Calendar of Events

Explore the Knoxville Museum of Art’s collection of rare miniature rooms in this fascinating virtual tour. The KMA’s nine Thorne Rooms, each inspired by a different historical period, were created by Mrs. James Ward Thorne in the 1930s and 40s and were among the museum’s earliest acquisitions. You’ll get close enough to appreciate the tiniest details of these antique miniatures, and go behind the scenes to learn about the technology that illuminates and preserves these treasures. You’ll learn the fascinating story behind Narcissa Thorne’s obsessive passion for miniatures and how she created these 1-inch-to-12-inch scale models of historic interiors.

The Thorne Room collection was gifted by IBM in 1962 to the Dulin Gallery of Art, which later became the Knoxville Museum of Art. The 2007 restoration of the Thorne Rooms was made possible by the generous support of Sherri Lee in honor of Mrs. McAfee Lee.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Information: 865-525-6101, https://knoxart.org/kma_events/thorne-rooms-virtual-tour/

Mary Bell is the Art Guild’s Featured Artist for September. She will be honored at the Fun and Wine reception on Friday, September 4, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., at the Plateau Creative Arts Center (PCAC), 451 Lakeview Drive in Fairfield Glade. Attendees should wear masks and practice social distancing. Wine and soft drinks will be served outside only, weather permitting. Free & open to the public.

Also on display is a special themed exhibit, “Women’s Suffrage Centennial.” This theme incorporates artwork (in any medium) that was inspired by the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage. Achieving this women’s right-to-vote milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle, for victory took decades of agitation and protest.

Mary Bell, watercolor and pastel artist, notes that “As a realistic painter, I enjoy capturing the beauty of the world around me.” Spending most of her childhood and working life as a “Jersey girl,” Mary attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art, majoring in commercial art and then working for many advertising agencies in northern New Jersey. After her children were grown, Mary was able to devote more time to her watercolor and pastel painting, attending many workshops presented by famous artists. Seascapes, landscapes, and animals have always been her favorite subjects. Spending lots of happy times on the Jersey Shore, many of Mary’s paintings reflect her love of the ocean. In 2000, Mary moved to Fairfield Glade, where she immediately joined the Art Guild and has been an active, contributing member ever since!

The changing monthly displays at the PCAC include a wide variety of art mediums: painting, drawings, photography, ceramics, wood creations, glass mosaics, jewelry, fabric creations, card art and much more! The artwork is available for purchase.

Hours: Mon-Sat 9 AM - 4 PM. 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

Featured artists are Brenda Mills, painting and Harriet Howell, silk painting.

Hours: Tue-Sat 11 AM - 6 PM, Sun 1-6 PM
Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 4-25, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, September 4, from 5:00-7:00 PM to which the public is invited to attend at 75 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.

Robert Felker and Allen Monsarrat paint recognizable subjects, drawn from the world around them, often featuring scenes of Knoxville or other travels. For both artists, the play of light in a chosen scene is a priority and highlights their adeptness within each’s chosen medium. Strong compositions draw viewers in; Felker and Monsarrat’s brush work is markedly different, providing a contrast between the two artists' unique approach to painting.

Robert Felker has a BFA in Media Arts from the School of Visual Arts, New York City where he studied painting and illustration. After seven years as a freelance illustrator, he then worked in graphic design for more than twenty years while continuing to paint for himself and do commissions. He now paints full-time, focusing on personal work for exhibition and commissions. He also pursues public art opportunities, recently completing the Clinch Avenue Firefly Mural for the City of Knoxville and the Bijou Theatre’s 111th Anniversary Commemorative Mural. Visit his website at https://robertfelker.com and follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/robertfelkerart and Instagram at www.instagram.com/robertfelker_art.

The Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Open Wednesdays from 9 AM – 5 PM and other days (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM) by appointment only. Info: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 4-25, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, September 4, from 5:00-7:00 PM to which the public is invited to attend at 75 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.

To promote the awareness of Seven Islands State Birding Park as a premier birding destination, this exhibition features a selection of images from among the more than 200 species of birds that have been sighted at the Park. The photographers, Ken Jenkins, Ron McConathy, and Clay Thurston represent the finest nature/wildlife photographers in the Knoxville region, and their art is a reflection of the beauty that is on display at Seven Islands Park on a daily basis. The Park encompasses 46 acres along the French Broad River in Knox County, approximately 19 miles east of Knoxville. This peninsula of land features more than eight miles of nature trails, rolling hills, and views of the Smoky Mountains. Songbirds, hawks, and waterfowl may be seen along the meadow trails, and several old barns are a favorite refuge for Barn Owls. For more information on the Park, visit www.7islands.org.

