Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 1-30, 2022. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, April 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features jazz music inside the Emporium by Taber Gable and Friends and an outdoor concert by Knoxville Opera musicians. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

Time is fundamental to all of life. In every aspect, time is considered as the duration, cycles, periods, changes, and/or transitions that mark one’s existence. From the rising of the sun, the phases of the moon, climate seasons, birth, death, and everything in between, time is present and passing. Similarly, God’s love is tantamount with time. God’s love is present. Since time is fundamental to all life, and God’s love is interwoven with time, God's love is fundamental to life. Therefore, God has a Covenant of Time. In all moments of time, God’s love is inseparable.

For this exhibition, I used a combination of traditional and contemporary oil painting techniques to create each piece in response to a time, season, or event in my life. Specifically for this project, I painted each season in its correlating months. This process allowed me to be present with change, especially while it was happening. I explore multiple, correlating elements of time in this exhibition.

Nicholas Cockrell was born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma but raised in Tennessee, where he has fallen in love with the geography, people, and cities across the state. He loves hiking, reading, poetry, journaling, rock climbing, and coffee. Did he write this while drinking coffee? Yes. Yes, he did. He earned his BA in Religion and Philosophy with a Minor in Photography in 2018 from Carson-Newman University. He started painting at the onset of COVID-19’s debut in the US, and painting allowed him to express himself in newer ways that photography had yet to satiate. When one of his roommates passed away tragically in April 2020, Cockrell grieved through painting: it gave him the space to cry, scream, be undone, feel, and eventually heal. The grief journey is far from over, but painting is forever inseparable from that piece of his story. As he continues to paint, he finds himself exploring past wounds and trauma, philosophical thoughts, and faith through the emotional range of colors.

Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Hours: M-F 9-5, Sat 10-1. CLOSED SAT APR 9 AND FRI APR 15 - BUT OPEN SUN APR 10, 10-1. Info: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 1-30, 2022. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, April 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features jazz music inside the Emporium by Taber Gable and Friends and an outdoor concert by Knoxville Opera musicians. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

As a suffix, “ic” means having the character of, having the form of, or the nature of. Also, “ic” suggests what something is similar to, caused by, or made of. Sometimes, the “ic” word compels what I should paint. Other times, what’s painted suggests an adjective or adverb that describes the painting. None of these paintings are really representational but rather my interpretation or abstraction of the “ic.”

Booder Barnes moved from New York state to Tennessee 26 years ago. In New York, he studied oil painting with Larry Zingale. He joined A1LabArts after moving to Knoxville and has been an active member throughout the years. Barnes took watercolor classes with Betsy Worden at the Candy Factory, and he studied handbuilding clay sculpture with Annamaria Gundlach. In 2011, he began making short films with University of Tennessee Professor Norman Magden, and they formed Magboo Productions to develop their ideas.

Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Hours: M-F 9-5, Sat 10-1. CLOSED SAT APR 9 AND FRI APR 15 - BUT OPEN SUN APR 10, 10-1. Info: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 1-30, 2022. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, April 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features jazz music inside the Emporium by Taber Gable and Friends and an outdoor concert by Knoxville Opera musicians. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

This unique exhibition includes music, photographs, and memorabilia of composer Giacomo Puccini from the private collection of Brian Salesky. Highlights include 1st edition 19th and 20th century piano/vocal scores, librettos, and photographs, some autographed by legendary opera singers. This display is presented in conjunction with Knoxville Opera performances of Puccini’s music on Sunday, April 24 at Sacred Heart Cathedral (link coming soon) and Friday, April 29 at the Bijou Theatre. Tickets for the April 29 performance may be purchased at https://knoxvilleopera.secure.force.com/ticket/#/events/a0S2E000010V8wBUAS.

For more information, visit www.knoxvilleopera.com

Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Hours: M-F 9-5, Sat 10-1. CLOSED SAT APR 9 AND FRI APR 15 - BUT OPEN SUN APR 10, 10-1. Info: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 1-30, 2022. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, April 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features jazz music inside the Emporium by Taber Gable and Friends and an outdoor concert by Knoxville Opera musicians. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

Featuring more than 40 works created over a 60-year span, Fritz Massaquoi (1926-2022): In Memoriam pays tribute to the long and prolific career of a West African multi-media artist who spent his last three decades in Knoxville. Fritz Hilary Massaquoi was a self-taught painter who also worked in batik, tie-dye, weaving, printmaking, and papermaking. A long time Emporium resident artist, his works have been collected and exhibited internationally. He was also active as an art teacher and inspired his students wherever he taught.

The son of West African royalty, Massaquoi relocated to the United States in 1990 due to civil war in his home country of Liberia. His colorful paintings, prints, and weavings capture vivid recollections of idyllic West African landscapes and scenes from daily life. The places, people, and events depicted often feature bold silhouettes and imagery portrayed as if through the filter of distant memory. Other works take the form of lyrical, vibrant abstractions inspired by Massaquoi’s extensive experience as a modern dancer. He built each composition intuitively, and often added bits of eggshell, aluminum foil, and other materials to his acrylic pigments in order to enhance the surface texture of his paintings. Throughout his career, Massaquoi shifted between painting village scenes and abstractions as the spirit moved him. He often opted not to sign his paintings and felt as if his brushwork served as a signature. Massaquoi rarely dated any paintings and viewed them as living creations always open to revision or embellishment. He created nearly all the works in this exhibition after his arrival in Knoxville in 1990. Most of his works are untitled since the artist viewed titles as limiting the narrative possibilities for his compositions.

