Calendar of Events

Clayton Center for the Arts - Ronald & Lynda Nutt Theatre
Friday, March 25, 10:00am School Matinée
Saturday, March 26, 7:00pm Public Performance

The Appalachian Ballet Company will present The Little Mermaid as part of their 50th Anniversary season. Artistic Director Amy Morton Vaughn choreographed her version of the story in 2017 and will reprise the ballet with some additional choreography. The Little Mermaid is a Danish fairy tale written by Hans Christian Anderson.

During scene one, the story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul. The main character role of the Little Mermaid will be danced by principal dancer, Kylie Morton Berry. She lives in an underwater kingdom with her father, the Sea King, and her sisters. When a mermaid turns fifteen, she is permitted to swim to the surface for the first time to catch a glimpse of the world above.

Thus, when the Little Mermaid’s turn comes, she rises up to the surface, and a violent storm hits, sinking the ship, and the Little Mermaid saves the Prince from drowning. Guest artist, James La Russa, will dance the role of the Prince. La Russa was last seen in ABC’s The Nutcracker as Herr Drosselmeyer and the Arabian Prince.

Consequently, longing for the Prince and an eternal soul, the Little Mermaid visits the Sea Witch, danced by Calista Jones, a Maryville College student and a choreographer for Appalachian Ballet Company.  The Sea Witch willingly helps her by selling her a potion that gives her legs in exchange for her beautiful voice and she warns the Little Mermaid that once she becomes a human, she will never be able to return to the sea.

Scene two is set in the village square and the townspeople are in festive mood in preparation for the upcoming wedding of the Prince and his fiancé. A few rambunctious and funny sailors are there to cheer the Prince as he is in love with the woman who saved his life, not the fiancé he is betrothed to marry.

Scene Three is the wedding scene where the Prince finally declares his love for the Little Mermaid and the royal wedding commences. With beautiful scenery and colorful costumes, the ballet will be lit by Lighting Designer, John Horner.

Tickets: Adults $40, Students $20
Tickets will be on sale through the Clayton Center Box Office at 865-981-8590. For more information: 865-982-8463, www.appalachianballet.com

March 25-26
Spring Craft * Tastings * Hidden Deals * New Merchandise

Featuring natural honey Savannah Bee...free tastings all day!
A variety of bird houses and feeders for all you nature lovers!
Pick up a sweet watercolor card for a friend!
Fun gifts in all the spring colors!
Pick up a Spring bouquet from our friends at Flourish on Saturday (26th) from 11-2!

Backroads Market, *514 Walker Street, Knoxville, TN 37919*
https://backroadsmarketknox.com/

Gallery 1010 is pleased to present Whatchamacallits: A UTK Sculpture Club Group Exhibition. This exhibition includes artwork from both undergraduate and graduate students that are members of the Sculpture Club at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

The opening reception will be held 5–7 pm on Friday, March 25. The show can also be viewed 10 am–1 pm on Saturday, March 26. To schedule a viewing outside of these hours, please email Hanna Seggerman at hseggerm@vols.utk.edu.

Gallery 1010, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 114, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: https://gallery1010.utk.edu/

Big Ears Festival has officially announced its return for March 24 – 27, 2022!

The lineup is mind-blowing: more than 100 performances that cross all boundaries, as well as discussions, workshops, installations, and surprise collaborations, unfolding over more than a dozen venues across walkable and historic downtown Knoxville.

We're pleased to highlight some exciting new special program and projects to explore at Big Ears 2022:
• Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire plays duets with drummer Andrew Cyrille;
• Nathalie Joachim makes a solo performance for flute, voice, and electronics;
• Saul Williams performs a rare solo spoken word set;
• James McVinnie plays a solo organ recital featuring work by J.S. Bach and Philip Glass;
• Singer / songwriter Leyla McCalla performs her Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes, accompanied by a string quintet from Nashville new music ensemble, chatterbird;
• Guitarist Gyan Riley joins Bang on a Can All-Stars to perform Terry Riley’s Autodreamographical Tales;
• Attacca Quartet play a concert featuring work by Flying Lotus, Squarepusher, and others from their release Real Life; on an additional program, Caroline Shaw joins Attacca to perform music composed exclusively by Shaw;
• Sō Percussion play Julia Wolfe’s Forbidden Love, Nathalie Joachim’s Note to Self (a piece for Sō and Joachim), and the world premiere of Angélica Negrón’s When the Sun Hits Just Right (an octet for Sō and Kronos Quartet);
• Composer and saxophonist Miguel Zenón and Spektral Quartet play Yo Soy La Tradición, as well as the world premiere of a new quartet Zenon has written for Spektral;
• Ensemble Dal Niente play a full two-day sequence of brief sets at the Knoxville Museum of Art.

