Calendar of Events

Thursdays 6-7 PM

Join Jack Neely and staff each week for a new topic on Knoxville's rich and fascinating history. For more information and to register for this week's chat please visit https://knoxvillehistoryproject.org/events/

Knoxville History Project, 516 West Vine Avenue #8, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-300-4559

Beginning Thu Jan 7 on Zoom

The Knoxville Speaks Youth Poetry Initiative is for students in Knox County and surrounding counties grades 7-12. The students will participate in writing workshops with Knoxville Poet Laureate Rhea Carmon as well as many other amazing poets from across the nation. The program will begin as an online program meeting twice a month via Zoom. Youth need to submit an already written poem as a part of their application as well as well thought out answers to the questions. We are not looking for perfection, but we are looking for beautiful stories that can educate and inspire the Greater Knoxville Community. Apply: https://www.rheacarmon.com/knoxville-speaks

Does reading your work aloud give you cold chills? Yet now, as ever, it's an important way to get attention for your writing. Learn presentation skills from professional Laura Still, who holds audiences spellbound. Dress comfortably for relaxation and breathing exercises and expect to move around a bit.

Laura Still is a writer, teacher, and Knoxville history buff who keeps her presentation skills honed through Knoxville Walking Tours. (She’s also our highly esteemed two-term past president.)

As always, programs are free, but you must register by midnight on Wednesday, Jan 6., to receive the link.
January 7, 7-8 pm
Register here: https://knoxvillewritersguild.org/events/jan2021program

Tue Jan 5, 10-12: Oil & Acrylic Painting with Debbie Toney, $20.
Thu Jan 7, 9-12 or 1-4: Valentine Cards with Louise Goodman, $35
Tue Jan 19, 9:30: Monthly Members Meeting (in person & Zoom)
Wed Jan 20, 12-2: Project Discussion, a bi-monthly artwork review session with John Anderson, free
Thu Jan 21, 1-4: Chain Maille Jewelry “The Captured Heart Bracelet” with George Gallant, $35 + $30
Wed Jan 27, 12-2: Life Drawing with Dena Whitener, $5

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

The Art Guild at Fairfield Glade invites the public to venture to the Plateau Creative Art Center and enjoy the first Fiber Arts Exhibit. This exciting new display was featured during the First Friday Fun and Wine Reception on December 4th and will grace the gallery through Thursday, February 4th, 2021. The exhibit presents works by 11 artists, 5 which are members of the Art Guild, 6 are non-members, with 15 pieces of fiber artwork.

We are thrilled to offer this opportunity to both artisans and attendees, with the expectation of generating more interest and acceptance of many varieties of Fiber Arts as Fine Arts. This medium is non-utilitarian work that consists primarily of natural or synthetic fiber or yarn. It focuses on the design, materials, and artistic labor as basic for the works’ significance that prioritizes aesthetic over utilitarian values.

The term Fiber Arts originated shortly after World War II, defining work by craft artists incorporating fabric into their works. The 50’s gave more recognition to Fiber Arts as Fine Arts, and by the 60’s and 70’s, Fiber Arts was embraced worldwide, with a growing number of artists creating 2 and 3-dimensional fiber works in a variety of genres. Fiber Arts continues to thrive and evolve, and the Art Guild at Fairfield Glade is thrilled to share a variety of Fiber Art for public viewing.

PCAC regular hours of operation: Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through December 23. Winter hours: Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. beginning December 24th and running through February 28. The PCAC will be closed on Christmas Day.

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

Opening Friday, December 4, 2020 at 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
As always, please wear a mask and practice social distancing when you visit the UT Downtown Gallery. Please do not come if you are feeling sick.

December 4, 2020 - January, 30, 2021

The UT Downtown Gallery is pleased to present a selection of paintings and drawings on loan from the Estate of Beauford Delaney. This exhibition of 21 works includes 4 oil on canvas paintings, abstract watercolors, pastel portraits, and 3 self portraits. Some of these pieces have never been exhibited publicly. Please join us for a small First Friday opening December 5th from 5-8pm. We hope you will be able to make time during the holiday season to see this beautiful and important exhibition.

