Calendar of Events

‘Plein Air Smokies,’ will once again bring 20 nationally acclaimed artists to paint “en plein air” (outdoors) throughout the national park. For the 2023 event, spectators are welcome to watch artists paint, Sept. 24-27. Artists will be positioned across the park throughout the week, with locations such as Cades Cove on Monday and Elkmont on Tuesday and Wednesday. A full schedule can be found online at https://friendsofthesmokies.org/schedule-of-events/

These one-of-a-kind paintings will be available for purchase first at the ticketed Collectors Soiree Sept. 29, then at the public sale Sept. 30. Proceeds benefit Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP).

Purchase Tickets: https://friendsofthesmokies.org/plein-air/
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! #pleinairsmokies

Jo Koy World Tour
Knoxville Civic Auditorium
September 24, 2023

Coming off of the highly anticipated Universal Picture film, Easter Sunday and his recent Netflix special, Jo Koy: Live From The Los Angeles Forum, Comedian Jo Koy announces his 2023 Jo Koy World Tour.

Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum, 500 Howard Baker Jr Blvd, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: www.knoxvillecoliseum.com

What could be more exciting than Children in the Arts – The Arts Tell My Story at the World’s Fair Park Amphitheater? On Sunday, September 24th at 2:30 pm, Dancers Studio will be hosting a showcase for up-and-coming local artists who excel in various art forms!

For years, Dancers Studio (home of the former Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble) has worked directly with The Knoxville Arts & Culture Alliance's Penny4Arts series. Penny4Arts gives every child in Knox County and surrounding counties an opportunity to attend arts and culture events/activities for only ONE PENNY when accompanied by a paying adult.

Come out to enjoy the arts, applaud the young artists of the region, and experience outstanding performances of the next generation and Ignite!, Dancers Studio’s elite modern dance company!

For tickets, call Dancers Studio at (865) 584-9636, visit our website www.dancersstudioknox.com, or purchase at the door. Adult tickets are $7.00, while children & students are just $0.01.

September 24, Cannibal Corpse and Mayhem with Gorguts and Blood Incantation at Mill and Mine.

The Mill & Mine, 227 W. Depot Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Tickets/information: 865-343-6000 or https://themillandmine.com

THE SELDOM SCENE, SUNDAY, SEPT 24, 7:30PM at the Bijou.

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

Join us for An Evening Under the Stars, the most fabulous party of the year, on Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 6 pm! Attendees enjoy cocktail hour in the gardens and a delicious dinner courtesy of By the Tracks Catering, then dance the night away to the swinging sounds of the KJO. This event is hosted at the beautiful home of Ms. Sherri Lee on the banks of the Tennessee River.

Information: 865-573-3226, email@knoxjazz.org, https://www.knoxjazz.org/eutsorders

At 517 Union Avenue Knoxville, TN 37902
This reading will take place on September 24, 2023 at 3 pm in our store in downtown Knoxville. While this is a free event, we ask that you register for your spot. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-appalachian-anthology-event-tickets-703600246277

"Throughout Appalachia, a long history of mysteries, experiences, and strange beings defy rational explanation—things that force us to rub our eyes because surely they’re playing tricks on us. Unknown voices and footsteps on empty stairs. Quilts and bathrobes that move on their own, in the middle of the night. We’ve told these stories at the kitchen table and around campfires and in the living room as night falls. They often start with words to this effect: What I’m about to tell you is true. These stories of the uncanny are worth preserving, which led us to publish: 23 Tales: Appalachian Ghost Stories, Legends, and Other Mysteries. The words by twenty-three writers are captured here in a mix of ghost stories and paranormal experiences, mysteries from history that persist to this day, and weird beings that haunt the backwoods and pierce the night with mournful wails. These stories will raise the hair on your neck, prompt you to visit nearby haunts, touch you and make you laugh a little, too. The writers of 23 Tales had just one main charge from Howling Hills: The stories could not be fiction. So, pull up a chair. What these writers are about to tell you is true…"
- Howling Hills Publishing

Sunday, September 24th, 2023
Ceremony begins at 3:00pm

We will be honoring families of those who have received The Gold Star – the military award no one wants. The award commemorates the tragic death of a military member who has perished while in the line of duty. VHSF hopes to provide a level of comfort to the parents and families that are left behind. Speakers include Casey Wheeless, WVLT Anchor, State Senator Becky Massey & Chris Magra, Director of UT Center for Tennesseans in War. The “Salute to Tennessee’s Fallen” display will be there all week.