Proceeds from the sale of any of Massaquoi’s paintings will go toward supporting a school he helped build in his ancestral village of N’Jabacca, Liberia.

Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Hours: M-F 9-5, Sat 10-1. CLOSED SAT APR 9 AND FRI APR 15 - BUT OPEN SUN APR 10, 10-1. Info: 865-523-7543, www.knoxalliance.com

Awaken Coffee will host an opening reception for artist Allison Meriwether Friday, April 1, from 6-8 pm

Allison is a recent transplant to Knoxville. She teaches high school art full-time and creates in her south Knox studio. Allison creates thoughtfully curated painted portraits and isolated realistic drawings of hands that serve as symbols of personal relationships. Her work focuses on associations to moments and memories, sharing stories about interactions and experiences. Her work has been shown widely nationally and internationally.

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

Awaken Coffee, 125 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Open daily. Information: 865-951-0427, www.instagram.com/awaken_coffee or www.facebook.com/awakencoffeeoldcity/

First Friday event from 5-9 PM

The Casa HoLa Store will be open for shopping!

https://holahoralatina.org/events/
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https://www.instagram.com/holahoralatina/
https://twitter.com/CasaHoLa

HoLa Hora Latina is located inside of the Emporium for the Arts at 100 S. Gay St. Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Info: (865)335-3358 or casahola@holafestival.org

Visit the Ijams Hallway Gallery in April to view photography by David Liles!

This former CPA loves color and high contrast, and his works are often abstractions that are achieved through color, pattern, shape and detail (or lack thereof).

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

Celebration of the pieces at a reception on Sunday, April 3 from 2 to 4 PM.

The show is intended to answer the question: “What do you love?” We have asked our members to lend us up to six of their favorite pieces to share with the community to show a range of what speaks to and moves each of the individuals. In essence, it will be curated by the larger group, rather than a single person and, therefore, we are hoping it will be both diverse and dynamic.

There are all sorts of reasons people collect art. In most cases, artwork is displayed in our homes or work spaces, but in others it may not be. Most people buy art because they love the imagery and want to live with it to create a feeling or mood in their living space. The work may echo feelings, emotions, or memories they cherish. They may offer a range of emotions from comforting and soothing to exciting or invigorating. Work may also titillate the imagination, beckon stories, or challenge viewers to define or describe their subject matter. These may inspire ever changing reactions or a sense of renewal and inspire different feelings as one looks at the work over the long term. Some of us own pieces that have familial ties or generational importance. These items may involve references to one’s heritage or aspects from the culture or cultures from which they hail. Still others invest in artwork, hoping it will rise in value and that they will see a large return on that investment. While I concede this happens, I believe these individuals are in the minority. What we choose to love and live with says a lot about each of us—who we are and how we live. For this reason, we are asking our member collectors to select what they would like to show. We want your/their choices to make sure we do not slant the exhibition through a single individual’s filter.

One collector has offered to show a series of 13 Dali works that Dali created as illustrations for Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland. The set is delightfully colorful and depicts the chapters of the book. These should be as enchanting to view as the book was to read! We are looking forward to sharing in the joy these pieces will bring to everyone who sees them. Other items that will be exhibited include a piece or pieces that were purchased while traveling. For one of the owners, her work takes them back to that experience, the newness and freedom the trip inspired. In addition it was a new type of work that has inspired her own thinking and creations since. It is those anticipated experiences that prompt us to offer this exhibition. To share these works our members are opening their experiences to others and allowing our viewers to make that journey with them. That communication should be as interesting or thought – provoking as the works themselves.

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

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/

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

In a year like no other, Arrowmont's 2021-2022 Artists-in-Residents lived and worked together in the intimate environment of shared housing and adjoining studios. Their 11-month residency culminates in a group exhibition, now on display in the Sandra J. Blain Galleries at Arrowmont.

Please join Elizabeth Belz, Horacio Casillas, Kyle Cottier, Naomi David Russo, and Lena Schmid at the closing reception for their exhibition, "Party of Five." The reception is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!
May 13, 2022, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Sandra J. Blain Galleries
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, https://www.arrowmont.org/visit/galleries/exhibition-schedule/

Charlotte Rollman Artist Statement
All of these paintings are plein-air (painted outside and on-site). You may notice all of the seasons are represented here, as I try to paint all year long. The two largest paintings are from my backyard and all of the work is from East Tennessee. I paint often, and particularly enjoy my weekly meet-up with the Tuesday Painters group. We are a lucky bunch. We mostly share our work, painting ideas, studio tips and discuss art events, and over lunch we share our lives outside of painting. We discuss abstract things like color, contrast, value, reflections and the weather. The wind joins us too and is not usually my friend, but it does chase away the bugs. I like to paint in the early morning light but I am not always the first person to our destination for the day. Sometimes I am distracted driving to our painting destination on Tuesday mornings and see other places I would like to stop and paint, but I don’t because I would miss the others if I did.

Debbie Whelan Artist Statement
I’m a dancer who makes pots. The human body and the clay body both have form and shape, both seek to fill the space with dynamic design, movement and meaning, and the color on the pot is like the music to the dance. The dancer informs the potter, and the potter informs the dancer, culminating in a lovely duet!

Westminister Presbyterian Church, 6500 S Northshore Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-R 9-4 and Sundays. Info: (865) 584-3957 or www.wpcknox.org