There’s much to explore and discover, from a dive into the heart and soul of New Orleans music and the Afro-Caribbean cultures that influence it, to a performance by Hadestown-creator Anaïs Mitchell’s great new band, Bonny Light Horseman. A special performance by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra; alt-rock legends Animal Collective, Kim Gordon, and Low; and a stunning world-class jazz lineup are just a taste of what’s on tap for the festival weekend.

https://bigearsfestival.org/

Art, music and makers are a mainstay in Downtown Knoxville, causing it to become an art destination year-round. The Downtown Knoxville Alliance and local businesses are embracing the community’s creativity by curating complementary music and art experiences alongside the Big Ears Festival, an internationally renowned music festival to be held in Knoxville on March 24-27.

Starting Thursday, March 24, and throughout the weekend, more than 25 downtown businesses will host free artist exhibits; live music and art classes; and local makers doing live demonstrations to complement the ticketed and free Big Ears events and performances. Big Ears, The Maker City and the Downtown Knoxville Alliance are collaborating to inform the public of these activities. The free events include live music performances; art exhibitions and demonstrations; and hands-on classes. In addition, artist Megan Lingerfelt will add a spring theme to the Downtown Knoxville mural in Strong Alley, which is located between Market Square and Gay Street, on Thursday and Friday. Participating galleries and merchants will be marked by colorful sidewalk graphics, and the weekend’s activities are available at www.downtownknoxville.org/local-art

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LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS

+ Merchants of Beer, Friday, March 25 at 4pm: Barron Hall of Mighty Mud Studio – Pottery @barronart of @mightymudstudio. Wheel-throwing (pottery) demo with mugs for purchase

+ Street Fair at Southern Railway Station, Saturday, March 26 at 2pm: Kelly Sullivan of Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center @kafcc - Gelli prints; Kendra Barth of Blanket Fort Studio – Clay hand building @blanketfortstudio; Greer Miceli of Greer Miceli Art – Live painting @greermiceli.art.design; Debbie Meritsky & Marc Rotman of Master Repurposers - Stained Glass @masterrepurposers

+ Hyatt Five Thirty Lounge, Saturday, March 26 at 4pm
@williamwrightmusic – Music: World premier of "Make Me New Again" www.williamwrightmusic.com
William Wright is an award-winning Composer of concert music and film scores as well as a 20-year veteran of the East Tennessee music community. On March 26, a selection of Wright's contemporary works, including multiple premieres, will be performed at the Hyatt, downtown Knoxville, at the rooftop 5:30 Lounge. The ensemble for this show will be a trio of extremely gifted East Tennessee musicians that Wright has worked with previously, including pianist Slade Trammell, cellist Cecilia Wright and bass+violist Preston Davis. Trammell helped premiere Wright's work for choir and chamber trio, Concordia, in 2021. William has been collaborating with Wright and Davis for many years. Among the pieces that the ensemble will be performing is a new work, written specifically for this showcase, titled Make Me New Again. The piece is a tone poem, written for piano + viola + cello and found sound, driven by an array of East Tennessee and Knoxville-specific inspirations and features audio from the 1982 World's Fair, which celebrates it's 40th anniversary in May. The ensemble will also be performing Wright's internationally acclaimed work Salt Mass, as well as The Swim Lesson, a piece for Cello that Wright showcased at the 2021 Screen Music Program in Milan, Italy where he was named Best Composer for the Screen, the program's top award. The entire showcase will consist of pieces that have never been performed in the United States.

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All weekend:
+ Beth Meadows, Embassy Suites @bethmeadowsart and www.bethmeadows.com
Beth Meadows creates mixed media works on wood that mix her life in East Tennessee with aspirational and luxurious living. She draws inspiration from contemporary high-end design, but paints in a flat, primitive style. Her work often explores themes such as female confidence, mental health, and interpersonal relationships using dark and humorous undertones. For purchasing information, please contact beth@bethmeadows.com

+ Ryan Blair, Embassy Suites @ryanblairart
Muddy Waters Rise'n: This series of paintings is inspired by the people of Appalachia and their relationship to southern identity and culture. As a child raised in the Midwest, we often would travel to a small East Tennessee town to spend time with family. These early visits along with experiences of now living in the south influence the subject matter in this work, mixing real and fictional stories, characters, attitudes and beliefs.

