Calendar of Events

At East Tennessee History Center
Tuesday, 12/17 at 6:00pm

It's not Christmas season without ancient stories about how this all came about. Christmas is the protean holiday. It arguably began in this part of America with a work of literature, an 1840s Dickens novella called A Christmas Carol. Then, combined with remembered traditions from several hundred Irish, German, and Swiss immigrants who began showing up in town about the same time, along some East Tennessee customs of celebrating everything with whiskey and gunfire, evolved into a crescendo of noise and violence in the 1890s—before stabilizing into a multi-week shopping frenzy known for parades and giant trees and ice-skating in the 20th century.

We'll be trying to make sense of it all with a slide show on behalf of our friends at Knox Heritage, as one of their Preservation Network lectures, at the East Tennessee History Center on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 6:00. Jack will talk about Christmases past, and Paul will share a brief history of Christmas parades, plus some always popular Knoxville Christmas Parade archive footage from the vaults at TAMIS. We’ll bring some of our books to sell and sign.

This is a free event but please RSVP to hcook@knoxheritage.org

Knoxville History Project, 516 West Vine Avenue #8, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-300-4559, www.Knoxvillehistoryproject.org

In this season full of holidays, family and remembrance, our collection serves to connect our current Art Center family and those who worked to sustain and preserve our program in the past. Among them are artists, collectors, and family and friends of both. Selections from the Permanent Collection will represent individuals who created, those who collected, and those who contributed to our ability to share the amazing variety and diversity of art with our regional community. Each group represents many memories—funny, fond, and maybe a few not-so-fond—of the individuals who helped make the Art Center a community asset and keep it viable for us to enjoy today.

We are assembling a group work that represents all three of these groups of people—artists, collectors and contributors. Many of the artists represented have been or were members of the Art Center, or have been associated with our program. Others have been, or were, instructors at the Art Center and/or have shown with us in their careers.

We will have a wealth of wonderful pieces to represent the collectors in our midst. Lovingly collected by members and individuals from around the region the pieces were later donated to the Art Center to leave a lasting impact on the cultural tenor of our region. Work included in this group are both regional and international in scope. Sharing these works with our visitors and their delight in viewing work of this caliber in our area is very special. This promises to be a delightful walk down memory lane with some of our favorite people and their memories.

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tu-F 9-5, Sa-M 1-4. Information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org

Geoffrey A. Wolpert Gallery, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Gallery hours: M-R 8:30-5, Fri 8:30-4, Saturdays call ahead. Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, www.arrowmont.org

Awaken Coffee will host an opening reception for Austin Bradford Friday, Dec. 6 from 6-9 pm.

Austin's passion is photography and he specializing in landscapes and portraits.

Please join us for some amazing photos, light refreshments and of course great coffee!

Awaken Coffee is a live music venue, espresso bar, craft beer & wine bar and organic restaurant in the heart of downtown. Awaken Coffee, 125 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902

Hours: Mon-Thu 7 AM - 9 PM, Fri 7 AM - 10 PM, Sat 8 AM - 10 PM, Sun 2-8 PM
(865) 951-0427 or https://www.facebook.com/awakencoffeeoldcity/

Please join us for an opening reception on Friday, December 6 from 5-8 p.m. Meet the artist, explore the gallery’s holiday collections, and enjoy seasonal fare. The show will be on display through January 4.

A moment of quiet can make all the difference. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the season, we invite you to join us in taking a moment to pause and appreciate the quiet moments in Joe Parrott: Across the Valley. Through an unparalleled depth of experience, Parrott’s richly painted landscapes render our common understanding of light and darkness, high points and low valleys.

Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday 10-5:30, Saturday 10-4

The District Gallery & Framery, 5113 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
(865) 200-4452 or www.TheDistrictGallery.com

Reception on Friday at 4:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Dogwood Arts, 123 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902

December First Friday at Dogwood Arts will feature work by Chrysalis, a group of nine local female artisans working in sculpture, painting, woodwork, stone carving, and more! Participating artists include: Kathy Slocum, Lisa Ruttan Wolff, Gay Morton, Sheila Rauen, Linda Peterson, Nan Jacobsohn, Barb Bewernitz, and Pat Culbertson.

