Calendar of Events

Mabry-Hazen House is hosting an old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration on Sunday, July 4th, 2021. Gather with us to celebrate Independence Day, the Declaration of Independence, and community. Enjoy great views, good food and beer, live music, fun games, great company and tours of the 1858 house for $12 (includes two drinks from a local brewery). Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and spread out on our 7 acres of greenspace near downtown and right off I-40. The day recalls the spirit of 19th century Independence Day celebrations when communities gathered for patriotic revelry and enjoyment.

Overlooking downtown Knoxville to the west and the Great Smoky Mountains to south, historic Mabry's Hill enjoys a spectacular view of the fireworks around the city and county. Take it easy with this laid-back celebration. It is the perfect time to come chill on the hill! Take in the surrounding natural beauty and history while savoring food from food trucks and beer from a local brewery. “When you see the view here,” says Executive Director, Patrick Hollis, “you understand what drew Mabrys, Civil War armies, the Hazens, and what draws people today to this place. At 230 feet above the river, Mabry’s Hill offers an incomparable 360-degree panorama of the city.”

There will be several activities for kids and the young at heart including sack races, watermelon seed spitting contests, three-legged races, bocce, croquet, corn hole, and much more. They will have a reading of the Declaration of Independence. Purchase tickets to join in a cake walk and possibly take home a delicious cake from a local bakery! Trotta Montgomery Realty Company will offer a cool treat for everyone with a pony and cart to hand out ice cream! And the historic house museum will open for self-guided tours.

Tickets for adults (16+) are $12 ( includes two drink tickets), children (ages 5-15) are $5, members of Mabry-Hazen House are $5, and children under 5 are free. More information and link to purchase tickets available at www.mabryhazen.com/fourthofjuly. There is a small fee for online purchases. Tickets sell quickly and purchasing them before the event is strongly encouraged.

Event will occur rain or shine.

While most Americans celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, the Museum of Appalachia marks the occasion with old-fashioned “anvil shoots.” Every 4th of July, the Museum uses gunpowder to launch 150-pound anvils hundreds of feet into the air.

“When the gunpowder ignites and the anvil soars into the air, the earth literally shakes,” says Museum President, Elaine Meyer. “The explosion can be heard for several miles.”

Anvil shoots were once a common way for pioneers to celebrate holidays, elections, and other special occasions. While the tradition of anvil-shooting is nearly obsolete, the Museum keeps this unique and exciting pastime alive for a 21st century audience. Anvil shoots will occur at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., & 3:00 p.m. The event is free for Museum members.

The anvil shoots are the centerpiece of a celebration that includes a bell-ringing ceremony, flag procession, live music, and demonstrations from blacksmiths, beekeepers, spinners, weavers, sawmillers, woodworkers, and more. For more information, visit the Museum’s website, call 865-494-7680, or e-mail them at museum@museumofappalachia.org.

https://wwwmuseumofappalachiaorg.ticketleap.com/independence-day-anvil-shoot-celebration/dates/Jul-04-2021_at_0900AM

Museum of Appalachia | 2819 Andersonville Hwy., Clinton, TN 37716

Bliss & Tori Mason Shoes is excited to host local artist Kara Lockmiller for First Friday as Downtown Knoxville starts to return to normalcy amid more reopening activities since the pandemic shutdown.

Kara will be at Bliss & Tori Mason Shoes at 445 S. Gay St. in downtown Knoxville from 6 – 9 PM on Friday, July 2nd for an in person meet and greet where snacks and drinks will be served.

Kara Lockmiller is a Knoxville artist who specializes in painting in shadow hues. She is known as a chromesthete, which means she sees a vast array of real colors in her mind when she listens to music. Kara paints musical artists ranging from Dolly Parton to Billy Joel and accepts custom commissioned requests. She has displayed her work at several venues throughout Knoxville over the years and has received many creative awards.

Bliss & Tori Mason Shoes is a women's clothing and gift store located on Gay St. in downtown Knoxville and has been a downtown Knoxville mainstay since its start in 2003. Bliss prides itself on offering an alternative to the standard retail experience and often carries pieces you won't find anywhere else. Husband and Wife team Scott Schimmel and Lisa Sorensen own Bliss, along with four other Bliss stores throughout TN and KY including another women's boutique in West Town Mall, and three furniture stores (Bliss Home) located in Knoxville and Nashville, TN and Louisville, KY. For more information on Kara Lockmiller, please visit her website at www.klockmillerart.com or follower her on social media @klockmillerart

For more information on Bliss, please visit their website at www.shopinbliss.com or contact Molly Hanley at 865-219-2703 or marketing@shopinbliss.com

First Friday Reception: July 2, 5:30 – 9:00
July Theme: The Love of Travel

Kim Emert Gale, Painter
Kim Emert Gale is a seventh generation East Tennessean and a descendant of Emert's Cove near Gatlinburg, Tn. She specializes in oil, acrylic, pen and ink, and pencil drawing. Her subjects include portraiture, landscape and still life. She has painted for several years and has studied with several widely known and collected painters. Kim attended the University of Tennessee and studied art and psychology. She resides in Knoxville Tennessee where she paints the beauty of the surrounding area and the Smoky Mountains.

