Calendar of Events

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Knoxville Museum of Art: Undercurrents: Recent Acquisitions of Contemporary Art

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

More than 20 paintings and works on paper representing the exciting growth in the KMA’s contemporary collection through museum purchases and donations from artists and collectors far and wide.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park Dr, Knoxville, TN 37916. Information: 865-525-6101, https://knoxart.org/exhibitions/undercurrents-recent-acquisitions-of-contemporary-art/

Oak Ridge Art Center: Visual Poetry

  • May 15, 2021 — July 3, 2021

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

A one gallery show that asks artists to select a favorite line or lines of poetry and create a work that illustrates or evokes the same idea or feeling. From well-known poems to those penned by the artist or friends, this exhibition is a treat for the eyes and soul. Poems will be displayed with works!

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

River & Rail Theatre: Auditions for 2021-22 season

Category: Auditions, Music, Theatre and Virtual

AUDITIONS FOR THE RIVER & RAIL 2021-2022 SEASON ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN!

Actors please upload a ONE MINUTE contemporary monologue to YouTube as a private/unlisted video and submit your headshot/resume/information and video link no later than JULY 1st, 2021.

If you are auditioning for The Unusual Tale of Mary & Joseph’s Baby please include 16 bars of a song in your audition video – you do not need to record a separate video – Deaf/deaf/HOH actors are especially encouraged to audition – audition material can be performed in ASL or your preferred language.

Stage Managers and Designers please attach your resumes/portfolios.

Should this submission process not meet your accessibility needs please contact chris@riverandrailtheatre.com and we will work with you to make accommodations

SEASON INFO/AVAILABLE ROLES and more info at https://riverandrailtheatre.com/our-season/

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts: 2021 Instructor Exhibition

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

Tomato Head: The traveling Birds of Seven Islands Photo Exhibit

  • May 7, 2021 — June 27, 2021

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

May - June: The traveling Birds of Seven Islands Photo Exhibit – now showing at Tomato Head restaurant downtown on Market Square through May. The exhibit, featuring images from noted photographers Clay Thurston and Ken Jenkins, will move to Tomato Head restaurant in West Knoxville at the Gallery Center for the month of June.

Tomato Head, 12 Market Square (865-637-4067) and 7240 Kingston Pike, Suite 172 (865-584-1075), in Knoxville. http://thetomatohead.com

https://www.friendsofsevenislands.com/

East Tennessee Historical Society: Shaver: An Artist of Rare Merit

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and History, heritage

Portraits were the “social media posts” of the American colonial and antebellum periods. Today, social media allows users to not only visually document and share life’s moments but also curate how others see themselves. Early Tennessee portraits afforded the sitter the same duality. “They are,” as one art historian puts it, “the rhetoric–not the record–of self-representation.” As viewers two centuries removed, how are we to understand early portraiture in East Tennessee? Is it history, fiction, or perhaps a bit of both? This exhibition of works by Samuel M. Shaver, East Tennessee’s first native-born artist, provides interesting examples for discussion.

About Samuel M. Shaver (1816-1878)
Samuel Moore Shaver was the youngest or next to youngest child born to David and Catherine Barringer Shaver on Reedy Creek (near present-day Kingsport) in 1816. Little is known about his formative years. He may have studied at Jefferson Academy in Blountville; a Leonidas Shaver is listed as a teacher there, and his older brother David, Jr., operated a tavern nearby. In 1833, William Harrison Scarborough (1812-1871), a traveling portrait painter from Middle Tennessee, visited Sullivan County. What impact did Scarborough’s stay have on 17-year-old Shaver? Did he watch Scarborough paint the portraits of his neighbors? Or did he simply benefit by imitating the works Scarborough left behind? Whether by native talent, with formal instruction, or both, Shaver possessed the skill set to begin producing competently done portraits by the late 1830s.

Shaver: An Artist of Rare Merit traces the artist's maturation through the 19 portraits held by the East Tennessee Historical Society and the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, Knox County Public Library. The exhibition is organized on the occasion of three recent Shaver acquisitions, making the East Tennessee History Center the largest repository of the artist's works.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

Arts in the Airport

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

For the past twelve years, the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville and the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority (McGhee Tyson Airport) have partnered to present a biannual exhibition entitled “Arts in the Airport”. This juried exhibition was developed to allow regional artists to compete and display work in the most visited site in the area. The selected art features contemporary 2- and 3-dimensional artwork and will be displayed through October 18, 2021. View works at https://www.knoxalliance.store/product-category/airport-24/.

