Calendar of Events

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will present its third annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, August 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the UT Arboretum Auditorium and surrounding grounds, 901 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. It is cosponsored by the UT Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center. The gate will be open at 9:30 a.m. The event will take place rain or shine.

The event, which drew hundreds of area participants in 2017, is designed for children and adults of all ages. There is no admission charge and there is ample parking in designated areas of the UT Arboretum adjacent to the event.

The day’s highlight will be the release of 200 butterflies at promptly at 12:00 p.m., noon. It is suggested that butterflies be purchased early in the day due to limited supply. We invite children to help release the monarch butterflies, which will be offered at a cost of $10 per butterfly to cover costs. Cash or credit cards will be accepted. For the safety of all, the use of butterfly nets at this event is strictly prohibited.

Two speakers will give presentations before the monarch release. From 10:00 to 10:45, noted botanical artist Linda Fraser will speak about butterflies and other insects specific to certain plants. She will also have examples of her botanical illustrations and paintings available for purchase throughout the day. From 11:00 to 11:45, Jamie Herold, a plant ecologist for the Oak Ride Reservation and Chair of the ORNL Native Landscaping Committee will lecture on “Planting for Pollinators.”

The festival will feature five local artisans and one native plant vendor, Lori McAllister of Tennessee Naturescapes (http://www.tennesseenaturescapes.com/) from Clinton. Lori will be bringing a large selection of locally sourced nectar and larval plants for butterflies and other pollinators. She will give away one free butterfly weed plant for each family with a child while supplies last. Butterfly weed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly.
Food vendors include Dano’s Hotdogs, featuring hotdogs, hamburgers and lemonade. Mediterranean Delight will offer Middle Eastern fare and Razzleberry’s of Oak Ridge will offer ice cream. The UT Arboretum Society will be selling bottled water for $1.00 each.

From 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., there will be music by Boogertown Gap, an old-time string band. Craft activities will be available for children at a cost of $1 ticket per activity or $5 for six tickets.

From12:30 to 12:45, after the butterfly release, Abdullah Almsaeed, developer of the exciting new app, Tree Snap, will explain how to record trees in a national database.

Children of all ages will enjoy seeing Dr. Jerome Grant and his students at the UT insect Zoo, a travelling exhibit of insects. The goal of the Insect Zoo is to have fun while sharing knowledge of insects with others to help them appreciate the important role of insects in our environment. The Insect Zoo showcases preserved and live insects and arachnids (scorpion, tarantula, etc.) found in Tennessee and throughout the world. Kids can get “up close and personal” with such insects as the Madagascar hissing cockroach.

For more information please visit www.utarboretumsociety.org.

Join us on Saturday, August 4 from 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m as we explore Townsend area geology on a day long bus tour along the Blue Ridge Foothills. The tour will be facilitated by UT Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Professor Bob Hatcher and will include stops to Tuckaleechee Cove and Chilhowee Lake.

These areas are known for their unique geologic “windows.” As thin sheet of rocks eroded over the last 7 million years, they exposed limestones of the Valley of East Tennessee in windows through the sheet. Attendees will have the opportunity to dismount the bus for observation and photographing these unique features, as well collecting rocks.
Tickets are $60 for museum members and $75 for nonmembers. Each ticket includes coffee upon arrival, the tour, lunch, a field guide, and an annual museum membership for nonmembers. A portion of each ticket is tax deductible.
http://alumni.utk.edu/s/1341/alumni/interior_alumni.aspx?sid=1341&pgid=11466&gid=2&cid=18955&ecid=18955&post_id=0

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

Opening Friday August 3 5:00-9:00

Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 Broadway St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Hours: Thurs-Sat, 10-6; Sun-Wed by appointment (or when the "open" sign is turned on). Information: 865-556-8676, www.BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com

Join us for the August First Friday featuring Knoxville's Robert Felker, opening August 3, 5:30-8:30 PM.

