Calendar of Events

The Dogwood Arts House & Garden Show which will return as an entirely virtual event in 2021. The event is completely free to attend and will be accessible online February 12th through March 14th on our brand new website, https://www.dogwoodarts.com/.

For over forty years, the Dogwood Arts House & Garden Show has showcased the latest trends in home improvement, landscape design, decor, and more. The 2021 event will be no exception and will offer attendees the opportunity to engage with quality vendors without fear of safety and health concerns.

Attendees can attend Virtual Expert Sessions via Zoom, browse a comprehensive Exhibitor Directory, and save hundreds on their next home projects by taking advantage of our exclusive Show Specials––all from the comfort of home.

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

Flying Anvil Theatre is rereleasing two shows from their 2020 virtual season as on-demand streaming videos on February 12-22. Streaming passes for the shows The Deadline and Branching Out are available starting on the 12th via their website, www.flyinganviltheatre.com.

The first on-demand offering is the original comedy Branching Out , by Jayne Morgan. Three bickering 60-something, White siblings discover they have a Black, much younger, half-sister during a family Zoom call. The three redefine their family tree in this adult comedy. Some mature language is used, themes are appropriate for high-school and up.

The next on-demand feature is the Halloween favorite The Deadline . Flying Anvil experiments with a new genre, the Horror Zoom, in this virtual production. Audience members follow a group of co-workers as their typical business meeting turns into something more sinister when strange lights and sounds start to disrupt their technology. This innovative and unexpected thriller is suitable for any audience that enjoys having their spine tingled.

“We’ve gotten many requests to make these shows available,” says Artistic Director Jayne Morgan. “We are happy to give our patrons the chance to enjoy the shows again and even binge them back to back. We are so lucky to have actors and creators who were willing to work with us while we learned the ropes of virtual live-theatre. It’s great that we can show their hard work again online.”

Get scared from The Deadline and then refreshed with Branching Out from February 12th to the 21st.
Each on-demand show is available at www.flyinganviltheatre.com starting February 12th.
Tickets are recommended at $10, but audience members can choose their own price with “Pay What You Can'' starting at $1.

ADULTS ONLY! Our annual Circus After Dark is not for the faint of heart! This sexy, yet tasteful adult-themed circus variety show is the perfect way to spend Valentine's Day weekend indoors.

Save the date and get ready for three days of performances that are sure to get your heart racing! All proceeds support the Dragonfly studio and programming. $10 off tickets purchased by Feb. 1

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/circus-after-dark-tickets-135063024141

Friday at 6:30 PM EST – 9 PM EST
Price: Free · Duration: 2 hr 30 min

Movie Night at The Mill & Mine featuring Sleepless in Seattle! We have an indoor set up with a great view of the big screen! Reserve via our Tako Taco Resy link below.
Seating starts at 6:30PM
Movie starts at 7:00PM
$5-$8 per person
More info: http://themillandmine.com/pod-events/
Pod sizes range from 2-8 people. Each pod offers your group their own space to hang out, safely distanced from others.
For all pods, check-in at the Tako Taco hostess stand to be seated.
Food and beverage from Tako Taco available for purchase, both by walk-up ordering and by QR code without ever having to leave your spot. For everyone’s safety, masks are required any time you are not in your pod.
If you have any further questions, please send us an email at info@themillandmine.com.

https://www.facebook.com/events/116160803728393/

Friday, February 12, 12 PM
via Zoom

Susan Lawrence, professor in the UT Department of History, will present “Civil War Medicine: Making Sense of Suffering,” Friday, February 12 via Zoom.

Everyone knows that soldiers massively suffered from diseases, injuries, and deaths during the American Civil War. How did doctors try to make some sense out of their experiences with the men they cared for? Professor Lawrence will explore this question from the perspective of mid-19th century medical and surgical concerns.

The UT Science Forum takes place via Zoom Friday, February 12 from noon to 1 p.m. Registration is required for the webinar. Once approved, you will receive a link to view the webinar.

Please note, all registrations must be submitted by 11:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 12 to be approved.

We will continue to host our lecture series via Zoom. In order to attend the series, you will need to set up a Zoom account. To learn more about using Zoom, please visit the Zoom Help Center. UT Science Forum officers will not be available for technical support. If you are UT employee or student, you can contact OIT. If you are outside the university, please contact Zoom directly.
https://tennessee.zoom.us/webinar/register/3916125418958/WN_3EFi5RzJTUSFto_c_TF6uA

Baker Cafe: Are Police Killings of Civilians Racially Biased?
Friday, February 12, 2021 | 10:00 - 11:00 am | Virtual Forum

Police in the United States kill more than a thousand residents every year. Many claim these deaths are racially biased: police are disproportionately much more likely to kill Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people than White and Asian people. However, while some studies demonstrate that the racial divide in deaths is stark, other studies demonstrate that there is no racial bias, or even that police might be most likely to kill White people. How can this be?

The Baker Cafe Series is an informal discussion about various topics. Guests are encouraged to ask questions that pertain to the topic and gain insight straight from the experts. Dr. Stephanie Bohon will discuss the various methods for accounting for police-caused killings and how these methods yield different results with regard to racial bias.

This virtual event is free and open to the public. The zoom meeting link can be found here.
https://calendar.utk.edu/event/elizabeth_woody#.YCFxLGhKjct

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/

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/.

The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is reopening to the public after a closure due to the pandemic, and visitors are invited to enjoy a new temporary exhibition, Women’s Work.

The museum will be open Wednesday through Saturday 9AM-5PM starting in June.

The exhibition, which is presented by First Horizon Foundation, features 28 paintings, ceramics, sculptures, and works on paper from the museum’s permanent collections and will provide a number of virtual programs for the campus and Knoxville communities. The exhibition is curated by Emma Grace Thompson, a UT alumna and former graduate assistant for the McClung Museum. It was born out of her research into the museum’s collections along with her interest in women’s history.

The McClung’s Jefferson Chapman Executive Director, Claudio Gómez, is excited that the exhibition will highlight the work that has been done during the museum’s closure: “The team of the McClung Museum has responded creatively to the COVID-19 crisis, and although the building is closed, our programs and activities have remained active to engage with the different communities that we expect to serve. I am proud of the work done by my team during these months, and I am sure that the steps we are implementing for a limited reopening in January will allow us to provide some of the on-site experiences that are deeply missed by many people.”

More about the exhibition: https://news.utk.edu/2021/02/01/mcclung-museum-reopen-public-womens-work-exhibition/

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-2144

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