Calendar of Events

We’ve added more tour dates in November and December, and a few October dates are still available. We’ve also added a Family Tour, which is great for kids and adults alike, but has added elements to spark awe in children and includes activity and coloring sheets for them to take home to remember their visit and what they will learn. Join us for a behind the scenes tour and learn details about the history, performances, and complete renovation of the Official State Theatre of Tennessee. You’ll go to areas not usually open to the public, and walk away with a better understanding and appreciation for this architectural and cultural gem.

Once a tour reaches capacity, it will no longer appear in the list of available dates.
https://www.tennesseetheatre.com/visit/tour-the-tennessee/

Deluxe Tours are offered on Saturdays at 11AM and 1PM.
Tuesday, December 1 at 11am
Saturday, December 5 at 11am
Saturday, December 5 at 1pm
Tuesday, December 8 at 11am
Saturday, December 12 at 11am
Saturday, December 12 at 1pm
Tuesday, December 15 at 11am
Saturday, December 19 at 11am
Saturday, December 19 at 1pm
Monday, December 28 at 1pm
Tuesday, December 29 at 1pm
Wednesday, December 30 at 1pm

Family Tours are offered select weekdays at 11AM, especially during school breaks.
Monday, December 28 at 1pm
Tuesday, December 29 at 1pm
Wednesday, December 30 at 1pm

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information: 865-684-1200

We've watched a few great new releases slip by us in recent months, so we jumped at the opportunity to include Brandon Cronenberg's Possessor in this year's horror film fest, and have decided to take the plunge back into business in order to share the acclaimed thriller with Knoxville audiences at large, starting Friday October 23.

As you may be able to guess, this wasn't an easy decision. We put a lot of work and hope into June's trial re-opening, only to have our plans dashed by skyrocketing COVID diagnoses. Things are, of course, not much better now. But the show must eventually go on, so we're going to take things week by week (usually with just one showing per day) and go from there! We hope that some of you will come out, but as always we respect and support individual health decisions that may keep you away. We want you safe.

The bulk of next weekend will be dedicated to Knoxville Horror Film Fest programming, but we will be offering general public screenings of Possessor at 9pm on Friday (10/23) and 7pm on Saturday (10/24). We plan to hold Possessor over through Halloween weekend, dates/showtimes TBA.

For anyone interested in local film productions, we'll also be offering a general public screening of this year's Knoxville Horror Film Fest "Tennessee Terrors" regional film block at 7pm on Friday. This hourlong program features the short films Crones Haulin' Bones, Secret Shed, The Lion's Den, Timekeeper, The Nice House, The Getaway, The Gift and That Kind of Friend.

Safety note: Facemasks are required at Central Cinema when not actively eating or drinking, and our capacity remains limited to 35% to facilitate proper distancing.

We also continue to offer and encourage private rentals, including discounted rates for films in current release at Central Cinema.

Central Cinema, 1205 N Central St, Knoxville, TN 37917
http://centralcinema865.com/

2020 Artsclamation Fine Art Sale To Be Held Virtually
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Knoxville Artsclamation!, the annual fine art sale that supports behavioral health care services at Peninsula, is going virtual! This important fundraiser, which also serves to increase awareness of mental health issues in East Tennessee, has raised almost $1 million since its beginning in 2002 to support critical programs and care for patients and families served by Peninsula, a division of Parkwest Medical Center.

Traditionally held as an in-person two-day event in late October, Artsclamation! 2020 will host a secure, online store at Artsclamation.bigcommerce.com from Oct. 23 to Nov. 30 where shoppers can view and purchase art from the convenience of their smart phone, tablet or computer. More than 2,000 original works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, as well as jewelry, glasswork and sculpture are available from 46 professional artists and Peninsula client artists Other items for sale include calendars, posters and prints featuring participating artists’ work.

Additionally, in its online format, the fine art sale is extended through to Nov. 30, which will allow more time for patrons to browse and select special gifts for the holiday shopping season. Event staff will coordinate pickup of artwork from the event’s climate-controlled warehouse and delivery to patrons, ensuring the artwork arrives in pristine condition. No-contact delivery options are also available.

“This decision to go virtual was made out of an abundance of caution to protect the health and safety of our artists, donors and community during this challenging time,” said Patrick Birmingham, Covenant Health’s vice president of philanthropy and government relations. “We have designed a plan that still allows art patrons to experience the uniqueness of Artsclamation!, while remaining safe from close indoor contact.”

FEATURED ARTIST SARAH POLLOCK
Sarah Pollock uses oil paints to create landscapes and cityscapes that reflect her journey throughout the country. She is a former color stylist for Walt Disney Feature Animation and now works as a professional artist in East Tennessee. Sarah paints in oils, often working outdoors, to capture the many beautiful landscapes around her home. Pollock’s featured piece for Artsclamation! 2020 is titled “Autumn Blaze” and portrays the Middle Prong of the Little River in the Great Smoky Mountains at the turn of fall. All proceeds from the sale of this featured piece will go directly to Peninsula.

SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH
One in four people in East Tennessee suffer from a mental health illness. However, there is a significant gap in funding for programs to serve these individuals compared to other diseases and diagnoses. Artsclamation! is Peninsula’s only fundraiser and helps to fill some of the gaps left in those funding sources. Proceeds in past years have funded garden courtyards for adult patients, vans for transporting clients in outpatient programs, play areas for hospitalized children, therapeutic games and activity supplies.

