Calendar of Events

This October, East Tennessee PBS will host the 2nd Annual Veteran Honor Dinner to celebrate the area men and women who have bravely served our country in all branches of our armed forces. The event is being sponsored by Pilot/Flying J and Food City. The dinner will be held at Bridgewater Event Center, on October 11, 2018, from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.EastTennesseePBS.org/veteran.

This special evening brings together the servicemen and women who have given so much for our freedom, as well as members of our community who wish to recognize and honor their bravery and sacrifice.

Tickets are $100 and cover the cost of each attendee as well as sponsorship for a veteran to attend at no cost. A portion of each ticket sold also goes to Wreaths Across America to ensure that every grave at Knox County Veterans Cemeteries are honored with a wreath during the holiday season.

In addition to great fellowship, attendees of the dinner will have an opportunity to meet area veterans, community leaders and view new mini-documentaries feature some area programs helping veterans transition back into civilian life.

Guests include Mayors Madeline Rogero and Glenn Jacobs, as well as other local elected officials and military leaders. An announcement will also be made about a special post 9/11 Veterans Memorial that is coming to our region.

For tickets, table sponsorship or additional information, please contact Barbara Shipley at 865-595-0244 or bshipley@EastTennesseePBS.org or Kate Spears kspears@EastTennesseePBS.org or go to www.EastTennesseePBS.org/veteran

In 1982 Knoxville hosted the People’s Republic of China for its inaugural World’s Fair participation. Join Bo Roberts, the president and CEO of the World’s Fair and former UT vice president, Jack Neely, executive director of the Knoxville History Project, and Shellen Wu, UT associate professor of modern Chinese history, to commemorate the event and explore its significance for Sino-US relations.

The event will take place Thursday, October 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the East Tennessee History Center. A reception starts at 6 p.m. followed by the discussion.

“The Knoxville World’s Fair left lasting memories for many residents and visitors,” says Shellen Wu, associate professor of history and event organizer. “Yet, since 1982 little has been done to commemorate the event or to explore its significance. It was clear from talking to a number of people involved in the Fair that they felt China’s participation was its most important legacy. This event will bring together historians, key figures in the organization of the Fair, and other local notables to begin the process preserving this important piece of Knoxville history.”

This event is targeted for the Knoxville public, as well as students and faculty, and is one of the history department’s public history outreach efforts.

The event is sponsored by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Department of History with support from the National Committee on US-China Relations’ Public Intellectuals Program, which is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

https://history.utk.edu/china-at-the-knoxville-worlds-fair/

Join us October 11th for our October Drink + Draw event where we meet up, hang out, and draw while sipping on a beer or soda! This month's event will be held at the Central Filling Station food truck park so there will be plenty to eat and enjoy. The current scheduled truck lineup for dinner is: Hawg Dawgs, The Crave, Meatball Madness & More, Kazoku Hibachi and Flourish Flower Truck will be there as well! We hope to see you there!

Central Filling Station, 900 N. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917
https://knoxville.aiga.org/

Visual artist Ashley Addair of Knoxville joins 15 local clay artists in a new exhibit at Pellissippi State Community College.

"Ashley Addair and Terra Madre: Women in Clay" will be on display at the College's Bagwell Center for Media and Art Gallery on the Hardin Valley Campus Oct. 8-26, with an opening reception with the artists scheduled for 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10.

The exhibit, the latest installment in The Arts at Pellissippi State, is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

"It's going to be a busy show, and it's going to be full," said Pellissippi State Professor Jeffrey Lockett, program coordinator for Art. "The artists will take up different spaces within the Gallery, with the Terra Madre works displayed on pedestals and Ashley's works on the walls." Addair is a visual artist and an active member of the arts community in Knoxville. Her paintings are collected internationally. Terra Madre is a juried group of women clay artists living and working in the Knoxville area. Their work ranges from functional to sculptural and from traditional to whimsical. "Many Terra Madre members are or have been influential educators in the clay field locally, regionally and nationally," said Lisa Kurtz, an adjunct fine arts instructor at Pellissippi State whose work will be included in the upcoming exhibit. "They teach or have taught clay at a variety of locations including elementary and secondary schools, colleges, craft centers, workshops and churches."

Other Terra Madre teachers whose clay work will be featured at Pellissippi State include Amanda Bonar, Judy Brater, Jane Cartwright, Pat Clapsaddle, Valerie Eiler, Lynn Fisher, Annamaria Gundlach, Pat Herzog, Ellie Kotsianas, Wendie Love, Sandra McEntire, Jackie Mirzadeh, Jessica Stewart and Rikki Taylor.

"Both Ashley's and the Terra Madre artists' works showcase immediate reactions to the media they use," Lockett said. "With clay, you squeeze it and shape it while Ashley's paintings are often stream of consciousness. Sometimes these works are well thought out. Sometimes they are more spontaneous."

