Calendar of Events

MDC will be offering our YOUTH and ADULT Mental Health First Aid Trainings in August! This is a free class and open to the general public. For more details on each training, please visit the link below.

Adult Training: August 25
Youth Training: August 26

https://metrodrug.org/get-involved/mental-health-first-aid-training

Knoxville Children’s Theatre (KCT) will hold auditions on Tuesday, August 25 for the upcoming live stage adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” The play will be performed October 30 through November 15: Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM.

Stripped of power, position, and wealth for 12 long years, Prospero has plotted in exile on an enchanted island. When his enemies sail too close, Prospero conjures a magical storm to shipwreck the passengers. The mysterious island holds secrets, along with curious creatures and fantastical spirits. While dispensing justice and watching over his daughter’s emerging romance, Prospero’s old wounds begin to heal, and reconciliation and forgiveness seem within reach for all.

KCT Artistic Director, Dennis E. Perkins will direct the production.

Actors with previous KCT Shakespeare experience (in class or production) are asked to submit a video audition and will receive detailed instructions for submitting their auditions and a schedule of rehearsal dates.

Actors who have not yet appeared in a KCT production will audition by appointment via Zoom. Actors will receive a link to the online audition with their confirmation email.

Auditions are by appointment only. Auditionees may choose from the following appointment times: 4:30 PM, 5:00 PM, 5:30, and 6 PM.

There are 10 available roles, including excellent roles for both boys and girls. The minimum age to audition is 12 years old, and the maximum age is 18.There are at least two roles for actors making their KCT debuts.

Auditionees should prepare a SHORT (one-minute) monologue from one of Shakespeare’s plays or sonnets (please, no monologues from “Romeo and Juliet” or “The Tempest”. The monologue should feature a theatrical level of volume and expression.

The play’s genre is adventure/fantasy. Choose an appropriate monologue with large theatrical ranges, preferably from a published play. No songs or poems. Monologues will be evaluated on volume, clearness of diction, depth of emotional expression, and comic timing or dramatic depth of emotion. Ability of physical transformation is a major plus as actors will play multiple roles.

Auditionees should consult their calendars. All actors will be asked to list all conflicts with the rehearsal schedule. The director will make every attempt to work around conflicts, whenever possible, but please note that attendance at some rehearsals and at all performances is mandatory for participation.

Rehearsals will begin on Tuesday, September 15 and continue through Thursday, October 29.

Actors should expect to attend most rehearsals. Tech rehearsals on October 22, 25, 26, 28, and 29 are mandatory. Actors must also be available for all 14 regular performances: October 30 through the November 13, Thursdays through Sundays.

You will find some helpful tips for your audition by visiting our website: https://knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com/audition-tips/

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

In our ongoing series, “Voting Rights: The Struggle Continues,” the Living Legacy Project's August program commemorates the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. However, in reality, the 19th Amendment only guaranteed the right of White women to vote. Native American women on reservations were not able to vote until the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924. African American women, especially those living in the Jim Crow South, were denied the right to vote through laws and practices that prevented them from even registering to vote. It was not until the abolition of the poll tax in 1964, and the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 that all women could exercise their right to vote.

In this program, we'll hear from three women who, through their lineage and their own activism, represent the struggle for all women’s suffrage.

One of the guests on that program will be Michelle Duster, the great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells-Barnett, the leading Black suffrage leader. http://www.uulivinglegacy.org/votingrights4.html

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame presents To Make Our Voices Heard: Tennessee Women’s Fight for the Vote, a new traveling exhibition, on display August 20, 2020 through October 1, 2020. The exhibition, created in partnership with the Tennessee State Museum and the Tennessee State Library and Archives, explores the history of the woman’s suffrage movement, Tennessee’s dramatic vote to ratify the 19th Amendment in 1920, and the years that followed.

As a champion for women, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame is thrilled to showcase the ‘Tennessee Women’s Fight for the Vote’ exhibit at the hall, stated Dana Hart, WBHOF President.

The exhibition is constructed of multiple dynamic panels, offering guests a touch-free experience of archival images, engaging stories, and introductions to the leaders of the fight for and against the cause of woman’s suffrage. The stories begin by detailing the early challenges of racial and gender discrimination and continuing to the organization of African American and white women’s associations to encourage political engagement.

Visitors will also learn about Febb Burn of McMinn County, whose letter to her son, Harry T. Burn, resulted in a last-minute vote that helped change women’s history in the United States forever.

The exhibit includes a Tennessee map, highlighting suffragist activities across the state, including in Knox County, where Lizzie Crozier French gave the first public address by a woman suffragist on a Knoxville street in February 1917.

“Tennessee’s role in becoming the 36th and final state to ratify the 19th Amendment not only solidified women’s right to vote but propelled women across the country to opportunities and futures they never thought possible,” said Chuck Sherrill, State Librarian and Archivist with the Tennessee State Library & Archives. “The hope of the committee is this centennial celebration will do the same all across our state.”

