Calendar of Events

WITH HELMS ALEE & HARSH MELLOW
Thursday, June 23 | 8PM

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, www.knoxbijou.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Interested in learning more about Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley? Join us for a Behind the Blue Doors Tour at our Regal Teen Center Club, 967 Irwin Street, Knoxville.

Upcoming Tour dates | 4–5pm:
Thursday, June 23

RSVP to bjones@bgctnv.org. Information: https://bgctnv.org

Please join us for Dining for Joy...a spectacular early-summer evening filled with live music, drinks, food, and friends…all to benefit at-risk children in our community.

Dining for Joy is set for 6pm on Thursday, June 23 at the Crowne Plaza, Summit 1 Ballroom, 401 W. Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville. Parking is complimentary and available in the adjacent two-story parking garage. Guests will be treated to a delicious dinner, drinks, and live music by local jazz artist Greg Tardy and band.

Guests can also meet Todd Olson...our new Executive Director!

100% of the proceeds benefit the students at the Joy of Music School.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets: https://joyofmusicschool.regfox.com/dining-for-joy-2022

The Streamliners Swing Orchestra will perform on Thursday, June 23 from 2:00-3:00 in the afternoon

In the auditorium at Sherrill Hills Retirement Resort, located at 271 Moss Grove Boulevard, which is just South of Kingston Pike, between Cedar Bluff Road and Pellissippi Parkway.

Free to the public!
https://musicforseniors.org/mfs-knoxville/

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
Free and open to the public

When: Reception Friday, June 17, 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Artists’ talks at 6:30 pm.

Gallery hours: 10-4, Monday and 10-3, Tuesday through Thursday.
2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918

Bobbie Crews Thurston
Born and raised in NW Ohio, Bobbie lives and works in Knoxville, TN. A self-taught painter, she earned her fine art degree in painting and drawing at the University of Tennessee School of Art in 2007 as the mom in the class. The value of good skills, content and good design are immensely important to her work. Painting professionally since 1993 Bobbie loves painting portraits of people and her paintings of antique automobiles are produced much like her oil portraits. They are composed of layers of color in an additive and reductive process to create a likeness, but also capturing character, attitude and light. She has been showing her automotive paintings in Concours d’Elegance shows since 2013 and is a member of the Oil Painters of America. She is currently showing in the Nationals of the OPA in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Clay Thurston
A wildlife and nature photographer for over 35 years, I’ve been lucky to travel the world recording wildlife and nature in their natural habitats. Sharing these experiences through workshops, programs and exhibitions makes me want to photograph even more. I enjoy recording the personalities of the animals that I photograph... nature has provided me with many hours of entertainment and amazement. I feel fortunate to be able to witness things that others will never see in person. I truly enjoy what I do and photography is as much therapy as it is work! I now use Digital cameras and lenses from 12mm - 600mm. I do all of my own printing, matting and framing... using only archival inks, papers, mats and framing techniques. My photographs will be around for many years to come. I have been honored to present my work to the North American Nature Photographers Association and to many other fine photography and civic organizations. I’m available for programs, critiques, workshops, classes and individual instruction. This show however, is very different from any show that I have ever done. All of these images are a direct result of Covid.

Flying Anvil Theatre, is preparing to present A Kid Like Jake this pride month. The play tells the story of parents Alex and Greg as they attempt to navigate enrolling their 4-year old into the competitive New York City kindergarten landscape. Jake has an affinity to take on the role of “princess” during playtime, and matters are complicated when he starts showing aggressive behaviors at school interviews.

The adults in Jake’s life are all grappling with the idea that Jake may be transgender. “Jake reminds us that labels can help us put order to the world around us, but at what cost?” says director Doug James, who has approached the play with more questions than answers. “We actually never see the character of Jake in the play- just the adults speaking about and for him. I just want to know, and I think it’s up to the audience to decide, what’s best for the child?”

James, Theatre Teacher at Austin East High School and Adjunct Professor at Maryville College, says that the spectrum of what gender truly means is at the center of national discussion. "No matter what side you fall on this issue, the discussion of gender cannot simply be avoided,” he says. “The beautiful aspect of this play is that it does not preach, but asks questions.” A line that James says perfectly sums up the play is from the preschool principal. “All I'm saying is, we don't always have to know the answers, as long as we keep listening."

A Kid Like Jake, sponsored by Positively Living and Choice Health Networks, runs at Flying Anvil Theatre from June 16-26, and tickets start at $27 for adults and $15 for students.

Flying Anvil Theatre, 1300 Rocky Hill Road, Knoxville. Information: 865-357-1309, www.flyinganviltheatre.com. Facebook and Instagram @flyinganviltheatre

Prints by UT Knoxville Undergraduate & Graduate Students, Faculty, and Staff

Art & Architecture Building, second floor
1715 Volunteer Blvd.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

June 6 – September 2, 2022

Each summer for the past few years the Printmaking Program in the UTK School of Art presents an exhibition of recent prints by undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff. The works represent a wide variety of methods and approaches, including intaglios, relief prints, lithographs, and screenprints, reflecting a diversity of ideas and approaches. The MFA Program in Printmaking at UTK is ranked #3 among public universities nationally by US News and World Report.

