Calendar of Events

June 2 - 18: FUN HOME based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics and book by Lisa Kron

"Someone just came in the door
Like no one I ever saw before
I feel...
I feel...
I don't know where you came from
I wish I did
I feel so dumb
I feel...
Your swagger and your bearing
And the just-right clothes you're wearing
Your short hair and your dungarees
And your lace-up boots
And your keys
Oh, your ring of keys"

Who knew a UPS delivery woman, in her simple act of...well, delivering a package, could unlock such passion and joy in a preteen girl? Alison Bechdel knew.

Tony Award-winning duo, Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron, masterfully capture graphic novelist Alison Bechdel's coming-of-age story in FUN HOME. As a father and his daughter struggle to open up to one another, they each go on their own journey of discovering love, queerness and all of the pain and beauty that comes with such an awakening. Will their common path be something they can one day share?

River & Rail Theatre, 111 State Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-407-0727, www.riverandrailtheatre.com

The Old City Association announces its 3rd annual Dolly-themed festival taking place the 1st weekend of June, reimagined this year as “Rhinestone Fest, for the Love of Dolly!” We are expanding our celebration to encompass all artists, musicians, and do-gooders that Dolly has inspired throughout her rhinestone-studded career!

Benefiting Dogwood Arts’ Art Kits for Kids program (www.dogwoodarts.com/artkits) and The Historic Old City Association (www.oldcityknoxville.org), Rhinestone Fest will take place on June 2, 3, 4, 2023 at various locations in and around the Old City. Events will commence Friday in conjunction with other First Friday activities, and will continue throughout the weekend, with a Main Stage event on Saturday featuring live music and other activities, and a Rhinestone Market on Sunday, curated by the Old City Market. Rhinestone Fest is a family-friendly event, and free to attend.

Due to the success of the Dolly Art Contest, started at Rala in 2019, Rhinestone Fest was created to celebrate all things Dolly and to invite people to experience our unique and vibrant Old City community. Rhinestone Fest has something for everyone! Guests can expect First Friday activities to include art shows, live music, and Dolly movie screenings at various locations in and around the Old City. Saturday’s Main Stage event, taking place on S Central Street, will feature live music, as well as interactive activities such as a Dolly costume contest, talent show, and other local performers. Sunday’s special-edition Rhinestone Market on W Jackson Avenue will highlight local and regional artists and makers displaying their Dolly themed creations. Restaurants, bars, and retail shops will feature specials throughout the weekend. A calendar and map of events will be available via the Rhinestone Fest website.

Please follow us at: Instagram – @rhinestonefest
Online – www.rhinestonefest.com

2023 Flatwater Tales in Oak Ridge, TN
June 2 – 3 at the Historic Grove Theater

Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival features three nationally acclaimed storytellers for the June 2023 performances: Lyn Ford, Bil Lepp and Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr.

Our 6th annual event returns live to the Historic Grove Theater in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Friday, June 2 and Saturday June 3, 2023. Performances are at 7 PM June 2 and at 10 AM, 2 PM and 7 PM on Saturday, June 3.

Our Friday and Saturday evening shows include two special events. On Friday, June 2, Robert Jones will headline with a feature presentation, "American History Through Music." On Saturday night, June 3, Bil Lepp will perform a special Oak Ridge-themed story, "I Guess Ol' John Wasn't Crazy After All: John Hendrix, the Prophet of Oak Ridge."

Every teller will perform a different story at each show.

Several generous donations enable us to reduce all storytelling ticket prices for 2023. We are also providing tickets for children at each show but request that children at the evening shows be 10+ years old due to the length of the show into the the night.
Tickets are now on sale at Eventbrite, at the Flatwater Tales website or in person at the Ferrell Shop in Oak Ridge (cash or check only please). Take advantage of our Early Bird Special and get a discount when you buy tickets for both the afternoon and evening shows on Saturday.
https://flatwatertales.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=30cfc2aaa1ff2d55542ff5b8a&id=e5a4575c9d&e=c24e3863cc

Historic Grove Theatre, 123 Randolph Rd, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, http://thegrovetheater.org/

Fri Jun 2 2023
9:00 PM (Doors 8:00 PM)
Ages 18+
Advance Price: $20 + fees / Day of Show Price: $25 + fees

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

We're absolutely thrilled to launch the 2023 Nief-Norf Summer Festival, taking place in the University of Tennessee's Natalie L. Haslam Music Center. There is a remarkable lineup of artist teachers lined up to work with this year's fellows on all things performance, composition, improvisation, scholarship, technology, and entrepreneurship.
• Allison Adams
• Andy Bliss
• Lisa Cella
• Vicky Chow
• Alex Ring Gray
• José Gurría-Cárdenas
• Jordan Munson
• Joo Won Park
• Eric Retterer
• Erin Rogers
• Ashley Walters

Details TBA! https://www.niefnorf.org/festival

The Tellico Community Players present "Silent Sky" by Lauren Gunderson.

This powerful, humorous, and poignant play is based on the true story of Henrietta Leavitt and her fellow female astronomers at the Harvard Observatory during the early 1900's who overcame the challenges of their times to make groundbreaking scientific discoveries that would change the understanding of our universe and beyond.

