Calendar of Events

Silas Reynolds is a self-taught artist from Morristown, TN, known for his bold and vibrant abstract paintings. He currently resides in Knoxville, TN, where he continues to create his energetic works of art. As a second-generation artist, Silas had a passion for creativity from a very young age and began drawing as a child. It wasn't until his mid-twenties that Silas commenced painting, and he quickly became captivated by the freedom of abstract expressionism, which allowed him to express himself in a unique way. He uses bold colors and shapes over multiple layers to create depth and texture, using acrylic and spray paint as his primary mediums. He draws inspiration from nature, fashion, and design and is influenced by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Alex Brewer. Silas believes that art is open to interpretation and encourages viewers to explore their own personal meanings and connections within his pieces.

Silas will be opening his show in our Guest Gallery this Saturday from 2 to 5pm. Come see his incredible work and hear his story of his work.

Hours: Friday through Sunday 11am to 5pm

Pivot Point Gallery, 15 Emory Place, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-248-0050, www.pivotpointgallery.com

The 2023 Farragut Quilt Show, sponsored by the Farragut Arts & Beautification Committee, is 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb.18, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Farragut Community Center. This event is free and is open to the public.

This event showcases exceptional work produced by quilters in our region. The show will feature a wide variety of designs, from 19th century crazy quilts to quilted interpretations of modern art. Information about each quilt will be included in a special booklet given to attendees.

Farragut Community Center, 239 Jamestowne Blvd Suite 201, Knoxville, TN 37934. Information: 865-966-7057 or www.farragutparksandrec.org/community-center

Readings of three new plays at Lawson McGhee Public Library, 500 W Church Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902

All readings are free to the public. This year’s plays are:

CUBA LIBRE By Jeanette Brown - Sat. February 18, noon
It’s the late 1950’s and Cuba is on the brink of a revolution but still a playground for the American rich and famous. Imagine a night with Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Ernest Hemingway having a drink at the bar…

LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE By Suzanne Trauth - Sat. February 18, 2:30 PM
A second marriage, family secrets and a looming situation at work that threatens to bring everything out into the open. You know the old joke about the world of academics…”the fights are so big because the strakes are so small.”

A LOVERLY DAY TO KILL YOUIR SPOUSE By Lindsay Brown - Sunday, February 19, 2:00 pm
The open water, a small rowboat and a marriage on the brink. Just how far would you trust your spouse? Or their family?

For further information please contact the Tennessee Stage Company at 865-546-4280.
https://tennesseestage.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TNStageCo

With Philip Clift

Saturdays, 2:30-5 PM - Feb 18

This 6-part series of foundation level workshops will cover a variety of yoga-related topics, the first being fundamentals of asana alignment. In each 2.5 hour class, we'll break down sun salutations and standing postures, thoroughly examining their alignment from the perspective of external pose shape and internal subtle energy dynamics. We'll explore several different approaches for each asana, and learn how to effectively modify down (easier) and up (more challenging). Additionally, we'll go over hands-on adjustments for all poses and modifications. Learning to adjust asana is particularly helpful in integrating an of understanding subtle energy dynamics. Each session will close with Yoga Nidra and deep relaxation.

$50 per session
https://renegadeyogacenter.live/pages/upcoming-workshops--events

Renegade Yoga Center, 516 Renford Road • Knoxville, TN 37919
(865) 500-7120

February 18, 2023 @ 1:00 pm and 4:00 PM

“A Mouse took a stroll through the Deep, Dark Wood..”

Join Mouse on a daring adventure through the deep, dark wood in Tall Stories’ magical, musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Searching for hazelnuts, Mouse meets the cunning Fox, the eccentric old Owl and the party mad Snake. Will the story of the terrifying Gruffalo save Mouse from ending up as dinner for these hungry woodland creatures? After all, there’s no such thing as a Gruffalo – is there? Songs, laughs and scary fun for Grades Pre-K – 3rd, in the much-loved show that’s toured Britain and the world!

Clayton Center for the Arts, 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information/tickets: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

BACK N BLACK
THE AC/DC EXPERIENCE
SATURDAY, FEB 18 | 8PM

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

Bluegrass
Saturday, Feb 18, 8 p.m.

Building on a 70-year history as one of the most influential bluegrass bands in the region, the New Dismembered Tennesseans today bring a new lineup, new repertoire, and new energy to the band founded by Tennessee master fiddler and philanthropist Fletcher Bright and his high school friends back in 1945. Make that “mostly” new lineup, as original banjo player Ed “Doc” Cullis still performs with the band today. Today, along with Cullis, the band features long-time members Laura Walker (bass and vocals) and Don Cassell (mandolin and vocals) plus Bobby Burns (guitar and vocals), Tom Morley (fiddle and vocals) and Fletcher’s granddaughter, Eleanor Bright (clawhammer banjo and vocals), who brings the band full-circle with its roots.

