Calendar of Events

"It’ll Tickle Yore Innards!”: A (Hillbilly) History of Mountain Dew

Special Members Preview: Thursday, June 27, 2019, from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

The exhibition highlights the drink’s history, from the origins of the term “mountain dew” and the development of the marketable hillbilly image that influenced media and culture, to becoming the third most popular soft drink brand.

The exhibition includes more than 200 artifacts highlighting the drinks history, moonshining, and the hillbilly image. The exhibition begins with video footage of early moonshine busts and a visit to a moonshine still in Cocke County in 1938. A variety of liquor jugs, dating from as early as the 1890s are on display with other moonshine paraphernalia. There is an assortment of artifact reflecting the early color writers and their effects on the hillbilly image, as well as artifacts from Knoxville’s 1910 Appalachian Exposition. One case contains a variety of “hillbilly” memorabilia, including Beverly Hillbillies dolls, comic books, Lil’ Abner items, and a pair of Hee Haw overalls.

The exhibition features a 1900 carbonation machine from the Roddy Coca-Cola Bottling Company in Knoxville and a sizeable display of rare and highly collectable bottles, including a few dating to Knoxville in 1927, a progression of Mountain Dew bottles over the years, and a variety of other vintage soft drinks from around the region. Of special interest are the “Barney and Ally” bottles, which were the first Mountain Dew bottles ever produced. In 1951 and 1952, the Hartman Beverage Company produced 7 oz. green and clear bottles. The applied color label’s bare the name of the creators of Mountain Dew. In the early 1950s, green bottles were reserved for “colorless” flavors, while clear bottles were used for drinks where the color would reflect the actual flavor. Mountain Dew was originally bottled as a set of flavored drinks and not as a specific flavor like today. Also displayed are a variety of items relating to the Hartmann family.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

By Neil Simon
Directed by Keri McClain

45 Seconds from Broadway is Neil Simon’s “Valentine to New York.”

Set in the Polish Tea Room (a coffee shop / restaurant based on the real life Edison Cafe in New York City), characters wander in and out, sitting down, chatting with each other, building friendships, and giving glimpses into their lives in the “Big Apple.”

Bernie and Zelda run the place and make it what it is – a home away from home for everyone who enters. They also help young, starving artists by giving them food, advice, and employment. Established actors and native New Yorkers also frequent the coffee shop, bringing character, humor, and wisdom with them.

45 Seconds from Broadway is play about normal, everyday people, their tragedies and triumphs, and the small coffee shop / restaurant in which they sit, relax, and spend time among friends.

Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 800 S. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information & tickets: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION by Annie Baker

When four lost New Englanders who enroll in Marty’s six-week-long community-center drama class begin to experiment with harmless games, hearts are quietly torn apart, and tiny wars of epic proportions are waged and won. A beautifully crafted diorama, a petri dish in which we see, with hilarious detail and clarity, the antic sadness of a motley quintet.

“CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION is the kind of unheralded gem that sends people into the streets babbling and bright-eyed with the desire to spread the word. “—NY Times.

Flying Anvil Theatre, 1300 Rocky Hill Road, Knoxville. Information: 865-357-1309, www.flyinganviltheatre.com

Jesse and Nick Keen - Jun 21 @ 7:00 pm
Angela Easterling & Brandon Turner - Jun 28 @ 7:00 pm
Jared Hard - Jul 12 @ 7:00 pm
Chris Muncey and the Narrow Way - Jul 19 @ 7:00 pm
Pistol Creek Catch of the Day - Jul 26 @ 7:00 pm
Jerry Butler Band - Aug 2 @ 7:00 pm

All concerts begin at 7 pm – Rain or shine in the covered amphitheater. Bring your own folding lawn chairs. Coolers and alcohol of any kind are prohibited. Pets are not allowed (Except Service Animals w/ Proper Identification). Concerts are FREE for GSMHC Members and for Children 5 and Under – $10 per person for non-members. Or, Reserved Seating! Only $5 Leave your chair at home and use ours!

http://www.gsmheritagecenter.org/events/concerts/

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 3/4 mile east of traffic light at the Highway 321 and 73 intersection towards the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Townsend, TN. Hours: M-Sa 10-5. Information: 865-448-0044, www.gsmheritagecenter.org

Debut: Recent Acquisitions features important acquisitions from the past four years in the McClung Museum’s eclectic arts and culture collection. Many of the objects have never been on display.

From ancient Peruvian ceramics and new additions to our extensive map collection, to Cherokee carving and modern and contemporary works on paper, they reflect the enormous diversity of the McClung’s holdings, and the generosity of donors who helped to add important objects to our collections.

