Calendar of Events

Monday, November 23, 2020

Knoxville's Christmas in the City activities

  • November 23, 2020 — January 1, 2021

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event and Kids, family

Beginning Monday, Nov. 23, downtown Knoxville will be decked out in lights and greenery—including Krutch Park’s forest of twinkling trees and the 42-foot Christmas tree in the Krutch Park Extension on Gay Street—in time to serve as the background for fun family photos and selfies.

The Holidays on Ice skating rink will relocate from Market Square to the Civic Coliseum. The larger rink will allow skaters additional space to practice physical distancing while skating on the same ice where Knoxville Ice Bears play hockey. Starting Friday, Dec. 11, Holidays on Ice will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday with extended hours during Knox County Schools’ winter break. The full schedule will be posted at www.HolidaysOnIce.com.

Market Square will shine with new, peppermint-themed lighting displays provided in partnership with the Downtown Knoxville Alliance. Downtown visitors should look out for Window Wonderland decorations and special holiday treats on the menus and shelves of businesses participating in the Peppermint Trail.

Big Ears presents Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival

Category: Festivals, special events and Music

Running November 6 thru December 11, ‘Sites & Sounds from Big Ears’ hosts the Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival, a 15-act series highlighting many of the most compelling artists from that nation’s fertile musical scene.

Big Ears is teaming up with Musikkprofil Booking & Management, Oslo’s Sentralen performing arts center, and Hes & Falck to present the series which launches on Friday, November 6 and spans five weeks of programming. Big Ears is the exclusive North American presenter of the festival — the only place in the US, Canada, and Mexico where you can stream the series.

Norway has been home to a rich jazz landscape for decades, an ecosystem that has been documented notably over the years by ECM Records. The festival offers a multi-faceted portrait of the country’s unique jazz scene, over seven double-bill concerts, featuring artists including pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, saxophonist Tryvge Seim, guitarist Eiven Aarset, and trumpeters Mathias Eick and Nils Petter Molvær, plus an evening with pianist Tord Gustavsen — as well as many other essential Norwegian jazz artists. Each performance has been elegantly filmed on-site at the Sentralen in Oslo, Norway.

https://bigearsfestival.org/norwegian-digital-jazz-festival/

Art Guild at Fairfield Glade: People’s Choice Art Show

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event

The public is invited to the opening reception of the Art Guild at Fairfield Glade’s annual People’s Choice Art Show. This event will take place on Friday, November 6, 2020 from 5-7 p.m. at the Plateau Creative Art Center, 451 Lakeview Dr. in Fairfield Glade. All in attendance can view over 80 show entries and cast their ballots for their favorite artwork. If unable to attend the reception, the public can come during regular hours between November 6 through the 25 to vote. Atlas Real Estate of Crossville, Tennessee is sponsoring this event. Cash prizes will be awarded to First through Fifth Place winners at the Awards Ceremony on December 4, 2020.

A unique feature of this year’s art show is that all award ribbons were handmade by a small group of the Art Guild’s talented artists. Each ribbon will be a treasured small piece of art for the winning artists.

An assortment of beverages will be served at this free reception event, weather permitting. Stonehaus Winery is providing a selection of fine wines. The Art Show will feature all genres of art. Please visit the PCAC to see all of this fabulous artwork from November 6th through December 4th. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

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

Broadway Studios and Gallery: Art Thru The Window

  • November 6, 2020 — November 30, 2020

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event

Ongoing beginning First Friday Nov 6th.

"Art Thru The Window" Broadway Studios and Gallery. Featuring our 6 new resident artists!

Vincent Drake
Jes Distad
Laura Gasparrini
Larry Blount
Melinda Adams
William Holbert

24/7 viewing safely through the glass! Purchase info will be listed on the window.
1127 N. Broadway, Knoxville TN 37917

https://www.broadwaystudiosandgallery.com

Maryville College: Virtual tour of "Women's Work" Exhibition

  • November 6, 2020 — November 25, 2020

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Free event and Lecture, panel

Women's Work: Sew What's New!

Marcia Goldenstein and Virginia Derryberry talk about the origin and future of the "Women's Work" exhibit at Maryville College as the College galleries are temporarily closed to the public.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=395658081560077

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=678828613024929

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=687377461967677

Our Language – Creative Photography by Jürgen Dopatka, Elena Ganusova, Andreas Koschan

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at The Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from November 6-24, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, November 6, from 5:00-8:00 PM. All visitors to the Emporium are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

Our Language – Creative Photography by Jürgen Dopatka, Elena Ganusova, Andreas Koschan
These artists present three exhibitions with the overarching theme of Creative Photography. They each use creative photography as their language to tell stories about the world in which we live. Dopatka, Ganusova and Koschan all immigrated from Europe to Knoxville decades ago, and although they have different scientific backgrounds in chemical engineering, microbiology, and computer science, they share their love for photography. As their scientific backgrounds are different, so are their creative approaches to photography as can be seen in this exhibition.

