Calendar of Events

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

Long-time Barter Theatre favorite Eugene Wolf brings his one-man show, The Book of Mamaw, to Flying Anvil Theatre’s virtual stage from September 24th through October 5th. The show is full of stories, songs and sketches about growing up in Greeneville, Tennessee, with a surprising spiritual path of love, kindness and compassion.

Wolf’s mamaw was Bernice Rader, a Church of Christ grandmother who recognized Eugene’s love of performing at an early age and guided him on his way. It’s an unorthodox story of a woman who tried to capture Patty Hearst and once advised her grandson that if he was going to make it in show business he’d better, “get a dress and wear it!” Wolf made his television debut on the Cas Walker show thanks to Bernice. Since then, he has had a varied performing career, as a member of the acting company at Barter Theatre for over 21 years, as half of the country duo The Brother Boys (with Ed Snodderly), who have appeared on albums with Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas, as well as solo concerts and films.

Wolf says Bernice was a natural subject for the show. “Mamaw was funny in spite of herself. She’d take me along when she went to sell Avon and make me get up and sing Loretta Lynn songs. I was an eight-year-old singing about my lying, cheating, drinking husband. But I didn’t care. Mamaw sanctioned it, so it was all right.”

Reviewers have called The Book of Mamaw “storytelling at its best.”

Filmed on stage, Flying Anvil is taking another step into their Virtual Mini Season by bringing back The Book of Mamaw, which last appeared on their stage in 2018. General Manager Chris Freeman says the play was the perfect opportunity to try something new. “Since March we’ve been wanting to produce a show on stage again. The Book of Mamaw gives us that chance- it’s intimate enough to feel right in your living room, safe for actors and crew, and we still get to sprinkle in some of that theatre magic we know and love.”

The Book of Mamaw is sponsored by Bill Cherry. It is filmed on stage and will be broadcast from September 24th through October 5th- Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm. Streaming Passes are available at www.flyinganviltheatre.com.

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

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/

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

Black & White, Knoxville in the Jim Crow Era featuring the stories of African American artists Beauford Delaney, Joseph Delaney, and Ruth Cobb Brice, with contributions by guest historian Robert J. Booker. The exhibition, which opened February 20, 2020, right before the Museum closed, has now been extended to provide visitors’ access to this important part of East Tennessee’s past.

The East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) desires all to stay healthy and with our re-opening we continue to work to help curb the spread of the highly contagious disease that is COVID-19. 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
· Follow one-way path markers
· Stay at home if you are sick

The Museum will close one hour early each day for enhanced cleaning. The hours, which are updated on our website are Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; and Sunday 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Certain Museum features have also been modified to increase visitor safety. Examples are interactive exhibitions have been turned off, and seating has been removed to provide additional room for physical distancing.

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

This special display inaugurates the KMA’s newly renovated Sarah Jane Hardrath Kramer Education Center, a multi-purpose space named in honor of the KMA’s first director of education. We are taking advantage of current COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings to use this event and classroom space to display a diverse selection of sculptural works, many small in scale, from the KMA collection. Some were acquired years ago and have been displayed many times, while others have rarely been shown or were recently acquired. Figurative works by Tennessee artists Bessie Harvey, Richard Jolley, and Red Grooms explore human life in all its struggles, timeless beauty, and satirical moments. Small objects by Henry Moore and John Himmelfarb reflect contrasting approaches to bronze. John Jordan, Jen McCurdy, and Brad Sells each explore the vessel as a sculptural form from distinct vantage points. Together, this selection reflects a broad cross-section of modern and contemporary art from East Tennessee and beyond as expressed in a variety of materials and techniques.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Information: 865-525-6101, https://knoxart.org/exhibitions/sculptural-objects-from-the-kma-collection/

The Knoxville Museum of Art will reopen beginning Wednesday, July 1, 2020, with limited hours and extensive precautions to ensure the health and safety of visitors and museum staff.

Beauford Delaney and James Baldwin: Through the Unusual Door has been extended through October 25. The museum’s permanent flagship exhibitions--Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in East Tennessee and Currents: Recent Art from East Tennessee and Beyond—have been reinstalled and refreshed!

Visitors will be welcomed with the following measures necessitated by the public health situation:
• The KMA will be open on a restricted schedule, Wednesday-Sunday 1-5pm. The museum will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. (The KMA will also be closed Saturday, July 4 for the Independence Day holiday.)
• Attendance will be limited to 25 visitors per hour and reservations will be required by signing up on www.eventbrite.com. Link is also available on www.knoxart.org.
• Visitors will access the museum via the June and Rob Heller Garden gate adjacent to the parking lot, enter the building on the lower level, and exit at street level (one-way route).
• Visitors will be asked to wear face coverings. Disposable masks will be available for visitors who need them.
• Cleaning and sanitizing in public areas will be greatly increased.
• Visitors will be asked to stay 6 feet apart.

For questions about the reopening, visitors can contact the museum at info@knoxart.org.

Beauford Delaney and James Baldwin: Through the Unusual Door
This exhibition of 50+ paintings, works on paper, and unpublished archival material examines the 38-year relationship between painter Beauford Delaney (Knoxville 1901-1979 Paris) and writer James Baldwin (New York 1924-1987 Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France) and the ways their ongoing intellectual exchange shaped one another’s creative output and worldview.

Through the Unusual Door seeks to identify and disentangle the skein of influences that grew over and around a rich, complex lifetime relationship with a selection of Delaney’s works that reflects the powerful presence of Baldwin in Delaney’s life. The exhibition draws from the KMA’s extensive Delaney holdings, public and private collections around the country, and rarely displayed papers held by the Delaney estate. KMA curator Stephen Wicks is organizing the exhibition, which is accompanied by a color-illustrated catalogue published by the University of Tennessee Press.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 1-5 PM. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

Join us Saturdays at 10:45 for our weekly slow ride through different Knoxville neighborhoods as we explore our city via bike. Although distances and routes vary, most rides last for 60-75 minutes (4-8 miles) and potentially include a stop at various landmarks, sites of interest, and even other breweries!
Please note that rides will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather to ensure the safety and comfort of all participants.

https://www.facebook.com/printshopbeer/events
Printshop Beer Co., 1532 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, Tennessee 37920

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"!