Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 7-29, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, April 7, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features live music inside the Emporium by Nicholas Horner, Cullen Kehoe, and Renee Maggart. 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 https://www.knoxalliance.store.

How do you hold space, hold a memory, hold a hand? How do we record feelings, histories, and identities? These collages explore the nature of mediation, abstraction, and repetition in creating and re-creating oneself. I call on the traditions of quilt piecing, in which larger wholes are divided and re-assembled, along with the sense of a kaleidoscope, which divides, layers, and reflects portions of a scene in a new, ever-changing composition. Bringing both techniques together, I use repetition to both emphasize and disguise my experience from the viewer. The predominant repeating form is of hands, which are traced from photographs of my own or my children’s hands. Using watercolor, colored pencil, and cut paper, I layer flat silhouettes and textured details to build a tapestry collaged on panel.

Much of the material is sourced from photographs I take of myself in moments when I feel overwhelmed, angry, frustrated, or grieving. I translate these photographs into watercolor drawings, which are then cut into various silhouetted hand shapes, along with corresponding shapes of colored paper. By disassembling these moments of hardship and re-distributing them, I attempt to both acknowledge and mitigate these intense feelings as a definition of myself. Like a kaleidoscope, I take the flaws I view in myself and refract what is ugly into something beautiful. Like a quilt, I take scraps to tell a larger story. Through translating this imagery into fragmented and repeated hands, which reference touch, responsibility, and agency, I claim and re-build these vulnerable moments.

Jessie Van der Laan was born in 1980 in Denver, CO. She received her B.F.A in Printmaking and Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis (2002) and her M.F.A in Studio Art from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2009). Her interdisciplinary work is informed by her training as a printmaker and a childhood spent knitting, sewing, drawing, and daydreaming. She has shown her work in numerous national and regional exhibitions, including solo shows at Lindenwood University and Moberly Community College of Missouri, the Rose Center for the Arts in Morristown, TN, at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN, and Mighty Mud Gallery in Knoxville, TN. She makes her work at The England Studio, in Knoxville, TN, and is an Associate Professor of Art and Assistant Dean of Humanities at Walters State Community College in Morristown, TN.

www.jessievanderlaan.com | Instagram @jessievdld

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, April 10. For more information, please see https://www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 7-29, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, April 7, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features live music inside the Emporium by Nicholas Horner, Cullen Kehoe, and Renee Maggart. 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 https://www.knoxalliance.store.

Amanda Barbarito’s new exhibition will be comprised of pieces created from 2020 to present. With bright colors and an array of creatures, the work appears light and playful; upon closer inspection, one will find there is more to it than fun and color. Barbarito wants her paintings to make people think about issues around the environment, and more recent pieces are reaching into social issues that plague our community. She approaches these topics in a way she hopes will lead to healthy discussions rather than creating feelings of hopelessness.

My work is a reaction to my experiences with people versus my experiences with animals. As a child growing up in rural West Tennessee, I was happiest when wandering through the forests and fields around my grandparents’ farm. I looked under logs and in holes. I waded through creeks looking for these mysterious and “evil” snakes that handed out fruit and ruined everything. I picked clover and stood perfectly still until the cow ate it from my hand. I knew the black widows under the logs didn't want to hurt me. I learned bees didn't want to sting me. In nature I found a world that made sense.

I want my work to reflect that appreciation for the small things, the insects, and other under-appreciated critters. When we look at a garden we see the flowers, but if you bend down and look closer, there is so much more to find, so many delicate little lives. Curiosity and wonder are what inspire me to stack so many things into my work. I often choose to include a little touch of litter, so as not to ignore our impact on nature. I don’t include actual humans, but I do include our existence.

www.ABarbarito.com | Instagram @shellytheemotionalsupportpurse

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, April 10. For more information, please see https://www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 7-29, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, April 7, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features live music inside the Emporium by Nicholas Horner, Cullen Kehoe, and Renee Maggart. 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 https://www.knoxalliance.store.