The exhibition will be on display in the Dogwood Arts Gallery (123 W Jackson Ave) from Friday, December 6 - Friday, January 3rd. An opening reception will be held on Friday, December 6th from 4:30-8:30PM. (Gallery Closed: December 23rd-27th and January 1st)

Gallery Hours: M-F / 9AM-5PM

CHRYSALIS: Chrysalis is a group of nine women craft-artisans and artists. They first got together in 2006 to exchange creative energies and offer support to each others artistic endeavors. Their name derived from the fact that they had all been dedicated artists and had all experienced interruptions to their flow of creating. In finding each other, they found their work and energy to create reemerging, new ideas blossoming, and a support that also enveloped their personal lives. In 14 years they have lost sisters and found sisters. Some have changed mediums, learned new creative processes to add to their work, or expanded into additional avenues of creating, growing not only as artists but as strong women and steadfast friends. It's a unique group, whose work when gathered together, inspires not only each other, but those that come to see it.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2550089981888289/

PostModern Spirits, 205 West Jackson Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902

PostModern Spirits will welcome Kara Lockmiller’s musician portraits on First Friday, December 6, and all month long. To view Kara’s artist portfolio visit www.KLockmillerArt.com.

For PostModern craft distilling doesn’t mean small or hand-made; it means challenging the traditions and staleness of mainstream spirits. Craft distilling is about using flavors and colors from real ingredients and botanicals that were grown and not “born” in a laboratory. It’s about putting your own unique mark in the spirits world that is filled with copycats.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1337471143101261/

First Friday Reception: December 6, 5:30 – 9 p.m.

MARILYN DWYER - BARNS- ‘ROUND EVERY BEND
Pastel & Mixed Media Paintings - Roadside Views of our East Tennessee Landscape
“Not knowing farm life, I have always been intrigued with these monumental structures and the life around them. As I’m driving, I find myself noting that the cows on Springbrook are close to the road mid-afternoon or the sun lights up the farm buildings on River Road at sunset. These scenes will inevitably disappear. I want to remember them before they’re gone.” Originally from Mobile, Marilyn was captivated with the beauty and heritage of East Tennessee while visiting the area. After graduating from Auburn with a BFA, she moved here, raised a family and recently retired from a career in graphic design. She spends as much time as possible drawing and painting at Studio 212 in Maryville, where she also teaches teen and adult drawing. Her charcoal and pastel work reflects a graphic arts background, with strong compositions and a contemporary style.

Julia A. Malia, Fiber Artist
I am a fiber, jewelry, and stained glass craftswoman as well as a watercolorist and musician. As a fiber artist specializing in wearable art, I use a variety of fibers and techniques. The styles of my original designs are usually either classical or folk-style in nature, drawing inspiration from historic or ancient themes. For instance, I often base garment designs on our family’s Irish and Scottish roots, and I also favor Japanese kimono garment shapes. Rich textures and colors are central to my life and my work, and I utilize techniques that combine and enhance color variegations. I am a juried member of the Foothills Craft Guild as both a fiber artist (specializing in knitting and crocheting) and a jewelry maker. I also am a member of the Tennessee Valley Handspinners Guild, the Precious Metal Clay Guild of East Tennessee, and the Fountain City Art Center. I am drawn to fabrics and, as a child, used to play at sewing garments and piecing quilt squares for my grandmother, eventually learning standard clothing construction techniques as a teen. My mother taught me how to knit when I was a young child, and I learned to crochet from a friend when I was in my early 20s. In 1977, I won second place in the state of Iowa for my original design and creation of a hand-hooked rug entitled “Sarah’s Fantasy Rug.” In 2013, I had two of my original fiber designs selected for runway appearances at the Dogwood Arts Festival Diva Luncheon Fashion Show in Knoxville. In 2014, I was the invited featured artist for the month of July in a one-woman fiber art exhibit at the Charles City Art Center in Charles City, Iowa. My exhibit, entitled “Wearable Art: Themes and Variations,” was a retrospective of my craftwork in fibers and jewelry over the decades.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Sa 11-6, Su 1-6. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net

December 6th 6-9PM (Will be on display the entire month)

This December our wall will feature art from four of artists: Mike Ham, Cynthia Markert, Pippin Long and Brian Pittman. Come celebrate First Friday with us and find the perfect art original to give to someone special this holiday season!

