Calendar of Events

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Tennessee Valley Players: Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Category: Kids, family and Theatre

Tennessee Valley Players present 10 performances of Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Annual summer collaboration with the Tennessee Valley Players and the University of Tennessee at the new St. Gregory the Great Auditorium, on the Knoxville Catholic High School campus, off Cedar Bluff Road, 9245 Fox Lonas Road, Knoxville, TN 37923.

June 8-18, 2023,
Ten performances
Thursday, June 08 - Opening Night, 7:30PM
Friday, June 09 - Performance, 7:30PM
Saturday, June 10 - Matinee, 3:00PM; Performance, 7:30 (Breakfast with the Cast, 9:30AM)
Sunday, June 11 - Matinee, 3:00PM
Thursday, June 15 - Performance, 7:30
Friday, June 16 - Performance, 7:30
Saturday, June 17 - Matinee, 3:00PM; Evening Performance, 7:30PM
Sunday, June 18 - Matinee, 3:00PM

DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the enchantment never ends in this romantic and beloved take on the classic fairytale. Join Tennessee Valley Players for 10 thrilling performances, from June 8-11 and June 15-18, plus breakfast with the characters on June 10! Disney's Beauty and the Beast is an international
sensation which has been produced in 37 countries across the globe.

Purchase at the box office - as early as 45 minutes prior to the show or online through Ticket Spice
(ticketspice.com)

https://tennesseevalleyplayers.regfox.com/tennessee-valley-players-presents-disneys-beauty-and-the-beast

Marble City Opera: Susannah

Category: Music and Theatre

Marble City Opera will produce 3 American operas for their 2022-2023 season. The season’s focus is strong women, and each opera will be performed in English.

by: Carlisle Floyd
Venue: Marble Springs State Historic Site
Directed by: Matt Haney
Conducted by: Andy Anderson

Written during the McCarthy era, Susannah is based loosely on the Apocryphal tale of Susannah and the Elders. Set in New Hope Valley, TN, Susannah, a pretty and well-mannered young woman of humble origins, is faced with hostility from her church community. Alongside local and regional performers in this site-specific and immersive production of Susannah, Marble City Opera’s production features Metropolitan Opera Singer, David Crawford starring as Preacher Blitch. Travel back in time with Marble City Opera to see this American classic opera, staged at John Sevier’s home at Marble Springs historic site.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at www.marblecityopera.com/tickets

Social Media links: FB: facebook.com/MarbleCityOpera
IN: @MarbleCityOpera
TW: @MarbleCityOpera

Cancer Support Community East Tennessee: Good Vibrations

  • June 8, 2023

Category: Culinary arts, food, Fundraisers and Music

Back by popular demand, Wes Bailey will be the headliner with special guest, Amber Woodhouse!

Early bird tickets are now on sale for $65, until April 15, when the price goes up to $75. Food trucks, beer, wine, and soft drinks will be on site.

Join us for a wonderful evening of entertainment, with all proceeds supporting the mission of CSCET, where no one faces cancer alone!

(865) 546-4661 or www,CancerSupportET.org

Bijou Theatre: Sam Morril Class Act Tour

Category: Comedy

SAM MORRIL CLASS ACT TOUR, Thursday, June 8, 7:00PM at the Bijou Theatre.

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

Finn's Irish Restaurant and Tavern: True Blue

  • June 8, 2023

Category: Music

Historic Baker-Peters House
9000 Kingston Pike
7-9:30 PM

True Blue Bluegrass band
https://hatfieldmusic.com/true-blue/
True Blue was founded by Jack Hatfield in the early 1980’s, making them one of most experienced bluegrass bands in East Tennessee. They perform traditional bluegrass with occasional country and acoustic pop/rock selections sprinkled in for variety. True Blue has entertained at hundreds of weddings, clubs, conventions, parties, festivals and receptions.

31st Annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam

  • June 7, 2023 — June 11, 2023

Category: Classes, workshops, Festivals, special events, Lecture, panel and Literature, spoken word, writing

The best poets in the nation will come together to workshop, slam, and inspire our city!
Day events, late-night events, writing workshops, nightly bouts, and more!
32 teams and 16 "indies" over 4 days
FREE! Wed-Fri with Finals tickets $25

https://www.southernfriedpoetryslam.com/

Theatre Knoxville Downtown: Puffs or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School for Magic and Magic

Category: Theatre

By Matt Cox
Director: Courtney Woolard

For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of the Puffs… who just happened to be there too. A tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world.

The New York Times proclaims Puffs “A fast-paced romp through the ‘Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic.’ For Potterphiliacs who grew up alongside Potter and are eager to revisit that world, Puffs exudes a jovial, winking fondness for all things Harry!”

This clever and inventive play “never goes more than a minute without a laugh” (Nerdist) giving you a new look at a familiar adventure from the perspective of three potential heroes just trying to make it through a magic school that proves to be very dangerous for children. Alongside them are the Puffs, a group of well-meaning, loyal outsiders with a thing for badgers “who are so lovable and relatable, you’ll leave the theater wishing they were in the stories all along” (Hollywood Life). Their “hilariously heartfelt!” (Metro) and epic journey takes the classic story to new places and reimagines what a boy wizard hero can be.

Puffs is not authorized, sanctioned, licensed or endorsed by J.K Rowling, Warner Bros. or any person or company associated with the Harry Potter books, films or play.

Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 800 S. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information & tickets: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

UT Downtown Gallery: In We Trust

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event

First Friday Receptions: June 2, 5-9pm; July 7, 5-9pm; August 4, 5-9pm

First Friday July will feature special performances by students from the UT School of Music sponsored by Knoxville Opera.