CURRENT SPECIAL COVID-19 HOURS
Monday – Saturday 11 AM – 4 PM

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, 700 Hall of Fame Dr, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: 865-633-9000, www.wbhof.com

On August 19th, the Ewing Gallery will be reopening with Exposure, photography selections from the permanent collection and Post Script, an exhibition of work by the UT School of Art MFA class of 2020.

In March, COVID-19 interrupted their thesis exhibitions in the gallery. Post Script brings together the work of these 9 artists: Jillian Hirsch, Kristina Key, April Marten, Ashlee Mays, Emmett Merrill, Angelina Dee Parrino, Dana Potter, William Rerick, and Marla Sweitzer.

Exposure showcases a recent gift of photography the Ewing received at the end of 2019 and other works collected through the years.

All students, faculty, and staff who would like to visit the Ewing Gallery will be expected to wear a face covering and maintain social distancing, as per university guidelines. During this semester we will not be having exhibition receptions. The maximum capacity of the Ewing Gallery will be 25 visitors. For any community members who would like to visit the gallery, the university requires all visitors to complete and submit a health screening questionnaire prior to their visit. The form can be found at https://events.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2020/06/Health-Screening-Form-Content-for-Visitors-7-14-20.pdf.

Completed forms should be emailed to the Ewing Gallery ewing@utk.edu. Please call the gallery with any questions. 865-974-3200.

After Post Script and Exposure, the gallery will continue to exhibit selections from the Ewing Gallery permanent collection.

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

In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of women gaining the right to vote nationally, the East Tennessee Historical Society announces the opening of a new feature exhibition in the Museum of East Tennessee History’s Streetscape entitled Marching to Victory: East Tennessee’s Role in Votes for Women. The exhibition, which will run from August 18, 2020 through November 2020, tells the story of Tennessee’s history in politics and civic engagement and showcases how Tennessee became the “Perfect 36th” state needed to secure national ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

This special exhibition chronicles the national progression of the Woman Suffrage Movement and highlights East Tennessee contributions including those made by Lizzie Crozier French, Cora E. Burke, and Eliza Shaut White. The Streetscape with its recreation of a 1920s East Tennessee Main Street serves as the backdrop for visitors who are immersed in the drama of the Woman Suffrage Movement. Life-size mannequins dressed as suffragists hoist reproduction campaign signs, as interpretive panels recount the unique stories of how individuals affected change.

The “march to victory” culminates in the display of the letter State Representative Harry T. Burn received from his mother, Febb E. Burn, encouraging him to vote in support of woman suffrage. This letter persuaded Harry Burn to change his vote, breaking a deadlocked state legislature, and ultimately changed history by making the ratification of the 19th Amendment possible. The letter is on loan from Knox County Public Library’s Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection.

Museum hours are Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. ETHS is following the guidelines within the Tennessee Pledge and has modified the Museum of East Tennessee History’s visitor experience. We ask that all museum visitors support our community’s health by observing these guidelines:
• Wear a mask or cloth face covering at all times (masks are available on site)
• Make regular use of the hand sanitizing stations located throughout the building
• Stay at least six feet away from anyone not in your household and follow one-way path markers
• Stay at home if you are sick

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

The public is cordially invited to the opening reception of the Art Guild at Fairfield Glade’s Eleventh Annual Judged and Juried Fine Arts Show on Friday, August 7, from 5-7 p.m. at the Plateau Creative Art Center (PCAC), 451 Lakeview Dr. in Fairfield Glade. An assortment of beverages will be served at this free opening reception event including fine wine provided by the Stonehaus Winery.

The First National Bank of Tennessee is once again sponsoring the Art Guild’s Judged and Juried Fine Arts Show. Cash prizes will be awarded to Best of Show, First Place, Second Place, and Third Place winners. Additional awards are being sponsored by the Art & Frame Shop, Century 21 Realty, Jerry’s Artarama of Knoxville and Mr. John Anderson. The Judge for this year’s event is Mr. David Butler, Executive Director of the Knoxville Museum.

Reception attendees can view the over 100 show entries and watch the presentations of ribbons and cash awards to the winning artists.

The Judged and Juried Fine Arts Show will feature all genres of art, and these items will be on display at the PCAC from Aug. 7 through Sept. 2. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

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

The socially distanced opening will be on Friday, August 7th, from 6-9pm.

The artist will show a series of drawings from the past two years, examining the simultaneous joys and burdens of motherhood, reflected through natural and artificial landscapes.

