Calendar of Events

Monday, August 7, 2023

Tennessee Theatre: Mighty Musical Monday with Vertical Birds

Category: Free event and Music

Join us at noon on Monday, August 7 for a FREE concert you won't want to miss! Mighty Musical Monday will feature House Organist Freddie Brabson on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. This month, he will be joined by The Vertical Birds, bringing a blend of dynamic, soulful original songs and fun, funky covers to the Tennessee Theatre stage. Share with your friends and family - we hope to see you there!

Please note that we will not be providing lunch, but concessions will be available for purchase or you may bring your own lunch.

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com

Art Guild at Fairfield Glade: 14th Annual Judged and Juried Fine Arts Show

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

The public is invited to attend the opening reception for the prestigious Judged and Juried Fine Arts Show on Friday, August 4th from 5 - 7 p.m. Mark Hall, retired professor of art at Maryville College in Tennessee, will judge the entries.

Juror - Judge Mark Hall formerly served at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the David and Alfred Smart Museum. Previously, he served as an assistant professor at MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Illinois, an assistant and associate professor at Marian College, Indianapolis, and has retired as a professor emeritus from Maryville College, Maryville, Tennessee. He currently has a small print/art studio in Maryville and continues to create prints and drawings in a variety of styles and modes.

Winners of the J&J Fine Arts Show will be announced to the public during the August 4th reception. This event is free and open to the public!

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

Rala: First Friday with Summer Small

  • August 4, 2023 — August 31, 2023

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

We are excited to announce local artist Summer Small as our featured artist for the month of August! Her work unfolds a complicated but passionate relationship with modern Appalachia and the people and places that call the valley home. Please join us at Rala in the Old City for the show opening from 6 to 8pm on August 4th, 2023. Summer's work will be on display August 4th through August 31st.

https://www.facebook.com/events/307835021665435/

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

Awaken Coffee: Jordan Abba Exhibition

  • August 4, 2023 — August 27, 2023

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

Friday, August 4, from 6-8 Awaken Coffee will host an opening reception for artist Jordan Abba.

Jordan is an artist and visual art teacher for Knox County Schools. “As an art educator, I find joy in art as an experimental process. I embrace growth through exploration. The series, “Under DE-construction,” explores positive and negative space, line, and shape to create compositions that express the experiences and emotions of life. Art, to me, is about appreciating the things in life that we love the most. This body of work embodies the bittersweet nostalgia of memory while engaging the principles of abstract painting.”

Please join us for some fantastic art, light refreshments, and great coffee!

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/

Arts & Culture Alliance: Kathleen A. Janke: From the Mountains to the Forest Floor

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

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 4-25, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, August 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features original music inside the Emporium by the Fountain City Ramblers (Instagram @fountaincityramblers). Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at https://www.knoxalliance.store.

I create my art in multiple mediums concentrating on pine needle basketry and alcohol inks. The results are largely inspired by my connection to the natural environment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and my love of gardening and experience with landscape design. While the vistas and flora of the park lend themselves to the utter spontaneity and brilliance of color with alcohol ink, pine needle/gourd basketry becomes tangible three-dimensional pieces of art using materials the earth provides… much of this material I grow or collect in a sustainable manner on walks. The baskets are inspired by touch, feel and a connection to the forest floor and riverbanks.

Kathleen A. Janke experimented with various art mediums for years before becoming serious in the fall of 2019. Within two years, she sold her bed and breakfast to become a full time artist. In 2022 she sold work in 14 shows, via her website, and by word of mouth. Three craft guilds contracted her to teach classes, and she is currently building an art gallery and studio, Gracehill Fine Art and Basketry, in Townsend. Janke is a member of Southern Highlands Craft Guild, Piedmont Guild, Tennessee Craft, Tennessee Artist Association, Foothills Crafts Guild, Art Guild of Tellico Village, Blount County Arts & Craft Guild, Townsend Art Guild, Oak Ridge Art Center, the Arts & Culture Alliance, American Gourd Society, Handweavers Guild of America, and National Basket Association.

https://gracehillart.com/

This exhibition will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Arts & Culture Alliance: Christian Freeman: Solitude

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 4-25, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, August 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features original music inside the Emporium by the Fountain City Ramblers (Instagram @fountaincityramblers). Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at https://www.knoxalliance.store.

