's "Taste and Toast!" to benefit Ijams Nature Center on Wednesday, June 27, from 5-9 p.m.! Join us at Sweet P's Downtown Dive located at 410 W. Jackson Ave. to enjoy a great meal and beer pairing with a mission. For every meal pairing sold, Sweet P's will donate a portion of the proceeds to Ijams as part of their monthly celebration of food and community partners. Special thanks to Sweet P's for choosing Ijams for their June
"Taste and Toast!"

http://ijams.org/events/special-fundraiser-sweet-ps-taste-and-toast-for-ijams-2/

At SoKno Taco Cantina, 3701 Sevierville Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee 37920

Let's help protect the future of Knoxville's birthplace and enjoy refreshing brews from Mill Creek Brewing Co all month with a chance to win a guided tour of the brewery WITH transportation included. We will be donating 10% of sales from the day to the James White's Fort.

James White was born in 1747 in Rowan County, North Carolina. He was an American pioneer and soldier who founded Knoxville, Tennessee. In 1783, he led an expedition into the upper Tennessee Valley, where he discovered the future site of Knoxville. The fort was chosen as the capital of the Southwest Territory in 1790, and White sold the land and donated lots for a permanent city, Knoxville, in 1791. James White died on August 14, 1821, and was buried next to his wife in the First Presbyterian Church Cemetery at 620 State Street in Knoxville.

Drink brews from Mill Creek Brewing Co in the month of June and for each pint you drink you are registered to win a guided tour of the brewery located outside of Nashville, TN and we will even include transportation. ***Must be present to win***

Like James White's Fort on Facebook to stay up to date on events and announcements: https://www.facebook.com/JamesWhitesFort/
https://www.facebook.com/events/161623408027388/

James White's Fort, 205 E. Hill Ave, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: 865-525-6514, www.jameswhitefort.org

NoKno Cinematheque is doing something a little different at this screening. We will be using this as an opportunity to support the Alzheimer's Association for Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month. We will talk a bit about Alzheimer's, and have the opportunity for viewers to directly support the association.

Doors open: 7:30 PM, Film begins: 8:00 PM
Free and open to the public - BYOB

Away From Her (2006) - 110 min, Drama, PG-13
A man coping with the institutionalization of his wife because of Alzheimer's disease faces an epiphany when she transfers her affections to another man, Aubrey, a wheelchair-bound mute who also is a patient at the nursing home.
Gordon Pinsent, Gordon Pinsent, Olympia Dukakis
http://www.thecentralcollective.com/event-calendar/2017/nokno-cinematheque-1

Meet the Artist, Esther Sitver, and Solo Art Show
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Arnstein Jewish Community Center, 6800 Deane Hill Dr, Knoxville, TN

Please come to meet Ringling College of Art & Design illustration major, Esther Sitver, at the Arnstein Jewish Community Center. Light refreshments and art sale of cards, prints, and original art. 30 pieces from Esther's sophomore year featuring illustrations, figure drawings, and paintings are on exhibit Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm through August 10. Esther is a 2016 BHS grad and West Hills resident. Commission inquiries and Esther's latest work can be seen at http://esthersitver.wixsite.com/portfolio.

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church - Free and open to the public.
Reception Friday, June 15, 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Artists’ talks at 6:30 pm.

Bobbie Crews
This collection of portraits was done in oil on canvas, quickly capturing personalities and revealing information about that person in a quick and concise manner. Some of the portraits are fleshed out with color pushing the image off the canvas, while others are capture the essence with burnt umber over a toned canvas. Both have their charms.

A self-taught artist who later earned a BFA in 2007 as an adult at the University of Tennessee, Crews has done portraits of people all her life. In 2009 she began creating “Intimate Portraits of Automobiles.” She has earned awards at several “Concours d”Elegance” car shows around the country and has shown in art museums in El Dorado and Topeka, Kansas; Biloxi; Indianapolis; and Midland, Michigan. She’s currently exhibiting at Carlock Motorcar Company in Brentwood, Tennessee. The Knoxville Family Justice Center houses a permanent exhibit of her work about women’s issues. I’ve participated in many other group and solo exhibitions and her murals are scattered around East Tennessee. Published by PBS television, American Art Collector, Hemmings and other magazines, and a member of the OPA and Portrait Society of America, Crews works on commission, especially in portraiture; teaches; critiques; and gives workshops and presentations.