Bagwell Center Gallery hours: M-F 10-6:30.

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Monday through Friday 10-5:00

Please join us for an open house which will feature how stained glass is made.
Visitors will be taught how to cut glass. Visitors will be able to see and participate in manufacturing of stained glass windows. Visitors will also learn about the process of painted stained glass windows. Artist website: http://www.LauraGoffDesigns.com

Laura Goff Designs, 519 Lovell Rd STE 306, Knoxville TN 37932
Info: 865-310-7311 or http://tennesseecraft.org/tennessee-craft-week/event-detail/?detail=stained-glass-demo-open-house

We offer a kids camp, usually a week long, typically for ages 5-12. We tailor the lessons to multiple ages by working together in whole-group instruction or by splitting up into smaller groups to maximize learning. We spend the day together creating art through various art forms like music, improv games, visual art and dance. We meet-up at the end of the day and share our experiences in a cool down meditative share time. Our mission is to promote cooperation and the love of learning through art, craft and creativity! Through exploration of self we will find common ground in each other.
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At The Birdhouse, 800 N 4th Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917.
9 AM - 4 PM daily. Rates: $235 or $55/day
http://kidsinthearts.weebly.com

Gay Bryant’s work is on exhibit at the downtown Knoxville Tomato Head from October 7th thru November 4th and at the West Knoxville Gallery Tomato Head from November 5th thru December 3rd.

Aristotle spent a lot of time thinking about the human drive to control circumstances that interfere with a happy, safe, and productive life. As silly as it might sound, the philosopher was describing the same basic urge that impels us to insulate our houses and to buy insurance – we like to have a buffer between us and misfortune. Of course, at some level and in some circumstances, control is impossible. Often the only seeming answer is acceptance which means letting go of control and hoping for the best. Relationships can be like that. Watercolors can be the same.

In fact, if you talk to as many artists as we do, you’ll find that many of them believe that their work guides them (not the other way around) and that the best thing they can do is to just get out of the way. Artist Gay Bryant feels that way, at least some of the time: “Mostly I work in watercolor. And the key is letting go, to let the paint do its thing.”

And while it may appall some ancient Greeks and more than a few control freaks among us, her ability to trust in fate or good luck or providence (or whatever you want to call it) leads Bryant to more than a few beautiful places. Her nature paintings are evocative without being dogmatic; the gentle patterns recall a presence, a sense of being there, but they’re not so specific that you can’t imagine being there yourself. In fact, you may feel compelled to visit Alum Creek or Icewater Spring at dawn to experience Bryant’s subjects with your own eyes.

Read more about the artist and her work: http://thetomatohead.com/gay-bryant/

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

Zoo Knoxville invites guests to make a day at the zoo part of their Fall Break plans with a special $10 admission price. Through Oct. 12, 2018, general admission tickets to Zoo Knoxville are $10 for visitors ages 4 and up. Tickets may be purchased online using the promo code FALL18 or at the zoo’s ticket window during business hours.

Visitors can make some new friends in Gibbon Trails and Langur Landing in the Boyd Family Asian Trek and be immersed in a 360 degree experience with playful primates. The habitats are designed with multiple viewing levels that allow langurs and gibbons to pass directly over the heads of visitors or be eye-to-eye with them in a 60-foot-tall treehouse accessible by a suspension bridge. The new expansion also allows soaring views of Tiger Forest, home to critically endangered Malayan tigers.

The zoo also offers a daily schedule of animal encounters throughout the park, giving visitors the opportunity to meet animal ambassadors and talk with staff to learn about the animals who call Zoo Knoxville home.

This offer is valid for tickets purchased through Oct. 12, 2018. Tickets can be purchased at the zoo’s ticket window during business hours or online at zooknoxville.org. Tickets may be used any time before December 31, 2018. This offer cannot be combined with any other coupon or discount.

Zoo Knoxville is a nonprofit entity situated on 53 wooded acres just east of downtown Knoxville. Zoo Knoxville features exhibits of wild animals in natural habitats and is world renowned for its efforts in conservation and species survival. Zoo Knoxville is nationally accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is committed to the highest standards in animal care and well-being, ethics, conservation, and education. Knoxville’s largest attraction, the zoo is open every day except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Currently, the zoo is open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Admission and ticket sales stop one-hour before the zoo closes. For more information visit zooknoxville.org.

Opening: October 5th from 6PM-9PM (the show will be up through the end of November.)

Chris McAdoo is a painter, printmaker, and designer living in East Tennessee. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, collections, and publications around the country and he has been an active studio artist for nearly twenty years.

In addition to having work on display, Chris will be painting live during the opening! All are welcome to come and watch, and Chris is happy to talk with folks as the process unfolds.

