Calendar of Events

Twenty-two pieces by art students from community colleges across Tennessee will be on display. Community college students from across the state will have their art work displayed at Pellissippi State Community College in the first show of its kind. Current and former students at Tennessee's 13 community colleges were invited to enter works generated the past two years in studio art classes. There was no cost to enter.

Seven community colleges had students participate, with 103 works submitted. Peter Hoffecker Mejia, a visiting assistant professor of art at the University of Memphis and a former Pellissippi State student, served as juror, choosing 22 works for the exhibition.

"There's a little bit of everything we were allowing: photography, painting, drawing, design, sculpture, blacksmith, print making, collage. It's quite a survey."

A closing reception and awards ceremony will be held 3-5 p.m. Dec. 7. Three places and two honorable mentions will be awarded, with gifts donated by David Lusk Gallery, located in Memphis and Nashville, and Jerry's Artarama in Knoxville. Pellissippi State also will purchase the winning art work for $500, which the student will receive. The art work then will go on display at that student's community college.

Bagwell Center Gallery hours: M-F 10 AM - 6 PM.

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

The Ewing Gallery is pleased to present two exhibitions for the months of November and December. We will be having an opening reception on Thursday November 15 from 5-7:30 PM in the Ewing Gallery. Some of the artists whose work is featured in Blurring Boundaries will be in attendance.

Blurring Boundaries: The Women of AAA from 1936 – Present
Curated by Rebecca DiGiovanna - More than 80 years after its founding, AAA continues to nurture and support a vibrant community of artists with diverse identities and approaches to abstraction. In celebration of this tradition, Blurring Boundaries: The Women of American Abstract Artists traces the work of the female artists within AAA from the founders to contemporary, practicing members. Included are works by historic members Perle Fine, Esphyr Slobodkina, Charmion von Wiegand, Irene Rice Pereira, Alice Trumbull Mason, and Gertrude Greene, as well as works by current members, such as Ce Roser, Irene Rousseau, Judith Murray, Alice Adams, Merrill Wagner and Katinka Mann. Through fifty-four works, the exhibition explores the stylistic variations and individual approaches to guiding principles of abstraction: color, space, light, material and process.

Mutual Muses: James Seawright and Mimi Garrard
Curated by: T. Michael Martin - Mutual Muses is a two-person exhibition showcasing works by James Seawright and Mimi Garrard, who have been working together as well as individually since the 1960s. Their lives and practice have inspired each other throughout their careers. This exhibition is an interwoven love story featuring individual works by Seawright and Garrard as well as ones inspired by the other and those created collaboratively. Their life of interconnectivity as mutual muses is beautifully explored and presented in this survey exhibition.

The Ewing Gallery will be closed from November 22- 25 in Observance of the Thanksgiving holiday and from December 13, 2018 - January 10, 2019.

Ewing Gallery, 1715 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu

After a three-year hiatus, the cult holiday classic, “The Santaland Diaries,” adapted by Joe Mantello from the essay by humorist and best- selling author David Sedaris, and starring David Brian Alley as Crumpet, returns to the Clarence Brown Theatre’s Carousel Theatre November 14 – December 9, 2018.

A Pay What You Can Preview performance will be held Wednesday, Nov. 14. At the Friday, Nov. 23rd performance patrons wearing an Ugly Sweater will have the opportunity to be selected for a picture with Crumpet on Santa’s chair. A talk back will take place Sunday, Nov. 25 following the matinee, and the Open Captioned performance is Sunday, December 2. The production, which is for mature elves only, will have start times of 2:30 pm for the matinees and 8:00 pm for the evening performances. It will be performed without an intermission and will include smoke.

Based loosely on Sedaris’ real life experience, “The Santaland Diaries” tells the tale of a struggling actor in New York City who out of necessity takes seasonal work as Crumpet the Elf in Macy’s Department Store’s Santaland Village. The comic holiday adventure chronicles Sedaris’ humiliation, frustrations and ultimately his hopefulness all told though his masterful sardonic wit.