Knot Theories III: The Expansion of Partial-Dimensional Geometries by Adam Rowe is about hidden worlds. This show provides a glimpse into these worlds by answering such questions as: What would overlapping 2-dimensional objects on the same plane look like? Can a single component form wildly different structures? How can a viewer’s perspective reveal a greater range of meaning? Geometric and abstractive works in metal sculpture, painting, woodworking, papercraft and other media illustrate basic principles of topology and tiling.

Making a new artwork begins with a question I don’t immediately know the answer to. It ends with the artwork as the proof that the answer I came up with is true. The middle part, figuring it out, is often more time consuming than shaping the actual piece, although it is the part I enjoy the most. After studying graphic design and working in this field for several years, my desire to take the principles of design and apply them to media other than paper or the screen has steadily increased. Most of my work is “math art,” although I would never claim to know much math. Adam Rowe’s work has been shown most recently in Knoxville; as a part of the Joint Mathematics Meetings; and in the Bridges math / art conference. https://adamrowe.com | Instagram @adamrowemusic

Rob Scott’s exhibition is a sampling of pieces created during various phases of his “meditation artwork” journey. The various styles are based on inspirations from travel, nature, and ideas from friends. He has particularly enjoyed the connections with other people these pieces have fostered as he shared them on social media. Some friends use them as Rorschach (ink blot) tests and give them fanciful names.

I loved art as a child, but once I discovered computer programming at 15, I dismissed my artistic interest as nothing more than a hobby. In 2015, my daughter began showing interest in (and aptitude for) art, and I was inspired to revisit my childhood hobby. At first, my drawings were merely for fun and to encourage my daughter – but I quickly realized that this creative outlet was something I desperately needed. I felt a strong need to create something unrelated to my profession; while I still enjoy software development, it is not something that is easily shared with others. I longed to create something that I could share with others. For most of my life, I have been wrapped up in my logical, analytical left brain, and my mental health has suffered as a result. As I re-explored the possibilities of art, I began to shape my work around the needs of my mind. Instead of starting with a desired goal -- something I do every day at work -- I did the least amount of planning possible. I started each piece with only the barest idea -- perhaps a few circles traced in pencil. I chose media that were easy to pick up and use without excessive prep time and cleanup. I stayed with relatively small sizes so that I could complete each piece without becoming tired or anxious. I gravitated toward an abstract style partly because I enjoyed it, and partly because it reduced any pressure to look like something recognizable. https://tracklessdeep.com | Instagram @tracklessdeep

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, April 10. For more information, please see https://www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from April 7-29, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, April 7, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features live music inside the Emporium by Nicholas Horner, Cullen Kehoe, and Renee Maggart. 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 https://www.knoxalliance.store.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present this third biennial juried exhibition featuring selected works from 73 artists throughout the region. The exhibition was designed to celebrate the innovation of artists who create work on a small scale (under 12”) and in a broad range of media and styles. Over $1,000 in cash awards will be announced at a brief awards ceremony at 5:30 PM on Friday, April 7.

