Calendar of Events

SUNDAYS 11 AM – 3 PM

Grab brunch from your favorite food truck and browse creative vendors from the local area!
Local Love Sunday: 1$ off local beer at the bar all day

https://www.facebook.com/knoxfoodpark

900 N. Central Street Knoxville, TN 37917

Visit the Ijams Hallway Gallery in March to experience the work of Todd Eldridge Photography! According to Todd, “Capturing life in a single frame and reliving that moment forever is magic. Beauty is everywhere and sometimes it just takes freezing it in place to see it. Loved ones, special times, new journeys, favorite places, visions and shapes.” https://toddethridgephotography.com/

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Bennett is proud to present our March Ceramics and Sculpture Show, featuring the work of Josh Copus, Sally Brogden, Marga Hayes McBride, Johan Hagaman, and Kat West. The Ceramics and Sculpture exhibition focuses on 3-D work by new and existing sculptors and ceramicists in Bennett’s catalogue.

Josh Copus is a Floyd, Virginia native working out of Asheville, North Carolina. Josh’s vessels show a high knowledge of ceramics, as he experiments with firing times, vessel size, and glaze reactions. Josh’s work references historical forms and processes while remaining relevant to the contemporary art world of our age.

Sally Brogden is currently a professor of art at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Sally was an invited Speaker at the 7th Gyeonggi International Ceramic Biennale, Icheon, S. Korea; an invited Presenter at the Shui-Li International Ceramic Symposium, Shui-Li, Taiwan. Sally had been included in many exclusive exhibitions across the world. Sally is an active member of the National Council for Education in The Ceramic Arts (NCECA) for which she founded the long running Graduate Student Image Forum. This is her first show with Bennett.

Johan Hagaman is a Nashville-based sculptor who focuses on themes of nature and femininity. She is inspired by patterns in nature, poetic words, and current events. She uses birds, vines and clover as metaphors for paying attention– how what we are paying attention to determines how we shape ourselves and our world, how we are shaped by it, and what seeks to emerge. Johan has exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the United States and has work in public and private collections–including the Tennessee State Museum and the Evansville Museum of Arts and Sciences. She has lived and worked in Nashville since 1977.

Marga Hayes McBride is a Knoxville-based artist who has exhibited with Bennett many times before. Her mediums include painting, drawing, ceramic sculpture, and bronze sculpture. Marga studied painting, printmaking and graphic design at the University of Tennessee and drawing and painting at the Mesa Community College in Arizona. She was taught how to work with clay through a friend and colleague and combined the two mediums to create her work. Marga’s work is “a reflection of both my art background and my spiritual studies”.

Kat West is a ceramicist based in Newport Beach, California. The themes present in her work reflect her Philippine heritage and her role as an immigrant in the United States. Kat was based in Brooklyn, New York for several years before moving to Newport Beach and beginning ceramics classes as a new creative outlet. Kat’s ceramic pieces are both sculptural and functional with each piece displaying its own unique presence. Her inspiration comes from the connection to humanity Kat feels, along with her personal experiences as an immigrant, a mother, and a creator. Themes of tradition and heritage drive Kat’s vision for her pieces, as well as finding ways to reduce the environmental impact of creating art. This is Kat’s first show with Bennett.

Bennett, 5308 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-Sa 10-5:30. Information: 865-584-6791, https://bennetthome.com/

Learn the basics!
$200
4-Week Class
Saturday, March 5-26
2:00pm- 6:00pm
Instructor: Madilynn Eldridge
Registration Deadline: February 26th

In this comprehensive 4-week class, Madi will start and the beginning and discuss the history of woodburning, the styles of woodburning and all of the basics. Students will learn the elements of Art and joined together with their wood burning skills, create and execute a project from start to finish. Beginners welcome. A materials list will be provided.

https://registration.knoxvilletn.gov/ViewCourseActivityDetails.aspx?id=C13274

RED Gallery is proud to announce the opening of UnNatural History, a photography exhibition by Diane Fox. The show will open on March 4 (First Friday) and run through April 23. It will feature two bodies of work within the larger collection: portraits of taxidermied animals, and photographs of dioramas featuring taxidermied animals in natural history museums.