Songbirds & Smoke Rings — Paintings and Mixed-media Collages

About the artist: I am a painter and collage artist looking for the magic in everyday life. Whether it's the tranquil lake at sunset, or the abandoned country store, I want to honor and capture the beauty I see in the world. I earned a BFA from School of Visual Arts (1991) and today, live in Tennessee with my wife, two kids and our backyard chickens. https://www.robertfelker.com/

1991 - graduated School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Media Arts.
Spring 1991 - Solo show through SVA Galleries, entitled "Works on Paper"
Spring 1991 - Group show at the Art Directors Club, entitled "Illustration as Short Story"
Spring 1991 - Group show: "Images of Labor," Gallery 1199, NY
1991 - 1998 - Freelance illustrator, clients include: Lenscrafters, Sun Microsystems, Alfred Knopf, Dartmouth Press
1998 - present - personal work and private commissions

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-522-0832, https://knoxbijou.org/art-gallery/

Recent works by artist Eun-Sook Kim and jewelry artist Jennifer Lyndsay will be featured throughout August at the Art Market Gallery. An opening reception, including complimentary refreshments and live music performed by Maddie Carpenter and Jordan McCullough, will begin at 5:30 p.m. on August 3rd, during Downtown Knoxville's monthly First Friday Art Walk.

The show will feature Jennifer's one-of-a-kind beaded jewelry, as well as Eun-Sook's multi-culturally influenced paintings.

Other highlights throughout August: The Marjorie Horne Retrospective in the Art Market Gallery foyer, featuring works by the late Marjorie Horne; and the New Members Show, focusing on the work of the gallery's newest artists, Sandy Hoeft, Luke Proffitt, Lindsay Kromer, Terri Swaggerty, Roger Hankins and Lynne Straka.

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

Works by the late artist Marjorie Horne will be on display in the Art Market Gallery foyer throughout August. A reception, including complimentary refreshments, will be held in conjunction with the East Tennessee History Center’s History Fair on Saturday, August 18, 2018, from 11:00 a.m to 6:00 p.m. Please join us for this special retrospective of Marjorie’s work.

Marjorie Horne (1945–2017): Marjorie Spalding Horne was originally from Richmond, Indiana. She moved to the Knoxville, Tennessee area with her husband and two sons in 1978. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1981. Marjorie received numerous purchase and merit awards over the years in regional and national exhibitions. Her colored pencil work was juried into many International Exhibitions of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA), earning Signature Status in 2004, and a five year merit award in 2008. One of her pieces was published in The Best of Colored Pencil V, edited by the founder of CPSA, Vera Curnow. Her pieces were among Top 100 winners in the 2006 PaintAmerica and the 2007 Paint the Parks MiniTop50 competitions. She earned a Best of Show award in the 2009 Knoxville Museum of Art “Artists on Location” event. She presented one-person exhibits in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Roane State Community College, Webb School, Tennessee Valley Unitarian Church and the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. In 2007 she and her sister Betty Hendrix shared an exhibit at the Campbell House Gallery in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Marjorie greatly enjoyed being a member and occasional featured artist of The Art Market Gallery, and admired the work of her fellow artists.

Transparent and reflective surfaces were recurrent themes in her colored pencil drawings and watercolors. She was a devotee of light and possessed a patient, detailed technique. She took thousands of photographs as sources for paintings. In recent years, her favorite subjects were the landscape and wildlife of Cades Cove, Yellowstone National Park, Pawley’s Island, and scenes of downtown Knoxville. Marjorie passed away on October 1, 2017, in Knoxville due to complications from cancer. She had recently retired from over 30 years working in accounting, and was focussing her energy on artwork and her health. “Always, art is a form of meditation for me. It feeds my soul and brings wholeness to my life.”

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

The public is invited to attend and enjoy the opening reception of the Art Guild’s 9th Annual Judged and Juried Fine Arts Show on Friday, August 3, from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. Participants can view the show entries and watch the presentation of ribbons and cash awards to the winning artists. The First National Bank of Tennessee is once again sponsoring the Judged & Juried Fine Arts Show. Cash prizes will be awarded to Best of Show, 1st Place, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place.