The objects also illustrate the work of museum staff to fill cultural gaps needed to support the McClung’s educational mission. These treasures underscore the museum’s continued relevancy as a site for inspiration and pondering our world and its wonder.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9AM-5PM, Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-974-2144, http://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

FOUNTAIN CITY ART CENTER OPEN PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW
June 14th – July 17th, 2019
Opening reception, 6:30 – 8:00 PM, Friday, June 14th

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

Each summer, Historic Ramsey House offers free tours (Wednesday-Friday, 10 AM – 3 PM) to Knox, Jefferson and Sevier County students ages 6-17 with a student ID that are accompanied by a paying adult. There can be no more than two students for each adult. Admission can be paid upon arrival.

Ramsey House was built in 1797 by Knoxville’s first builder, Thomas Hope, for Francis Alexander Ramsey. The structure is significant for original interior and exterior architectural features and its period decorative art collection. The Ramsey Family was one of the first families to settle the Knoxville area. They played vital roles in developing civic, educational and cultural institutions.

Open to students outside of Knox County? YES – Jefferson and Sevier
Advance reservations required? NO (except for tours on Saturdays)
Contact: Kelley Weatherley-Sinclair, 865-546-0745, director@ramseyhouse.org

Knoxville - Our Wings of Wonder Butterfly Exhibit has been installed throughout the Gardens. Twenty-five large scale butterflies decorated by area artists will be on display until September 8 (when they will be auctioned off to the public). Come enjoy their whimsical beauty!

This is the second year of this great collaboration of artists and the UT Gardens whereby the showcased art is auctioned to benefit the Gardens. This year's theme of butterflies hopes to showcase the importance of pollinators to our ecosystems and is in conjunction with pollinator research being conducted at the UT Gardens and elsewhere around the world.

UT Gardens, Chapman Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-7151, http://utgardens.tennessee.edu

Reception June 7, 5:00pm - 9:00pm and July 5, 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

The UT Downtown Gallery is pleased to present the art of Carl Sublett (1919-2008) celebrating the 100th year anniversary of his birth. Over 20 regional collectors have graciously loaned works that will be on public display together for the first time. This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Knoxville's beloved painter and UT professor, Carl Sublett. The concept for this tribute exhibition was suggested by the artist's late son Eric prior to his passing in September 2018. A small number of Eric's works will also be on display.

Admission is Free and Open to the public. Parking is free after 6:00pm.

UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

Arrowmont's workshop instructors are nationally recognized artists and university faculty. With over 150 classes being offered in a variety of media, instructors and students come to Arrowmont from across the globe to share skills and ideas, foster new thinking, artistic growth and creative camaraderie.

To honor our instructors and showcase their talent, Arrowmont presents an annual group exhibition. Their work is a true expression of Arrowmont's vision and mission - to enrich lives through art. We are privileged to celebrate our instructors and their work.

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

The Knoxville Museum of Art presents this groundbreaking design exhibition which brings together works from the U.S. and abroad that express the notion of the dynamic passage of time in textiles, carpets, ceramics, lighting fixtures, vessels, clocks, and furniture.

The twenty-two studios and designers represented in the exhibition all incorporate markers of time’s passage: seasons and growth cycles, the orbiting sun, chemistry, and physical forces (magnetism, crystallization, and tides). Where the shape and form of most designed objects is intended to communicate their physical presence, the creation of objects that express the dynamic passage of time offers a counterpoint, a visual expression of life itself.

Design by Time is organized by the Department of Exhibitions, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York, and is curated by Ginger Gregg Duggan and Judith Hoos Fox of c2 curatorsquared.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM, Sunday, 1-5PM. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

Just like at your favorite meat n’ three, the WDVX Blue Plate Special® is served up piping hot. This fresh and free daily helping of live music during the lunchtime hour that features performers from all over the world and right here in Knoxville has put WDVX on the map as East Tennessee’s Own community supported radio.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special® is a live performance radio show held at noon, with your host Red Hickey Monday through Friday and Doug Lauderdale on Saturday, at the WDVX studio inside the Knoxville Visitor Center. It’s always free to join in so please don’t be shy. Make yourself at home as part of the WDVX family. From blues to bluegrass, country to Celtic, folk to funk, rockabilly to hillbilly, local to international, it all part of the live music experience on the WDVX Blue Plate Special. You’re welcome to bring your lunch.

Previous performing artists include Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, The Avett Brothers, Old Crowe Medicine Show, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Jim Lauderdale, Marty Stuart, Nickel Creek, Red Stick Ramblers, Rodney Crowell, String Cheese Incident, The Del McCoury Band, Tim O’Brien, Yonder Mountain String Band, David Grisman, Claire Lynch Band, Brett Dennen, Tommy Emmanuel, Uncle Earl, The Infamous Stringdusters, the Jerry Douglas Band, Joan Osborne, John Oats, Mary Gauthier, Darrell Scott, and many many more! There’s plenty of great music to go around! http://wdvx.com/program/blue-plate-special/

Free 2-hour visitor parking located next door to the Knoxville Visitor Center. One Vision Plaza, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Info: 865-544-1029, http://www.wdvx.com