Calendar of Events

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 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

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

The Maker City: Holiday Gift Guide and Holiday Monday Marketplace
www.themakercity.org
Instagram @themakercity

With no end in sight to the pandemic, and with talented small business owners continuing to struggle, there’s every reason for shoppers to buy their Holiday gifts locally this year. The Maker City has made this easy to do with two very safe, very user-friendly online options.

The Holiday Gift Guide puts the best of over 300 local Makers front and center in a captivating online catalog. Convenient links direct to each Maker’s web page provide a smooth, stress-free shopping experience, and with categories such as Jewelry, Home Goods, Nature Lovers, Fashion, Grooming, Kitchen and much more, there really is something for everyone. http://themakercity.org/giftguide

By spending their dollars close to home, Holiday shoppers support the local economy -- not only the Makers’ families, but also the many local suppliers and service providers with whom the Maker works. In addition, they support sustainability; Knoxville’s Makers use ecologically responsible practices, and cherished handmade items tend to get handed down through the generations rather than sent to the landfill. Most of all, nothing says “you mean a lot to me” better than a one-of-a-kind gift made with love, and carefully selected for that special someone.

Those who would like a little more excitement during this festive season can support Knoxville Makers in real time by bidding on auction items on the Holiday Monday Marketplace, live from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Monday, on Instagram. Bid on favorite pieces, and know that 100% of the purchase price goes to the Maker. Check out Instagram @themakercity #MondayMarketplace.
https://www.instagram.com/themakercity/

Looking for more? 100s more Maker City Makers can be found in the Maker Directory.
http://themakercity.org/makerdirectory

Rala is proud to carry works from Tennessee artist Ryan Blair. His works are funky, colorful, and representative of the American South. https://shoprala.com/collections/ryan-blair

Ryan Blair is a triple threat. He teaches kids at Claxton Elementary School in Anderson County, TN, is Dad to three adorable children, and maintains his own professional art practice.

Blair uses salvaged materials and colorful paint to create works that speak to the spirit of the Tennessee hills. Subjects like snake-handlers, country musicians, winged mules, and moonshine-sippers often show up in his funky pieces. These are a few works available now at Rala.

"Art is soothing for me -- It's a place where there's no right or wrong answer," he told Cityview Mag back in 2015. As an art educator at rural elementary schools, he strives to teach this freedom to others.

"I don't necessarily feel like I'm just teaching art. I'm teaching a lot of life skills and people skills and hopefully how to enjoy things," he said. "I've hopefully made several people's lives more interesting or thoughtful or happy that day."

Blair is often up late, working hard in his studio. He posts process photos and updates on his work through his Facebook and Instagram. Follow him to keep in the loop about what he's creating and upcoming art shows.

Rala: Regional and Local Artisans, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7888, https://shoprala.com. Instagram: @ShopRala

The Art Market Gallery welcomes its newest members for 2020 in a special New Members Show! There will be no opening reception because of Covid but many of the new members will be working various days in November and all of their works and bios can be viewed at the Art Market's web page, www.artmarketgallery.net.

New members are: John Adkins (painting), Julie Boisseau Craig (mixed media), Kim Emert Gale (painting), Curtis Imerman (painting), Carole Stoiber (painting), Kate Watson (painting), and current member in another category, Terri Swaggerty (photography)

Hours: Tue-Sat 11 AM - 6 PM, Sun 1-6 PM. Closed Thanksgiving.
Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net, www.Facebook.com/ArtMarketGallery

With the holidays approaching, the Arts & Culture Alliance has coordinated the presentation of more than 125 unique works of art by local artists via its online shop so that patrons and the general public may purchase work.

The Holiday Sale, featuring 43 local artists, includes visual arts media (ranging from acrylic to photography), sculptural works, fiber works, glass, jewelry, and more, as well as ornaments, commissions of portraits, and musical performances. Artists will receive 100% of the proceeds after credit card processing fees.

Shop now! https://www.knoxalliance.store/product-category/holiday/

“Our artists are always trying new ways to interpret the world around them, so we are excited to try new ways for them to share that new work,” says Liza Zenni, Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance. “These days, so many art buyers are increasingly going online to discover and add to their collection of local artwork, and we wanted to help them find it. And if they happen to also find a one-of-a-kind holiday gift, so much the better!”

All artworks are available for sale at www.knoxalliance.store and may be purchased 24/7 using a credit card. Work may also be purchased by calling the Alliance, Monday-Friday 9 AM – 5 PM, at (865) 523-7543.

The Online Holiday Sale runs Sunday, November 1, 2020 – Friday, January 1, 2021. Additionally, some of the works will be included in Black Friday through Cyber Monday and End-of-Year sales offering 10% discounts. For more information, contact: Suzanne Cada at (865) 523-7543 or sc@knoxalliance.com.

An Alumni exhibition featuring funky 3-D masks by Jym Davis, class of 1999.
www.jymdavis.com

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

Tuesdays , 7:15-10 PM

This strings only* session is the sound of the Appalachian legacy that richly indwells the soul and soil of Knoxville. The musicians sit together and pick and strum familiar tunes on fiddles, guitars, and bass. We play Old Time fiddle tunes mostly, everyone jams at once and there are no breaks. Open to all lovers and players of music. We welcome dancers but please no tap shoes, as it can interfere with the session. No need to build up the courage to join in, just grab an instrument off the wall and take a seat.
*No percussion instruments please.

101 S. Central Street, Knoxville
https://www.facebook.com/events/793531981408904/

A selection of the artist's favorites!

https://www.facebook.com/jessicanewmanoriginalart/

109 N. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. http://www.urbanbarknoxville.com/

In Liberated from Storage II, viewers are able to see a painting by Belgian artist James Ensor, a 17th century Flemish tapestry based on a painting by Peter Paul Rubens, paintings by Joseph Delaney, illustrations by American commercial illustrator Walter Haskell Hinton, Mexican copper paintings, and modern and contemporary prints by Kathe Kollwitz, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Keith Haring, Alberto Giacometti, Georges Braque, Salvador Dali, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, and Chuck Close.

The exhibition closes Wednesday, November 24.

To view any portions of the Ewing Gallery collection, please visit, and bookmark https://ewinggallery.omeka.net/.

Ewing Gallery, 1715 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu

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