$13 JCA Members, Students, Seniors • $14 General Advance
$18 General Day of Show

Jubilee Community Arts at the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916. Tickets and information: 865-522-5851, www.jubileearts.org

Meet some of Ijams' resident owl ambassadors before heading out on the trails after dark in search of these beautiful birds! Participants will learn about unique owl adaptations that help them rule the night. We'll go out in search of barred, screech, and great horned owls, all while practicing their calls and putting our own senses to the ultimate nocturnal test.

Ages: This program is designed for ages 6+

Register in advance!

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

Meet & Greet with Danita Dodson at Union Ave Books, Saturday, February 18, 2023 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm.

Danita Dodson will be at Union Ave Books signing copies of her book and chatting with folks from 12 am to 2 pm on February 18! Come by to grab your copy and browse.

Danita Dodson is a poet, educator, and literary scholar. The Medicine Woods (2022) is her second book of poetry. Her debut collection, Trailing the Azimuth, was published in 2021. She has published articles in various literary journals, including seminal scholarship on The Handmaid’s Tale. Dodson is also the co-editor of the pedagogical volume Teachers Teaching Nonviolence (2020). She holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Southern Mississippi. Combining a love of scholarship and diverse experiences, she has been a Fulbright-Hays fellow in Turkey, a professor in Nicaragua, an amateur archaeologist in the Southwest, and a Spanish teacher in Appalachia. A native of East Tennessee, she lives in Sneedville, where she hikes and explores local history connected to the wilderness. She teaches adjunct at Walters State Community College.

The Medicine Woods is a graceful and soul-stirring meditation on how our planet’s future lies in the ability to embrace the oneness of life and practice nonviolence toward each other, the trees, the seas, and all beings. In this second collection of awe-inspiring poetry, Danita Dodson uplifts the ecological stewardship that obliges us to seek healing in its many forms—to walk in the woods, to cure waters, to return the soil to its original state of health, to mend broken hearts and minds, to give justice to the oppressed. With perceptive musicality and stunning natural imagery, the poet offers the spirit of what her grandmother sought when she ventured into the East Tennessee woods to find medicinal plants to heal her family—poems that carry an imaginative ethnobotanical essence as they distill curative words in this time of climate change and escalating violence. Uniting the natural and the divine, and connecting the hills of Appalachia with the planetary landscape, Dodson’s mystical verses exemplify the wisdom of a poet with a love of place, illuminating the deep connection to the land that underlies the desire to love it, to protect it, and to listen to its stories.

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

Nothing is more refreshing than a mid-winter hike at the 260-acre UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge. The UT Arboretum Society will hold a President’s Day Hike on Saturday, February 18th at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge, 901 S. Illinois Avenue. Enjoy the forests and trails in this lovely, wooded setting before spring begins next month. Located at 901 South Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge, everyone is welcome to participate in this FREE guided hike.

Newcomers as well as previous participants are invited to join the hike. The hikes have been a staple of the UT Arboretum and UT Arboretum Society for over 14 years This is a great opportunity to “walk off” the winter doldrums and get outside for some fresh air and exercise.

Join the hike that begins at 9 a.m. outside the UT Arboretum Visitors Center. The group will then leave for a guided hike that will be around two miles. The Visitors Center will not be open but portable restrooms are available in the parking lot area. Please wear clothes appropriate to the weather and boots or good shoes for outdoor walking. We aim for this hike to be suitable for all, but the difficulty level of the hike is dependent on individual fitness. Be sure to bring a water bottle to stay hydrated as you hike. No pets, please. Due to ongoing research projects on our grounds, we are unable to allow pets.

www.utarboretumsociety.org

JOIN KNOX HERITAGE AND OPEN DOOR ARCHITECTURE FOR SMALL RENOVATIONS 101!
If you have ever wanted to renovate your kitchen, bathroom, or closet, then we have the lecture for you! Join us for this informative lecture on how to plan and manage your small renovation. Open Door Architecture is a husband-and-wife architecture firm located in the Fourth & Gill neighborhood. They specialize in renovating historic homes for modern lifestyles.

Tickets are $15 per person.

Phone: (865) 523-8008. At 3425 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919
https://www.knoxheritage.org/events/preservation-network-feb/

You're Invited! Stay Home and Read a Book with Friends

Have a ball reading at home during the third annual Stay Home and Read a Book Ball on Saturday, February 18. Funds raised during this year's ball will benefit the Knox County Public Library's Storybook Trails.

Each year, readers donate funds that support library needs and Friends of the Library projects. To RSVP, make a donation of any amount at https://www.knoxfriends.org/news-events/book-ball/
All those who donate will receive a 20% off coupon they can use to purchase the perfect book at Union Ave Books.

The Stay Home and Read a Book Ball is the perfect time to make progress on your 2023 reading goals and log a few Read City hours, all while supporting the library's Storybook Trails.

Friends of the Knox County Public Library: 865-215-8775 or www.knoxfriends.org/