Diane Fox is an artist whose work speaks to the perpetually dissolving connection of humanity to the natural world. Solo exhibitions of her photographic body of work, UnNatural History, have been shown nationally and internationally including at the Antenna Gallery, New Orleans, LA; Dom Muz Gallery, Torun, Poland; Santa Reparata Gallery, Florence, Italy, and more. In 2017, her work was shown internationally at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, France and the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfort, Germany as part of their exhibition “Dioramas.” Fox is a Distinguished Lecturer Emerita in the College of Architecture and Design at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she taught photography and graphic design. Fox has a MFA from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a BFA from Middle Tennessee State University.

Fox was inspired to make what she describes as confrontational animal portraits while in the Uffici looking at historical paintings of people long dead. “I felt that animals should also be honored in their death,” says Fox. What makes them confrontational in nature is their large scale, and the fact that the animals are gazing directly at the viewer. Fox explains, “When something is looking directly at you, you have to engage with it.” While individual portraits in the collection are striking, viewing them all together brings another experience. Fox says that many of the animals look alive, but when viewers see a portrait of an aged taxidermied monkey, they notice cracks in his face. These cracks, or the portrait of a jackalope (a mythological creature) “give it away” that these are all taxidermied animals.

For images of dioramas, Fox was interested in working with layers to confuse the space. None of the photographs are manipulated, or even cropped, and none of them encompass the entire diorama. “I include reflections from other cases, as well as elements meant to remain unseen to confuse the space,” says Fox.

“I want you to approach each piece thinking, ‘That’s beautiful.’ Then, ‘What’s going on?’ Then, ‘Wait, this isn’t right!’” The reflections pull other dioramas into the case, creating layers of imagery and layers of reactions within the viewers. Fox emphasizes that after studying the history of the natural habitat diorama, she has deep respect for people who made these dioramas; she says the art that goes into creating the taxidermy and the painted background is incredible. Ultimately, Fox hopes visitors will walk away from UnNatural History with deeper empathy and consciousness about animals’ lives. www.dianefoxphotography.com

Hours: Fridays 5-9pm, Saturdays 1-5pm and Sundays 1-5pm, and by appointment through the week (until April 23).
RED Gallery, 130 E Jackson Ave, Knoxville. 865-524-0146 or robin@robineaster.com

“Transferring Knowledge: Ceramics from a Collaborative Community Workshop” showcases the work created by members of The Bottom and Mighty Mud during a month-long workshop taught by Maggie Connolly and Jake Ingram. The exhibition will be on view at The Bottom, March 4th - 31st, with an opening exhibition on Friday, March 4th, 5-9 PM.

The goal of this workshop was to foster sustainable and meaningful connections between communities with the purpose of growing the arts culture and knowledge in the greater Knoxville area, by providing instruction on lithographic ceramic decals. Students from this workshop learned a deeper understanding of both ceramic and lithographic techniques and processes and created their own work. A collective project was made by all the participants and will be installed at the Bottom's new building. Funding for the workshop was made possible through Tri-Star Arts and the Current Art Fund.

Featuring work by:
Brandy Allen
Jordan Butzine
George Habeib
Vanessa Hartman
Ty Murray
Jeremy Myles
Natalie Ward

The Bottom, 2340 E Magnolia Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: thebottomknox@gmail.com, 865-444-5915 or https://www.thebottomknox.com/

The show will be at Crafty Bastard Brewery West from March 4 - March 31.
9937 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922

I create multicolor portraits with a current focus on combining watercolor and colored pencil. As I deal with mental illness, art has been a beautiful way for me to communicate what I can’t explain otherwise. Since viewers often say they feel an emotional connection to my work, I feel comfortable expressing openly to let others know they aren’t struggling alone.

https://ginlizzyartist.blogspot.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ginlizzyartist/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtByGinLizzy

We are excited to have Kara Lockmiller as our featured artist for the month of March! All paintings are one of a kind originals. Kara paints portraits of musicians to convey what she sees when she listens to music as a chromesthete.

Please join us for the show opening from 6 to 8pm. Kara's work will be on display through March 29th.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, we prefer that masks be worn inside the store. Thank you for helping us stay safe!