The Art and Architecture building is accessible to the public through the summer weekdays from 8 am-5 pm.
https://art.utk.edu/2022-printmaking-summer-showcase/

Reception will be June 4th, 6 – 8pm in conjunction with a Bluegrass Band performance.

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Grounds and trails open during daylight hours. Call for Visitor Center hours. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

Tennessee Artists Association: 865-675-2285, www.tnartists.org

Champagne opening June 4, 11 AM - 4 PM

Bennett is proud to present a retrospective of Carl Sublett’s work post-retirement from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Carl Sublett was a Knoxville local who divided his time between Knoxville and his home in Maine; much of his work is influenced by the landscapes of Eastern Tennessee and Maine. Carl is best known for his landscape paintings and abstract works; his dark color palettes evoke a sense of nostalgia and draws the viewer in with the essences of his works.

Carl Sublett studied at Western Kentucky State College before joining the US Army in 1941. He was stationed in Italy, and after the end of the war Carl enrolled at the University Study Center in Florence, Italy. By 1954 Carl had returned to the United States and was living in Knoxville with his wife and their two children. Carl became a founding member of The Knoxville Seven, a prolific art group, and began teaching painting at UT Knoxville in 1966 until his retirement in 1982. Bennett has been representing Carl and his work since the 1980s. Carl’s influences came from a wide range of sources, most notably his expansive collection of art books and magazines, the work of Marsden Hartley, and his contemporary, Andrew Wyeth.

For more information contact claras@bennettgalleries.com or roberts@bennettgalleries.com. Bennett, 5308 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-Sa 10-5:30. Information: 865-584-6791, https://bennetthome.com/

The opening will be Friday, June 3, from 6-9pm. We will announce awards at 7pm, which will also be streamed live on our instagram, @shoprala and on our youtube channel. The art will remain on display through the end of July.

FB event: https://fb.me/e/1u2zUsNzG

Rala: Regional and Local Artisans, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Sa 11-6, Su 11-5. Information: 865-525-7888, https://shoprala.com or www.instagram.com/ShopRala

OPENING RECEPTION of recent work JUNE 3, 5-9 PM

RED Gallery proudly announces the showing of Fresh Perspectives, by Wayne Blankenship. Opening on June 3 (First Friday), the show will run through July 29. Blankenship’s work features Appalachian landscapes.

Wayne Blankenship’s pieces are well known in East Tennessee. He has enjoyed recognition for his work in winning the Dogwood Arts Print Competition in 2002 and 2006. Blankenship presented his piece titled Appalachian Flowers to Dolly Parton at the Dogwood Arts Festival in 2006. In addition to the Dogwood Arts Festival, Blankenship’s work has appeared in local galleries, such as The Venue at Lenoir City.

An artist from an early age, Blankenship reveals that his creative career began with repainting his sister’s coloring books. He moved on to paint-by-number projects, and then to painting with acrylics. Blankenship’s mentor Jim Gray taught him to paint with oils, and it was Gray who suggested Blankenship try watercolors. Blankenship now combines materials in mixed-media work, using oil, watercolors and acrylic to achieve his signature, layered landscapes. He continues to branch out with his technique, and is continually inspired by the work of Andrew Wyeth. Blankenship is a member of the Tellico Village Art Guild.

“When I paint, it mostly comes from my memory, thoughts, or emotions,” says Blankenship. “I rarely have a photo reference or use a plein air technique. Whether it’s sunrise or sunset, painting the mountains gives me an endless supply of inspiration.” For the artist, painting is a way to capture the natural world and a stillness in time, as well as the sharpness of a treasured memory. Blankenship hopes visitors will enjoy the show, and be inspired to visit the mountains. Blankenship says his show at RED Gallery is happening at the perfect time, since it coincides with the upcoming Dolly Fest. He’s always been inspired by Dolly Parton, since he grew up in similar circumstances. Blankenship’s mother taught him a love and appreciation for the natural Appalachian beauty that was his childhood environment. http://wayneblankenship.com/

Starting June 3, Fresh Perspectives can be viewed at RED Gallery on Fridays 5-9pm, Saturdays 1-5pm and Sundays 1-5pm, and by appointment through the week, until July 29.

RED Gallery, 130 West Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902

Receptions: Friday, June 3, 5-9 PM and Friday, July 1, 5-9 PM

This exhibition features the paintings, drawings, photography, poetry, flyer/poster art, and film/videos of Eric Sublett, with an emphasis on the artist’s connection to community and local culture. Eric Sublett: The Creative Life is organized by his friends and fellow artists, photographer, Gary Heatherly, and songwriter / poet, RB Morris.

Sublett passed away in 2018 after a long illness. As a lifelong Knoxvillian, Eric was a graduate of West High School and the University of Tennessee, and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. Friends knew him as a talented artist, avid music lover, and knowledgeable historian. Eric was involved with the 1982 World's Fair Art Colony and development of James Agee Park in Fort Sanders. He was a founding member of the 200 East and CHROMA art groups. He is the son of former UT School of Art painting professor and Knoxville 7 artist, Carl Sublett.

All UT Downtown Gallery events are free and open to the public. Masking is strongly encouraged. UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: W-F 11-6, Sa 10-3. Information: 865-673-0802, https://downtown.utk.edu