Calendar of Events

The Spark Innovation Center Showcase: giving you the inside scoop on what makes Spark great.

The Spark Innovation Center at UT Research Park (“Spark”) is designed, 100% dedicated and staffed to enable East Tennessee to capitalize on the its unparalleled technology assets at UT and ORNL to support technology-based businesses to launch and grow into sustainable businesses. This boost to the tech sector of our regional economy will result in increased employment, revenue generation and an improved tax base.

Free
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spark-innovation-center-showcase-tickets-118178672591

We're thrilled to have our gallery graced by the work of 14 innovative American craft artists. Stop by for a chance to make one of these pieces part of your own collection!

THOMAS RENAUD & NOEL HENNESSY
CALIFORNIA
lighting, home accents, vessels

STEVE & RAENETTE PALMER
MICHIGAN
sculpture

STACEY LEE WEBBER
PHILADELPHIA
art objects, jewelry

SETH MICHAEL
CHICAGO
jewelry

JANNA UGONE
MASSACHUSETTS
lighting design

CHRISTINA GOODMAN
LOUISIANA
hand-painted jewelry

PAUL SUMNER
NORTH CAROLINA
wood sculpture

Bennett, 5308 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919-5027
Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5:30pm
865-584-6791 or http://www.bennettgalleries.com/

Fall is always a wonderful time for planting as it gives your plants time to establish great root systems for the spring. If you want to buy plants to enhance your garden this fall, but want to avoid crowds, visit the UT Arboretum Society’s Annual Fall Plant Sale which will be held online only from September 25th to October 10th. Our plant sales are some of our biggest fundraisers of the year and help support the arboretum’s community education, trail improvements such as our Nature Book Trail, and children’s programs.

For two weeks, you can browse the selections of perennials, trees, and shrubs available from our vendors Tennessee Naturescapes, Riverdale Nursery and East Fork Nursery of Sevierville. The three vendors offer a wonderful selection of plants including dogwoods, unique conifers, both evergreen and native azaleas, hydrangeas, milkweed, beauty berry, and a wide variety of pollinator plants to name just a few! Quantities are limited so we suggest early shopping! Beginning September 25th, log on to https://utas-plant-sale.square.site/ to shop and make payment. All payments must be made by credit card online in advance. No sales on the pick-up days are possible.

Upon ordering, you will be provided a link to choose a pick-up time on either Friday, October 16th from 1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. or Saturday, October 17th, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the UT Arboretum, 901 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. Arboretum Society members will have your plant orders ready for pick-up. This is a no contact pick-up system. When you arrive at your scheduled time, you will come to designated pick up spots and your order will be brought to your car.

This is an amazing opportunity which allows the public to shop for an extended period of time without gathering in large groups on one day. People will also have access to a wonderful selection of plants from three outstanding nurseries all at one online site. To learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org. For more information on the plant sale, contact mcampani@utk.edu.

Virtual productions are now the reality in theatre. At least for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, we have the goal of providing you - our patrons - with as similar an experience as you could get if we were all gathered in the Paul Ebert Auditorium at the Playhouse.

As a result, we're putting together our first fully realized stage production while maintaining safety precautions related to COVID-19. You're still going to get a full-blown show. Scenery, costumes, lighting, the works. But streamed in your home.

The show must go on, as they say. So, join us for our first virtual play, ALABAMA STORY, as we strive to continue to provide you with top notch entertainment.

Streaming online select dates: September 25-October 4

The passions of a segregationist State Senator and a no-nonsense State Librarian in 1959 Montgomery are enflamed when a gentle children’s picture book about the marriage of two bunny rabbits finds its way into the public consciousness, just as the Civil Rights movement is flowering. Simultaneously, another story of childhood friends – an African-American man and a white woman, reunited in adulthood that same year – provides a private counterpoint to the public events swirling in the state capital. Political foes, star-crossed lovers, and one feisty children’s storyteller inhabit an unforgettable Deep South of the imagination brimming with humor, heart, and humanity.

TICKETS GO ON SALE September 7
http://www.orplayhouse.com/alabama-story
Oak Ridge Playhouse - Po Box 5705, Oak Ridge, TN, (865) 482-9999

Liberated from Storage: Selections of Asian Art from the Ewing Gallery Collection

Now through October 16th, 113 Asian works from the Ewing Gallery permanent collection will be on exhibition - some for the first time in 4 years. Featured are works that were gifted to or collected by founding members of the School of Art during the 1950s and 60s, while many others have been acquired within the last decade. Numerous examples of historic and contemporary Japanese printmaking, including a recent gift of Japanese ukiyo-e prints, are on view. With a wide range of media including ceramics, printmaking, painting, video, and sculpture, this exhibition includes works from Japan, Korea, China, India, and Taiwan. You are invited to this public viewing of these liberated works of art before their return to storage.