The opening reception is free and open to the public. At the reception, there will be an assortment of hors d’oeuvres and beverages. The Judged & Juried show will feature all genres of art.

Art Guild at Fairfield Glade at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive, Fairfield Glade, TN 38558. Hours: M-Sa 9-4. Information: 931-707-7249, www.artguildfairfieldglade.net

Join us for an opening reception on Friday, August 3 at 5 PM - 9 PM

The UT Downtown Gallery will be showing works from the Ewing Gallery permanent collection. The Ewing Gallery has many works by former undergraduate and graduate students. This exhibition features a selection of works from every department in the School of Art created from the 1970s - present day.

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

Stop by to see Kathy Thacker's colorful, textural paintings this August! Her work, which also includes murals and illustrations for children's books, explores everything from still life and portraits to whimsical depictions of animals and food.

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

"Newer Things" will view at the downtown Knoxville Tomato Head on Market Square thru August 5th. He will then exhibit from the West Knoxville Gallery Tomato Head from August 7th thru September 3rd.

Carl Gombert is the featured artist, and while you probably won’t catch him there to share his personal magic, the works in his exhibit have a magic all their own. The exhibit consists of rubber stamped decorative pieces that have been Gombert’s focus for the last five years...

Read his bio from a previous TH show here: http://thetomatohead.com/carl-gombert/

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

Flying Anvil Theatre presents their newest show, 8X10 - a theatrical buffet of funny and offbeat short plays opening July 27 for a four-week run. Ten actors take on eight plays in an evening Artistic Director Jayne Morgan calls both challenging and fun.

“If you like variety, this is the show for you! All the plays are really smart, in very different ways. They make you laugh while asking existential questions about the meaning of life, relationships and creativity. There is literally something for everyone. We say, don’t like this play? Hang on. There’s something totally different coming along in ten minutes!”

The program of one-acts features several works by local playwrights Margy Ragsdale and Staci Swedeen. Plots of the plays run the gamut from three monkeys randomly typing the works of Shakespeare, a game God plays with Adam and Eve, how office jealousy warps the story of how one guy got the promotion and two drama teachers stranded in the desert. There are love stories, absurd twists and turns and one rather unusual house cat. All in a compact, fast-paced 90 minutes.

The casts of the plays include Crystal-Marie Albertson, Angela Grant, Dennis Hart, Steve Louis, Michael Marks, Margy Ragsdale, David Snow, David Steele, Windie Wilson. Directors are Carrie Booher, Keri McClain and Terry Pfeiffer.

8X10 has two preview performances – a Pay-What-You-Can preview on Wednesday, July 25, and an $16 Thursday preview on July 26. Opening Night is Friday, July 27, followed by a reception with the cast and crew. The show runs four weeks, through August 19.
Evening performances are at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees are at 2:00 pm. at Flying Anvil Theatre, 1300 Rocky Hill Rd. Tickets are $22 and $24 (Students with I.D. $16) and may be purchased online at flyinganviltheatre.com, or call 865-357-1309 to make reservations.

Runs July 27 through August 19. Tickets available at https://www.ticketpeak.com/res/FlyingAnvil.

Tickets can be purchased online or reserved via telephone. Flying Anvil Theatre, 1300 Rocky Hill Road, Knoxville. Information: 865-357-1309, www.flyinganviltheatre.com

Music by Harvey Schmidt, Lyrics by Tom Jones
Directed by Rebecca Gomez

"Try To Remember" a time when this romantic charmer wasn't enchanting audiences around the world. The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in the world and with good reason: at the heart of its breathtaking poetry and subtle theatrical sophistication is a purity and simplicity that transcends cultural barriers. The result is a timeless fable of love that manages to be nostalgic and universal at the same time.

The Fantasticks is a funny and romantic musical about a boy, a girl, and their two fathers who try to keep them apart. The narrator, El Gallo, asks the audience to use their imagination and follow him into a world of moonlight and magic. The boy and the girl fall in love, grow apart and finally find their way back to each other after realizing the truth in El Gallo's words that, "without a hurt, the heart is hollow."

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