Jürgen Dopatka - 40 Years in Black & White
Jürgen Dopatka’s photographs encompass the range of four decades of pursuing photography as a serious hobby, showing his evolving subjects, vision, and technique. The focus of his work has always been black and white images due to its potential for artistic expression (including abstract). Starting out with documenting "vanishing breeds"/professions in his native Germany, he quickly developed an interest for modern architecture, discovering patterns, repetitions, curves, light and shadows, which then spilled into nature and other subjects as well. The images in this show highlight this continuous journey of discovery and progression. Learn more: www.facebook.com/DopatkaPhotography, www.instagram.com/JurgenDopatkaPhoto, www.Dopatka.com

Elena Ganusova was born and raised in Siberia. She is a microbiology and biophysics major (PhD) and has worked in research labs for her entire life. She fell in love with photography as a young child when her father introduced her to the magic of black and white photography. Her interest in photography grew stronger until she eventually received a certification from the University of Tennessee. Her work has been accepted in various local, state, national and international competitions and exhibited in numerous Knoxville galleries. Her photography services also include family portraiture, senior and children portraiture, lifestyle and environmental portraiture, engagement and weddings, and photo restoration. Learn more: www.eganusovaphotography.com

Andreas Koschan grew up in the divided city of Berlin, Germany and has spent the last 20 years in East Tennessee; these differing life experiences have contributed to his unique view of the world. He is an engineer and scientist who, over the course of his career, taught and conducted research at both the Technical University Berlin, Germany and the University of Tennessee, during which time he coauthored five books and more than 100 conference papers on digital image processing and image analysis. Recently he became interested in adding an artistic component to his technical background. His current interests include using photographic imagery to tell stories about the world in which we live. Learn more: www.koschan.com

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed Wednesday-Friday, November 25-27, for the holidays. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Emporium Center: Bruce Bunting: Paper in Three Dimensions

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at The Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from November 6-24, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, November 6, from 5:00-8:00 PM. All visitors to the Emporium are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

To many artists, paper is considered a flat surface waiting to receive an image, line, or thought. It is used as a backdrop. However, paper can also be an artistic medium in its own right and can be used to produce sculptural and three dimensional shapes. Paper is generally defined as derived from plant based cellulose fiber, processed into a pulp with large amounts of water to separate the individual fibers, and then entwined during the forming and drying processes. Proper preparation of the pulp will also promote chemical bonding between like fibers, further strengthening the resulting paper. The wet pulp and can be formed over a screen as sheets, cast, stretched over forms, molded with stencils, or built into 3-dimensional shapes when wet or after drying. In addition, non-paper objects can be embedded into the paper as it is formed. The paper in this new exhibition represents many of the techniques for forming three dimensional paper objects, including pouring, casting, stenciling, wet forming, dry forming, and embedding objects.

Bruce Bunting’s introduction to papermaking came from his work as an automotive engineer, which included a cellulosic biofuel project with a commercial paper mill. He became more interested in the paper than the biofuel, which led to reading papermaking books, taking papermaking classes, and visiting paper mills and paper artists. Papermaking combines art, materials, chemistry, and equipment in a way that fits his interests and background. He has built all of his own equipment in his current papermaking studio. He is shifting toward the production of large sheet paper, up to about 24x48”, and is working in collaboration with other artists. Learn more: www.brucebuntingart.com or www.postcardsarepaper.art.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed Wednesday-Friday, November 25-27, for the holidays. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Emporium Center: Buechel Studio: Action Expressionism

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at The Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from November 6-24, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, November 6, from 5:00-8:00 PM. All visitors to the Emporium are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

The Eric Buechel Fine Art Studio presents a creative collaborative of Cumberland-area artists who will display abstract works (primarily painting). The five artists include Eric Buechel, Sharon Bush, Pat Schudiske, Jerry Sparks, Mike Sparks, and Bob Stevens. These artists came together during a series of weekly “Collaborative Creativity” workshops, led by Eric Buechel, in which they painted and created alongside fellow artists each week in the Buechel Studio in Pleasant Hill.

Movement and unpredictability, along with geometry and familiarity, are combined to create “action expressionism”. In these paintings, drawings, and three-dimensional pieces, the artists’ images interweave various historical modes of abstract art. The end result is an expansive vocabulary of visual motifs that connect all the pieces together.

Their artistic journey began by exploring works of previous abstract artists, particularly Jackson Pollock. As a group, they explored things found outside of nature, seeking to connect with the viewer by creating an emotional bond through patterns, colors, tones, and lines. Their collective goal is to reflect expressive movements through the end design; some made by hand and others by mechanical means. What began as an exercise to loosen up their painting styles turned into color theory process: from hanging paint containers on a line in a tree to spilling paint on a moving canvas, the effect differed in multiple ways. The artists have discovered there are endless results to be achieved through the use of a variety of materials, with unplanned elements providing surprise and excitement. Learn more: www.ericbuechel.net

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed Wednesday-Friday, November 25-27, for the holidays. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Stephen Brayfield: Slightly disturbing watercolor paintings with mildly irrational ramblings by Tonya Wunder

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Free event and Literature, spoken word, writing

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at The Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from November 6-24, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, November 6, from 5:00-8:00 PM. All visitors to the Emporium are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

In this second collaboration, artists Stephen Brayfield and Tonya Wunder explore darker themes through a kind of eccentric, personal mythology. At times, Wunder will provide poetic captions for Brayfield’s original paintings, and conversely, he is inspired to paint by something she reads. It is not always a smooth and painless process, and with this new exhibition, Brayfield experiments with a different presentation of watercolors. Departing from the traditional mat, frame and glass, he mounts them on cradled panels and seals them with cold wax medium.