Elizabeth Clary, BSN, RN, MHA, vice president of behavioral health for Peninsula, noted how the community’s support of this year’s virtual art sale will help Peninsula meet a public health need, which because of the impact of COVID-19, has become even more critical.

“Peninsula relies heavily on proceeds from Artsclamation!,” she says. “We are good stewards of every dollar that is spent to provide care and treatment for those that need us. Funds from this event assist Peninsula with therapeutic spaces and activities for our patients that would otherwise not be an option.”

ABOUT PENINSULA
Peninsula has helped thousands of people recover from disorders and dependencies to lead healthy, productive lives. Peninsula provides inpatient and outpatient services for children, adolescents and adults in Knox and nearby counties, including individual and group therapy, specialized programs and peer support groups. Behavioral care is also provided at Parkwest Medical Center for senior adults with co-existing psychiatric and medical conditions. Peninsula is the region’s most comprehensive provider of mental health services; its outpatient centers serve more than 15,000 people annually, while the inpatient hospital treats more than 5,000 patients per year.www.peninsulabehavioralhealth.org/artsclamation.

South Garden

Homegrown is a site-specific outdoor installation by designers Katie MacDonald and Kyle Schumann that examines potential applications for Tennessee’s invasive plant species as productive building materials. The project will take the form of an inhabitable pavilion constructed from a panelized assembly of biomaterial aggregate. The resulting structure is biodegradable. The pavilion’s structure makes use of generative structural design known as topological structural optimization, allowing the surface to be alternately thin and dense or thick and porous based on structural needs of the overall assembly. The exterior is flat and angular, reflecting the aesthetic of conventional standardized paneling while the interior is curving and forms sculpted furniture. MacDonald and Schumann held the 2019-2020 Tennessee Architecture Fellowship at the University of Tennessee and cofounders of the design practice After Architecture.

https://knoxart.org/exhibitions/homegrown/
Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tu-Sa 10-5, Su 1-5. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org

Reception: October 23, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

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

2020 Juror: Kim Winkle, Executive Director of the Appalachian Center for Craft at Smithfield, TN and Professor of Art at Tennessee Tech University’s School of Art, Craft, and Design

Open Show 2020 is the Art Center’s annual juried exhibition. That means that many were entered, but only a few were chosen to be shown. Only 100 of 292 entered remain with the exhibition. Through the generosity of our donors, awards totaled over $3,000 and is one of the main reasons Open Show has become so highly competitive.

Gallery Talk - Round One: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2749419425290596
Gallery Talk - Round Two: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=696686161204120

Closed Thanksgiving Day. Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tu-F 9-5, Sa-M 1-4. Information: 865-482-1441, https://www.oakridgeartcenter.org/exhibitions

Muse Knoxville Reopens to Public
Knoxville’s children's museum opens doors to visitors for weekend and fall break hours

After being closed for seven months, Knoxville’s children’s museum has reopened for visitors, with exciting new exhibits and ways to play. The museum has taken precautions to ensure the health and safety of their guests. Visitors reserve their playtime in two hour time slots using the online platform, Bookeo. All guests ages 5 and up are required to wear masks and are encouraged to follow safe distancing practices. Muse Knoxville has placed Ionopure air sanitizers throughout the museum, and will also conduct temperature screenings and shoe sanitizing for all guests and employees.

“Our team has worked very hard to reopen safely for children and the adults that love them,” said Ellie Kittrell, executive director of Muse Knoxville. “Play is critical to early childhood development and we can’t wait to share all our new ways to play!.” During their closure, the museum has added two new exhibit areas, and reimagined old favorites for an enhanced play experience.

Muse Knoxville will expand their hours of operation during Oct. 12-16, in accordance with Knox County Schools’ fall break schedule. To view the most updated list of hours, visitors can visit www.themuseknoxville.org.

Muse Knoxville is a non-profit children’s science museum located in Chilhowee Park with a mission to inspire and empower all children through transformative learning experiences. We exist to serve East Tennessee by bringing hands-on, inquiry-based programming to children ages 6 months to 12 years old. In 2019, Muse Knoxville served over 200,000 individuals throughout 24 East Tennessee counties.

The Muse Knoxville, 516 N. Beaman Street, Knoxville, TN 37914. Information: 865-594-1494, www.themuseknoxville.org

Considered a versatile painter who works in vibrant colors, bringing energy and rhythm to each work, Mike C. Berry creates urban compositions that bend and twist the cityscapes that have become his identifiable style. His paintings consist of gestural brushstrokes and pure bright color. He credits the work of Wolf Kahn, Edward Hopper, and Knoxville artist, Joseph Delaney for encouraging his use of color, line and the cityscape as subject matter.

"Urbanscape" is the latest exhibition of small works by the artist. This body of work features the city of Knoxville as the main subject, but also illustrates the energy of our American urban landscape and cultural expressions. This exhibition includes paintings and drawings, as well as prints and notecards of previous works.

On display at RALA, October 2 - November 28, this exhibition can be viewed in person or online at www.shoprala.com

112 W Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902

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 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

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