Exhibiting artists include:
+ Mary Burk Smith of Wallingford, CT
+ David Kamm of Decorah, IA
+ JoEl Levy LoGiudice of Ashland City, TN
+ Bonnie Licata of Clinton, TN
+ Kitt Cat Schmitz and Wade Schmitz of Cookeville, TN
+ Lorraine Jacques of Corryton, TN
+ Twyla Marti and Tom Neckvatal of Crossville, TN
+ Michelle Barillaro, Neranza Noel Blount, Stephen Brayfield, Deb Cikovic, Michaelanne Collins, Barbara Bolton Cornett, Marianne Custer, Claudia Dean, Kamden Ekern, Casey Field, Lynn Flowers, Marianne Gansley, Elena Ganusova, Jessica Gregory, Jace Hermanto, Tuyen Ho & Cát Vy Stallworth, Brian Horais, Cheri Jorgenson, Andreas Koschan, Merry Koschan, Elizabeth Lee, David G. Liles, Lana Lindorfer, Ling Lu, Jennifer MacIsaac, Victoria May, Brenda Mills, Julie L. Rabun, Mostafa Rahbar, Adam Rowe, Pamela Salyer, Sarah Scardina, Hanna Seggerman, Caitlin Seidler, Summer Smith, Rae Tayo, Robert H. Thompson, Bill Timm, Marilyn Avery Turner, Kate Peebles Watson and Megan Wolfkill of Knoxville, TN
+ Steven McQuilkin of Lenoir City, TN
+ Perry Flanagan, Donna Hart, Gail Henn, Laurel Hughes, Katina Kelsey and Suzanne Leblanc of Loudon, TN
+ Betty Bullen of Luttrell, TN
+ Jane Barton, Carl Gombert and Marianne Woodside of Maryville, TN
+ Daniel Bruce Hughes of Nashville, TN
+ Ryan Braby, Elaine Marcel Culbert and Nicole Ferrara of Oak Ridge, TN
+ Rebecca J. Buglio of Philadelphia, TN
+ Debra Lovvorn Belvin of Rockwood, TN
+ Lynn Straka and Andrew Spinosa of Sevierville, TN
+ Amanda Long of Signal Mountain, TN
+ Chery Cratty of Smithville, TN
+ Judy Lavoie of Tellico Plains, TN
+ Kathleen A. Janke of Townsend, TN

About the juror: Josiah Golson is an artist, the founder of 800 Collective and the Programs Director at Stove Works in Chattanooga, TN. He explores personal and collective narratives of identity and advocacy through drawing, painting, poetry, performance, and video. Golson returned to his hometown of Chattanooga after earning his law degree at the University of Texas in Austin. While practicing law, he founded the 800 Collective to creatively inspire and organize civic discourse and engagement. Golson then pursued an artistic practice full time to facilitate workshops through 800 Collective and to complete The Souls of Free Folk (Polyphemus Press, 2018), an illustrated book of poetry inspired by the legacy of Black art and activism. Golson’s current work, FESTIVAL, is a work of poetry, collage, and installation that explores identity and belonging through the visual culture of popular music. www.JosiahGolson.com

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, April 10. For more information, please see https://www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Opens Fri Apr 7, 5-9 PM

HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holahoralatina.org

A collection of beautiful and affordable original artwork in a variety of art mediums priced from $10 to $50 will be on display and available for purchase!

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

Dogwood Arts and the Songbirds Foundation are proud to announce the 2023 Epiphone Guitar Design Contest. The contest is open to all high school and middle school students living in East Tennessee. Several guitar designs created by youth artists will be selected for implementation and exhibition. The art guitars will be displayed at the Dogwood Arts Gallery in Knoxville and at the Songbirds Guitar Museum, a one-of-a-kind guitar museum located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The guitars will be auctioned to benefit Dogwood Arts’ youth art programs & the Songbirds Foundation’s Guitars for Kids initiative.

Winning designers will each receive $50 for art supplies and complimentary tickets to Southern Skies Music Festival (May 20-21, 2023); additional cash prizes will be awarded to select artists at the exhibition reception.

The online auction will be live from April 3 - May 26, 2023
Guitars will be displayed at the Songbirds Guitar Museum (Chattanooga) during the month of April 2023.
Guitars will be displayed in the Dogwood Arts Gallery (Knoxville) during the month of May 2023
An exhibition reception and awards ceremony will take place on Friday, May 5th at the Dogwood Arts Gallery from 5-8PM (Awards at 6PM)
Select guitars will also be on display at the Southern Skies Music Festival (May 20-21, 2023)

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

www.artisticEscape.studio

This show will be framed and gallery wrapped canvases in water based oils. Featured will be a collection of local Tennessee wildlife. Leesa has lived in East Tennessee for three years, a retiree from the Western states. She lives North of Knoxville with husband and two rescue dogs.

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 the Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Rd, Knoxville
Gallery hours: Tue-Thu 10-4.

