Calendar of Events

The Sacred, the Secular, and the Space In Between: African-American Vernacular Art from the Collection of Michael D. Hill

This exhibit showcases the work of self-taught African American artists who examine the intersections of spirituality and material culture. Guided by a compulsion, in some cases even what might be seen as a divine calling, to create, they produced paintings, sculpture, and utilitarian objects that are startlingly powerful in both their aesthetic forms and the life force they channel. Among the artists featured in this exhibit are Mose Tolliver, David Butler, Lonnie Holley, and Mary T. Smith. Their work may also be found in such prominent collections as the High Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Guided gallery tours by Michael D. Hill will be held throughout the month. For more information, please contact Bryan Wilkerson at 865-354-3000 x4788 or by email at wilkersonbs@roanestate.edu.

O'Brien Art Gallery at Roane State Community College, OBrien Building room 276 Patton Lane Harriman, TN 37748
http://academics.roanestate.edu/art/gallery/

Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers: 2020-21 Season

FREE screening available for 4 days including Q&A with filmmaker.

The Hawaiian island of Kauai is seen as a paradise of leisure and pristine natural beauty, but these escapist fantasies obscure the colonial displacement, hyper-exploitation of workers, and destructive environmental extraction that have actually shaped life on the island for the last 250 years.

Cane Fire critically examines the island’s history—and the various strategies by which Hollywood has represented it—through four generations of director Anthony Banua-Simon’s family, who first immigrated to Kauai from the Phillipines to work on the sugar plantations. Assembled from a diverse array of sources—from Banua-Simon’s observational footage, to amateur YouTube travelogues, to epic Hollywood dance sequences—Cane Fire offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of the economic and cultural forces that have cast indigenous and working-class residents as “extras” in their own story.

https://www.claytonartscenter.com/event/cane-fire-documentary/?instance_id=8707

This year's theme is "On the Bright Side". Open to women artists of any medium!

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

The online-only retrospective exhibition titled “STAYING CONNECTED: The Valentines of Jim Balderes, Jr.” will be available for viewing from Saturday February 6 through Sunday February 28, 2021 at the Greeneville Arts Council website greenevilleartscouncil.org under the Mason House Gallery Online: Current Exhibit section.

Balderes has been sharing valentines of his own creation with friends and family for nearly forty years. The first was produced in a darkroom during his senior year at Cornell University where he earned a BS degree in Design and Environmental Analysis. Since then he’s seen Valentine’s Day as a regular opportunity to reach out at a time of year when family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and former colleagues could all use a bit of “handmade” warmth and whimsy.

During a two-decade career in corporate interior design and project management in New York City, both his mailing list and the variety of media for the yearly missive grew – thanks, in part, to a few classes at the School of Visual Arts and the significant transformation in digital media during those years. The various media for his valentines have included drawing, painting, photography, sculpture and digital art. Some of the greeting cards (primarily postcards) involved the use of custom-made tools and materials such as rubber stamps, die-cuts, candies and even scratch-and-sniff stickers.

Coincidentally, this year’s mailing is Balderes’ fourteenth since moving to East Tennessee. It becomes more important to him each year to send a tangible, physical greeting card when social media and email messages seem to be a step too removed. “Not only am I proudly supporting the ever-important U.S. Postal Service, but people would have a really hard time sticking a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter post to the refrigerator,” says Balderes. Balderes with the valentines he sent in 2007, his first after moving to Greene County. “And especially now, as we continue to contend with a worldwide pandemic, ‘Staying Connected’ safely is paramount. It is with that sentiment in mind, and as an expression of unceasing appreciation for all of our healthcare workers, that I made this year’s valentine.”

For information on Greeneville Arts Council exhibits, please contact Til Green, director of exhibitions, at 423-329-5366 or tilgreen724@yahoo.com.

Planning for the fifth annual Tennessee Pirate Fest is underway. This family-fun event will come to life with new dates--the last two weekends in May, plus Memorial Day. The rustic outdoor event site is located in Harriman, about 30 miles west of Turkey Creek. All are invited to escape to the pirate haven of Barataria, south of New Orleans, circa 1814.

“Our storyline is based on The Buccaneer, a 1958 movie starring Yul Brynner,” said Barrie Paulson, VP/Director. “Pirate Captain Jean Lafitte, King of Barataria, is showing his French hospitality by hosting a grand festival, as he hatches a plan to survive the War of 1812. Come see British red coats, New Orleans socialites, and ‘good’ and bad pirates all in one place. Enjoy hours of family fun and Get Yer Pirate On!” Eight acres of interactive entertainment will include comedy, music, and dance stage shows; costumed street characters; craft, food, and beverage vendors; and a variety of games. Activities will include patron costume contests, gong shows, pirate school, and Trail of Doom. New this year--live mermaids for photo opportunities.