“My most recent series focuses on memory (or the lack thereof) and the significance that we attach to objects and places, particularly when we take them out of their original context. My work is an extension of my own experiences growing up in the south and a comment on my connections that give me a visceral reaction to the past rather than simple nostalgia. While the paintings speak to me in a very particular way, I would much rather suggest a narrative to the viewer than to lay it all on the table.”

Ongoing Show: Blanket Fort Studios---Kendra Barth (of Blanket Fort) produces funky ceramic pieces. Working out of her studio here in Knoxville, she uses a unique style to evoke wonder in her pieces. "I created this studio to share my love of naive wonder and storytelling."

Rala, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Phone: (865) 525-7888
Instagram: @ShopRala
https://shoprala.com/

Enjoy the Opening Reception of the Artful Wonder Fall Art Show from 5-7 PM on Fri October 5.

This special reception is scheduled on the regular monthly “Fun and Wine Friday” reception date. Participants can view the show entries and watch the presentation of ribbons and cash awards to the winning artists. Hors d'oeuvres, wine, and other beverages will be available. The reception is free and open to the public.

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

Recent works by artist Fran Thie and potter Larry Gabbard will be featured throughout October at the Art Market Gallery. An opening reception for the artists, including complimentary refreshments and live music performed by Harold Nagge, will begin at 5:30 p.m. on October 5th, during Downtown Knoxville’s monthly First Friday Art Walk. The show will highlight Fran Thie's pastel and watermedia works, and Larry Gabbard's fast-fired clay pottery.
The Art Market Gallery is also happy to welcome four new members in painting/drawing—Carole Quin, Kara Lockmiller, Pebbie Mott and Linn Stilwell—whose work will be on display beginning October 1st.

Fran Thie: Fran is an established pastel and watermedia artist whose work reflects her love of creative writing and literature by presenting sensitive, impressionistic and expressive interpretations of nature in both landscape and abstract paintings. Through intuitive use of color and texture, she strives to transform an ordinary scene into a special place where both drama and serenity can co-exist. Fran paints in both pastel and watermedia, but her primary specialty is pastel. By first preparing an underpainting in acrylic or watercolor, she lays a foundation for visual depth and richness, which she then overlays with pastel. While many of her works have been painted on location, she often begins the painting from a photograph or sketch in her studio, then puts the resource material aside and completes the painting by intuitively reacting to the painting surface. Her works, whether representational or abstract, always have their foundation in the world of nature.

Larry Gabbard: Larry began his pottery career after moving to Kingston, TN in 1999, and training initially at the Oak Ridge Art Center (ORAC). Most of his pottery is wheel thrown; he seeks out unique, alternative kilns and firing techniques (e.g., raku, horse hair, saggar, obvara, and pit firing). Larry attends workshops of well-known potters throughout the Southeast, studying and applying their unique techniques. He has attended classes at John Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC; Hambidge Center for Creative Arts at Rabun Gap, GA; Mudfire Gallery, Decatur, GA; and the ORAC in Oak Ridge, TN. Larry enjoys fast-firing techniques which create a rich variety of textures and colors on bisque clay. He finds the unexpected marks made when clay, heat, and smoke interact to be among the most intriguing and challenging of finishes to perfect and reproduce.

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

“BeDazzled”—a special show featuring the Art Market Gallery’s five jewelry artisans—will be on display in the Art Market Gallery throughout October. This show is being held in conjunction with Tennessee Craft Week (October 5th–14th), celebrating our local craft artists. Please join us for this special event; you will “be dazzled” by the work of Roger Kroll, Jennifer Lindsay, Nancy Rowland-Engle, Lynn Straka, and Kristine Taylor.

Roger Kroll: The intention of Roger’s jewelry and metal art is to create a functional art form. His goal is to continually explore form, shape, color and texture, incorporating the vast pallet of techniques and materials available to the precious metal artist.

Jennifer Lindsay: Jennifer gets her inspiration from everywhere-architecture, gardens and historical customs. She fashions one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces using various beading techniques, imported seed beads, focal beads, semi-precious stones, or crystals.

Nancy Rowland-Engle: Nancy is a metalsmith who enjoys the creative process of designing and producing jewelry using silver, copper, and brass. Her work incorporates organic forms and geometric shapes. Most pieces have an industrial feel but come to look the way they do naturally. The shapes, the elements, and the organic forms all come from nature.

Lynn Straka: Lynn wants to bring joy to the wearer with her mixed-media jewelry. She uses sterling silver, copper and bronze with semi-precious stone accents. Her designs are influenced by nature, and may evoke a memory, affirm a belief, or be an extension of the wearer’s personality.

Kristine Taylor: Kristine is inspired by good design and beautiful color, using polymer clay and traditional jewelry materials, such as metal, fibers, stones and pearls, to create unique and limited edition pieces of jewelry. Her current work blends contemporary and ancient forms with abstract images.

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