https://www.facebook.com/events/2869424669737278/

Rala, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902
HOURS: Mon - Thurs: 10:00am to 8:00pm, Fri - Sat: 10:00am to 9:00pm, Sun: 11:00am to 5:00pm
PH: (865) 525-7888, Instagram: @ShopRala
https://shoprala.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance proudly presents its 2019 Members Show, the largest annual exhibition of local artists in the Greater Knoxville area. The fresh mix of two- and three-dimensional works created within the last two years encompasses a wide variety of media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, mixed media, photography, fine craft, sculpture, ceramics, fiber, and more from regional artists who are all individual members of the Arts & Culture Alliance, which serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Membership is open to all, and information may be found at www.knoxalliance.com/join-renew. Most of the works in the 2019 Members Show are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on December 6 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. The First Friday reception features dances presented by Circle Modern Dance and Knoxville Argentine Tango Society and music by the Knoxville Gay Men’s Chorus. The WIVK Santa Claus Parade starts at 7:00 PM along Gay Street and passes in front of the Emporium.

“We always look forward to this exhibition as a highlight and culmination of a year’s productivity on the part of Knoxville’s diverse and enthralling artist community,” says Liza Zenni, Executive Director for the Arts & Culture Alliance.

Individual members of the Alliance participate locally and regionally in gallery exhibitions, art festivals, sculpture trails, weekend shows, studio tours, and public murals. Some of the members are full-time artists, while others have day jobs and create on evenings and weekends. Some Alliance members include art professors with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Carson-Newman University, Maryville College, Pellissippi State, Roane State, and Walters State. Others are teachers within Knox and surrounding county’s elementary, middle and high schools. Some Alliance members teach classes privately or through community classes with the Appalachian Arts Craft Center Fountain City Art Center, Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center, Knoxville Museum of Art, and Oak Ridge Art Center. Many of the artists have working studios in their own homes, while some are part of studio collectives such as The Emporium Center, The Vacuum Shop, 17th Street Studios, Mighty Mud, Studio 2515, Broadway Studios & Gallery, and Knoxville Community Darkroom.

On display throughout the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed December 24-27 and December 31-January 1 for the holidays. Information: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com.

Join us for the 2019 Christmas in the Cave at Historic Cherokee Caverns!

Stroll along the cave path with your family while you enjoy Christmas music and thousands of twinkling lights among the Stalactites and Stalagmites! Visit Santa and have your family photo made with the cave as your backdrop! (this is available for an extra fee and provided by a professional photographer)
Watch out for the Grinch! That Grinch is so sneaky! He likes to run around in the cave and sneak into your pictures!

Joke around with Cousin Eddie from "christmas vacation".
Shop our Vendor Booths for unique gifts and treats!
Food Truck and concessions available.

Open December 6-8, 13-15 and 20-21. Friday hours are 5:00-8:00PM, Saturday and Sunday hours are 3:00-8:00PM.

There are no advance tickets for sale.
You simply purchase tickets when you arrive at our ticket booth.
This event will never sell out.
Admission is $10 per person for ages 4 & up.
Children under 4 are admitted free.
Cash & Credit Cards accepted at our ticket booth.
The cave is handicapped and wheelchair accessible
Parking is Free

Historic Cherokee Caverns, 8524 Oak Ridge Highway, Knoxville, Tennessee 37931.
https://cherokeecaverns.com/christmas-in-the-cave

ZOO KNOXVILLE OFFERS $5 OFF WINTER ADMISSION
Kroger Discount Days offered December 1 through February 29, 2020

During Kroger Discount Days, guests can discover why winter is an enjoyable time to visit the zoo. Many animals, including red pandas, river otters, elephants, gorillas, red wolves, lions and tigers, enjoy the cooler temperatures. On days when the temperature drops below 40 degrees, some animals will be moved indoors, but visitors can still see most in their indoor viewing areas.

Discounted tickets can be purchased at the zoo ticket window during regular zoo hours and online at zooknoxville.org. Discounted admission tickets must be used by Feb. 29, 2020, and cannot be combined with any other promotion, discount, or coupon.

Zoo Knoxville, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Open every day except Christmas. Information: 865-637-5331, www.zooknoxville.org