Calendar of Events

THE FINE COLOMBIANS:
A TRIBUTE TO STEELY DAN
PRESENTED BY VIBROPLEX, LLC
SATURDAY, JAN 7 | 8PM

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

SATURDAY, JANUARY 7 • 5PM
Want to learn more about how the Tennessee Theatre puts on a Broadway show? Join us Saturday, January 7 at 5pm at the East Tennessee History Center as Dr. Broadway provides an educational behind-the-scenes view of the musical theater business. The session is free, but we ask that you kindly register in advance by clicking the link below. https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/7dW-slchz8uKd0icT1KB8A?t=1669998496

Dr. Broadway (Kristin Stultz Pressley) is a Musical Theatre Historian – and one of Broadway’s biggest fans. A passionate and energetic presenter, Pressley has taught theatre at every level – from pre-school to university. She earned her graduate degrees from the University of Kentucky (Master of Arts in Theatre, 2005) and the University of Georgia (Doctor of Philosophy in Theatre, 2011) and subsequently taught Theatre courses at Presbyterian College (Clinton, SC) and Furman University (Greenville, SC).

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com

Author David Dark is bringing his newest title, Life’s Too Short to Pretend You’re Not Religious, to Knoxville, and you’re not going to want to miss this! The event will take place on Saturday, January 7, 2023 @ 5 pm. A meet & greet will follow the reading. While this is a free event, we ask that you register at this link.
https://www.unionavebooks.com/event/0107-author-event-featuring-david-dark

Union Ave Books, 517 Union Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-951-2180, www.unionavebooks.com

(Ages 18+) Looking for a way to get outside in 2023? Join the Ijams Hiking Club on the first Saturday of each month for an adventure in Knoxville's Urban Wilderness! The first hike is Saturday, Jan. 7, from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Annual club memberships and monthly guest passes are available now! Learn More and Register online

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

(Ages 6+) If you’ve ever wondered how animals prepare for winter or how the seasons affect their behavior, this is the workshop for you! Discover the wonders of animal adaptation with Ijams on Saturday, Jan. 7, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.! You’ll meet some of Ijams' animal ambassadors and then head out on the trails to read the changing landscape. Learn More and Register online

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

(Ages 12+) Join Ijams for a workshop that will help you identify winter trees on Saturday, Jan. 7, from 2-3:30 p.m. You won’t be-leaf how easy it can be! Learn More and Register online

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

Each year Knoxville Opera Guild partners with the Nashville Opera and Opera Memphis to hold the Tennessee District Laffont Competition. Winners go on to compete in the Southeast Regional Finals.

The next Laffont Competition is scheduled for 11 am January 7, 2023, at Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Sandra Powell Recital Hall, University of Tennessee. Join us!
https://www.knoxvilleopera.org/metauditions/

Knoxville Opera: 865-524-0795, www.knoxvilleopera.com

KAY DARTT + RONDA WRIGHT: CREATING ARTIFACTS OF HOME

Receptions: Friday, January 6, 5-9pm
Friday, February 3, 5-9pm

The UT Downtown Gallery is pleased to present a two-person exhibition of work by Kay Dartt and Ronda Wright.

Dartt’s work fluctuates between functional sculpture, speculative design, and embodied hyperobject. The goal of these objects is to challenge our western philosophies of living that have created an imbalance between the natural, artificial and virtual environments we occupy. By synthesizing biomorphic forms, consumer language and parametric design processes, an aesthetic emerges that invites a critical perspective of our environment. At times these objects can humorous, whimsical or enigmatic.

Kay Dartt is an artist whose practice combines sculpture, engineering, education and community outreach. As a Clinical Assistant Professor of Art at Shepherd University, she teaches sculpture courses, engineering courses and manages an interdisciplinary fabrication space called the FASTEnER Lab.

