Calendar of Events

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Pienkow Art Gallery: RETRoSPECT with UTK Printmaking Faculty & Staff

  • September 1, 2023 — February 23, 2024

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

RECEPTION: Friday September 8th, 5-7pm
https://art.utk.edu/printmaking-faculty-present-retrospect-exhibit/

“RETRoSPECT” surveys recent and past works by UT Printmaking faculty members Beauvais Lyons, Althea Murphy-Price and Koichi Yamamoto, as well as 2D Printmaking Technician Elysia Mann. Included in the exhibition are both traditional print processes, from engravings and intaglios, to screenprints and lithographs, as well as experimental uses of print media. The UT Printmaking program is consistent ranked among the top graduate programs in the United States. It has a long-standing exchange program with the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław, Poland. The exhibition is free and open to the public, and is a project of the Marek Maria Pienkowski Foundation. For more information on the UTK Printmaking Program, see: https://art.utk.edu/printmaking/

Pienkow Art Gallery, 7417 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919
Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5 and Sat 8-11

Lilienthal Gallery: Metamorphosis

  • September 1, 2023 — November 26, 2023

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Opening Night, September 1, First Friday, 5 - 8pm

Please join us for the unveiling of our new exhibition, Metamorphosis, which features creations suspended on the precipice of blossoming—encapsulating hibernation, transformation, and rebirth. At 6:00 pm, Hungarian artist Eszter Bornemisza will give a gallery talk about her mixed media fiber works. Dress Code: Exquisite Autumn Colors with Gold Accessories

Metamorphosis is a familiar occurrence in nature, as the changing seasons bring leaves from vibrant greens to the subdued, regal hues of ochre, amber, and earth tones. Nature evolves silently before one's eyes, a constant process of metamorphosis. Like a breath held in anticipation, the moment before transition is pregnant with possibility and quiet vitality. The very change itself holds an extraordinary power– energetic hope and new life. These works, made with raw materials, are suspended on the precipice of blossoming, encapsulating hibernation, transformation, and rebirth.

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Eszter Bornemisza
Alke Reeh
Martha Rieger

Lilienthal Gallery, 23 Emory Place, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-200-4401, https://lilienthalgallery.com

Knoxville Museum of Art: Drink Up the Moon by Jane Cassidy

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Film and Free event

Drink Up The Moon celebrates how life can be better lived when we are in tune with the world around us. In this exhibition, a two-channel video installation captures the magic and mysticism of sunlight on choppy seas, rambling on the seashore, and deeply listening to our environment.

“This body of work began by filming my winter Atlantic swims at Salt hill Beach in Galway, on the west coast of Ireland. This creative habit changed how I experienced my time in the frigid water and kept me cycling to the sea, even during a blizzard. The luscious slow-motion video captures glistening light, the sensation of waves crashing, and the aggression of hailstones on open water. “You never regret the swim,” is a mantra I was once given and this project is indebted to those wise words.In tandem with my swims, I began studying our moon, filming its phases and finding an embodied connection with it. The more I paid attention to our magnetic satellite, the more I heard birdsong when I usually slept, and the more in tune I was with the cycle of my body and the tides that drew me to the sea. I filmed the moon rising behind mountains and shining across beaches, from my city doorstep and camping on cliff tops. By tracking the moon,I found a stronger connection to myself, my ancestors and my environment and I encourage us all to explore this connection and keep looking up.” —Jane Cassidy

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.

HoLa Hora Latina: Frutos Latinos 2023

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

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 AT 5 PM – 9 PM

Hola Hora Latina is proud to continue the Frutos Latinos exhibit to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Local Hispanic/Latinx artists will showcase their artwork to celebrate their cultures and traditions. Guests can then vote for their favorite art piece in person! On view Sep 1-13 at HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902.

On September 14, the Frutos Latinos exhibit is moved to the Knoxville Museum of Art to mark the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month where it will remain until October 15.

***The deadline to submit an art is August 25, 2023. Applicants must send an artist statement and details of their piece. For more information contact, enrique.cruz@holafestival.org
Information: 865-335-3358, www.holahoralatina.org

Relay Ridge: Current Reflections by Ann Tilley + First Friday celebrations

  • September 1, 2023 — October 6, 2023

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

Also featuring an OPEN STUDIO NIGHT, Sep 1, 6-9 PM
View the 8 different Resident Artist studios and enjoy a printshop demo by Kelly Sullivan in the RR Printshop!