Harriet Howell, Hand Painted Silk
Harriet’s painting, whether on paper or silk, uses color and movement to capture the emotional content of nature. “I’ve always loved fabrics, and used to make all of my own clothes. Painting scarves allows me to play with color and natural shapes and then turn the art into something wearable. What fun!” Starting with a stretched silk scarf, Harriet uses brushes to apply successive layers of fabric dyes. Sometimes a resist is used or a hand-cut stencil. Sometimes the dye is applied wet-in-wet. Almost all images are based on elements found in nature. Finished scarves are then steam set, washed, ironed and sewn. Harriet Howell’s painting, whether on paper or silk, uses color and movement to capture the emotional content of nature. “I’ve always loved fabrics and used to make all of my own clothes. Painting scarves allows me to play with color and natural shapes and then turn the art into something wearable. What fun!” Starting with a stretched silk scarf, Harriet uses brushes to apply successive layers of fabric dyes. Sometimes a resist is used or a hand-cut stencil. Sometimes the dye is applied wet-in-wet. Almost all images are based on elements found in nature. Finished scarves are then steam set, washed, ironed, and sewn.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Sa 11-6, Su 1-6. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net, www.Facebook.com/ArtMarketGallery

The practices of Celia Lesh and Esther Sibiude span disciplines of sculpture, drawing, writing, and music. Although their works are decidedly distinct from one another, they share an affective tenor and intuitive mode of making that honors slowness and emotionality. Esther’s drawings fluctuate between cosmic landscapes and microscopic biologies. Wisps and lines are trusted to wander, swirling in and out of reality. In some, narrative peeks through. In others, the non-drawn space, the paper and the air trapped in the frame, become equally important to the drawn. Celia makes sculptures, often from her bedroom studio. Her techniques range from sewing and soldering to chewing and mushing, arranging and re-arranging. She combines found objects with meticulous methods of adornment. The resulting works vibrate between lightness and weight, embodying the psychological. In situ, they operate like constellations, bound to one another by the heavy space in between.

Celia Lesh is an artist living and working between New York and California.
Esther Sibiude is an artist and harpist living and working in New York.
Colleen Billing is an artist living and working in New York.

BAD WATER, 320 E. Churchwell Ave, Knoxville, TN. Open during receptions & by appointment. Info: writetobadwater@gmail.com, https://instagram.com/bad__water, or https://badwater.gallery/

On display for month of July
PostModern Spirits, 205 W Jackson, Knoxville
Hours: 4pm-11pm mon- Fri. Sat-Sun 12pm-11pm

Leesa Osburn of Knoxville, TN
I was born and raised on the Oregon Coast. I enlisted in the Army and had the opportunity to travel to Germany. After several years serving my country, I returned to the U.S. and settled in Las Vegas, NV for 14 years. After too many hot summers in 2019, my husband and I moved to Halls, Tennessee with our two rescue dogs. The positive change in environment has reinvigorated my need to put paint to canvas. I have a Bachelors in Studio Art from University of Nevada Las Vegas and paint mostly in Water Soluble Oils. My work, mostly landscapes, have been shown now in several local exhibits and hope to expand my reach to future juried events. I enjoy “rescuing” formerly used canvases and frames. Many canvases only need a tiny amount of work and a neutral base coat in oils to prepare them for a new day of painting. Good quality frames often just need a new coat of paint and the two, canvas and frame, are ready to be joined. I often choose to paint on gallery wrapped canvases which omits the need for a frame all together. To expand my craft, I joined Tuesday Painters, a Plein Air painting group. For ease of portability I have been dabbling on Tuesdays in Watercolor. https://artisticescape.studio/

https://www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com/

Summer Term at KCT’s Creative Dramatics Academy consists of 5 days of intensive sessions. Most classes will culminate in a showcase presentation for family and friends at the end of the term. The cost for the week varies by class. To reserve a spot in any class, or for more information use the online submission form at knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. You will receive registration information, via e-mail, upon inquiry. 50% of the class fee must be received upon enrollment to guarantee admission.

