Calendar of Events

Friends of the Knox County Public Library and Union Ave Books will host an evening with author Julia Franks at the East Tennessee History Center on June 14th at 7 pm. Franks will promote her new book, The Say So, due out on June 6.

The novel is about two women in different generations grappling with an unplanned pregnancy. It's a situation Franks found herself in as a young woman. She compares the experience to that of soldiers in combat.

"I would say I spent 15 years reading war literature, stories about soldiers, and they share a similar pattern: The soldier goes to war and has an experience that is not what they expected. Then they come home, and the media and the general public tell them what their experience was. They're surrounded by stories of what it was supposed to have been. And there's a disconnect. I had an experience like that. What TV and movies say that this experience of an unplanned pregnancy is like is not what it was like. And it is not the person who experienced it who is wrong. People who don't know what they're talking about are wrong."

Her book talk is a free event, but registration is encouraged at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-author-event-featuring-julia-franks-tickets

The Friends of the Knox County Public Library and Union Ave Books are proud to partner in bringing author Julia Franks to Knoxville on June 14, 2023 at 7 pm.

Thanks to the East Tennessee History Center for hosting this event at 601 S Gay St.

While this is a free event, we ask that you register for your spot at this link.
https://www.unionavebooks.com/event/author-event-featuring-julia-franks

Information: 865-951-2180, www.unionavebooks.com

Wednesday, June 14th, 7pm
$10 at Remedy Coffee (800 Tyson St, Knoxville, TN 37917)

Music is the Remedy: an evening of songs and caffeinated communion

5 conscious singer/songwriters from Knox and Nash share medicinal music to help alleviate the current chaotic nature of living and to connect through community

Ben McLaughlin
Jake Smith
Jaq
Lou Turner (Nash)
Bea Troxel (Nash)

Wednesday, June 14, at 7:15 p.m. at Central Cinema, 1205 North Central Street

Wednesday, we’re partnering with the Knox County Public Library’s Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound in a rare showing of the movie version of Eugene O’Neill’s only comedy, Ah, Wilderness! Even though the movie has a New England setting, it opens with a genuine old Knoxville High School banner, thanks to the fact that its director was a KHS alumnus (and a UT graduate) who became our most prolific contribution to Hollywood’s filmmaking industry: Clarence Brown. The movie in fact has several surprising Knoxville fingerprints on it—as Jack Neely will explain in a brief talk before the showing of the film at Central Cinema. And it’s right in the middle of Clarence Brown’s old neighborhood. The location, in Happy Holler (a district Brown would have known by that name), occupies the space of an old neighborhood movie theater once known as the Joy. Be there at 7:15. Part of TAMIS’s monthly series at this unique venue, it’s a free program, and anticipates the Clarence Brown Film Festival envisioned for later in the year.

Knoxville History Project: 865-300-4559, www.Knoxvillehistoryproject.org

WEDNESDAY AT 6 PM – 7:30 PM
Online event

The Sundress Academy for the Arts is excited to present “How to Make Any Fiction Subgenre Your Own,” a workshop led by Alex Difrancesco on June 14, 2023, from 6-7:30 PM. This event will be held over Zoom. Participants can access the event at https://tiny.utk.edu/sundress (password: safta).

This workshop puts forth a simple formula for genre-hopping -- or for creating “speculative fiction” that takes elements of genres including sci-fi, horror, literary, and others. The formula will be put forth in the lecture section, expound upon the research of tropes and ways to both take them literally and push back on them. Examples will be used from literature, including Octavia Butler’s playing with the “grandfather paradox” in time travel literature in Kindred (the trope had, until that novel, dictated that you cannot go back in time and kill your grandfather because you would cease to exist, and Butler’s take was “Well, what if your grandfather was a slave owner who raped your grandmother, his slave?” The outcome, as we know, is a brilliant book).
We will discuss how to research tropes, choose the ones that benefit the stories we wish to tell, push back on ones that leave our particular demographics out, or are often used against us in stereotypical ways. We will discuss “literary fiction” not as a default or desired genre, but as one of many genres that we should also feel free to research and use to our own personal ends in creating the stories we want. After discussing lists of potential tropes for each genre, students, during the interactive writing section, will be encouraged to research deeper for ones that resonate with the story THEY want to tell. After writing, we will share both our research and what came out of it in terms of writing.

