Calendar of Events
Saturday, October 31, 2020
Awaken Coffee: Exhibition by Lesley Eaton
Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event
Awaken Coffee will host an opening reception for artist Lesley Eaton Friday, Oct. 2 from 6-8 pm. Lesley’s recent work is a collection of experimental pieces focused on the application of materials themselves, mostly acrylic and fluid paint, along with water-soluble crayon.
“There is an overwhelming sense of joy to these pieces, even more so when they’re sitting next to one another, and even though they don’t all match and some are quite loud. It’s not unlike living in the middle of a renovation project with four children; it’s joyful cacophony.” – Lesley Eaton.
Please join us for some amazing art, light refreshments, and of course great coffee!
Awaken Coffee, 125 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Info: 865-951-0427 or https://www.facebook.com/awakencoffeeoldcity/
Maple Lane Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch Open
Category: Festivals, special events, Kids, family and Science, nature
The original Maple Lane Farms Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch opens weekends starting Oct. 2nd through Oct. 31st. Twenty-two years of fall family tradition and fun. DENSO is the 2020 maze sponsor.
Enjoy the fresh air, sunshine, mountain views, and wide-open space that this 100-acre farm has to offer – including hayrides, pumpkin picking, inflatables, corn hole, evening campfires, music, and food vendors. New this year – nighttime hayrides!! Get lost in our 10-acre cornfield! The Haunted Maze begins nightly October 23rd through October 31st (Last admittance into the maze is 10pm)
Hours:
Friday 6pm to 10pm
Saturday 10am to 10pm
Sunday Noon to 6pm
www.TNMapleLaneFarms.com
www.Facebook.com/tnmaplelanefarms/
www.Instagram.com/maplelanemaze/
UT Downtown Gallery: Through the Trees by Tom Riesing
Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event
Join us for First Friday reception for Through the Trees - an exhibition by artist Thomas Riesing. The UT Downtown Gallery will be open from 5-8pm on Friday October 2. Ten visitors at a time will be permitted in the UT Downtown Gallery. Please bring a mask to wear. We look forward to seeing you!
Through the Trees, presents my recent paintings and drawings produced since 2007. The images are thematic and site specific generated from extensive observations and time spent exploring East Tennessee, the Delaware Valley, the Oregon Coast, and Lower Silesia in Poland among others. I respond to the elegance of the trees, and to the light and space that exists between and beyond the persistent verticality of the trees.
It is evident in this exhibition that drawing is an essential component of my studio practice. I utilize drawing not only as a means to develop ideas before and during the painting process, but also as independent works of art. Materially they include graphite, silverpoint, and ballpoint pen. Ballpoint pen is my preferred method of sketching. I respond to its fluidity and to its unique ways of developing relative densities and layers of information. The graphite drawings allow for erasing and reduction while the silverpoint drawings require a more deliberate subtle approach to image and surface development..
- Thomas Riesing
Riesing received his BFA and MFA from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. He taught painting and drawing at the University of Tennessee School of Art for 37 years and most recently was the Chair of the School of Art at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana before his retirement.
This exhibition is free and open to the public. Through the Trees will be on view at the UT Downtown Gallery through October 31. The UT Downtown Gallery is open Wednesday - Friday from 11am - 6pm and Saturdays from 10am - 3pm. https://downtown.utk.edu/
Honey Bee Coffee: Red, Yellow, Blue by Bethany Bredeson
Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event
Showing all month in October at Honey Bee Coffee in South Knoxville, 700 Sevier Avenue, 39720.
See the paintings online at https://makingsangria.com/red-yellow-blue/
The show is thematic about the creative process. Each painting highlights a particular emotion from the moment I get the energy, through completing a project, and back to having no idea.
East Tennessee Foundation: Knoxville Local curated by Ashley Layendecker
Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event
East Tennessee Foundation / 520 W. Summit Hill Drive, Suite 1101
Tri-Star Arts is pleased to present Knoxville Local at the East Tennessee Foundation (520 W. Summit Hill Drive, Suite 1101, Knoxville, Tennessee), the first in our new Local exhibition series highlighting TN Artists. The show’s curator is East-Tennessee native Ashley Layendecker.
Knoxville Local features the work of 23 Knoxville-area artists including Ashley Addair, Eleanor Aldrich, Nuveen Barwari, Brianna Bass, Joshua Bienko, Eric Cagley, Nick DeFord, Lynne Ghenov, Michael Giles, Spencer Grady, Daniel Hughes, Quynh Lam, Mary Laube, Marta Lee, Paul Lee, Nyasha Madamombe, Erica Mendoza, Althea Murphy-Price, Jing Qin, Kayla Rumpp, Jered Sprecher, Megan White, and David Wolff.
The exhibition will be on view virtually at its outset, with expected in-person viewing opportunities coming in late 2021 (more details and interactive media to come). Knoxville Local will run from October 1, 2020, through December 31, 2021. The show coincides with the 35th anniversary of the ETF in 2021.
For more information, visit www.easttennesseefoundation.org.
https://locatearts.org/exhibitions/knoxville/knoxville-local-curated-by-ashley-layendecker
Dogwood Arts: Bazillion Blooms
Category: Fundraisers and Science, nature
Dogwood Arts is on a mission to Keep Knoxville Blooming and make it easy for you to make a difference: one tree at a time. Dogwood trees are native to our area and offer 4 seasons of interest: spring blooms, summer shade, crimson fall color and winter berries for wildlife. Our trees come from a grower in Middle Tennessee, are disease-resistant, spring-blooming, and available in pink or white.
Bare-root dogwood trees are available in pink or white for just $25 each (or five for $100).
ORDER DOGWOOD TREES TODAY!
How it works:
Option 1: Pick-Up & Plant Yourself
Purchase bare-root trees and plant them yourself! Order trees now through November 18th to pick-up locally on December 5th (pick-up location TBD). Plan ahead for spring blooms! Fall/winter is the best time to plant trees: the combination of warm soil, fall rains, and cool temperatures stimulates root growth to help your tree get established for next spring.
Option 2: Buy in Memory or Celebration
No matter what time of the year, you can celebrate a special event, honor an individual, or memorialize a loved one by donating a tree to the Historic Dogwood Trails. Your gift will Keep Knoxville Blooming and include a commemorative card (with your personal message) that will be mailed to the recipient of your choosing.
https://www.dogwoodarts.com/bazillion-blooms
Bennett: Brighter Days Ahead Exhibit
Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event
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/
UT Gardens: Friday Fun Day: Virtual Bewitching Beasts
Category: Festivals, special events and Kids, family
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.
Knoxville Museum of Art: Thorne Rooms Virtual Tour
Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event
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/
East Tennessee Historical Society: Marching to Victory: East Tennessee’s Role in Votes for Women

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and History, heritage
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
East Tennessee Historical Society: Black & White, Knoxville in the Jim Crow Era

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and History, heritage
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
Knoxville Museum of Art: Sculptural Objects from the KMA Collection
Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event
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/