David Sedaris made his National Public Radio debut on December 23, 1992 when he read his essay titled “Santaland Diaries” on the show “Morning Edition.” Since his successful debut, Sedaris has gone on to publish multiple bestselling books including “Barrel Fever,” “Me Talk Pretty One Day” and “Let’s Talk Diabetes with Owls.” He also has been a frequent contributor on NPR’s popular radio show “This American Life,” all of which has contributed to his reputation as one of America’s preeminent humorists. Sedaris’ story was adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello and premiered on November 7, 1996 at the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York City.

The 2015 production was directed by Jeff Stanley. Calvin MacLean will direct this year’s remount.
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

East Tennessee artist Julie Belcher brings her artwork to Athens, Tennessee through an exhibit in the Muriel S. Mayfield Gallery. Belcher’s collection, “The Waltz,” features multiple pieces that dance together, creating a beautiful story of rural roots.

Belcher’s story places her as an artist from Appalachia and a “dedicated handmade advocate.” A self-confessed “appreciator of that which can be made new and useful once more,” Belcher co-founded Yee-Haw Industrial Letterpress in 1997, scavenging for years to purchase and restore presses long forgotten throughout the Southeast before the company’s launch from her mother’s shed in Corbin, Kentucky.

The artist now focuses her energies on her latest press, studio and shop, Pioneer House in Knoxville. There, she creates mixed media pieces displayed in galleries across the nation. She has been commissioned to create art for Whole Foods café as well as illustration of American novelist Cormac McCarthy on featured on the cover of the New York Times Review of Books.

Along her ever-expanding artistic journey, Belcher continues to draw inspiration from her Appalachian heritage and love of the area’s handiwork, natural beauty and music tradition. Her latest work is a heartfelt visual combination of antique floral wood engravings from the 19th century and her own hand-carved linocuts of stylized landscapes.

The approach is entirely her own. “Each ink color is a separate block overprinting onto the previous layer,” the artist explained. “A slight ink color change or a transparency effect can make a magical transformation and sometimes even I can’t visualize what it will look like until I pull the print.”

Some of the prints go on to become part of the patchwork, “make do and repurpose” artwork Belcher creates in homage to hardworking Appalachian gardeners and homemakers. “I also deconstruct and sew the prints and use them in mixed media encaustic paintings embedded in beeswax,” she adds.

Belcher’s collection is currently on display at Tennessee Wesleyan University’s Mayfield Gallery, located in Reece Hall. The gallery is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or Saturdays by appointment. To make an appointment please call, 423.745.4600. Julie Belcher will be available at the gallery for a closing reception on Thursday, November 15 at 6 p.m.

Tennessee Wesleyan University, Muriel S. Mayfield Gallery, Reece Hall
216 North Jackson St., Athens, TN 37303
423.745. 4600

Reception: November 9, 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

Stop by Ijams to check out Sherry Boettcher's diverse body of work in November! Boettcher captures everything from people and animal portraits to still life and landscapes in a variety of media, including watercolor, ink and pencil. You'll appreciate the variety in her lovely pieces, as well as her knack for capturing the vibrancy of each of her subjects.

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

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra string quartets are visiting our libraries this fall! Each performance combines children's literature with classical music, sound effects, and hands-on learning. Free and open to the public.

Schedule:

November 6 @ 4 p.m. | Farragut Branch
November 28 @ 11 a.m. | Karns Branch
November 30 @ 10:30 a.m. | Powell Branch
December 4 @ 10:30 a.m. | Sequoyah Branch
December 5 @ 10:15 a.m. | Bearden Branch
December 12 @ 11 a.m. | Halls Branch

https://www.knoxvillesymphony.com/education-community/story-time-performances/

Solo exhibition of recent artworks by Jennifer Stoneking-Stewart, an artist based in Morristown. www.stoneking-stewart.com

Opening reception Mon Nov 5, 4-6 PM

Closed Nov 21-25 for Thanksgiving break

Omega Gallery at Carson-Newman University, Warren Art Building, corner of Branner & S. College Streets, Jefferson City, TN 37760. Gallery hours: M-F 8-4. Information: www.cn.edu

Would you like to learn a new language? Why not try Cherokee? The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is offering beginner and advanced beginner Cherokee language class on the following Monday November 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The cost of the class is $50 for new students and $40 for returning students for all four evenings. The class will be taught by Lou Jackson and Jayme “Brett” Jones who are enrolled members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian.