Clay Thurston
Thurston says, “Wildlife and nature are gifts that should be enjoyed and protected by all of us. Patience is the number one element of capturing my subject, and I will spend weeks, months and years learning animal behaviors, studying the environment and finally getting the photo.”

Born in New Hampshire and raised in Maine, Thurston finished his undergraduate degree in education at Sam Houston State and his Masters in Education and Biology at the University of Tennessee. He taught in Oak Ridge Schools for 33 years, retiring from teaching in 2005. Since then, he has worked full time in nature and wildlife photography. He has traveled the world and shared his experiences through his work with other nature enthusiasts. He was honored to present his work to the North American Nature Photographers Association a few years back and exhibits all over the eastern half of the United States. www.claythurston.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

Reception: June 8, 6:30 – 8:00 PM - Free and open to the public.

Exhibit viewing hours: Hours: Tu & Th 9-5, W & F 10-5, 2nd-4th Sa 10-1. Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartcenter.com

Sanctuary Vegan Café will open a new exhibition of photographs by Aubrey Langley on Thursday, June 7 at 6:00pm. The event will include a reception and brief presentation by the photographer. The event is free and open to the public. (Show runs through August 1)

Aubrey Langley is 25 years old and has autism. Her condition has caused her a lot of anxiety and at times, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, for instance, making eye contact with humans is a big challenge. Fortunately, early on, Langley discovered the healing power of animals. She surrounds herself with dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, birds, rats, hamsters and more through her work at a veterinarian clinic and volunteering at the Gentle Barn Tennessee, a farm animal sanctuary.
Photography has been a passion of Langley’s all her life. When she was very young, she loved to line up her stuffed animals on a bench and take photos of them with a little disposable camera. Today, she uses much more sophisticated equipment and hopes to make photography her career.

The Sanctuary Vegan Café art program invites visual artists and
photographers from the east Tennessee region to showcase their work with
themes reflecting healthy plant-based diets, animal liberation, environmental
awareness, positive inspirations, and peace and love for all sentient beings.

Each new exhibition runs for two months. The next “call for artists” for the
year 2019 will be in November.

Sanctuary Vegan Café is located at 151 N. Seven Oaks Dr, Knoxville, TN 37922.

Chris Smith is showing his paintings and photography at the Morristown Hamblen Library through July 31.

Everyone studies history in school. The importance of history is essential to modern living. It not only tells us where we’ve been, or where we are now, but where we are going. Smith feels that the same theory applies to art. His artwork is an exploration of our past, “an echo in time” to better relate to our present and help shape the future of art. Smith’s story begins at the age of 5 in Dallas, Texas, where his jealousy of his brothers’ abilities to draw led him to pick up the pencil. In time, this need to draw grew as well as the need to create. At 7, he had surpassed his brothers’ abilities but was still insecure of his own. As a child his parents moved a lot, which made forming relationships difficult. Drawing helped some in opening up. However, the insecurities were still there. He took art class through 7th and 8th grade, which was the only formal art schooling he received. Chris dropped out of school in 9th grade and immediately got into the work force. Married at age of 21, Smith started family life and his passion for art began to get buried and lost in the shuffle. Many years later, and after the marriage failed, Smith returned to his art.

Smith says, “I found a spark of inspiration in the most unlikely way. Playing a game on my phone, I met a woman that captured my heart and sparked my passions for art once more.” he said. This rekindling quickly became an inferno that led to painting and living in Tennessee. Oils, acrylics, newspaper, plaster, pens, and color pencils have been used in Smith’s artwork that now exceeds 100 pieces. “This solo exhibition represents some of my best works over the course of what is now the end of my first year painting,” he said. “My artwork has been influenced by many of art’s most notable masters - Monet, Picasso, Pollock, Bacon, Klee and most notably Van Gogh. I feel that the key to finding art’s future is found in its past. I hope that like the pages of history books, my art not only speaks to its viewers but it moves them to forge its future.”