Exhibiting artists include: Gabrielle Barnhart, Lynda Best, Meredith Boatman, Orel Brodt, Jan Burleson, Nancy S. Campbell, Tina Curry, Barbara Enloe, Casey Field, Brian Horais, David Johnson, Judy Kelley Jorden, Anne Kinggard, Judy Lavoie, Peggy Kretchmar Leland, Ilana Lilienthal, Bill Long, Ling Lu, Siobhan McAuley, Steven McQuilkin, Brian Melton, Amalia Fotini Mermingas, Allen Monsarrat, Chico Osten, Amber Patty, Carrie Pendergrass, Mera Ragsdale, Ted Richards, Adam Rowe, Mary Ruden, Pamela Salyer, Gayla D. Seale, Renee C. Suich, W. James Taylor, Marilyn Avery Turner, Gena Tussey, Rick Whitehead, Carl Whitten, Marcy Wielfaert, Anne Wilkerson, and Marianne Woodside.

Zoo Knoxville: Clayton Family Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Campus OPEN

Category: Kids, family and Science, nature

We’ve opened our new Clayton Family Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Campus.

We Dare You to Enter! The new, state-of-the-art Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Campus is ready for you! Come explore 12,000 square feet of rare, venomous, beautiful and mysterious snakes, tortoises, frogs, and Cuban crocs. You might see Joe the sloth overhead, too!

The ARC is our commitment to animal conservation, where we will protect 85 species—38 of which are endangered. We can’t wait for you to experience this and help our mission of saving animals from extinction.

Tickets: https://store.zooknoxville.org/WebStore/Shop/ViewItems.aspx

Zoo Knoxville, 3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914. Open every day except Christmas. Information: 865-637-5331, www.zooknoxville.org

Knoxville Museum: Museum Tours (unguided)

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Small groups of 35 people or less may make a reservation for an unguided group visit during museum hours - admission is always free.

Current hours: Wed-Sun 1-5 PM
Special arrangements may be made for school groups between 10 AM - 12:30 PM

Ask for one chaperone for every 15 students. More info: https://knoxart.org/kma_events/museum-tours/

Town of Farragut: Farragut History Walk

  • March 12, 2021 — December 31, 2022

Category: Free event, Health, wellness and Science, nature

Spring is the perfect time to enjoy Farragut’s unique history while strolling through the heart of town. Pick up a Farragut History Walk map from the brochure holder on the Heritage Trail sign located at the turnaround at Founders Park at Campbell Station and learn more about the town’s interesting past. A PDF version of the map is available at https://visitfarragut.org/attractions/

The walk includes four educational sites: the Heritage Trail with interpretive signage at Founders Park, the Campbell Station Inn and Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza, the Farragut Museum/Admiral Farragut Plaza and Pleasant Forest Cemetery. Parking along the trail is available at Founders Park, the Farragut Community Center or Farragut Town Hall.

Incorporated in 1980, the Town of Farragut has top schools, safe neighborhoods and high development standards, making it one of the best places to live in the Southeast. More info: 865-966-7057

Volunteer Princess: Tennessee River Cruises

  • February 25, 2021 — December 31, 2022

Category: Festivals, special events and Science, nature

Experience an unparalleled view of Knoxville during our public cruises! Enjoy a delightful lunch, brunch, or dinner cruise. We offer a range of public cruises for your friends and family on Knoxville’s only luxury yacht! From sunset dinner cruises to sailgates in Big Orange Country, Volunteer Princess Cruises is truly special for any event. Browse through our cruise offerings to begin your jaunt along Knoxville, Tennessee’s beautiful riverfront! Public, seasonal, and other cruises available.
https://volunteerprincess.com/

Tennessee Riverboat Company: Star of Knoxville

  • February 25, 2021 — December 31, 2022

Category: Festivals, special events and Science, nature

Create some memories on our authentic paddlewheeler - the Star of Knoxville. We offer a variety of lunch and dinner cruises along with sightseeing-only tickets.

This authentic paddlewheeler is United States Coast Guard approved for 235 passengers. The main deck seats 144 passengers and is fully enclosed, air conditioned, and heated for year round comfort. The vessel is equipped with two (2) bars, a dance floor, band stage, and is exquisitely decorated for the most elegant dinner and entertainment available. From black tie events like weddings and receptions to a casual event like a football charter the atmosphere is right for any occasion.

https://tnriverboat.com/

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