Calendar of Events

WITH SPECIAL GUEST MOMMA
MONDAY, FEB 13

Scoot over cupid, we've got something better for Valentine's Day. Death Cab For Cutie will be at The Mill & Mine with Momma this February! We are so excited to be a stop on their Asphalt Meadows Tour.

The Mill & Mine, 227 W. Depot Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Tickets/information: 865-343-6000 or https://themillandmine.com

The Appalachia Sessions is social impact and purpose-driven initiative to bring the history of Appalachian music, culture, and education to students who are directly impacted by its history. The Appalachia Sessions is a televised, one-hour music show featuring a live audience of students from Appalachia. The ten-episode series showcases music born out of the history of East Tennessee and the Appalachian Cultural Region. It features a diverse line-up of musicians and intimately focuses on the artists, their roots, and the fundamentals of songwriting. Each episode begins as a three-hour concert filmed at the Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. The three hour concert is edited into a one-hour TV show that will air across central and southern Appalachia. We will host 150 – 200 students from the inner cities and rural Appalachia to tour the Museum of East Tennessee History and attend each concert. 100% of the net proceeds from the concert series will benefit the Appalachia Sessions Fund to support student literacy and education in Appalachia.

Appalachia Session passes for the live taping at the Bijou Theatre (803 South Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902) are available at the Museum of East Tennessee History (601 S Gay Street, Knoxville TN 37902) front desk during regular hours. Passes are free to the public. Donations welcome. For more information, visit www.appysessions.com or call the East Tennessee Historical Society at 865-215-8830

Starting in 1927, record labels came to multiple areas in Appalachia including Bristol, Johnson City, and Knoxville in search of an old-time, genuine sound. During their search, they found influential voices of jazz, blues, and gospel. With this newfound, diverse music, they decided to teach the next generation the joys of music and creativity. The sole mission of The Appalachia Sessions is to leverage the power of music to advocate for literacy for the children of Appalachia. It showcases music that was born out of the history of East Tennessee and the Appalachian Cultural Region. Each Appalachia Sessions season will have 10 episodes, with one episode per month, running from September through May. For more information and to make a donation or join the A-list visit www.appysessions.com

More info: (865) 215-8824 or www.eastTNhistory.org

VolOpera presents a night of love-themed aria selections.

February 13 at 5:30 p.m.
Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall
Natalie L. Haslam Music Center

UT School of Music: Unless otherwise noted, concerts are FREE and open to the public. Venues: Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, 1741 Volunteer Boulevard; James R. Cox Auditorium and Performance Hall 32, Alumni Memorial Building, 1408 Middle Drive. Information: 865-974-8935, https://music.utk.edu/events/

If you love hiking, the outdoors, or just living in Appalachia, then this event is for you! Author Nancy East will be reading at Union Ave Books on February 13, 2023 @ 6 pm.

While this is a free event, we ask that you register for your spot at this link.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-author-event-featuring-nancy-east-tickets-473524393207

Nancy retired from a 23-year career as a small animal veterinarian to pursue her interest in outdoor education and writing. She is the author of Chasing the Smokies Moon: An audacious 948-mile hike fueled by love, loss, laughter and lunacy, a memoir about her record setting hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and her involvement with search and rescue in the Smokies and Carolina Blue Ridge. She lives in Waynesville, NC with her husband and three children.

In 2020, Nancy East, a search and rescue team member and middle-aged minivan driving mom, set out to improve the speed record for hiking all the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with her good friend, Chris Ford. The attempt was inspired by the tragic search for a missing mom near Clingmans Dome and Nancy's walk with grief following the loss of her mother.

Nancy and Chris covered one-third of the miles in the dark, endured two tropical storms, suffered from injuries and were sidetracked by a fatal bear mauling. Nevertheless, they persevered and succeeded in raising $30,000 to promote hiker safety in the Smokies.