AGES 4 – 5
Tiny Thespians: Presents the Crayon Book of Numbers

Ages 6 – 7
Page to Stage: Under the Sea
Page to Stage: How to Catch a Dinosaur
Page to Stage: Monster Academy

Ages 8 – 10
Introduction to Acting, Ages 8 & 9
Introduction to Acting: Life in Narnia Ages 8 to 10
Introduction to Acting, Wonderful World of Dahl Ages 8 to 10

Ages 10 & 11
Intro to Acting, Ages 10 & 11
Intro to Improv, Ages 10 & 11
Introduction to Acting, Into the Wardrobe, Ages 10 & 11

Ages 12 & up
Intro to Acting, Ages 12 & Up
Intro to Acting, Ages 12 & Up, Into the Wardrobe
Intro to Improv, Ages 12 & Up 6
Musical Theatre: Move, Sing, Act! 12 & Up

Technical Classes
Costume Design for Animal Characters
Advanced Audition – Self Taping and Online Auditions
Lighting for the Stage
Beyond Tie-Dye

For many of our classes, we require no experience for enrollment. Acting classes are kept small so the instructor is able to meet the student where they are and help guide them individually through personalized feedback. We try to clearly identify classes that require experience, such as some workshops and for our advanced classes.

Week 1: Monday, June 14 – Friday, June 18
Week 2: Monday, June 21 – Friday, June 25
Week 3: Monday, June 28 – Friday, July 2
NO CLASSES July 4 – July 11
Week 4: Monday, July 12 – Friday, July 16
Week 5: Monday, July 19 – Friday, July 23
Week 6: Monday, July 26 – Friday, July 30

Monday-Friday 9am-4pm
Cost:$225 per week or $50 per day.

Dancers Studio is offering a day camp experience that is full of fun with dance, games, arts and crafts, snack time and much more! Give the kids something fun and constructive to do with their time off! Athletic attire recommended!

1. WEAR A MASK – Enter through the back door. During this time we will have no visitors.
2. BRING YOUR LUNCH – 2 snacks will be provided daily. No backpacks or luggage.
3. WASH YOUR HANDS – We will work throughout the day to disinfect different areas of the studio.

Call 865.584.9636 to reserve your spot!
https://www.dancersstudioknox.com/

June 11 - July 21, 2021

• Participants must have taken a class within the past year.
• A virtual tour of the show will be made available on June 11.
• Enjoy pieces from the instructors, too!

Awards:
• People’s Choice Awards will be voted on through the month of June and will be announced the beginning of July
• Vote for your three favorite pieces

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

"Art Thru The Window #4" at Broadway Studios and Gallery.

Featuring our resident artists. Art Show through the glass.

1127 N. Broadway, Knoxville TN 37917. Open hours vary, call for appointment, inquiries and purchases: 865-556-8676

https://www.ijams.org/preschool-summer-camp

Preschool Summer Camp focuses on child-led, age-appropriate, and experiential learning for children ages 3-5. Most of the day is spent outdoors, exploring nature and making a strong connection with the environment. Children learn through play, discovery, and inquiry. Not only do children develop a solid foundation for lifelong learning but also cultivate a love of nature that is the basis for a conservation ethic later in life. Each session is a combination of outdoor play, nature hikes, and animal presentations. Special crafts, art projects, and/or hands-on activities throughout the week allow campers to explore different topics based on their interests. Preschool camp is held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Preschool Summer Camp Dates and Themes
Week 1: June 7-11 – Little Silly Scientists
Week 2: June 14-18 – Preschool Camp ROCKS
Week 3: June 21-25 – It’s the Circle of Life
Week 4: June 28-July 2 – Down ‘n’ Dirty
Week 5: July 5-9 – Fuzzy and Feathered Friends
Week 6: July 12-16 – It’s Easy Being Green
Week 7: July 19-23 – Wet ‘n’ Wild
Week 8: July 26-30 – Creepy Crawlies

Exciting explorations, awesome adventures, and delightful discoveries await your child at Ijams Nature Center’s Nature Adventure Camp! Ijams specializes in curating summer camps for curious kids. Whether your child is a budding ecologist, future veterinarian, or an outdoor explorer, Ijams camps offer a unique summer experience. All Ijams camp programs are designed and led by environmental educators and naturalists who bring their knowledge of science, nature, and animals on each exciting adventure. ​

Summer camps are offered for children ages 6-12. Before- and after-care is available for an additional fee.

2021 WEEKLY CAMP DATES AND THEMES​
Session 1 (June 7-11) – Survival of the Fittest
Session 2 (June 14-18) – H2Olympics (Mid-Summer Games)
Session 3 (June 21-25) – Branching Out!
Session 4 (June 28-July 2) – South Knoxville Summer Safari
Session 5 (July 5-9) – Survival of the Fittest
Session 6 (July 12-16) – H2Olympics (Late-Summer Games)
Session 7 (July 19-23) – Branching Out!
Session 8 (July 26-30) – South Knoxville Summer Safari

https://www.ijams.org/nature-adventure-camp