Facebook Event: https://fb.me/e/1JrruPwy8

Rala: Regional and Local Artisans, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7888, https://shoprala.com. Instagram: @ShopRala

“The BSG Spring Roll” features new works by the 13 BSG artists:

Chloe Melton, Vincent Drake, Lauren Kelley, Brandon Woods, Mandy Lynn Carris, Jeremy Logan, Jessica Gregory, Sam Stapleton, Katie Carrillo, Pat O’Neil, Nancy Rowland-Engle, Anne Freels, Larry Blount

Opening First Friday March 4th 5:00 – 9:00
Open every Tues & Wed. 4:00 – 7:00 Friday 12:00-4:00 Sunday 12:00-6:00 and anytime the OPEN sign is flashing!

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

March Featured Artists:
Patrick Deason – Metal Artist
Jack Retterer – Photography

First Friday Reception: March 4, 5:30 – 9:00 pm

Patrick Deason, Metal Artist
Self-trained and often using tools and techniques he has developed; Patrick works in sheet steel. Cutting, shaping, welding the metal presents challenges as he converts flat metal into organic flowing shapes. A National Park Ranger in different parts of the country for many years, Patrick has an affinity for the natural form and movement of animals, his favorite subjects to create; some whimsical, some accurately detailed. His pieces have won awards in many shows, and he has been featured in several galleries.

Jack Retterer, Photography
Jack Retterer, fine art photographer, teacher, and poet, is very active in the arts community in East Tennessee. His American Impressionist style photography and large canvas prints have been on display at numerous prestigious venues including Arts at the Airport, the City of Knoxville Mayors Office, the Knoxville County Mayors office, and the Clayton Center for the Art. Jack also teaches Fine Art Photography at the University of Tennessee.

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

Awaken Coffee will host an opening reception for artist Kimberlee Rose Smith Friday, Mar 4, from 6-8 pm.

Kimberlee is a landscape painter living in Knoxville, TN. Her life and art are fueled by ministering to souls and reflecting God’s stunning creation on canvas. “I pray to always be a vessel of joy, peace, hope, and beauty in painting pine trees, misty mountains, crashing waves, billowing clouds, babbling brooks, still lakes, grassy hillsides, wildflowers, and more. Filled to the brim with gratitude to share my work.”

Please join us for some amazing art, light refreshments, and of course great coffee!

Awaken Coffee, 125 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Info: 865-951-0427 or https://www.facebook.com/awakencoffeeoldcity/

March 4 - 27, 2021
First Friday, March 4, 5-9pm

Big Ears is collaborating with The Public Cinema for screenings of four exemplary films about female artists: Peter Glushanok’s 1957 A Dancer’s World documents modern dance pioneer Martha Graham; Chantal Akerman’s documentary One Day Pina Asked … focuses on the wildly inventive German choreographer Pina Bausch; Claire Denis’ documentary Towards Mathilde follows French choreographer Mathilde Monnier into the studio for collaborations with philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy and musician P.J. Harvey; and Amram Nowak and Meredith Monk’s Quarry is the newly restored film version of Monk’s 1976 Obie-winning performance of the same name. Each of these films will show daily at the UT Downtown Gallery (106 S. Gay St.) starting on March 4 and running through the festival.

The UT Downtown Gallery is open W-F 11am - 6pm and Saturdays from 10am-3pm. The gallery will have extended hours during the Big Ears festival weekend.

In addition, during Big Ears 2022, we’ll screen three films with a connection to themes running through the festival. On Thursday and Friday we’ll show a pair of Lily Keber’s New Orleans films: Bayou Maharajah, a documentary about the life and music of New Orleans piano legend James Booker, and Buckjumping, Keber’s documentary about social dance—from second line to Mardi Gras Indians to bounce—in the Crescent City. Finally, on Friday we’ll screen the world premiere of Ned Sublette’s Tierra Sagrada (Sacred Ground) which documents a rarely seen series of bembés and rumbas in west-central Cuba; the film will have a command showing on Saturday.

All UT Downtown Gallery events are free and open to the public. Masking is strongly encouraged.
106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-673-0802, http://web.utk.edu/~downtown