Calendar of Events

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

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/

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

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

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

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

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/

Cindy Marrazzo is an engineer and Vietnam Marine Veteran who is an international painter and portrait artist. She uses math and science and sometimes Marine discipline to deliver realistic details to every scene, while her use of darks and lights provide amazing light to her paintings.

Charlotte Brindley does highly detailed oil portrait paintings inspired by the Italian Renaissance and the Pre-Raphaelites, which includes layers of jewel tones, intricate designs, and symbolist overtones.

Pebbie Mott renders impressionistic palette knife paintings in oil and acrylic and is a graduate of the Ringling School of Art and Design.

Gary Taylor paints with colorful acrylics and is inspired by nature and his Tennessee surroundings. He also makes porcelain jewelry.

Julie-Boisseau-Craig is a glass artist who creates both functional and sculptural pieces as well as copper and glass jewelry.

Sherrie Wilson is a Shibori weaver who weaves wearable art and dynamic wall pieces.

First Friday Reception: June 2nd, 5:30 – 9:00 pm

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

Opens Fri Jun 2, 5-9 PM

Colectivo Subterráneos
https://www.instagram.com/subterraneos.oax/
Existimos, porque resistimos. Por los oprimidos, por los invisibilizados, por aquellos que quisieron enterrar, los subterráneos, existimos. We exist, because we resist. For the oppressed, for the invisible, for those who wanted to. www.facebook.com/Subterraneoss

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

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

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

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