The Museum is reopen with a completely new exhibit. The language classes will be held in the museum’s education room.

Anyone interested in taking this class should contact the museum at 423-884-6246 or seqmus@tds.net to register. The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is located at 576 Hwy. 360, Vonore, TN, 37885

Beck presents the exhibition, I Have a Voice: Tennessee’s African American Musical Heritage, opening November 2, 2018. The exhibition, organized by the Tennessee State Museum, gives a snapshot of Tennessee’s rich African American musical heritage and its influence on worldwide musical genres.

The Volunteer State has been the birthplace of some of the most influential music in the world, from the Beale Street blues clubs in Memphis, to the R&B scene on Nashville’s Jefferson Street and the jazz in Knoxville’s Gem Theatre. The history of African American music follows the hardship of slavery in America. American slaves adapted their African ancestors’ music to hand clapping, singing, the fiddle and the African–derived banjo.

Expressing their sorrows from bondage, and joy for their ultimate deliverance, these enslaved persons found an original, musical voice sung in their spirituals and folk music. This voice has left a monumental cultural stamp on American music, including blues, ragtime, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and soul music. In turn, this music has influenced and enriched music around the world.

The exhibit introduces viewers to many famous Tennessee music legends — Bessie Smith, who was nicknamed the “Empress of the Blues;” B.B. King, often referred to as the “King of the Blues;” Grand Ole Opry star DeFord Bailey; and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Tina Turner. The exhibit gives visitors a chance to hear the voices of the many Tennessee African American men and women who made their mark on American music from ragtime to Motown.

Visitors can view YouTube videos of various performers and musicians featured in the exhibition on their smart phones or tablets through the use of QR-coded links. Educators who are interested in teaching about Tennessee’s African American musical heritage will be provided with curriculum-based educational lesson activities.

http://www.beckcenter.net/museum-exhibit-s/

Beck Cultural Exchange Center: 1927 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37915. Hours: Tu-Sa 10-6. Information: 865-524-8461, www.beckcenter.net

Paintings and Relief Constructions by Joe Letitia

Hours: Monday thru Thursday, 9 AM to 4 PM, Friday 9 AM to Noon.
6500 Northshore Drive
865-584-3957
www.wpcknox.org

A reception will take place on Friday, November 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork.

Eric Buechel was born and raised in New Jersey. His artistic abilities emerged early in life, and he was fortunate to learn many of his skills from his father, Ernest J. Buechel, Sr., who was a talented artist himself as well as a master ship-modeler. Buechel spent much of his youth absorbed in studying the great masters, often taking trains into New York City as a youth to spend hours in the museums. After high school, he attended the DuCret School of Art in Plainfield, New Jersey. He had the opportunity to study with Dr. Furman J. Finck, an official presidential portrait painter, author, and Dean of DuCret at that time. He learned much of his incredible detail from Dr. Finck. Buechel later transferred to Broward College in South Florida where he earned his degree in fine art. He soon went to work in Manhattan and began his career as an illustrator and later as an art director.

Artist Statement: My work focuses on sharing my vision of beauty found in the familiar and ordinary. A walk in nature, an outing to a local café, the face of a loved one: these are the things that bring me joy. Capturing those memories on canvas and sharing those memories brings me even greater joy. Memories are filtered through an emotional lens which can be seen through the differing styles of my work which lends a different feel to each piece. The goal of my art is to share these reflections and memories through a vision on canvas and bring the viewer to a place within their own memories of joy and happiness. After all, our lives are filled with ordinary events which we all have in common. Art should be beautiful; I unapologetically strive to share beauty.

To learn more about Eric Buechel, please visit www.ericbuechel.net/emporium.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.