+ Jalynn Baker, Radius Rooftop Lounge @jalexisphoto and www.jalynnbaker.com
The portrait photography series, “How Did We Get Here?”, explores the various journeys of people who have come to live in the United States. Each story is told autobiographically, revealing a singular perspective while illuminating some of the common hopes, dreams, fears, and vulnerabilities that we share as a human race. As you encounter these stories, I hope you will allow yourself to be challenged to listen more intently and move toward others with love and empathy. To hear stories, visit here: www.jalynnbaker.com/how-did-we-get-here.

+ Tintype Popup w/ Kelsey Dillow
Rala: Regional and Local Artisans presents Knoxville's favorite Tintype photographer! Join us to have your very own tintype portrait made. Hours: March 24-26 11:30am-5:30pm, March 27th 11:30am-5:00pm
Tintype portraits will be 4x5”, 20 minute sessions. Email or DM Kelsey (see information below) to book a time slot. Walk ups are also welcome. Read Kelsey's FAQ on her website for more information or reach out to her with any questions. www.kelseytdillow.com or @kelseytiaraphoto (Instagram) or kelseytdillow@gmail.com

After seeing the tremendous success of our branch sales this year, we are excited to try something a little bit different: a spring book sale in a new location. That new location is Central United Methodist Church at 201 3rd Avenue in the Fourth and Gill neighborhood. Spring sale coordinator J.J. White describes this new sales model as “smaller than our previous annual sale and bigger than a branch sale, so it's the best of both!”

Jen Cooper, co-chair of the Sales and Distribution Committee, points out that having a sale in the spring and adding another sale in the fall will result in twice as many members-only early shopping events and twice as many opportunities “to shop the wide selection available at larger sales– whether your interests are in special collections, a niche area of nonfiction, or you are trying to find the last book to complete your Agatha Christie collection!”

Without a doubt the most popular day of our annual sale has always been the Members Only Day. The members-only component of the Spring Used Book Sale will be from 4-8 pm on Thursday, March 24th. The sale will then be open to the public from 10-5 Friday, March 25th and Saturday March 26th, with Saturday designated as half price day. Please note that face masks will be required for all volunteers and shoppers.

www.knoxfriends.org

By Qui Nguyen, Directed by Casey Sams
Carousel Theatre

After the death of her teenage sister Tilly, Agnes discovers an untouched “Dungeons and Dragons” campaign in Tilly’s room. In an effort to connect with her sister one last time, Agnes enters the imaginary “Dungeons and Dragons” world she once mocked. She uncovers levels of her sister that she didn’t know existed in an action-packed adventure filled with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and ‘90s pop culture.

The Pay What You Can Preview performance, where patrons can name their own price, will be held Wednesday, March 23rd. Half of the proceeds from PWYW tickets will benefit Girls Inc. of Tennessee Valley. Behind the Scenes Sunday will take place following the Sunday, March 27 matinee. A Designer Talk Back will take place Sunday, April 3rd following the matinee. And, an Actor Talk Back will take place following the April 10th 2:00 pm matinee. The Open Captioned performance also is Sunday, April 10th at 2:00 pm.

Free and convenient parking is available in the Upper Parking of McClung Tower Garage (G2) on Volunteer Boulevard. This show addresses themes of bullying and homophobia and contains depictions of violence, mild sexual content, and mild profanity. Those with auditory and visual sensitivities should be aware loud noises, theatrical haze and flashing lights occur at times in this production.

https://clarencebrowntheatre.com/plays/she-kills-monsters/

Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage Artist-of-the-Year: Alex Foster
March 21 – May 1, 2022

GEOFFREY A. WOLPERT GALLERY
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, https://www.arrowmont.org/visit/galleries/exhibition-schedule/

Meet the artist Mon Mar 21, 7-9 PM

At Barrelhouse, it’s important to us to support local artists of all kinds, so every six weeks we have a new visual artist on our taproom wall! Meet the artist, Lauren Kelley, and see her bold, colorful paintings as well as have the chance to purchase. https://www.facebook.com/events/s/meet-the-artist-lauren-kelley/698915158144022/
https://www.instagram.com/laurentheabstractartist/

Barrelhouse – Gypsy Circus Cider, 621 Lamar St, Knoxville, TN 37917
https://gypsycircuscider.com/barrelhouse-by-gypsy-circus-knoxville/

Please join us for this landmark anniversary exhibition of the University of Tennessee Ewing Gallery’s Annual Student Art Competition. This long-standing university event will be on display from March 21 until 2pm on March 30.