This compelling and heartfelt memoir will take you up the mountains, across the streams, and along the trails in the majestic Smokies, providing a glimpse of what it’s like to hike 948 rugged miles in 29 days while still taking time to enjoy the view.

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

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Free and open to the public
Reception Fri Feb 17, 6-7:30 PM with artists' talks at 6:30 PM

Lisa Kurtz
I have made wall pieces out of clay since way back in graduate school. Before I made pottery, I painted, so I often think of these wall pieces as clay canvases or clay landscapes with texture. I also like to add mixed media to some of my wall pieces, such as driftwood, shells, and other found objects. All my clay wall art is wired on the back or mounted on wood and wired so that it hangs easily - just like a painting would. I also love to make clay wall pouches, which can hold water and be used as wall vases for flowers. I have worked with clay for over 40 years and fell in love with the fluid and impressionable characteristics of this wonderful medium in college. Rocks and water have always inspired me. I love the streams running through the mountains, and I also love the ocean. I am fascinated by the effect that water has on the earth and the calming effect water has on people. The textures and colors in water, sand, sea birds, shells, rocks, and marine creatures inform my work and my glazes. I mix up all my own glazes and am often tweaking them to highlight the textures that I put on my pieces. My goal is to infuse my work with the peaceful feelings that water worn rocks, landscape, and waves give to me and share those feelings with others through my art.

Kate McCullough
I began painting in watercolor about 20 years ago after a 35-year hiatus from art. Initially my studies at Villa Marie College and SUNY College at Buffalo included general design, art history and oil and acrylic painting. When I returned to painting, I decided that watercolor was a medium that I would like to explore. I immediately fell in love with it and I have not looked back. I started with courses with Marcia Goldenstein and Whitney Leland at UT and then moved on to workshops at Arrowmont with Don Lake and Sue Archer, Kanuga with Linda Baker and Don Andrews, Cheap Joe’s with Linda Kemp, three workshops with John Salminen and a couple with Paul Jackson. I presently teach a watercolor class at the Fountain City Art Center. I am the former president of the Knoxville Watercolor Society, a member of the Art Market Gallery in downtown Knoxville, a signature member of the Tennessee Watercolor Society.

Gallery hours: Mon-Thu 9:30-4:30, Sun 9-1.
Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Gallery, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918

Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Hours: Tue-Thu 10 AM - 4 PM. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartcenter.com

Fans of artist Tom Wegrzynowski can see oil paintings from both his “Lucky” series and his “Entertainment” series in a new exhibit at Pellissippi State Community College. “All for One or Whatever …” is the artist’s first exhibition that combines pieces from both his bodies of work, “a visual dialogue that presents new opportunities for finding meaning,” Wegrzynowski said in an artist statement for the show.

The new exhibit is on display through March 2 at the Bagwell Center for Media and Art Gallery, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays or by special appointment. All exhibits in the Bagwell Gallery are free and open to the public.

A closing reception with the artist is scheduled for 3-4 p.m. Thursday, March 2.

Wegrzynowski is a full-time instructor of Art and Art History at the University of Alabama, where he received his Master of Fine Arts in 2006. He has exhibited his work regionally and nationally and won several awards including the Reese Museum Award in 2022 International FL3TCH3R Exhibit: Social & Politically Engaged Art, East Tennessee State University. Wegrzynowski’s exhibit at Pellissippi State includes 19 oil paintings from his “Lucky” series, which explores history, mythology and how mutable these structures are when placed in the service of power, as well as from his “Entertainment” series, which allows Wegrzynowski to paint in a faster, more spontaneous way. “The first Entertainment paintings, or ‘panels’ as I think of them, were each executed in one sitting, sometimes in as little as an hour,” Wegrzynowski explained, as opposed to the works in the “Lucky” series, which could take months or even years to complete. “Most of these images were taken from screen captures of television commercials or movies, creating fragments of meaning. As such, they create opportunities for a more expansive investigation of the space between representation and formal abstraction.”