Click here to view many of these works online: https://ewinggallery.omeka.net/collections/show/2

The Ewing Gallery, located on the first floor of the Art and Architecture Building, is open Monday - Friday from 10am - 5pm. If you would like to vist the Ewing Gallery, please email the gallery ewing@utk.edu to file a health screening form prior to your campus visit.

1715 Volunteer Boulevard, Art and Architecture Building, Knoxville, TN 37996

Date: October 31, 2020
Cost: $8 per child or 4 children for $24

Bewitching Beasts is going virtual! We will still do all the fun crafts and learn about bewitching beasts all while being in the comfort of our own homes. This year we are focusing on some of our favorite creatures and can’t wait to share them with you. Participants will pre-register and then pick up a kit from the gardens. Then on Halloween we will send you links to several videos to watch that will show you how to make each craft and give you information about interesting living things. Additionally, from Friday through Sunday, you will be able to visit the gardens to take pictures by various signs and photo spots. Send us your pictures by 4pm on Sunday to receive a prize. Don’t forget to be in costume for all of your pictures!

This program is sponsored by Allergy and Asthma Affiliates, Allergy Asthma and Sinus Center, and University of Tennessee Federal Credit Union. Kits can be purchased either individually for $8 or for a set of 4 for $24.

Proceeds to benefit local artists through the Grace Fund (www.knoxalliance.com/grace)

Introducing Mask-Produced, a virtual exhibition and auction of ‘mask-related’ artworks created by a talented array of local and regional artists. 29 pieces were created for the exhibition using a variety of materials including metal, leather, Swarovski Crystals, denim, animal bones, fabric, paint, glass, and more. Proceeds from the auction will provide critical funding to the Greater Knoxville GRACE Fund, a resource for individual local arts and culture workers seeking financial assistance to meet basic needs.

As masks are becoming the new normal across the globe, artists are coming up with innovative designs and imaginative possibilities to elevate the everyday face covering. Mask-Produced explores both the protective and artistic potential of masks amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Browse the Exhibition & Auction at https://www.charityauctionstoday.com/auctions/dogwood-arts-mask-produced-14692

Bid ONLINE September 18th - October 9th
• Online bidding is now open and will close on Friday, October 9th at 11:59PM
• The auction offers something for everyone with prices starting at $30

Participating Artists: Mike Berry, Ryan Blair, Jason Brown, Antuco Chicaiza, Bill Cook Jr., Marianna Custer, Nick Deford, Melissa Everett, Marcia Goldenstein, Marcus Hall, Richard Jolley, Kelle Jolley, Callie Konane Rickards, Dale Mackey, Beth Meadows, Erica Mendoza, Sarah Moore & Lindsay Mcgeehon, Kyle Schellinger, Sarah Shebaro, Jered Sprecher, Lacey Sutton, Lauren Wagner, and Bryan Wilkerson.

More info: 865.637.4561

THE TENNESSEE THEATRE’S ONLINE AUCTION IS NOW LIVE! BID NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 1 AT MIDNIGHT!

Under normal circumstances, the Tennessee Theatre would be welcoming you in person for our Stars on Stage gala. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are going virtual this year, including our auction. This year's event will feature Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, with the stream beginning at 8/7 central on Thursday, October 1 on Vimeo.

This auction features many unique items and experiences, such as a Virtual Meet & Greets with Broadway cast and crew members including Kurt Crowley of HAMILTON, private movie screenings in the Theatre, beautiful artwork, private photo shoots in the Theatre, and much more. The auction will remain open until October 1 at midnight, following the streaming concert. If you are the winning bidder, you will be notified by email and Tennessee Theatre staff will contact you the following day to coordinate pick up or delivery and payment. Happy bidding! https://www.32auctions.com/tennesseetheatre

Collected Marks: A Two-Person Exhibition by Lynne Ghenov & Jessie Van der Laan

Recent mixed-media work by two Knoxville-based artists.

Omega Gallery at Carson-Newman University, Warren Art Building, corner of Branner & Ken Sparks Way, Jefferson City, TN 37760. Gallery hours: M-F 8-4. Please wear a face covering!

Information: 865-471-4985, www.cn.edu

The World Tour has gone virtual! Get ready for films filled with mountain adventure, inspiration, and culture from around the globe in the comfort and safety of your own home.. The Bijou is excited to bring you early access to this incredible content from now until September 30. Simply visit the link below to purchase your choice of carefully curated programs, or go all in with the full virtual film bundle!

https://filmfest.banffcentre.ca/?campaign=WT-165608

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com, www.ticketmaster.com

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