Reception on Sun Apr 2, 2-4 PM

In 1963 a group of Knoxville artists was invited by the late Kermit (Buck) Ewing, Head of the University of TN Art Department, to participate in an exhibition of watercolor paintings at the University’s McClung Museum. During the opening reception Mr. Ewing noted the Knoxville area did not have an organization for artists to share the common interest of painting in aqueous media. He suggested that those artists exhibiting in the McClung show could be the nucleus for such an association. Thus, was the formation of the Knoxville Watercolor Society with Laura Bagwell serving as the first President.

The purpose of this organization is to educate the members as well as the community to the understanding of watercolor as a significant art form. Active membership is juried by the members and consists of Knoxville area artists who are currently active in the serious pursuit of aqueous painting. Annually, the organization provides a scholarship for the University of Tennessee student who is majoring in watercolor painting, donates to the University Ewing Gallery and maintains a membership in the Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville. Additionally, grants have been made to the Arts Council of Greater Knoxville, the Knoxville Museum of Art, The Tennessee Resource Center, The Tennessee Art Association High School Scholarship Program.

http://www.knxvillewatercolorsociety.com/

Both exhibitions feature beautifully rendered, larger than life portraits. The Real Me, has a real twist. The concept is fascinating and a real eye-opener. Come join us for the opening reception on March 25 from 7 to 9 PM to meet Mr. Gombert, or any day during the exhibition. A gallery talk will precede the opening at 6:30 PM.

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

Opening Reception SUNDAY MARCH 19, 2:30 PM – 4 PM

During this reception, Ric Kasini Kadour will present a Curator's Talk. In addition to any artists in attendance, we will be joined by artists in the Folklore & Collage Residency taking place that week at the museum. If you plan to attend the opening event, please RSVP to Christopher Byrne at info@kolajinstitute.org. After the opening, we invite you to join us and the residency artists at Marble City Market for dinner and/or drinks at 6pm.

Kolaj Magazine is a quarterly, printed, art magazine reviewing and surveying contemporary collage with an international perspective. The publication explores collage as a medium, a genre, a community, and a 21st century art movement. Critical reviews and essays are cut and pasted with artist profiles, event highlights, and articles on techniques and materials. Kolaj is published in Montreal, Quebec by Maison Kasini.
http://kolajmagazine.com/content/

ABOUT "MYTHICAL LANDSCAPE: SECRETS OF THE VALE"—
“The peaceful valley,” wrote William Wilson in 1904, “appears to have had a peculiar attraction for beings supernatural; and for generations its bosky glens and leafy braes have been the reputed haunt of ghosts, fairies, witches, and other beings of an uncanny kind. This sweet, pastoral vale in its nine miles course can boast of scenery unequaled in its quiet beauty, possessing in its woods and waters, its hazelly glens and green-clad hills, everything that can contribute to the making of the finest landscape, while to increase the charm it abounds in the most romantic tales of byegone days.” Sanquhar is a village on the River Nith, up from Dumfries, down from Glasgow, a former Royal Burgh, home to the world’s oldest working post office and the oldest curling society. The Crichton Family ruled the land from the time of Robert the Bruce until they threw such a lavish party for James VI and I in 1617 that they went bankrupt. A monument in town is dedicated to Covenanters who fought against government interference in religious affairs. A forge on Crawick Water made shovels and other tools. A carpet factory boasted fifty-four working looms at the height of production. Saint Bride’s Church, the Tolbooth, sheep grazing the fields, the castle ruins, rabbits in Queensberry Square. What stories does this mythical landscape hold? “Mythical Landscape: Secrets of the Vale” is an exhibition by an international group of artists, all of whom traveled to Sanquhar to investigate a sense of place and make artwork that speaks to the rich history and folklore of the region. Artworks reference stories from the past (true or otherwise) and consider the history of the region. Many of the works were shown at MERZ Gallery during Sanquhar’s Festival of Folklore, 22-25 September 2022. The artwork will be the subject of a film by David Rushton and used to illustrate a forthcoming, abridged version of William Wilson’s 1904 book, Folk Lore and Genealogies of Uppermost Nithsdale.

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

Details TBA

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, https://www.arrowmont.org