All artwork is available for sale unless labeled NFS. Prints are available for sale per request. Commissioned work is also welcomed and must be scheduled. If you would like more information, contact Chris Smith at 423-714-6738 or 423-714-6708 or contact Smith_Art_Studio@Yahoo.com. The Morristown-Hamblen Library hosts ongoing exhibits of Morristown Art Association members with the exhibits changing every two months. For information about the Morristown Art Association, visit www.morristownart.org; the current exhibit or to purchase the art, please contact the artist; or call the Morristown-Hamblen Library at 423-586-6410.

The first thing to know about Ocean Starr Cline is that that is her given name. The second important thing to know is that, despite the invariable interest that her name excites, she’s not much concerned with what others think. In fact, it’s an essential part of how she lives:

“My parents had me in San Francisco, named me, and immediately moved me to Clay County, Alabama where everybody was Jeremy, Jason, Sarah and Amanda. I fit in like a purple giraffe on the farm. I complained bitterly about my name for years and years and I was going to change it when I got old enough, but, by that point, I had gotten used to it – because there’s always somebody who’s going to stare or has a comment. It really fortified me to be able to put any kind of art on the wall. Some people are going to like it some people are not. And I just don’t care.”

But Cline’s life and art is very much about caring for other people though not in an intrusive or interfering way. Cline’s paintings evince a sense of that magic – although she often works in a similar palate, her paintings each carry a unique voice, you might even detect an aura. Her approach to art leaves her open to whatever magic or inspiration comes to her in the moment.

Starr Cline’s exhibit will be on view at the downtown Knoxville Tomato Head on Market Square from June 4th through July 1st. Her exhibit will move to the West Knoxville Tomato Head from July 3rd through August 6th. http://thetomatohead.com/ocean-starr-cline/

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

Join us for the opening reception, Friday, June 1, 5-9PM and Friday, July 6, 5-9PM at the UT Downtown Gallery

Kimberly D. Iles was known for her vivacity, generosity of spirit, and passion for the arts. She graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee in 1990, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. As a graphic designer, she poured her talent and energy into her work for clients ranging from Oak Ridge National Laboratories to the White House tech corps, and started her own very successful design firm, Ilesnet Design. She designed a web-based textbook – the first of its kind – for the Computational Science Education Project, a K-12 educational program to teach the principles of high-performance computing. She later transitioned into a full-time career in fine art, exhibiting her paintings and photographs in juried shows around the world.

Iles and her husband, Dr. James J. Hack, established the Kimberly D. Iles Art Scholarship Endowment in 2015. The endowment supports multiple scholarships awarded annually to undergraduate students in the School of Art.

This exhibition benefits the Kimberly D. Iles Scholarship Endowment for undergraduate students in the School of Art.

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

The Dogwood Arts Regional Art Exhibition returns to showcase work from leading progressive and emerging artists from a seven stage region. The exhibition will encompass fine art of all styles and genres, with 28 selections made by juror, Leigh Suggs, who currently is the curator at LIGHT Art + Design in Richmond, Virginia. Leigh Suggs received her BFA from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 2003 and her MFA from the Virginia Commonwealth University in Craft and Material Studies in 2015. Gaining recognition throughout the area, her work has been shown in multiple group exhibitions across North Carolina and in Richmond, VA. Her recent shows include her solo at Reynolds Gallery Double Vision (2016); In Visible Light (2015) at LIGHT Art + Design in Chapel Hill, NC; Trying to Exit Here (2015), Anderson Gallery, Richmond, VA; and her notable group shows include the NCAC Fellowship Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh, NC (2014), and Art on Paper (2012) at the Weatherspoon Museum in Greensboro, NC. Suggs has been awarded several grants and honors, including the North Carolina Fellowship Award, a city of Richmond CultureWorks Grant, and a residency at the Quirk Hotel & Gallery in Richmond, VA. Her work is part of several corporate collections including the Federal Reserve Bank, Capital One, Markel Corporation and Fidelity Investments.

Opening Reception: Friday, June 1, 5:30 – 8:30pm
Award Ceremony: Friday, June 1, 7:00 pm

On display at the office of Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Viewing hours: M-F 10-5. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com