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Bagwell Center Gallery hours: M-F 9-5 or by appointment. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Broadway, 1957. An integrated theatre company gathers to rehearse a new play—the one they hope will be the next big hit on the Great White Way. Against the backdrop of misperceptions and stereotypes within the company, veteran actress Wiletta Mayer grapples with the choice between a once in a lifetime chance to play the lead role in a Broadway show, and the cost of compromising her principles. Alice Childress’ Tony-nominated masterpiece “Trouble in Mind” will play on the Clarence Brown Theatre Mainstage. Born in 1916 and raised during the Harlem Renaissance under the watchful eye of her maternal grandmother, Alice Childress grew up to become first an actress and then a playwright and novelist.

UT students see all performances for FREE. UT faculty/staff receive a 15% discount. For tickets, please visit https://clarencebrowntheatre.com/plays/trouble-in-mind/.

The Pay What You Can performance, where patrons can name their own price, will be held Wednesday, February 8. Behind the Scenes Sunday will take place Sunday, February 12 after the 2:00 pm matinee. A Talk Back will take place Sunday, February 19 following the matinee. Deaf Night @ the Theatre, where all patron interactions including the performance is interpreted in American Sign Language, will take place Tuesday, February 21 at 7:30 pm. The Open Captioned performance is Sunday, February 26 at 2:00 pm.

Clarence Brown Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information/tickets: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com

HAMILTON includes 16 performances from Feb. 7-19, 2023. This is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, HAMILTON has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre—a musical that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and completely transformed theater and the way we think about history.

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

Featuring art by Richard Jolley, Tommie Rush, Andrew Saftel, Margaret Scanlan, Maggie Taylor, Kliszewski Glass, Jurgen Dopatka, and others!

Bennett, 5308 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-Sa 10-5:30. Information: 865-584-6791, https://bennetthome.com/

Bob Stevens is the Art Guild’s Featured Artist for February 2023, and will be honored at the Fun and Wine Friday Reception on Friday, February 3 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at the Plateau Creative Arts Center. The membership special exhibit for February is “Books We Love.” The public is invited to come to this free event and enjoy a glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, meet Bob and other artists, and view a wonderful variety of artwork. Light refreshments will also be served.

Originally from Illinois, Bob lived and worked in Atlanta, Georgia as an auditor, and later he went into computer programing and systems design. After retirement, Bob and his wife moved to Sparta, Tennessee to be closer to family. Bob always enjoyed doodling during meetings and his habit developed into drawing. After moving to Tennessee, he was drawing in a waiting room where he met artist, Eric Buechel. Eric invited him to one of his painting classes, and Bob has been painting ever since. Bob’s artwork features a wide variety of painting styles and subject matter, ranging from portraits to abstracts, still lifes to landscapes. He enjoys painting with acrylic, oils, air brush, glass and ink. Bob states, “I just like to put paint on stuff. Canvas, wood, glass, saw blades, ... My wife says I'm like the old lady who puts the hot sauce on everything.”

The artwork of Bob Stevens will be on display along with the members’ gallery artwork exhibit from February 3 through March 2. The Arts Center is open to the public Monday through Saturday during our winter hours which are from 10:00-2:00. All artwork in the gallery and in the Endless Possibilities Shop is available for purchase.

Art Guild at Fairfield Glade at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive, Fairfield Glade, TN 38558. Information: 931-707-7249, www.artguildfairfieldglade.net

Awaken Coffee will host an opening reception for GCA Honor Students Friday, Feb. 3, from 6-8 pm.

The show includes work by Grace Christian Academy Honors students, Melanie Guyette, Stella Foreman, Peyton Williams and Grace Oliwa, who are instructed by artist Allison Meriwether. At the beginning of the year, students were guided to reflect on the words "authentic" and "authenticity" and how they relate to the concept. A selection of their artwork was chosen for display.

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/