The play is produced by Tellico Community Players (https://www.tellicocommunityplayhouse.org/), and will run from Thursday-Saturday June 1st-3rd at 7:30 PM and June 4th at 1:30 PM at Tellico Community Playhouse, 304 Lakeside Plaza, Loudon, TN 37774.

Tickets are available online at https://ticketpeak.co/tellicocommunityplayhouse/events or at the door. For more information contact TellicoCommunityPlayers@gmail.com.

Flatwater Tales Storytelling Festival Workshops June 1 and 2 at the UT Arboretum Auditorium.

On Thursday, June 1, Lyn Ford will lead a workshop,"Collecting Family Stories: Gathering and Creating Spoken and Written Narratives" and on Friday, June 2, Robert Jones will lead a workshop,"Celebrating Diversity: Using Music and Stories Build Bridges" at the UT Arboretum auditorium in Oak Ridge.

For more information visit: https://flatwatertales.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=30cfc2aaa1ff2d55542ff5b8a&id=e5a4575c9d&e=c24e3863cc

UT Arboretum Auditorium, 901 S Illinois Ave, Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Arrowmont’s workshop instructors are nationally and internationally recognized artists and university faculty. With over 130 classes being offered in a variety of media, students and instructors come to Arrowmont from across the globe to share skills and ideas, foster new thinking, and participate in artistic growth and creative camaraderie.

To honor our instructors and showcase their talent, Arrowmont presents an annual group exhibition. Their work is a true expression of Arrowmont’s vision and mission – to enrich lives through art.

Participating artists include:

Amie Adelman; Maureen Aderman; Erin Anfinson; Sally Ault; Elizabeth Belz; HP Bloomer; Clay Burnette; Eric Cannizaro; Laura Casas; Gary Chapman; Tricia Cooke; Emily Culver; Tina Curry; Kristy Deetz; Mathew Dercole; Erika Diamond; Nancy Dillen; Katherine Diuguid; Robert Ebendorf (photograph!); Mark Errol; Brie Flora; Laritza Garcia; Sanaz Haghani; Aaron Hammer; Mi-Sook Hur; Margarita Koroith; Jun Lee; Maia Leppo; Po Wen Liu; Ashton Ludden; Sandra McEwen; Colleen Merrill; Kim Mirus; Lindsay Oesterritter; Alonzo Pantoja-Patino; Kyungmin Park; Millian Pham Lien Giang; Jerry Bedor Phillips; John Polly; Rachel Rader; Lynda Ray; Taylor Robenalt; Eliana E. Rodriguez; Cheyenne Rudolph; Nigel Rudolph; Joylnn Santiago; Amy Santoferraro; Trustina Sabah; Leslie Smith; Greta Songe; Kaleena Stasiak; Kelly Sullivan; Brett Taylor; Amanda Thatch; ᎺᎵᏔᎻᏏᏂ Mary Welch Thompson; James Thurman; Umut Demirguc Thurman; Heinrich Toh; Joy Ude; Jennifer Wells; Jennifer York (nee Swearington); Janis Mars Wunderlich

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

Featuring Kimberly Dummons (Murfreesboro, TN) and Tracy Treadwell (Memphis, TN) - MAIN GALLERY
Studies by Nichole Schappert (Knoxville, TN) - PROJECT SPACE

Tri-Star Arts is pleased to present the next exhibition in their Main Gallery at the historic Candoro Marble Building. A two-person show, Internal Logic, featuring recent mixed media works by artists Kimberly Dummons (Murfreesboro, TN, USA) and Tracy Treadwell (Memphis, TN, USA) opens Friday, May 19, 2023 and will run through Saturday, July 8, 2023. Curator: Brian R. Jobe.

Tri-Star Arts is pleased to present the next exhibition in their Golden Chain Gallery project space located at the historic Candoro Marble Building. Studies by Nichole Schappert (Knoxville, TN, USA) opens Friday, May 19, 2023 and will run through Saturday, July 8, 2023. This show is located within the unique architectural space of a steep wooden stairwell and elements will be added to it by the artist over the duration of the exhibition.

The Tri-Star Arts Gallery and Studios are located in the historic Candoro Marble Building, 5 minutes from downtown Knoxville at the corner of Maryville Pike and Candora Avenue. 4450 Candora Drive, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Tu-Sa 11-5. Information: https://tristararts.org/visit

Our ode to creativity, this exhibition reprises a challenge from a few years ago and asks artists to take items of
our choosing (we will provide the objects) and make an original composition including them!

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

When: May 8-June 4 (Downtown) | June 6-July 5 (West Knox)

Don’t miss a personal collection of Market Square Farmers’ Market photos featuring vendors, shoppers, happenings, and memories over the past 20 years, taken by local photographers Holly Rainey and Shawn Poynter.
https://www.instagram.com/holly__rainey/
http://www.poynterphotoco.com/

Enjoy a meal at Tomato Head to view and purchase these beautiful, framed prints - perfect for the MSFM super fan.

Tomato Head, 12 Market Square (865-637-4067) and 7240 Kingston Pike, Suite 172 (865-584-1075), in Knoxville. https://thetomatohead.com/

May 8 – June 15, 2023 the Knoxville Museum of Art will be closed for gallery renovations. We will reopen June 16, 2023 with a projection-based sculptural installation by artist Courtney Egan, up through August 27. Followed by Jane Cassidy’s audio-visual installation Drink Up the Moon September 1-November 12, 2023.

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.