Auditions for local street characters will be held by video by on Saturday, February 6, from 2-5pm ET; or by appointment before 2/13. Adults with theatrical experience and a friendly outgoing personality are encouraged to audition. Talented mature teens will also be considered if they have reliable transportation or will be accompanied by a participating adult. The audition consists of speaking in a British, French, and/or pirate accent; singing a short song; and reading from scripts posted on the website. Wearing a costume to audition is optional. For those cast, video call backs are scheduled for February 13. Weekly Saturday rehearsals will be held online and in small groups from Feb 20-May 15. To apply, please visit the website www.TNPirateFest.com under the audition tab.

Most of the professional stage acts have been cast. But for future consideration, acts are encouraged to email their show details with a video link to DarkhorseLLC@comcast.net.

The Tennessee Pirate Fest is planned for May 22-23, 29-30-31, 2021, from 11a-6p ET, at 550 Fiske Road, Harriman, TN. Festival organizers are staying abreast of health regulations regarding Covid-19. Safety protocols, such as wearing masks, checking temperatures, social distancing, and regularly wiping down often touched surfaces will be in place. For more information, please visit www.TNPirateFest.com and sign up for updates. Like and follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Tennesseepiratefest/.

Rala is preparing for our February First Friday show, with featured artist Cynthia Markert. The opening reception will be from 6-8 on February 5th. All paintings are one of a kind and make the perfect gifts for Valentine's Day! Cynthia's work will remain on display from February 5th - March 31st.

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/753165832032219
Artwork: https://shoprala.com/collections/cynthia-markert

Cynthia Markert's art-deco paintings of women have long been a staple in the Knoxville art scene and have become symbolic of the city's artistic community. A long-time Knoxvillian, Cynthia was a Studio Art major at the University of Tennessee with a minor in Women's Studies. Since then, she's created these gilded, glowing, and brooding works that Tennesseans have come to adore and collect. Cynthia began developing her iconic style by painting plywood panels on empty buildings around downtown in 1994. Back then downtown was, as Cynthia puts it, a "ghost town", so the boarded up buildings provided plenty of the wooden canvas that would become indicative of her work.

"I would go walking past these big gorgeous pieces of plywood nailed to doors and I would start to see a face or a body. On Saturday mornings I would fill a baggie with pencils or pastels and return to draw"

Fun Fact: Markert's work is included in the archives of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C.

Due to the ongoing pandemic and Knox County safety guidelines, we will be limiting customer capacity and requiring that masks be worn inside at all times. Rala: Regional and Local Artisans, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7888, https://shoprala.com. Instagram: @ShopRala

Photographer Thomas Whitehurst is the Art Guild’s Featured Artist for February, 2021 and he will be honored at the Fun and Wine Friday Reception on February 5th from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at the Plateau Creative Arts Center (PCAC), 451 Lakeview Drive in Fairfield Glade. Thomas’ photographs will be on display along with the monthly members’ gallery artwork exhibit. Over 50 of Mr. Whitehurst’s photographs will grace the walls of the small gallery and many will be available for purchase at 50% off the original price. The public is invited to come and enjoy a glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, meet Thomas and other artists, and view a wonderful variety of artwork.

Thomas loves being outside and taking photographs of “Nature’s beauty;” outdoor scapes and floral shots make up the majority of his subject matter. Thomas states, “We have so much beauty here in East Tennessee to enjoy, and through photography we can enjoy it over and over each day.” Thomas uses archival papers, mats, and pigment inks to produce his photographs. He prints his own photos (except the ones on metal) and does his own matting and framing. His printer has nine ink cartridges giving his photographs an excellent color gamut. Thomas prints on various types of media; standard photo paper as well as canvas, watercolor, and fine art papers. He does all of his photography using a full frame digital SLR camera and state of the art lens’ and processing software. With today’s photographic technologies and Thomas’s talents, he’s able to create artistic photographs that can be enjoyed by all for decades. Visit Thomas' web site: https://3-thomas-whitehurst.pixels.com/art

The Art Guild is open to the public Monday through Saturday during winter hours from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Browse through eye-catching displays of paintings (watercolor, oil, pastels, colored pencil, acrylic, mixed media), photography, pottery, jewelry, woodwork, and more! The artwork of Thomas Whitehurst is part of the Art Guild’s February gallery exhibit, which will be on display from February 5 – March 4. All artwork in the gallery is available for purchase. Unique gifts can also be found in the Art Guild’s new retail space, “Endless Possibilities, Fine Arts and Crafts.”

Hours: Mon-Sat 10 AM - 2 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

"Art Thru The Window #3" Broadway Studios and Gallery. Featuring our resident artists. View the Art Show and Sale safely through the glass. Purchase info will be listed on the window!

Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 Broadway St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-556-8676, www.BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com

A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, February 5, 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 Universal Artist Within: Recipe for Visual Jazz
Step 1. Start with simple shape – circle, triangle, square – applied to illustration board
Step 2. Draw outward using free-flow stream of consciousness
Step 3. Redirect, drawing inward by thoughts and mood
Step 4. Turn board repeatedly
Step 5. Randomly add colors as directed by the mind’s eye; return to black
Step 6. Mix in a dash of mind-freeing pattern repetition
Step 7. Fill in all empty space
Step 8. Add generous amounts of feelings and uncertainty
Step 9. Carefully blend in chaos and order
Step 10. Do not set the timer. You will know when it is done
No two creations will be the same because one’s mind is never in the same place twice. There are no mistakes. One cannot color outside the lines if there are no lines.

Robert Simon was born in 1949 in East St. Louis, Illinois. He spent most of his early life in small railroad towns in southern Illinois and West Tennessee. He began teaching in 1972 and spent 40 years teaching US History, Government, and Sociology, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where he still resides in retirement. Simon began drawing about age twelve, penciling and shading boxes, triangles, and circles in the margins of his school books and notebook paper. He has never taken an art class and, until his early fifties when he sold his first piece, he never considered himself an artist. He hid his work from outside eyes and it remained “his secret” for years, stacking up in closets and under beds, becoming his own private gallery. Overtime, his drawings became significantly more complex, the shading gave way to brilliant, vivid colors, the shapes and figures became ever more diverse and multifaceted. Today, with each drawing, a new expression of his changing inner consciousness emerges. For more information, visit www.mindmuses.com or www.facebook.com/mindmuses.

The exhibitions are 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. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, February 5, 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.

Life inspires art, and art captures life. While this collection of images is eclectic (watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, charcoal, cut-paper), it follows the theme of representing important people, places and events in my life that have inspired artistic interpretation. Perhaps by viewing these pieces, you can share in my journey of developing artistic skill by creating meaningful and lasting visual memories.

Having lived in the state of Washington during the entirety of his first six decades of life, the majority of Steve Rehn’s artwork has revolved around depicting the beauties of the Pacific Northwest, in particular its coastal regions. Now a resident of East Tennessee, he is discovering the joys of mountain views and beginning a collection of art that reflects these new surroundings. He has worked in watercolor for about 20 years, formerly as a hobby in conjunction with the busy demands of a teaching career and raising a family. Watercolor is his medium of choice, and he works to attain new levels of personal achievement, confidence, and even mastery in this realm. He also experiments with drawing, graphite, charcoal, colored and watercolor pencils.

The exhibitions are 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. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, February 5, 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.

A Place to Land focuses on the relationships between indigenous peoples of China, Palestine, and Mongolia and their historic and cultural ties to land. I explore how marginalized groups, such as Southern or Inner Mongols, Kam (Dong), Buryats, Tibetans, and Palestinians can navigate and negotiate their identities through the passing down of cultural artifacts to younger generations, mundane daily rituals, and active acts of resistance. My series of photographs from 2018-2019 specifically concentrates on each group’s historical connection to land and the types of landscapes they inhabit, looking at how these various landscapes can impact and shape ethnic identity. I also examine what oppressive government policies, urbanization, or environmental damage might mean for the future of these groups.

Conny Zhao is a multimedia artist, musician, and ethnomusicologist from Knoxville. After graduating from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Music and Culture, she spent a year at Inner Mongolia Arts University in Hohhot, China as a Fulbright scholar learning, researching, and documenting Mongolian long-song (urtyn duu). Although Zhao started her work as a musician and researcher, she began to delve into multimedia during her senior year of college as she realized the importance of increasing visibility and representation for traditional Asian music in the United States. Her work as a multimedia artist focuses on underrepresented peoples, how they interact with and exist within their surroundings, and how they perform their identities through various mediums. She especially enjoys exploring musical communities throughout the world, and hopes to combine photography, videography, and audio to create accessible platforms for folk musicians to demonstrate their own traditions. For more information, visit www.connyzhao.com or Instagram @connyzphoto.

The exhibitions are 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. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, February 5, 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.

Dana Moody’s obsession for architectural studies began at a young age and has formed both her career as a professor of interior architecture and her creative endeavors as a photographer. She explored different mediums and styles to translate how her eyes see historic architecture and interiors, including acrylic paintings and marker and pencil renderings on hand-drafted drawings. Eventually, she discovered that photography captures the integrity of architectural details that are often glossed over in paintings and drawings. Moody’s architectural photographs are windows into the past: a glimpse of hopes and dreams – some fulfilled – some not. They, too, tell a story about people, society, and culture. Through her photographs, she hopes to awaken the viewer’s soul and invite them to be transported to other cultures and times.

In 2017-18, Dr. Moody received residency with Unpack Studio in Havana, Cuba where she conducted a photographic documentary project entitled Havana: Behind the Façade resulting in four solo exhibitions, participation in twelve group exhibitions, two peer-reviewed journal articles, and two conference presentations. The documentary was recognized with two awards. She is a Full Professor in Interior Architecture & Design at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She received a BS in Interior Design from the University of Southern Mississippi, a MS in Interior Design with a minor in Art (Museology) and a PhD in Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. For more information, visit www.dana-moody.com.

The exhibitions are 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. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.