My current body of work is a lovingly created group of abstract landscapes encompassing color and glazes I achieved through knife painting techniques. By allowing the strokes and shapes of the paint to form the subject matter, I relied on the process of creating and energy to finalize these works. The freeing process of this type of painting has become just as important to me as the finished product. It is a combination of chance, accident, energy, composition, contrast, and emotion. I hope to leave viewers moved by beauty and emotion the way the impressionist and expressionists inspired me.

Christian Freeman is a Knoxville native with a BFA degree from the University of Tennessee. Having begun her career working with the Symphony Showcase Homes and Parade of Homes painting murals and custom finishes, she has completed countless residential and commercial projects and has the ability to work on any scale within current budgets. Her work is her passion as she transforms homes and businesses into functional as well as aesthetically beautiful spaces. She completed a well-known local mural of ladies in the windows at Patrick Sullivan’s (Old City) which auctioned off several years ago by Knox Heritage. Freeman is also an accomplished canvas painter and art instructor, and she continues to create, teach, and consult currently in the Knoxville area and beyond.

https://www.facebook.com/christianfreemancreations

This exhibition will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Arts & Culture Alliance: The Journey Is What You Make It by Tina Curry

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

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 4-25, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, August 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features original music inside the Emporium by the Fountain City Ramblers (Instagram @fountaincityramblers). Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at https://www.knoxalliance.store.

This exhibition will transport your mind and creativity to a place where animals give you insight into their own unique personalities and tell their own story. I delve into animal behavior from my interpretation of the way they see the world around them. They say “the eyes tell the story”; at times, the eyes can be humorous and whimsical while they can also exhibit the ferocity and survivalist nature of their species. I prefer to use alternative firing techniques for my sculptures to enhance the intricate detailing and textures of fur and skin. I want to feel it with my eyes as well as my hands.

Tina Curry began working with clay over 30 years ago. She holds a BA from the University of Florida and worked for 35 years in graphic design. Now retired, she is a full-time ceramic and bronze sculptor living in Knoxville. Her sculptures are hand-built, so each has its own distinctive personality and characteristics. The specialty pieces are one of a kind and born of pure imagination. Alternative firing techniques using natural elements of horse hair, sawdust, banana peels, coffee, manure, and salt create an organic fusion. The fire, smoke, and fumes dance to create more natural surface effects and colorations. Curry’s clay work is in the collections of both national and international art enthusiasts. In 2021, the first lady selected Curry among artists in her home state to create the Governors Arts Awards. She was honored with a solo exhibition for the Tennessee Arts Commission in Nashville in 2018 and was the featured artist for the Southern Highlands Craft Guild marketing campaign in 2016. Her animal sculptures have been commissioned by Zoo Knoxville (TN) and the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada. She serves on the Board of Governors for Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and is a member of National Sculpture Society, Southern Highlands Craft Guild, Foothills Craft Guild, Terra Madre Women in Clay, Oak Ridge Art Center, and the Arts & Culture Alliance.

Instagram @tinasculptress
www.curryoriginals.com

This exhibition will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Arts & Culture Alliance: Dogwood Arts Regional Exhibition

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

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 4-25, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, August 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features original music inside the Emporium by the Fountain City Ramblers (Instagram @fountaincityramblers). Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at https://www.knoxalliance.store.

The Dogwood Arts Regional Exhibition showcases fine art of all kinds from emerging and established artists throughout our region. The juried exhibition awards over $2,000 to participating artists. The 2023 exhibition will feature artworks completed in the last two years at both the Emporium and at Dogwood Gallery (123 W Jackson Avenue).

