Calendar of Events

While all public activities at the Laurel have been canceled until further notice including dances, concerts and church services, please enjoy videos on their YouTube channel which include concerts, dance lessons, and more! https://www.youtube.com/user/LaurelTheater/videos

The historic Laurel Theater is a regional, community cultural center dedicated to preserving and presenting the traditional arts of the Southern Appalachians. The Laurel Theater is owned and operated by Jubilee Community Arts.

Tune in to 91.9 FM WUOT on Saturdays at 9 PM for "Mountain Jubilee" and 89.9 FM WDVX on Sundays from 5-11 PM for "Sunday Jubilee"!

WE ARE OPEN! See hours listed below. The art and gifts at the Gallery continue to be refreshed with new work. If you are driving through Townsend, stop by our TAG Gallery.

The mission of Townsend Artisan Guild is to connect fine arts and fine crafts and the people of East Tennessee through education of youth and adults, professional development of local artisans, and community development. The membership of the Corporation promotes an active interest in the arts through exhibits, demonstrations, lectures, and education as well as raising standards of professional performance among its working artisans.

7719 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy. (Hwy. 321), Townsend, TN 37882
Hours: Wed. - Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sunday - 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
TAG website: https://www.townsendartisanguild.org/

The challenge is designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership.

You will be presented with challenges such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, reflecting on personal experience and more. Participation in an activity like this helps us to discover how racial injustice and social injustice impact our community, to connect with one another, and to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination. This is an exciting opportunity to dive deep into racial equity and social justice. We hope you will join us on this journey and we can’t wait to get started!

Originally developed by Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. and Debby Irving, this 21-Day Challenge has been adapted by organizations across the country. It is designed to create dedicated time and space to build more effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of race, power, privilege, and leadership.

Anyone can take part in the YWCA 21-Day Challenge. Participation in an activity like this helps us connect with one another, discover how racial inequity and social injustice impact our community, and identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination.

Participants will be prompted daily with challenges such as reading an article, listening to a podcast, reflecting on personal experiences and more. Participation in an activity like this helps us discover how racial and social injustices impact our community, motivates us to connect with one another, and inspires us to identify ways to dismantle racism and other forms of discrimination.

This is an exciting opportunity to dive deep into racial equity and social justice. We hope you’ll join us and accept this challenge.

Each day (Monday-Friday) starting on Friday, June 19 through Friday, July 17 you will receive an email prompting you with a daily challenge. Please make sure you've signed up for the challenge! https://ywcaknox.com/21-day-challenge-sign-up/

Thursdays at 1 PM On JTV's digital platform
Become a Maker: Growing Your Jewelry Business from Hobby to Hustle is designed for all makers. Ryan-Ashley Anderson focuses on jewelry to help narrow the medium, but the advice can be applied to any craft. Each week she will cover a different topic to help makers grow their businesses. She also created a Facebook group to help makers fast track their plans by participating in a 6 month challenge.

BAM Facebook group - people can join this to hop into the 6 month challenge at any time: https://www.facebook.com/groups/603367736938285/610671426207916/

www.JTV.com/Extra and Facebook Live on the Jewel School Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jewelschool.

CBT Theatre Thursdays is a new digital initiative designed to help bring theatre education to the East Tennessee Community. This program aims to provide enriching cultural and educational content to our area youth and lifelong learners who are looking for ways to stay artistically engaged. Each month we will dive into a small section of a play and explore what goes into making that piece of theatre come to life! From conversations and mini video tutorials with directors, dramaturgs, designers, performers, prop artisans, costumers, and more we hope to inspire people to create theatre at home!

https://clarencebrowntheatre.com/cbt-theatre-thursdays/

Join Ijams Nature Center for safe summer fun! The nature center is offering new programs, from rock scrambling and creek walks for families, to bird watching for beginners, introduction to bouldering and art programs for all ages. Space for all programs is limited to ensure physical distancing and Ijams is following safety and sanitization protocols. In addition to scheduled programs, Ijams naturalists will rove the grounds on Saturdays. The following programs are listed on the Ijams website’s Event Calendar; more will be added. To learn more or to register, visit the calendar at www.ijams.org.

• Intro to Bouldering (Adults and Families; Ages 6+)
June 16, 9-11A
June 23, 9-11A
June 30, 9-11A
• Nature Senses (Children 2-4 With Caregivers)
June 16, 10-11A (SOLD OUT)
June 18, 10-11A
• Ijams Insect Safari (Families with Children 5-13)
June 16, 1:30-3:30P
June 18, 1:30-3:30P
• Bird Watching for Beginners (Adults and Families; Ages 6+)
June 18, 9-11A
• Art and Mindfulness in Nature (Adults; Teens)
June 18, 10A-Noon
June 19, 3-5P
• Toll Creek Walk (Families with Children 6+)
June 18, 12:30-2:30P
June 19, 10A-Noon and 1-3P
June 26, 1-3P
• Nature Arts & Crafts (Families with Children 5-13)
June 18, 3-5P
June 20, 1;30-3:30P
• Off-Trail Adventures (Adults and Families; Ages 6+)
June 19, 9-11:11:30A
• Creature Feature (All Ages)
Saturdays, 10-10:30A and 1-1:30P
• Behind the Scenes Animal Program (All Ages)
June 20, 11A-Noon
• Birds Say the Darndest Things (Adults and Families; Ages 6+)
June 25, 9-11A
• Rock Scrambling Adventure (Adults and Families; Ages 6+)
June 26, 9-11:30A

