Calendar of Events

Incremental Signals is a two-person exhibit featuring the ceramic work of Shanna Fliegel and handwoven 2D pieces of Kim Mirus.

The works on view in Incremental Signals are keeping track of things: our rapidly changing climate, moments in our daily lives, damage, and memory.

With every stitch, Kim Mirus uses weaving to show us the data of what is happening near the North Pole due to climate change. Shanna Fliegel’s narrative vessels tell us stories made from memory fragments, pieced together in an attempt at preservation.

These works demand our attention. They ask us to slow down and look, to consider the weight of our choices, and to notice what we remember. Individually, the works are showing us data, statistics, and information. Together, they are sending us signals.

For more information, visit arrowmont.org/incremental-signals-shanna-fliegel-kim-mirus/

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

Part of the 2019-2020 Broadway at the Tennessee Theatre season

Experience the acclaimed new production of the legendary musical Miss Saigon, from the creators of Les Misrables. This is the epic story of a young Vietnamese woman named Kim. In a bar run by a notorious character called The Engineer, Kim meets an American G.I. That encounter will change their lives forever. Featuring stunning spectacle, a sensational cast of 42, and a soaring score including Broadway hits like “Last Night of the World,” “The Movie in My Mind,” and “The Heat is On in Saigon,” this is a theatrical event you will never forget.

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com, www.ticketmaster.com

The play will be performed Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM; Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM; and Sundays at 3 PM.

Knoxville Children’s Theatre will present a live stage adaptation of the beloved children’s novel “Alice in Wonderland” (with selections from “Through the Looking Glass”), by Lewis Carroll.

“Alice in Wonderland” is one of the one of the best-known and most popular works of English-language fiction featuring iconic characters that remain familiar to readers of all ages. When Alice decides to follow a talking White Rabbit down a hole, she starts an adventure that will lead her to race with a Dodo, take tea with a Mad Hatter, play croquette with the Queen of Hearts, and more. It’s a wild and crazy ride as Alice navigates the shenanigans of all the classic characters of Wonderland and desperately tries to make her way home!

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

Opening reception: 5-7:30pm, Thursday, January 9th

The Ewing Gallery is pleased to present, Unsustainable: A Planet in Crisis – a group exhibition featuring artwork ranging in material, discipline, and execution that addresses the theme of planetary crises – climate change, the rise of disease and superbugs, world conflict and national instability, plastics in the ocean, gun violence, pollution of the waterways from mining, air pollution from use of fossil fuels, the opioid crisis, and species extinction.

Participating artists are:

Michele Banks https://www.artologica.net/
Brandon Ballengee, PhD https://brandonballengee.com/
Scott Chimileski, PhD + Roberto Kolter, PhD https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-beautiful-intelligence-of-bacteria-and-other-microbes-20171113/
Brandon Donahue https://brandonjaquezdonahue.com/home.html
Lorrie Fredette http://lorriefredette.com/
Yeon Jin Kim http://www.domesticmuseology.com/yeon-jin-kim
Pam Longobardi https://driftersproject.net/about/
Dan Mills http://abacus.bates.edu/~dmills/
John Sabraw http://www.johnsabraw.com/
Karen Shaw https://karenshaw100.com/

In conjunction with Unsustainable, artist and educator Pam Longobardi will be giving a public lecture on Thursday, January 23rd at 7:30pm on her work. Longobardi's lecture will be in McCarty Auditorium, room 109 of the Art + Architecture Building. A reception with the artist will follow in the gallery.

Pam Longobardi is an American contemporary eco artist and activist, currently living and working in Atlanta, Georgia. She is known internationally for sculptural works and installations created from plastic debris, primarily from marine and coastal environments, as a primary material. She is also a Professor of Drawing and Painting at Georgia State University. Longobardi's lecture is part of the University of Tennessee School of Art's Programming Committee Lecture Series.

Unsustainable - a Planet in Crisis was developed as part of the programming for UT's Apocalypse Semester and as a partner exhibition to Visions of the End at the McClung Museum.

The Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture at the University of Tennessee, 1715 Volunteer Boulevard
Art and Architecture Building, Knoxville, TN 37996. https://ewing-gallery.utk.edu/

First Friday Reception: January 3, 5:30 – 9 p.m.

Robert Conliffe, Photographer
After 30 years in the auto industry, Robert relocated from Michigan to Knoxville, Tennessee and began a career in art. His interests have always been in exploring new methods in photography and the advent of digital imaging has presented new opportunities. His art has evolved from traditional photographic work to using digital elements and techniques in the transformation of the image. Like many photographers he has sought methods to change an image giving a personal interpretation. Starting with a photo and using techniques such as digital brush work, color manipulation, filters and many other methods to create a completely new image. Most works are built from layers with a variety of colors, patterns and images. Each layer can be displayed at a different intensity level that will project to the surface. Much of his work reflects the style of Robert Mapplethorpe’s isolated flowers. He has recently started to work with the process of “Double Exposure” this is the process of layering several photos or images together similar to collage. In general his work might be called “Enhanced Photography”. His work can be seen locally at The Art Market Gallery and The Knoxville Museum of Art. He has taken classes at Pellissippi State Community College and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Most of his training has been self-directed and he has been inspired by the works of many artists.

Patrick Deason, Metal Artist, has been doing metal art since 2002. He says “ I am totally self-taught and many of my tools are made or improvised by me, as are some techniques for shaping steel. While I often repurpose scrap parts for sculptures like many metal artists, much of my work revolves around heating, hammering, and shaping steel into organic forms. Most of my work in the past has concentrated on coastal wildlife in steel, but I'll occasionally incorporate other mediums into my work or delve into kinetic sculpture.” He has won several awards at art shows, was named the Coastal Georgia Artist of the Year and featured at the Goodyear Cottage on Jekyll Island, Ga., and have had groupings of my work in galleries in North Florida and coastal Georgia.

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

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

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

Dogwood Arts Art In Public Places - Temporary Sculpture Exhibition

An exhibition of large-scale outdoor sculptures in downtown Knoxville, the McGhee Tyson Airport, Zoo Knoxville, and Oak Ridge. The annual rotating installation is one of many Dogwood Arts programs focused on providing access to the arts for everyone, promoting awareness of the strong visual arts community thriving in our region, and creating a vibrant and inspiring environment for residents and visitors to experience.

Sculpture installation will take place March 22-23, 2019.

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com