Events and exhibitions at the UT Downtown Gallery are free and open to the public. As always, please wear a mask and practice social distancing when you visit the UT Downtown Gallery. Please do not come if you are feeling sick.

The UT Downtown Gallery is open Wednesday - Friday 11am - 6pm and Saturdays from 10am - 3pm. The UT Downtown Gallery will be closed December 24, 25, 26, 31, and January 1.

UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown

The Arts & Culture Alliance proudly presents its 2020 Members Show, the largest annual exhibition of local artists in the Greater Knoxville area. The fresh mix of two- and three-dimensional works created within the last two years encompasses a wide variety of media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, mixed media, photography, fine craft, sculpture, ceramics, fiber, and more from regional artists who are all individual members of the Arts & Culture Alliance, which serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Membership is open to all, and information may be found at www.knoxalliance.com/join-renew.

A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, December 4, 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.

“We always look forward to this eclectic exhibition as a robust demonstration of the past year’s productivity on the part of Greater Knoxville’s artist community,” says Liza Zenni, Executive Director for the Arts & Culture Alliance.

Individual members of the Alliance participate locally and regionally in gallery exhibitions, art festivals, sculpture trails, weekend shows, studio tours, and public murals. Some of the members are full-time artists, while others have day jobs and create on evenings and weekends. Some Alliance members include art professors with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Carson-Newman University, Maryville College, Pellissippi State, Roane State, and Walters State. Others are teachers within Knox and surrounding county’s elementary, middle and high schools. Some Alliance members teach classes privately or through community classes with the Appalachian Arts Craft Center, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Fountain City Art Center, Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center, Knoxville Museum of Art, Mighty Mud, and Oak Ridge Art Center. Many of the artists have working studios in their own homes, while some are part of studio collectives such as The Emporium Center, 17th Street Studios, Mighty Mud, Broadway Studios & Gallery, and Knoxville Community Darkroom.

The 2020 Members Show will be on display throughout the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville from December 4, 2020 – January 29, 2021. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Please note, the Emporium will be closed December 24, 2020 – January 1, 2021 for the holidays.

An additional reception will take place on Friday, January 8, from 5:00-8:00 PM.

For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543 or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

The Knoxville Museum of Art and the Tennessee Art Education Association present the East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition now through Sunday, January 10, 2021.

Now in its 15th year, the exhibition offers middle and high school students from around East Tennessee the opportunity to participate in a juried exhibition and to display their talents and be honored for their accomplishments in a professional art museum environment.

The East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition is open to students in grades 6-12 attending public, private, or home schools in 32 counties across East Tennessee. Approximately 311 works of the more than 530 entries in this highly competitive show made it through a rigorous jury process. The best-in-show winner will receive a purchase award of $500, and the artwork will become a permanent part of the collection of Mr. James Dodson, on loan to the Knoxville Museum of Art's Education Collection.

Since 2005, the East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition has presented the work of nearly 4,000 students who have competed for a total of $7 million in scholarships made available to eligible juniors and seniors by colleges and universities from around the nation.

The Knoxville Museum of Art celebrates the art and artists of East Tennessee, presents new art and new ideas, serves and educates diverse audiences, and enhances Knoxville’s quality of life. The museum is located in downtown Knoxville at 1050 World’s Fair Park and is open to the public on a limited schedule Wednesday through Sunday 1–5pm. Admission and parking are free. Reservations are recommended by going to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/knoxville-museum-of-art-timed-entry-visitor-registration-registration-109053985406.

For more information about this exhibition, contact Rosalind Martin at rmartin@knoxart.org or 865.523.6349. Or visit www.knoxart.org.

Reception: December 4, 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

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

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/

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