Dogwood Arts has a 67-year history of arts advocacy, environmental stewardship, and economic impact in East Tennessee. With the financial support of corporate sponsors, grant funding, local government investment, and private donors, we produce 20 year-round events and programs that help make Knoxville a great place to live, work and play.

https://www.dogwoodarts.com/regional
https://www.facebook.com/dogwoodartsknox
Instagram @dogwoodarts

This exhibition will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Arts & Culture Alliance: Broadway Studios and Gallery: Murmurings of the Outside World

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

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from August 4-25, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, August 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features original music inside the Emporium by the Fountain City Ramblers (Instagram @fountaincityramblers). Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at https://www.knoxalliance.store.

Murmurings of the Outside World features a selection of recent work by the artists of Broadway Studios and Gallery in Knoxville. Artists created these works in the last few years during a time of great change and uncertainty in the city of Knoxville and in the world; this body of artwork represents contemporary art in Knoxville during this period.

Broadway Studios and Gallery (BSG) is a local collective of artists working together in a community of studios in North Knoxville. BSG’s artists represent life-long area residents as well as transplants who now call Knoxville home; artists work in a variety of media and their work exemplifies the range of Knoxville's unique culture. BSG hosts periodic shows and events and has a small gallery featuring the work of resident artists. Broadway Studios and Gallery can be found at 1127 North Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917.

https://www.broadwaystudiosandgallery.com

This exhibition will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

HoLa Hora Latina: Water: Shapes, Motion, Reflections by Jürgen Dopatka & Stefan Dopatka

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Opens Fri Aug 4, 5-9 PM

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

Ijams Nature Center: Upcoming Events

  • August 4, 2023 — August 10, 2023

Category: Kids, family and Science, nature

8/4 • Bird Nerd Speaker Series: Secrets of Backyard Birds
8/4 • Knoxville Shakespeare: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare *Abridged
8/5 • Ijams Hiking Club
8/5 • Bird Nerd Speaker Series: The Wonder of Hummingbirds with Stephen Lyn Bales
8/5 • Beetles, Bees, & Butterflies: Oh My!
8/5 • Knoxville Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew
8/6 • Anthotype Day Printing Workshop
8/6 • Self Care Sunday Yoga with Hope Irwin
8/6 • Knoxville Shakespeare: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare *Abridged Matinee
8/6 • Knoxville Shakespeare: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare *Abridged
8/9 • Forest Bathing Workshop
8/9 • Bird Nerd Speaker Series: The Birds and the...Seeds? with Nick Smith
8/10 • Bird Nerd Speaker Series: Owl-ology with Stephen Lyn Bales
8/10 • Knoxville Shakespeare: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare *Abridged

2915 Island Home Ave., Knoxville, TN 37920
865-577-4717 or https://www.ijams.org/

Clayton Center for the Arts: The Superlative Artistry of Japan Exhibition

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

The Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville, Asian Culture Center of Tennessee, Clayton Center for the Arts, and the Japan Foundation will co-present “The Superlative Artistry of Japan Exhibition” at the DENSO Gallery, Clayton Center for the Arts, Maryville College, 502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804.

What is "Superlative Artistry?" Superlative Artistry refers to a creative skill or ability of the highest quality or degree. Through this exhibition, we intend to introduce Japan's creative culture, which honors craftsmanship and devotion towards the production processes. This traveling exhibition has compiled over 30 works that emphasize highly skilled techniques, ingenious expressions and concepts, and a high level of perfection.

We hope that through this exhibition, the visitors can experience Japan’s creative culture and monozukuri (literally translated to “the making of things”) spirit through this theme of Superlative Artistry. Starting with craft works from the Meiji era (1868-1912), this exhibition features items across a wide range of genres, including contemporary art, craft works, food samples, and shokugan (small toys sold with candy).

Please join us at the DENSO Gallery, Clayton Center for the Arts to celebrate the Japanese spirit of monozukuri through this encounter with Superlative Artistry.

This exhibition is free and open to the public. Walk-ins are welcome. The exhibition will be available for viewings from July 26 to August 11, 2023. Clayton Center for the Arts will be open to the public from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.

https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/project/culture/exhibit/traveling/superlative_artistry.html
https://www.knoxasianfestival.com/

1 of 2