Ijams Nature Center is a nonprofit, 315-acre educational nature center for all ages, abilities and walks of life. Ijams’ mission is to encourage stewardship of the natural world by providing an urban greenspace for people to learn about and enjoy the outdoors through engaging experiences. 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

Peter is famous as the clever and daring rabbit who succeeds in invading mean Farmer McGregor’s cabbage patch, in spite of traps, scarecrows and other dangers. His sisters Flopsy and Mopsy, their friend Squirrel Nutkin and Cawdy the Crow all share his adventures in this charming, and endearing dramatization.

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

The Appalachian Arts Craft Center located in Norris, TN will hold its Summer Porch Sale June 12 - June 26. The Porch Sale held each year features work from juried and nonjuried members of the Craft Center. It’s an excellent time to shop for discounted artwork! The Porch Sale provides local artisans the opportunity to replenish their artwork for the remainder of the year.

The Appalachian Arts Craft Center is a nonprofit center with a mission to support arts and crafts in Appalachia through education, sales, and community involvement. The center is located at 2716 Andersonville Highway 61, Clinton, TN, one mile east of I-75 north at Exit 122. For more information, stop by the center, call 865-494-9854, or visit www.appalachianarts.net or Facebook.

Argentine-British artist Jessica Sarah Rinland's installation, The Society at Black Pond, consists of three film works, and explores the activity within a common land in the south of England that was previously occupied by The Diggers, a collective of 17th century agrarian socialists. The land is currently inhabited by a Natural History Society whose occupations include bat and moth trapping, mycology, tree measuring, and botanical walks.

These three films offer a social and natural history of this particular location while exploring more intimately human’s relationship with and within land and nature.

From Thursday June 11 - Friday, August 7, The UT Downtown Gallery will be screening Black Pond, Bosque, and Moths Interior.

Adjusted gallery hours will be Thursdays and Fridays 12-6pm. We ask that you practice good social distancing and wear a mask when visiting the gallery.

Thank you, and we're glad to be open again!

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

Enjoy the 44 works by regional artists, as juried by Jim Scarsella.

The current exhibition (juried by Jim Scarsella) will be on display from June 10 - October (end date TBA) 2020. View and purchase artworks at https://www.knoxalliance.store/product-category/airport-22. Thank you for your support of our local artists!

The Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville and the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority (McGhee Tyson Airport) present a semi-annual exhibition entitled “Arts in the Airport”. This juried exhibition was developed to allow regional artists to compete and display work in the most visited site in the area. The selected art features contemporary 2- and 3-dimensional artwork and is exhibited in the secured area behind McGhee Tyson Airport’s security gate checkpoint for six months at a time. Approximately 35-40 works comprise each exhibition. Work is normally available for viewing only by visitors flying in or out of the airport.

Meet our June Featured Artist, Annie Rochelle!

She is a born and raised Knoxvillian and currently lives in South Knoxville with her husband and sweet cat named “Kitty.”

Annie attended Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Painting with a minor in Art History and Curatorial Studies concentration.

“A lot of my compositions with the human figure reference Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo works from art history. Recently I have been interested in scientific botanical illustrations and translating the Victorian model of the ‘Language of Flowers’ into a modern and more relevant vernacular.”

One of Annie's favorite things to do is plant flowers or vegetables with a glass of wine while watching her husband grill dinner.

Fun Fact: She won 1st place in our Dolly Art Contest last year and 2nd place this year!

SHOP ANNIE: https://shoprala.com/collections/annie-rochelle

Rala: Regional and Local Artisans, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7888, https://shoprala.com. Instagram: @ShopRala

Tue Jun 9, 10-12: Paint Along with Sam Hill (watercolor demo class), $25
Wed-Thu Jun 10-11, 9:30-12:30: Trace Monotypes, with Karen Shaw, $70
Fri Jun 12, 10-12: Basic ARTiE Training (short for ART in Electronics), free
Tue Jun 16, 23, & 30, 1-4: Colored Pencils, with Cindy Howson, $105
Thu Jun 18, 9-12: Intermediate Alcohol Inks, with Pam Woodhouse, $35
Thu Jun 18, 1-4: Fundamentals of Making Chain Mail Jewelry, with George Gallant, $35
Tue Jun 25, 1-4: Advanced Ink Using Air, with Cindy Howson, $35

In the Art Studio, the maximum class size and/or open studio gathering size is limited to no more than eight people. All people inside the PCAC building should wear face masks and practice social distancing! To register for a class, call the Art Guild, but do not pay the registration fee until you arrive on the first day of class.

Art Guild at Fairfield Glade at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive, Fairfield Glade, TN 38558. Information: 931-707-7249, www.artguildfairfieldglade.net