Tom Holmes and Shelby Rinke selected the fine art and graphic design selections on exhibition in the gallery.

Ewing Gallery, 1715 Volunteer Blvd on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-3200, www.ewing-gallery.utk.edu

In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the 1982 World's Fair, the Museum of East Tennessee History announces the opening of a new, one-of-a-kind exhibition, "You Should've Been There!," in the Rogers-Claussen Feature Gallery from March 19 to October 9, 2022.

The exhibition’s theme is not only a nod to the international exposition’s marketing catchphrase, “You Have Got to Be There! The 1982 World’s Fair!,” but also an acknowledgement that four decades removed, there is a generation of East Tennesseans who were not alive to experience the historic event.

Organized by the East Tennessee Historical Society and the Knox County Public Library, “You Should've Been There!” traces the fair’s development from conception to the pivotal moment when The Wall Street Journal referred to Knoxville as a “scruffy little city” and questioned its ability to host an international event. More than 11,000,000 visitors from around the world were informed and entertained in the various pavilions, exhibitions, and attractions put on by 22 countries and some 50 private organizations. Popular souvenirs were shirts and buttons proclaiming, “The Scruffy Little City Did It!”

The fair’s theme, “Energy Turns the World,” played to the region’s reputation as a technology and science center. For example, it was at the 1982 World’s Fair that users were able to try out a touchscreen for the first time. Elo, a Knoxville-based company, debuted the touchscreen technology, then known as "talk back" computers, in the United States Pavilion. To honor this spirit of innovation, “You Should've Been There!” incorporates engaging touchscreens alongside displays of original fair materials from pickle pins to deely bobbers and everything in between.

To learn more about the exhibition, please visit: https://www.easttnhistory.org/1982worldsfair

"You Should've Been There!" is an official event of the 40th Anniversary of the 1982 World's Fair. To learn more about upcoming commemorative events, please visit: http://www.knoxvilleworldsfair.com.

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

March 18-April 1st, Plant Pick Up and Onsite Shopping Friday, April 8

Spring is almost here, and it will soon be time to plant your yard. If you want to buy plants to enhance your garden this spring, visit the UT Arboretum Society’s Annual Spring Plant Sale which will be held online with catalog sales from March 18 through April 1st. Plant pickup is on Friday, April 8 and vendors will have some plants available for in person shopping that day at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge. Our plant sales are some of our biggest fundraisers of the year and help support the UT Arboretum’s community education, trail improvements such as our Nature Book Trail, and children’s programs.

For two weeks online you can browse the selection of perennials, trees, and shrubs available from our vendors Tennessee Naturescapes, Riverdale Nursery and East Fork Nursery of Sevierville. The three vendors offer a wonderful selection of plants including unique conifers, both evergreen and native azaleas, hydrangeas, beautyberry, and a wide variety of native pollinator plants to name just a few. Beginning March 18th at 10 am, log on to https://utas-plant-sale.square.site/ to shop and make payment. Online sales will end on April 1st at 5 pm. Payments must be made by credit card online in advance for online purchases. There will be limited sales on site on pickup day but for best selection shop the online sale and then go to visit our vendors to shop onsite after you pick up your order on April 8.

For online orders, you will be provided a link to choose a pick-up time between 9 am and 6 pm on Friday, April 8th at the UT Arboretum, 901 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. You must schedule a pick-up time Friday April 8. We are not able to hold orders for other pickup dates. Arboretum Society members will have your plant orders ready for pick-up. This is a no contact pick-up system. When you arrive at your scheduled time, you be directed to designated pick up spots and your order will be brought to your car. If you want to check out the onsite sale you will be able to go up to that location after you pick up your order. This is an amazing opportunity which allows the public to shop from your own home.

Though many of our normal day-to-day activities were curtailed for the past two years, one consistent activity has been working in our yards and enjoying the healing qualities of nature. The UT Arboretum Society is grateful to our vendors for making this opportunity possible.

www.utarboretumsociety.org