Put on your fanciest mask and join the artist!
www.jessievanderlaan.com
http://vacuumshopstudios.wordpress.com

Mighty Mud, 126 and 127 Jennings Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-595-1900, www.mightymudclay.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased a new exhibition at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 7-28, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, August 7, from 4:00-7:00 PM to which the public is invited to attend at 50 people at a time. All visitors to the Emporium are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

The Arts & Culture Alliance presents an exhibit of painting, photography, woodwork, forged metal, jewelry, sculpture, and more by 26 of the individual artists who are recipients of an FY21 Ann and Steve Bailey Opportunity Grant. Artists in the exhibition include: Becky Chaffee, Bobbie Crews, Yvonne Dalschen, Curtis Glover, Jessica Gregory, Lila Holdenried, Alex Jaynes, Shannon Johnson, Jeanne Kidd, David Luttrell, Elysia Mann, Jess Maples, Ryan Mason, Renee Mathies, Tom Owens, John Phillips, Kerry Remp, Annie Rochelle, Nancy Rowland Engle, Ericka Ryba, Roberta Smashey, Emily Taylor, Houston Vandergriff, Brandon Woods, Rodney Yardley, and Conny Zhao.

A part of the Arts & Heritage Fund, the Bailey Opportunity Grants provide financial and technical support to individual artists and small, professionally-oriented arts and culture organizations. The grants are designed to spur continued artistic and administrative growth in innovative, entrepreneurial artists and organizations at any stage in their development. Throughout the next eleven months, the 34 individual artists will utilize their collective $80,300+ for local, regional, and national workshops, studio time, technical equipment, and more.

Visit www.knoxalliance.com/bailey-exhibition-FY21 for more information on the artists.

The exhibitions are on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased a new exhibition at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 7-28, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, August 7, from 4:00-7:00 PM to which the public is invited to attend at 50 people at a time. All visitors to the Emporium are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

Héctor Saldivar was born in Mexico City in 1966. Even though he always considered himself a creative person, it was not until later in life that he embarked on developing his artistic talents. He has participated in events for Casa HoLa (part of HoLa Hora Latina) in Knoxville as well as with the Tennessee Arts Commission in Nashville. He mainly works with papier-mâché and clay, however he also paints with acrylics and oils. He is an alebrijes artist. Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical (fantasy/mythical) creature. His art honors his Mexican roots. Follow him on Instagram @hectorleosculpture.

The exhibitions are on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased a new exhibition at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 7-28, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, August 7, from 4:00-7:00 PM to which the public is invited to attend at 50 people at a time. All visitors to the Emporium are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

These two Knoxville natives met for the first time across the ocean while living in western France. An intangible sense of familiarity helped them bond quickly in their respective foreign landscapes, and they soon learned about their many shared interests. Both want to promote conservation of the Earth’s ecosystems and find ways of their own to do so. They share a passion for art and use it as an outlet for this message of compassion and conservation. Mark Hipshire, coming from a marine sciences background, compliments Emma Slaymaker’s knowledge of terrestrial farm work and horseback riding, and together they hope to use their art to reconnect themselves and others with a love for nature.

Mark Hipshire’s passion for painting and drawing originates from his work in chemistry and marine biology. As an undergraduate student he worked in a research lab with crystalline scintillators that would glow under ultraviolet radiation. As a graduate student he would go on to study marine sciences, where he became fascinated with the bioluminescent glow of deep-sea creatures. His current portfolio uses scintillating (UV reactive) paints to recreate the bioluminescent effects of marine organisms. He aims to use the wonder of seeing these creatures to inspire others to help preserve our planet’s natural resources for the future. Follow him on Instagram @m_hip_jr.

Emma Slaymaker is a Knoxville artist, born and raised. From a young age she developed a love for animals, especially horses. She has grown up riding and working on farms. This passion, along with her long held passion for art, has brought her down the path of animal portraiture. She wants to share her love for animals as well as spread a message of compassion and conservation through her art. Follow her on Instagram @es.artworks.

The exhibitions are on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased a new exhibition at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 7-28, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, August 7, from 4:00-7:00 PM to which the public is invited to attend at 50 people at a time. All visitors to the Emporium are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

As we journey through this life, we are affected daily with emotions driven by unlimited influences. Whether it be an event, an encounter, a passing by observance, the weather or nature, our emotions are evoked. How we choose to express those emotions can heal, encourage and provide escape and reflection. As an artist, I am driven to express emotions through color and movement within the fluid medium of resin. Resin is a unique medium in that it is intensely reflective and can be layered with color and texture within. Because of its fluid nature, it flows unpredictably, yet always turns out uniquely beautiful just like life! My hope is that this collection of work will evoke emotions in the viewer that satisfy and stir the soul.

A graduate of Texas Tech University with degrees in Graphic Design and Art Education, Paula Thomas has created and taught art and been involved in interior design for over 25 years. Currently residing in Knoxville, her abstract art canvases are composed of the fluid medium of resin mixed with a myriad of paints, inks and mica powders on unique substrates such as metal and wood to create intensely reflective, colorful, layered pieces that are the perfect marriage of fluid movement, texture and color. Inspired by color and nature, the emanation of her works bring an influence of emotion and mood to the viewer. She currently has collections and works available in local galleries including The District Gallery and Whimsy and a Dream. For more information, visit www.paulathomasdesign.com, follow her on Instagram @paulathomasdesign, or find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PaulaThomasDesign.

The exhibitions are on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.