If possible, please read the following stories before the workshop:
"The L7 Gene: Surprise! Mom Cloned You---Sort of." by Jeanne Thornton
https://www.wired.com/2016/12/thornton-on-its-way-to-close/
"Aye, and Gomorrah" by Samuel Delaney
http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/aye-and-gomorrah/

While there is no fee to participate in this workshop, those who are able and appreciative may make donations directly to Alex Difrancesco via cash app is $AlexDiF or Venmo is @alex-difrancesco
https://www.facebook.com/events/s/how-to-make-any-fiction-subgen/1211150973129982/

Come and hear and experience the rich history, the power, and the beauty of bells! One of America’s premier youth handbell choirs, THE BELLS OF CHRIST CHURCH, hails from historic Christ Church Anglican (1733) in the Historic District of Savannah, Georgia.

This exceptional auditioned bell choir will be performing their summer tour concert at Concord UMC (11020 Roane Drive Knoxville) at 7:00p.m. Wednesday, June 14.

Ringing on 15 octaves of handbells and chimes, the group has performed in Washington D.C., Colonial Williamsburg, by invitation at the international music festival Spoleto in Charleston and throughout the eastern and southern United States. The auditioned 12-member bell choir, now in its 25th year, is made up of College and High School students who have produced three professional recordings to date.
Their 1.5-hour-long concert includes some of the finest bell repertoire in the genre and includes a history of bells and handbells and a hands-on traveling bell museum. We guarantee that the program will be joyous and entertaining for the entire family.

Any further inquiries may be addressed to Mark K. Williams, Director, at williams4950@bellsouth.net

https://www.griceconnect.com/local-news/bells-of-christ-church-handbell-choir-coming-to-statesboro-7072394
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTht44kYh6A
https://www.youtube.com/@thebellsofchristchurchangl149

Free and open to the public

Reception Friday, June 16, 2023, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Artist talk at 6:30 p.m.

In The Power of Water, Clinard focuses on the intensity and energy of waterfalls, waves and rivers. Her richly hued work is created by using watercolor in a loose and flowing manner and often on Yupo paper, which keeps the pigments on the surface and creates an intense, vivid result.

Lil Clinard is a landscape artist and watercolorist who has won three “Best of Show” awards in the Tennessee Artists’ Association Annual Juried Shows. Clinard is a signature member of the Tennessee Watercolor Society and Knoxville Watercolor Society, as well as a member of the American, National and Transparent watercolor societies. Visit her website for more information: www.WatercolorsByLil.com

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Gallery hours: M-Th 10-3, Su 10-12:30. Information: 865-523-4176, www.tvuuc.org

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

WEDNESDAYS AT 7:15 PM – 10 PM
Wednesday night swing dancing is returning to the beautiful Laurel Theater in the heart of Knoxville every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesdays. Never danced before? Perfect! Join our beginner drop in lesson at 7:30! No partner or dance experience necessary. This class will get you on the dance floor your first night! Only $5 for the dance and beginner lesson, or $8 for dance and Level 1 lesson!
https://www.facebook.com/KnoxSwingDance/events

* * * COVID-19 Policy * * *
All participants must provide a *negative COVID-19 test*. In lieu of a negative test, individuals may voluntarily submit a COVID-19 antibodies test or proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination accompanied by photo ID.

Kid A' Riffic Fun in the Park, sponsored by Home Federal Bank, returns this summer with free mid-week fun for area families! Each Kid A' Riffic Fun in the Park event offers activities, games, hands-on crafts and other fun pursuits for families with children age 2-12, hosted by the City's Office of Special Events, Parks and Recreation Department, and other community partners. Participation is free, and no registration is required.

Events are on Wednesdays in June and July from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. in seven different parks and natural areas:

* June 7 - Fountain City Park, 117 Hotel Road
* June 14 - Chilhowee Park, 3301 E. Magnolia Avenue
* June 21 - Safety City of Knoxville, 165 S. Concord Street
* June 28 - Fort Kid, 1049 World's Fair Park Drive
* July 12 - Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Park
* July 19 - Lakeshore Park, 5930 Lyons View Pike
* July 26 - World's Fair Park

Established in 2019 as a weekly opportunity for summertime activities for youngsters and their families in Market Square, Kid A' Riffic has expanded to include parks across the city and multiple community partners. For more information about City parks' amenities, visit http://www.KnoxvilleTN.gov/parks. If you have questions about individual Kid A' Riffic Fun in the Park events, contact Special Events at specialevents@knoxvilletn.gov or call 865-215-4248.

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