Ken Jenkins: www.kenjenkins.com
Ron McConathy: www.aronsha.zenfolio.com
Clay Thurston: www.claythurston.com

https://www.friendsofsevenislands.com/birds-of-seven-islands-exhibit/

The Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Open Wednesdays from 9 AM – 5 PM and other days (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM) by appointment only. Info: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 4-25, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, September 4, from 5:00-7:00 PM to which the public is invited to attend at 75 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.

With these works, Tracye Sowders has endeavored to push the boundaries that encourage our Oneness with the Universe.

My work is influenced by discovery through travel geographically or mindfully. When I am able to travel, I seek the golden thread of sheer existence that binds us all to one another. I seek the silk that weaves us together with nature; I paint about the light that settles in our souls, and the idea that there is a natural touchstone for all of us. When I am able to travel, my psyche is so enriched by the diversity of cultures rich in honor, hope and tranquility. I seek the water, always, and all nature. I watch all the different souls, souls like mine that are full of wanderlust.

Tracye Burnett Sowders is a prolific painter in various media including watercolor, oils, pen and ink, alcohol inks, and oil pastels. She is also a calligrapher, hand quilter and needle worker, illustrator, and pianist. She studied art and music therapy for children on the autism spectrum at Carson-Newman University. After raising three sons, she returned to her original medium of watercolor and now exhibits regularly throughout Knoxville, Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Nashville, and parts of New England including Manhattan and Staten Island. Her original watercolors, oils and quilts are in private collections all over the United States, Australia, Canada, Scotland Wales, Ireland, England and New Zealand. She regularly participates in various festivals and exhibitions across the southeast and New England. Currently, Sowders and her husband are working on plans for a mobile art gallery. Follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tracye.sowders and Instagram at www.instagram.com/TracyeBurnettSowdersArtist.

The Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Open Wednesdays from 9 AM – 5 PM and other days (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM) by appointment only. Info: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 4-25, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, September 4, from 5:00-7:00 PM to which the public is invited to attend at 75 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.

Ryan-Ashley Anderson will showcase a series of pieces featuring links that are created with unexpected materials in unexpected ways.

The foundation of my work is exploration and self-expression. As a jewelry-maker and artist who loves fashion and textile design and draws inspiration from architecture and pattern, I am in a constant state of curiosity and discovery. I ask myself questions such as “how can I use this technique in an unexpected way?” and "how can I push this material further?” My mixed media jewelry incorporates pre-fabricated textiles, textile strips I have created by stitching beads together, leather, cord, rope, and metal.

Ryan-Ashley Anderson — maker, marketer, designer, and DIY instructor — is a television show host and jewelry designer at JTV for their Jewel School programming. She loves designing with unexpected materials and utilizing traditional techniques to create modern designs. She has over 15 years’ experience designing and showing jewelry, teaching DIY workshops, and designing jewelry tutorials. Before Jewel School, Anderson worked as a guest designer with Jewel, Madewell, and Bonnaroo, and she continues to pursue her passion for helping makers build their businesses by serving as a guest speaker and marketing coach at summits and conferences. In her spare time, you can find her gardening, enjoying the outdoors, cooking, taking on handy projects around the house, hanging with her precious pets, and spending time with her church family. Follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ryanashleyanderson and Instagram at www.instagram.com/ryanashleyanderson.

The Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Open Wednesdays from 9 AM – 5 PM and other days (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM) by appointment only. Info: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 4-25, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, September 4, from 5:00-7:00 PM to which the public is invited to attend at 75 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.

David A. Johnson: The Standard Knitting Mill: A Love Letter
The Standard Knitting Mill is an old garment factory that sits empty on the west side of the Parkridge neighborhood. In its heyday, it produced one million underwear garments per week, employing over 3,500 Knoxvillians. David A. Johnson, a former photojournalist, lives just two blocks from Standard Knitting Mill and spent over three years documenting the abandoned factory and producing more than 1,400 images. His new exhibition explores the tarnished beauty of the Standard Knitting Mill.

David A. Johnson has a bachelor’s degree in Photojournalism from the University of Texas. He worked in Arkansas and Texas for six years before returning to college to study engineering. David worked at Oak Ridge National Lab for 30 years before retiring in early 2020. Although he left professional photography years ago, David has never ceased to be fascinated by the visual world and continues to capture its beauty and mystery in photographs.

Christopher Mitchell: Film Photographs Printed from a Personal Darkroom
I believe in conversations. I often reach out to strangers because I am interested in meeting someone new. In this way, photography can act as a form of dialogue: a picture in exchange for some shared knowledge about everyday life, whether it's a conversation with a local fisherman or a beautician at a rural salon. Now, with so much interaction taking place online and mediated across great distances, I use my photography to return to a space that is rooted in real conversations happening in real places. The places I am drawn to are usually overlooked: places that people no longer frequent as much. A laundromat or a diner, a train station or an elk lodge. A version of Americana that is less about the iconic and more about ways of life that no longer exist or are on the cusp of disappearing altogether. I want my body of work to preserve an otherwise ephemeral moment, to slow down time, and, ultimately, to say, thank you for letting me take your picture.