Curated by former Knoxvillian, Alex Gingrow, In We Trust asks us to consider what we trust without mandate and why. What are those systems and values we believe in? What do we accept, and what do we let go of? For Gingrow, trust leads to community and empathy. With this path forward, she has curated an exhibition of works with “magic moments, when we are transported beyond ourselves and made to think about the creator, and why they made the very choices they made.” In We Trust invites the viewer to “stumble into empathy - the building block of exchange and community.”

In We Trust features work by Alex Gingrow, Kyung Jeon, Jim Lee, David X. Levine, Makeda Lewis, Steve Locke, Audrey Stone, and Trish Tillman.

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

Rala: Dolly Art Show 2023

  • June 2, 2023 — July 30, 2023

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event

Howdy! It's the 5th annual Dolly Art Show!

Join us Friday, June 2nd from 5:00-8:00 PM for opening night. Our wall will be filled with art by nearly 40 local and regional artists who love Dolly as much as we do. Awards will be announced at 7pm, and Dolly art will remain on display through the end of July.

Rala may limit capacity of in-person attendees for the safety of our audience in regards to maximum occupancy requirements.
We encourage you to attend virtually if you cannot attend in person, and follow us on Facebook/Instagram for updates as we get closer to the event.

You can stream the awards ceremony by joining our Instagram Live @shoprala, or by visiting our YouTube channel to catch the live stream later (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh_tM87RUMyb6DmkJU3MifQ)

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/628793335793173/

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

Dogwood Arts: Paper Garden by Gabrielle Barnhart & Kate Buuck

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Join us for the First Friday Opening Reception of 'Paper Garden' featuring work by Gabrielle Barnhart & Kate Buuck — Friday, June 2nd from 5-8PM.

• Address: 123 W. Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
• Exhibition on Display: June 2 - July 21, 2023
• Regular Gallery Hours: M-F | 10AM-5PM

A garden is a space in the earth formed for nourishment, beauty and wild delight. Inspired by the tender dedication of the gardener's hand, Paper Garden has become the terrain in which we explore, print, prune, paint, water and grow. The vibrant, flora-forward pieces of this show are artifacts from our own exploration and collaboration. Join us in this celebration of small moments.

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

Art Guild at Fairfield Glade: Dale Soblo - Impressions of Monet’s Water Lilies

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event

Dale Soblo will be the featured artist for the month of June, and will be honored at the Fun and Wine First Friday Reception on Friday, June 2 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive. The public is invited to come to this free event and enjoy a glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, visit with Dale and other artists, and view a wonderful variety of artwork. Light refreshments will also be served.

Art Guild member and artist, Dale Soblo presents his beautiful water lilies collection for public viewing. Dale reflects on water lilies and his water color paintings, “Water lilies arise from the depths, transforming a lake or pond into a floating garden. Ever since my youth I have seen magic, mystery, and danger in the still waters where they grow. Water lilies are beautiful, mysterious, and beguiling all at once. Monet also had a fascination with water lilies as his 250 or so paintings of them attest. The paintings of Monet I studied to create this collection spanned a period from 1910-1919. These 32 watercolor paintings are my impressions of Monet’s water lilies. The composition, color, and value of my paintings as well as the expression of human emotions are derived from studying Monet’s works. In his work I began to see the many conflicts and emotions he must have experienced during this time as he lost a son and WW1 was at his doorstep. The titles of my individual paintings are derived from the current locations of Monet’s originals.”

Dale’s training in botanical art started as an undergraduate at Eastern Michigan University making detailed drawings of plant anatomy, plant morphology, and trees and woody shrubs. During this time he took a course in botanical illustration at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Dale went on to earn a BS in Biology from Eastern Michigan University (1986) and an MS in Botany from Clemson University (1989). His interest in nature led him to work as a horticulturist at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, designing and managing nature preserves for The Nature Conservancy, and teaching at Washtenaw Community College, Clemson University, Midlands Technical College, and Spring Valley High. As a teacher he developed an arts-based curriculum for biology and environmental science classes that taught students to use drawing and watercolor painting as ways to carefully observe and record the natural world.

The paintings of Dale Soblo will be on display along with the members’ gallery artwork exhibit from June 2 through July 6.

Gallery: Mon-Sat 9-4. 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: Southern Charm by Melissa N. Everett

  • June 2, 2023 — July 1, 2023

Category: Culinary arts, food, Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Friday, June 2, from 6-8 Awaken Coffee will have live music by Melissa Hale and will host an opening reception for artist Melissa N. Everett.

Melissa’s show is titled “Southern Charm”

“Songwriting [Quilt-making] is my way of channeling my feelings and my thoughts. Not just mine, but the things I see, the people I care about. My head would explode if I didn’t get some of that stuff out.” Dolly Parton [Melissa Everett]

After listening to Dolly Parton’s America, the initial idea of this project, Southern Charm, has grown to be so much deeper and more meaningful. Learning about the way she has evolved as an artist and grown as an independent woman while staying tied to her beautiful, mountain childhood resonated with me. I want these things to be true for myself, as well. As I mature and unfold as a female artist, I’ve recently started looking back at my childhood in Waynesville, NC to rediscover my favorite things again; like Easter, pastels, ruffles, playing in the woods etc. A couple of similarities between Dolly and I stand out: home, comfort, inclusion and nostalgia. This show is about channeling your inner child, listening to your heart and setting aside what doesn’t work for you any longer to continue on through hope, love and joy.

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/

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