As an artist and activist, Ronda Wright has created the on-going sculptural installation, "Creating Artifacts of Home." Through a series of workshops, participants sculpt small artifacts of home. These workshops started in response to the overwhelming rate of LGBTQ+ homelessness and bullying, the premise of these workshops is that we all have a relation to home; and that iron is an element necessary to sustain life. While sharing experiences, participants sculpt a symbolic artifact that reminds them of home. After being cast in iron, the artifact becomes part of the larger collection of memories that reflect relations of Home. Participants’ artifacts link themselves not as “others” but to others. Wright is the Academic & Professional Development Advisor and Adjunct Assistant Professor for UT's College of Architecture + Design and an alum of UT's School of Art.

The UT Downtown Gallery is a Tennessee Triennial Community Venue. All events are free and open to the public.

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

RED Gallery is proud to announce the opening of Highway Flowers, an art exhibition by Summer Small.
The show will open on January 6, 2022, 5:00pm (First Friday) and run through February.

Highway Flowers
And other beautiful things you didn't ask for

Summer Small is a self-taught visual artist from East Tennessee. Her debut show Highway Flowers is her private love letter to modern Appalachia. Through bright color and intense pattern, Summer tells a raw, folksy story about grief, persistence, and ultimately appreciation for those things that are out of our control. Her aim for this show is that it recalls to you a familiar feeling, like a reminder of summertime in the dead of winter. Summer Small, summersmallstudio@gmail.com

RED Gallery, at 130 E Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN, features local and regional artists. The gallery is located in the historic Jackson Atelier building in Knoxville’s Old City. Gallery owner Robin Easter is proud to provide a unique space for Knoxville to experience and enjoy a broad range of visual arts. To learn more about RED Gallery, email robin@robineaster.com.
865-524-0146 | www.robineaster.com

The show opening will be from 6-8pm on January 6th.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, we prefer that masks be worn inside the store. Thank you for helping us stay safe!

Event Page Here: https://shoprala.com/blogs/blog/december-first-friday-with-mike-c-berry

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

First Friday Reception: January 6th, 5:30 – 9:00 pm

January Featured Artists
Lil Clinard, Painting In Conjunction with our Wonderful 3-D Artists

Lil is a self-taught artist with years of experience trying new things. Ever evaluating and evolving her style, Lil’s work bursts with energy with its vibrant colors, constant movement and texture. She likes to experiment, try different mediums & substrates and embraces the new discoveries. “My intent is to transform a scene into something new and stunning that will leave the viewer with feelings of surprise and joy." Her work may be viewed at the Art Market Gallery in downtown Knoxville and at regional exhibits and shows.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Sa 11-6, Su 1-6. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net, www.Facebook.com/ArtMarketGallery

A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, January 6, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features live music inside the Emporium by Nicholas Horner and Friends. 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.

My art consists of acrylic, mixed media, and watercolor paintings. Art has been my way to connect and reach out to different people from many cultures or backgrounds. In the vast variety of cultures and humankind, we are all still one and we connect through our passions. We strive to find common ground to connect with each other. Art in all its forms has been my common ground to it all. This exhibition theme represents passionate professional dancers and normal people who just enjoy life. It amazes me how people express themselves in different forms, enjoy the beat and music, and translate it into movement. I wanted to represent my vision of life and dance in this form so that viewers may feel the energy and life from these art pieces.

Reem Arnouk has been a professional artist since 2018 and an art instructor at Painting with a Twist Studio since 2019. She is self-taught and has studied Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship with five courses of Art. She was born and raised in Syria and came to the United States in 2013; she has been amazed by the many open doors in the arts. She loves Tennessee for the inspiration of nature that it has. Knoxville, especially, has supported many local artists and makers, and she is thankful to be involved in their maker society. Arnouk has participated in several art shows and markets in the past few years within Knoxville, including First Friday art shows and vendors markets. She was recently sponsored as an emerging artist with Dogwood Arts in the Old City Market and has been commissioned for several live wedding paintings.

The Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Saturday, January 28 only, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed Monday, January 16, for the holiday. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.