On display Sep 1 - Oct 6: "Current Reflections: Exploring Screens, Self-worth, and the Quest for Connection in a Wired World" by Ann Tilley

“I make this artwork as a therapeutic outlet for me to process my experiences as a human. So, naturally, when the pandemic brought meaningless feelings about the value of what I do, it became fuel for new work. Screens, solar power, and technology have been recurring themes for me, but now that I have moved into an off-grid home, these thoughts on electricity - literally, power lines connecting our homes (or not) - have taken on new meanings. The singularity of looking at screens alone in our homes, and yet connecting us to everything…how is that affecting our inner personal dialogue? Our feelings of self-worth? How is that affecting our relationships with other humans?” -Ann Tilley @anntilleyhandmade

Relay Ridge, 4124 McKinley St, Knoxville. https://relayridge.org/ and https://www.instagram.com/relay_ridge/

Art Market Gallery: Patrick Deason & Dennis Sabo

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

First Friday Reception: September 1st, 5:30 – 9:00 pm, with complimentary refreshments and music

Patrick Deason’s creative kinetic sculptures will be featured during the month of September. From a small birthday piece for his wife, Patrick’s art evolved through welding and shaping metal into creative kinetic art. Says Patrick, “Some of my methods are traditional blacksmithing, while others methods are unique tools and techniques, I've developed over the 20 plus years I've been involved in metal sculpturing. I most enjoy the challenges of kinetic art, requiring imagination and engineering along with ideas and inspirations." Patrick has received honors from the Georgia Coastal Art League as Artist of the Year, and has had his wonderful kinetic art featured in galleries in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Dennis Sabo’s stunning photography titled “Iceland- Earth, Water, and Ice” will be featured during the month of September. Dennis Sabo is an internationally honored photographer specializing in contemporary abstract, landscape, and seascape photography. His award-winning work has appeared in multiple national publications. Locally his work has recently been seen in the 2023 Dogwood Regional Fine Art Exhibition, Arts in the Airport- Spring/Summer 2022 Exhibition, and the 2022 National Juried Exhibition. Says Dennis, “My goal is to help other people celebrate their love and passion of nature and the natural world through my photographic artwork.” Dennis’s photographic fine art can be found in many private collections internationally and throughout the U.S., as well as within the healthcare and corporate industries.

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

Rala: Through the Looking Glass by Blanket Fort Studio

  • September 1, 2023 — September 30, 2023

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

Opens 6-8 PM on Fri Sep 1

Join us for September's First Friday show "Through the Looking Glass" by Blanket Fort Studio. Kendra is known for her fun and colorful ceramic pieces. This show will be no exception! Friday will be the first night of this month long show. Come on down to see the show, meet Kendra, or maybe even bring home an irresistible piece of art!

Rala: Regional and Local Artisans, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Mon-Thu & Sat 11-6, Fri 11-8, Sun 11-5. Information: 865-525-7888, https://shoprala.com or www.instagram.com/ShopRala

Mighty Mud Studios: Maggie Connolly Solo Exhibition

  • September 1, 2023 — September 29, 2023

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

Reception: First Friday, September 1, 6-9pm

Mighty Mud, 126 and 127 Jennings Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Hours: Tu-F 11-6, Sat 9-5. Open studio time on Thu 6-9. Information: 865-595-1900, www.mightymudclay.com

Theatre Knoxville Downtown: A Fox on the Fairway

Category: Theatre

A FOX ON THE FAIRWAY
Fri. Sep 1st 2023, 7:30 pm
Sat. Sep 2nd 2023, 7:30 pm
Sun. Sep 3rd 2023, 3:00 pm
Thu. Sep 7th 2023, 7:30 pm
Fri. Sep 8th 2023, 7:30 pm
Sat. Sep 9th 2023, 7:30 pm
Sun. Sep 10th 2023, 3:00 pm
Thu. Sep 14th 2023, 7:30 pm
Fri. Sep 15th 2023, 7:30 pm
Sat. Sep 16th 2023, 7:30 pm
Sun. Sep 17th 2023, 3:00 pm

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

Ewing Gallery: Audacious Black Freedom Dreams

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

Afrofuturist, artist, educator, graphic designer, and DJ, Stacey Robinson will be having exhibitions at the UT Downtown Gallery, Ewing Gallery, and a 5-day artist residency in Knoxville, during fall of 2023. Robinson’s time in Knoxville will coincide with an intentional Afrofuturist takeover of the galleries with the presentation of his exhibition projects, Black Audacious Freedom Dreams and Black Utopia: Black Distractions & Disruptions in Time Space, to be on view in fall 2023. Infusing downtown Knoxville and the University of Tennessee campus with Afrofuturistic imagery, Robinson and the galleries will build a critical mass of Black thought and creativity to amplify and center Black voices.

