Calendar of Events

Dec 21 - 23, 2022
Old City Performing Arts Center
111 State Street
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902

After five incredible years of producing THE UNUSUAL TALE OF MARY AND JOSEPH’S BABY, the River & Rail team is taking a break and stepping back to just enjoy the music with a concert version of our favorite Christmas musical. We love the community that we’ve built around this show, and we want everyone to join us for this intimate, magical evening to celebrate the beautiful humanity of the nativity story. In this limited run, we will gather in candle light and simplicity to experience the music that has gone home in our hearts every Christmas season since 2016.

THE UNUSUAL TALE... An original folk-rock Christmas musical by Don Chaffer (of Waterdeep) and Chris Cragin-Day. This new musical dares to take the classic story at its word. There really is a pregnant virgin. There really are shepherds and angels and foreign dignitaries (a.k.a. wise men). There's a ratty extra room/stable at the inn, and a maniacal, bloodthirsty dictator, whose menacing shadow hangs over everything. And obviously, it’s a comedy. Seriously. It is. The Unusual Tale of Mary & Joseph’s Baby surprises both virgin-believing and non-virgin-believing audiences alike bringing a new sense of wonder and imagination to the age-old story.

Note to Parents: This concert is fun for the whole family! We recommend the show to children ages 7 and up. We are parents ourselves and would rate the show PG: for mild language. Translation: there are 2-3 mildly "adult" words in the show.

https://www.simpletix.com/e/the-unusual-tale-of-mary-josephs-baby-a-ca-tickets-115901

Rolling through downtown Knoxville on December 21st!

Want to join us for some of the most fun you'll have all season? Check back for more information about how YOU can join us for the second annual Carol Cart!

Get ready for caroling, festivities and fun!

Make Music Knoxville and our partners at KISS Caboose, Real Knoxville Music and Panyard are proud to present Carol Cart, a rolling evening of fun coming to downtown Knoxville this December 21st! Get into the Christmas spirit and join our mobile band as we serenade the community with the familiar holiday classics and new Knoxville-themed singalongs written especially for the occasion.

Come kick off your holiday season with us this Winter Solstice! Join the cart as we spread cheer throughout downtown Knoxville--- it’s fun for the whole family and it’s coming to you for free this December 21st! Bring an instrument or just come sing and be part of the merriment!

https://www.makemusicknox.com/

Date: Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Time: 5 - 7pm
Cost: $45 member/$55 non-member

Would you like to learn how to make a lovely winter floral arrangement to add some brightness and color to your home during this chilly season? If so, this is the workshop for you! We will make an arrangement perfect for the season and will share tips and tricks with you for when you make arrangements on your own. This class will be in person, so grab a friend for a fun night out making a beautiful arrangement to take home!

https://secure.touchnet.com/C21610_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=2733&SINGLESTORE=true

5 PM

The Beck Annual Holiday Party is an annual event held each year on the third Wednesday in December. We have not held this event since December 2019 due to the COVID pandemic. We look forward to gathering again.

Join us at the Beck for an evening of food, fellowship, entertainment and fun as we gather to remember celebrate the season.

We will also wish a very happy birthday to Ether Jackson, Beck volunteer, turning 102 and we will commemorate the birthday of the late great Beauford Delaney who would have been 121 this year.

We look forward to seeing you! Feel free to dress in holiday cheer and join us as we celebrate the season and distinguished members of our community.

Beck Cultural Exchange Center, 1927 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37915. Hours: Tu-F 10-2. Information: 865-524-8461, www.beckcenter.net

Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 1:00 p.m.

Over the past 40+ years, the John T. O'Connor Singing Seniors has grown under four directors to now comprise over 80 men and women aged 50-93; some have been active for more than 18 years.

John T. O'Connor Senior Center
Address: 611 Winona St, Knoxville, TN 37917
Phone: (865) 523-1135

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.

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

Come out during the month of December to see a wild collection of mixed media collages and sculptures from Ijams' own Sarah Brobst. Her show, Dreamworlds and Hidden Gems, was created using recycled and upcycled items to create one-of-a-kind compositions!

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

Merry, Merry at the Library! Join us for some ho! ho! ho! with the big man in red. Bring your wish list and bring your camera! Most events include a snack and a craft. Call for details: https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/about/hours-and-locations

Dec 5 | Howard Pinkston | 10:00-11:00
Dec 7 | Carter | 10:30 - 11:30
Dec 8 | Cedar Bluff | 11:00 - 12:30
Dec 8 | Farragut | 3:30 - 5:00
Dec 12 | Karns | 11:00 - 12:00
Dec 12 | Sequoyah | 5:00 - 6:00
Dec 13 | Burlington | 11:00 - 12:00
Dec 13 | Halls | 4:00 - 5:00
Dec 14 | Lawson McGhee | 10:30 - 11:30
Dec 14 | Bearden | 3:30 - 4:30
Dec 15 | Corryton | 4:00 - 5:00
Dec 16 | Fountain City | 10:15 - 11:15
Dec 19 | Norwood | 6:00 - 7:00
Dec 22 | South Knoxville | 11:00 - 12:00
Dec 22 | Powell | 4:00 - 5:00

Made possible through the generous support of Friends of the Library.

Every Saturday, December 3-17 and January 21 – March 25, 2023*
10 am – 2 pm
* NO WINTER FARMERS’ MARKETS ON 12/24/2022, 12/31/2022, 1/7/2023, OR 1/14/2023

2022 – 2023 Location: Outdoors on historic Market Square in the heart of downtown Knoxville

Nourish Knoxville’s Winter Farmers’ Market is an open-air farmers’ market located on Market Square in the heart of downtown Knoxville. Everything at the WFM is grown or made by our vendors in the East Tennessee region. Products vary by the seasons and include produce, eggs, honey, herbs, pasture-raised meat, plants, bread, baked goods, salsas, coffee, artisan crafts, and more!

Public restrooms are available on the ground floor of the Market Square Garage.
https://www.nourishknoxville.org/winter-market/