Calendar of Events

Celtic Worship in Ascension is an opportunity to reconnect with God through a quiet and meditative liturgy. Participants are invited to breathe with the Spirit, to ponder the things of God, and be centered in heart, soul, mind, and spirit.

Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 800 S Northshore Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-588-0589, https://www.knoxvilleascension.org/celtic

Sunday December 18, 10:30am Christmas Lessons and Carols service
includes Primary and Treble choir

All of the Cathedral Choirs combine to sing the annual Festival of Christmas Lessons & Carols.

Saint John's Episcopal Cathedral, 413 Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-7347, https://www.stjohnscathedral.org/

SUNDAY, DEC 18 | 8PM

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

Sunday, December 18, 8:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.
Parish Adult Choir & The Tennessee Brass Quintet

900 Henley at Main, Knoxville, TN 37902
865-524-3048 or https://www.churchstreetumc.org/master-arts/

The Smoky Mountain Blues Society invites you to a special holiday party and show with Chicago blues artist Liz Mandeville and featuring Foster Meeks, local winner in the solo category for the International Blues Competition. They call Liz Mandeville Little Miss Big Voice and she’s going to make you feel good about having the Blues. Chicago Blues Hall of Fame Artist, Liz Mandeville, was nominated Best Female Vocalist 2021, by the Blues Blast Music Awards. She has received international acclaim for her work, both on records and performing live, in 16 countries on 3 continents. She’s won the Windy City Blues Challenge, the International Songwriting Contest, was named American Roots Music Songwriter of the Year. In ’96, Ms. Mandeville earned a BA in Music from Columbia College, graduating with honors, all while playing the blues every night in Chicago’s top clubs. The same year Mandeville signed with Earwig Music Company and released the first of her five records for that label. In 2011, she started Blue Kitty Music, and has produced four more albums since then. Despite the pandemic, 2021’s “Playing With Fire,” topped the charts, and was named #23 on Living Blues Top 50 releases for the year. Not only does Liz sing and play with fiery passion, she’s a total entertainer. Witty and engaging, Liz shares intimate stories and anecdotes with her audience, drawing them into the show. She’s fun, funny and energetic from her flaming red tresses to her sparkling dresses, her purring voice and kitten heels will dance right into your heart.

The show will open with Foster Meeks—a vibe you’ve felt but never heard. Authenticity to the old feeling, packaged in new and fresh material is paramount to Meeks’ vision for the Blues. Be it through growling delta grooves, or raw soulful blues ballads, Mr. Meeks is sure to leave an impression on any who are willing to feel it:

Tickets are only $1 for SMBS members and $10 for the general public. Doors open at 5 pm and music will begin at 6 pm. Sorry no advance tickets available. Bluetick Tavern has a wonderful selection of food, beer, and liquor available to purchase (Note: no pot luck this year) and is located on 128 W Broadway Ave, Maryville, TN 37801.
https://smokymountainblues.org/

East Tennessee Bluegrass Association (ETNBA) and Ijams Nature Center are partnering to bring folks together in a safe way to create music in a beautiful space! Join the fun at a community jam session for all acoustic bluegrass instruments (no harmonicas or spoons at this time) every third Sunday from 2-5 pm (winter hours).

All skill levels are welcome. Pre-signup is requested to get an idea of how many people will participate. Jam sessions will be help at the Visitor Center during the winter months. Bring your own chair and enjoy the show! Masks are required when in the jam group indoors. Not a musician? Feel free to come out and enjoy the music! Always FREE and open to the public.

https://www.ijams.org/event-details/special-event-east-tennessee-bluegrass-association-monthly-jam-2022-12-18-14-00

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Visitor Center open daily 10-6; grounds and trails open daily from 8 AM - dusk. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

At 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

Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of one of the country’s most renowned printers-publishers. Founded in 1970 by Jack Lemon, Landfall Press played a key role in expanding the geography of the American postwar print renaissance. In the late 1950s and 1960s, new printmaking workshops, including Universal Limited Art Editions, Tamarind Lithography Workshop, and Gemini G.E.L., opened on the East and West Coasts. Jack Lemon helped bring this printmaking revival to the Midwest. He learned lithography at the Kansas City Art Institute, then later established and directed lithography workshops there in 1965 and at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1968. He opened Landfall Press in Chicago, effectively creating a new hub for printmaking that attracted artists from around the country.

Landfall Press is known for its outstanding innovation and exacting technical standards. It specializes in lithography but has also produced etchings, woodcuts, books, and multiples that have often redefined what a print can be. As a publisher, Lemon has collaborated with a diverse range of international artists, introducing many of them to the process of printmaking. Landfall operated out of Chicago for thirty-five years and, in 2004, relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it continues to serve new generations.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tu-Sa 10-5, Su 1-5. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org. Admission and parking are free.

Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, at 3 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at 3 p.m.

One of East Tennessee’s favorite holiday traditions takes a Celtic twist this year as the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra presents the 36th Annual Clayton Holiday Concert.

The KSO will be joined by Irish band Four Leaf Peat, Knoxville Pipes & Drums, GO! Contemporary Dance Works, Knoxville Choral Society and the newly established Knoxville Symphony Youth Choir to bring festive Celtic tunes to the stage alongside classic holiday favorites. Highlights include “Bagpipe Christmas Melody,” “Christmas in Killarney,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Sleigh Ride.”

“For us, playing with the Knoxville Symphony is a special experience because it allows us to collaborate in our beloved hometown of Knoxville and to share the stage with all the amazing musicians that make up the symphony,” said Chad Beauchaine, fiddler for Four Leaf Peat. “Being on stage with so many great musicians is humbling but also gives us some fresh motivation to keep pressing forward with our own music. We absolutely cannot wait to be a part of the Clayton Holiday Concert with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra!”

Aram Demirjian, conductor
865-291-3310 or https://knoxvillesymphony.com/

December 16-18, 2022

Back again LIVE for his 8th Annual "Home for the Holidays" concert, Tony Award winner Levi Kreis brings you an intimate evening at the piano on the Playhouse stage, singing your favorite holiday tunes, old and new.

Oak Ridge Playhouse, 227 Broadway, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Information and tickets: 865-482-9999, https://www.orplayhouse.com/

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Free and open to the public
Reception Friday, January 13, 2023, 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Artists’ talks at 6:30 pm.
Gallery hours: 9:30-4:30 Monday through Thursday, 9:00-1:00 Sunday. Closed: December 23–December 30.

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Gallery, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918

The TVUUC Art Gallery Committee’s mission is to support the programming and outreach of Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church through the presentation of high quality and diverse works of visual arts. The committee consists of members and friends of the church, who manage exhibits in the gallery spaces and consult on other art-related matters in the building. There is no minimum or maximum number of members. There are two co-chairs, responsible for soliciting and judging artwork, making sure that hangings and receptions are well attended, and keeping everyone well informed. There are six exhibits of approximately two months each per year. There may be an artist in each of the two gallery spaces or there may be one artist in the combined gallery, and there may be group shows, by area art organizations or by the committee itself. Exhibiting artists come from within a 250-mile radius. The gallery program is self-funded through donations. In existence since before this building and gallery existed, the TVUUC gallery is both an enhancement for the interior activities of the church and an effective element of outreach, well respected in the area art community.

Current members of the art gallery committee:

Athanasios Bayiates, Ann Birdwell, Betty Bumgarner, Joy Fels, Diane Fox, Faye Joyce, Roger Kroll, Trevor Lord, Beauvais Lyons, Kate McCullough, Roy McCullough, Cindy Moffett, Ken Moffett, Diana Ritter, Kathy Seely, Sylvia Smith, Jenny Snead, Terri Swaggerty, Bobbie Crews Thurston, Clay Thurston, and Karen Worthy.

Lauren Kelley is a native Knoxvillian and abstract artist, working primarily in acrylic and mixed media.
She is fascinated by color and luminosity, so the juxtaposition of light and darkness is a reoccurring theme in her work. Through her presentation of vibrant color and mark-making, her mission is to encourage others to choose hope and to reach beyond difficult external circumstances. She has often found that trying or painful times can serve as a catalyst to provide a dramatic shift in life. It is her hope that viewers may find the boldness within themselves to pursue the freedom that is found when embracing one's true calling.

Lauren's solo show, presented now through New Years Day 2023, at Central Flats and Taps in Knoxville has been titled "A Full Year." She shows 15 pieces that have all been created during 2022.

She explains: "as we all prepare to celebrate the holidays and the end of the year, we also anticipate a new year, with new experiences, joyous moments, and the inevitable difficulties that come with day to day life. I have chosen to title this show "A Full Year," to celebrate the trials and triumphs of living life that are universal to all.

Reflecting this theme, pieces featured include: "Northern Lights Shine Brightest in the Dark," "Surprise Party!,"
"Serendipity," and "The Phoenix." All pieces are for sale in time for the holidays.

Additionally, her work can be found at: Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917

To schedule a gallery tour or inquire about purchases and commissions:
Instagram:@laurentheabstractartist
website: http://www.laurenkelley.art
email: artbylaurenkelley@yahoo.com