The Ewing Gallery, located in UT’s Art + Architecture Building will present Black Audacious Freedom Dreams by BLACKMAU, a creative collaboration between Stacey “ Blackstar” Robinson and Kamau “DJ Kamaumau” Grantham. This exhibition features a multimedia projection and seven 7-foot banners created using digital collage. These images visually mimic the audio sampling used throughout hip hop musical production and the process of crafting a tight DJ set, which inspire the duo. This work prompts a conversation about Black liberation as a reality not yet fulfilled. By centering Black people within the narrative, BLACKMAU prompts the audience to imagine themselves in the spaces with the subject. Robinson and Grantham reference Black liberation texts with With Black Audacious Freedom Dreams, including Freedom Dreams by Robin D.G. Kelly, and We Want to Do More Than Survive by Bettina L. Love, which they include in a study area and curated library of Black texts in the exhibition.

Concurrent with Black Audacious Freedom Dreams, the UT Downtown Gallery will present Robinson’s new solo project, Black Utopia; Black Distractions & Disruptions in Time Space. This exhibition is a design research project looking at systems of oppression and resistance through black and white logo designs and illustrations that use the emptiness of white gallery walls as the backdrop for extracting Black resistance commentary. The systems examined springboard a burgeoning theory comprised of Black-created systems that can function as a form of Black liberation government in lieu of Black Reparations, justice, and failed integration.

Exhibition: Audacious Black Freedom Dreams
Artist: Stacey Robinson / BLACKMAU
Dates: August 22 - October 29, 2023
Location: The Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture, 1715 Volunteer Boulevard
Times: M,T,W,F: 10am - 5pm, Thur: 10am - 7:30pm, Sun: 1-4pm
For more information: ewing@utk.edu | https://ewing-gallery.utk.edu

McClung Museum: In Conversation: Will Wilson

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

The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is proud to announce that it will bring the acclaimed exhibition, In Conversation: Will Wilson, to the local community. With over $35,500 in grant support, the museum will feature the powerful works of Diné (Navajo) photographer Will Wilson in a moving exhibition exploring the importance of self-representation.

In Conversation: Will Wilson opens at the McClung Museum on August 18 and will include a range of engaging programming for both the university and the Knoxville community. The exhibition was made possible through Art Bridges, a foundation created by philanthropist Alice Walton that is focused on expanding access to American art. Showcasing 17 portraits from Wilson’s Critical Indigenous Photographic Exchange project, the exhibition is dedicated to capturing a contemporary perspective of Native North America. In Conversation: Will Wilson challenges viewers to think critically about how Native peoples have been portrayed in photography over time. Through portraiture, Wilson responds directly to the works of early 20th-century photographer Edward Sheriff Curtis (1869–1952). Curtis’ photographs simplified and romanticized Native American life, whereas Wilson has created rich, complex portraits from Indigenous perspectives. Visitors to the exhibition will witness some of Wilson's portraits come to life through an augmented reality app, providing an interactive experience known as "Talking Tintypes."

In Conversation: Will Wilson is organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and curated by Mindy Besaw, Curator of American Art/Director of Fellowships & Research from Crystal Bridges, and Ashley Holland, Associate Curator from Art Bridges.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Information: 865-974-2144. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 12–4 p.m. https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu

TVUUC Gallery: Chicago and Beyond: The Sylvia and Jan Peters Collection

  • August 18, 2023 — October 4, 2023

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

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
Free and open to the public
Reception Friday, August 18, 2023, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Collector’s talk at 6:30 p.m.

Show: August 13 - October 4, 2023
Gallery hours: 10-3 Monday through Thursday and 10-12:30 Sunday
2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918

Sylvia and Jan Peters have been collecting art for more than five decades, including notable works by Chicago-based African-American artists Fred Jones, Steve Walker, and Dale Norman, and a lithograph by Charles White. The exhibit includes paintings in a variety of media, prints, and photographs.

As educators, Sylvia and Jan Peters advocated for arts in community and educational programs in Chicago. Since moving to Knoxville in the early 1990s, Sylvia has been involved with the Knoxville Museum of Art, the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, the Links, the 100 Black Women, and the Knoxville Botanical Garden. She initiated the Delaney Project and Days of Dialogue.

Of their early days in Chicago’s art world, Sylvia said, “We held Sunday Salons at our home where artists were invited to eat, drink, and discuss their work. It was almost an out of body experience to participate in these discussions. Richard Hunt, Ralph Arnold, Margaret Burroughs, William Carter and many others visited our home.”

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