About Stephen Brayfield: While I respect the more traditional subject matter of landscape/still life associated with watercolor, I prefer art with a narrative using portrait and figure as a springboard. My earlier work was influenced by surrealism but I have since merged this with an Americana element that I refer to as "southern gothic”.

About Tonya Wunder: I enjoy various streams of poetry, but it was Emily Dickinson who gave me the courage to discard rules and Andre Breton’s automatism that gave me the freedom to ramble nonsensically.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed Wednesday-Friday, November 25-27, for the holidays. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Recent Works by the Emporium Center’s Tenant Artists

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at The Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from November 6-24, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, November 6, from 5:00-8:00 PM. All visitors to the Emporium are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

The fifteen artists of the Emporium Center are proud to present an exhibition of recent works in a variety of media such as collage, fiber works, mixed media, painting, and photography. These artists include: Sheila Chesanow, Derrick Freeman, Connie Gaertner, Judi Gaston, Tobertha Jackson, Diana Kilburn, Katie Kinney, Fritz Massaquoi, Wokie Massaquoi-Wicks, Pam Radford, Chris Rohwer, Robin Rohwer, Gayla Seale, W. James Taylor, and Sandy White. Read more about the artists at www.knoxalliance.com/recent-works-by-the-emporium-centers-tenant-artists.

The Emporium Center is Knoxville’s first true arts center, which re-opened following renovations in 2004. Built in 1898 as the original home of a prestigious furniture company, the Emporium housed a wholesale goods distributor and later became a textile manufacturing facility that fulfilled military contracts. The two adjacent buildings and the vacant lot were the location of the “Parthenon of Country Music,” which served as the home of the WNOX Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round. The 28,000 square feet of flexible use space houses multiple art galleries showcasing local and regional artists with exhibitions that change each month. The Emporium also houses the administrative offices of non-profits Arts & Culture Alliance, Circle Modern Dance, HoLa Hora Latina, Knoxville Gay Men’s Chorus, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and Tennessee Stage Company as well as studios for fifteen individual artists.

The Emporium is available for private rentals for receptions, fundraisers, dinners, parties, and more and is open to the public Monday-Friday 9 AM – 5 PM with monthly First Friday receptions.

On display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Please note, the Emporium will be closed Wednesday-Friday, November 25-27, for the holidays. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Zoo Knoxville: Cans for Wristbands

Category: Fundraisers, Kids, family and Science, nature

Zoo Knoxville is offering free wristbands good for unlimited carousel and train rides with the donation of an item for Mission of Hope during their “Cans for Wristbands” drive.

Now through Nov. 25, guests who bring a donation item will receive their free wristband, (a $10 value) with the purchase of a general admission ticket. Members and annual passholders also receive a free wristband with a donation. Wristbands are also good for a 10% discount on purchases in the Zoo Shop, and members and annual passholders can use this in addition to their regular 15% discount. Wristbands are valid for the day of donation.

Items needed are non-perishable food items, hygiene items, and new children’s toys. All donations will support Mission of Hope, a non-profit volunteer organization providing assistance, aid and resources to those living in poverty-stricken areas in rural Appalachia. Learn more about Mission of Hope at www.missionofhope.org.

Zoo general admission tickets are $19.95 for adults, $16.95 for children ages 4-12 and seniors age 65 and up. Children ages 3 and under are free. Parking is $5 per vehicle. Tickets can be purchased online at zooknoxville.org or at the zoo’s ticket window. Please present donations at the zoo’s ticket window to redeem wristbands.

Zoo Knoxville, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Information: 865-637-5331, www.zooknoxville.org

Knoxville Botanical Garden: Dr. Syd Hamilton's Webinars

  • November 2, 2020 — December 31, 2020

Category: Classes, workshops and Science, nature

Learn how to protect your trees while helping ours!

Looking for a way to help the Gardens and learn at the same time? The next round of Dr. Syd Hamilton's webinar series is coming up so if you missed them the past months, you can still take them! Courses are offered throughout November & December. The registration fee for these classes will be used directly to help treat diseased and at risk trees on KBGA's property.

Offered will be the following:
• Integrated Pest Management
• Oak Decline Diseases
• Sycamore Anthracnose- What it is and how to treat it
• Beneficial Bugs- What they are, what they do, and how to keep them safe
• And more!
You can find out more and sign up here!

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/dr-hamilton-biologist-and-tree-doc-of-better-nature-llc-31121833465

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