Christopher Mitchell has had a camera in his hand from a very young age. Inspired by his father who worked with TVA as a photographer and filmmaker for 27 years, taking photos comes naturally. Raised in the era of film photography, he gravitates toward and loves spending time in the darkroom developing and printing. Over the last ten years, he has directed and done cinematography for hundreds of television episodes, earning an Emmy nomination in 2016. Visit his website at https://christopher-mitchell-ra4h.squarespace.com and follow him on Instagram at www.instagram.com/photographerchristopher.

The Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Open Wednesdays from 9 AM – 5 PM and other days (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM) by appointment only. Info: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com

On display at the Blackberry Farms Gallery at Maryville College. No opening or closing reception. His solo features a number of small and large drawings focused on Nature/Ecology. www.johnallenart.com

Thursdays starting 9/3 with Carolyn Fogelman: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

In this 4-part workshop students will learn about glass, how to stack glass, how to make advanced shapes and elements along with learning about the process of firing the glass in the kiln. At the completion of the workshop, students will have 6 – 15 pieces ready to wear or give as gifts! Students need to bring safety glasses with side shields or goggles to wear while cutting glass. Member Rate: $125 | Non-Member Rate: $135 | Materials Fee (paid to instructor): $75 Registration deadline: September 1

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.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
Smorgasbord of Art: Alcohol Ink with Pam Woodward, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. Cost is $20 for both members and guests.
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, & THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2, & 3 (three class sessions)
Oil Painting 101 with Debbie Toney, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Cost is $90 for members or $105 for guests; pick up materials list at time of registration. Class size: 4 students minimum, 8 students maximum.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
“Fun and Wine Friday Art Reception” to celebrate the members’ monthly art exhibit, enjoy the artwork of featured artist, Mary Bell, view September’s special gallery exhibit (theme is Women’s Suffrage), and socialize. Attendees should practice social distancing including wearing face masks. Wine and other beverages will be served outside only, weather permitting. 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 through WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
“Women’s Suffrage” is the theme for September’s Special Gallery Exhibit: This theme incorporates artwork (in any medium) that is inspired by the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage (right to vote). Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle; victory took decades of agitation and protest.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
Alcohol Ink on Glass, with Pam Woodhouse, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. Cost is $30 for members or $35 for guests, with a $10 materials fee payable to the instructor. Number of students: minimum is 4, maximum is 10.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Basic ARTiE Training (short for ART in Electronics): ARTiE is an electronic whiteboard that provides many tools to enhance teaching, learning, and presentations at the Art Guild’s Plateau Creative Arts Center (PCAC), 10:00 ¬a.m. – 12:00 noon. Open to AG members only. Class is free-of-charge, but those who want to attend must register for the class. Maximum class size is six students.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 (at the Plateau Creative Arts Center and on Zoom)
Monthly Members Meeting – 9:30 is a speaker presentation by Jack Retterer (subject is Fine Art Photography) 10:00 is a brief business meeting. Guests are welcome to attend (In-person attendance will be limited due to social distancing.)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Project Discussion, a bi-monthly artwork review session. Assess the artwork of participants and/or selected artwork in the gallery. The facilitator is John Anderson. 12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m. FREE and open to the public. Bring your artwork or just observe the session.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Fundamentals of Making Chain Mail Jewelry, with George Gallant. 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Cost is $30 for members or $35 for guests. $25 materials fee payable to the instructor. Number of students: minimum is 3, maximum is 6.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Mixed Media Art Journal, with Barb Pelak, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Cost is $30 for members and $35 for guests. Materials fee is $5 payable to the instructor. Number of students: 3 minimum, and 8 maximum.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Life Drawing, with Dena Whitener, 12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m. A live model will be available for artists to sketch. Bring your sketch pad, media of choice, and camera to capture the pose. The model is Jessica Schatz. Cost is $5 model fee.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Paint and Wine with Barb Pelak, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Cost is $20 for members or $25 for guests. Medium is acrylic on canvas. Subject is “Fall Harvest.” All painting materials will be provided. Attendees should bring their own wine, glass, and munchies. Class size: minimum is 3, maximum is 12.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Wire Wrapping of Natural Stones and Shells, with Susan Smathers, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. $30 for members or $35 for guests. Materials fee is $5 payable to the instructor, class size: minimum is 2, maximum is 8.

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

Reception: August 28, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

All media show featuring works in response to the theme "Purple".

Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Hours: Tu-Th 9-5, or by appointment. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartcenter.com