We welcome all who wish to join us for this ceremony. Ramsey House will not be offering tours this day.
https://www.ramseyhouse.org/system/events/view/62/gold-star-day

Historic Ramsey House, 2614 Thorngrove Pike, Knoxville, TN 37914. Information: 865-546-0745, www.ramseyhouse.org

Exploring Appalachia and deepening one's relationship with nature while starting important conversations about identity, process, femininity, craft and race

As part of their Juneteenth observances, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts welcomed acclaimed poet Pamela Sneed (via Instagram) to perform a live reading of one of her original works, followed by a moment of silence. Sneed’s performance launched the official announcement for ‘A Moment in the Mountains,’ an immersive creative experience, that will be guided by visual artist and photographer Nona Faustine from September 22 – 24, 2023, in the beloved Appalachian town of Gatlinburg, Tenn. During the three-day retreat, attendees will celebrate local artists and build relationships within this creative community. Sponsored by Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, which has been educating and preserving culture since 1912, along with local hospitality leader
Aatmos, ‘A Moment in the Mountains’ will focus on enhancing and reclaiming the BIPOC community’s relationship with the great outdoors.

Nona Faustine will be joined by acclaimed photographers Rene Cox and Justine Kurland, and poet Pamela Sneed, in sharing their stories, experiences and work that spark conversations and connections. Together, guests and artists will share moments as they build an empowered experience exploring and reconnecting with the diverse smoky mountain landscape and deep woods of Appalachia.

The weekend includes: eight in-person classes hosted by Arrowmont, presentations of work, panel discussions, intimate roundtable conversations, trips within Great Smoky Mountains National Park for poetry readings, shared meals, and opportunities to visit local artists' studios.

A welcome event will take place at Heirloom Room – Rocky Waters’ upscale dining destination – Friday, September 22. During the cocktail reception, guests will retrieve their weekend passes and mingle with fellow participants and artists. For more information, a full schedule of weekend events and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nona-faustines-a-moment-in-the-mountains-tickets-643039046097.

By Samuel D. Hunter

In a small office in Southern Idaho, two single fathers develop an unlikely but powerful friendship. Samuel D. Hunter’s intimate, empathetic play is a thoughtful meditation on human resilience.

River & Rail Theatre, 111 State Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-407-0727, www.riverandrailtheatre.com

Enhance your home garden with utterly unique fox-themed pieces by bidding in the online auction of our Fanciful Foxes exhibit! Around 80 works in total were created by local artists of all ages as part of our annual Art in the Gardens project. Bidding is open now and will close on Tuesday, October 3, at 5pm! You can preview the pieces in person at the UT Gardens, Knoxville until October 3. https://events.handbid.com/auctions/2023-art-in-the-gardens

Local amateur and professional artists donated their time and talent to artistically interpret this year’s theme with a fun and creative design. Teen/adult artists were given a large 3-D plywood fox to embellish using media of their choice. Again this year, we invited younger artists to participate by decorating either a fox head or a tree silhouette. Works have been on display throughout the Gardens for visitors to enjoy all summer. These unique art pieces will now be sold during this on-line auction with all proceeds benefiting the UT Gardens, Knoxville. This annual project was designed to promote community participation and foster artist collaboration as well as raise awareness and support for the Gardens. Our choice of a fox theme this year sought to bring a focus on urban wildlife and the need to protect them and their habitats from encroachment.

Winning bidders can pick up their item(s) during our Fall Plant Sale on Friday, October 6 (from 4-7 pm) or Saturday, October 7 (from 9 am - 2 pm). Payment can be made by credit card on Handbid or by cash or check at time of pickup.
Sponsors for the exhibit were Jerry's Artarama, Bench Dog Work Shop, UT Biosystems Engineering Machining and Fabrication Shop, Ed Dudrick, and the UT Wildlife and Fisheries Society. We are grateful to our sponsors and to our project artists!

https://utgardens.tennessee.edu/locations/knoxville/special-events-knoxville/art-in-the-garden/

Family festivals, musical performances and guest speakers are among the events Pellissippi State Community College has planned for Hispanic Heritage Month – and all are free and open to the public. Themed “Todos Somos Familia” (We Are All Family), Hispanic Heritage Month at the college will celebrate the rich and beautiful complexity of Latino and Hispanic culture at Pellissippi State as well as recognize the importance of the contributions of Latino and Hispanic culture to the local community and the world.

Keynote speakers Karen Ocon-Mora, community schools site coordinator for Knox County, and Megan Barolet-Fogarty, director of youth and family engagement for Centro Hispano de East Tennessee, will kick off the month’s festivities Tuesday, Sept. 19, with an address on “Familia: Relationships and Resilience in Latino Culture.” The event will be held 10:30-11:15 a.m. in the Goins Building Auditorium on Pellissippi State’s Hardin Valley Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, and livestreamed on Zoom.

Families have two opportunities to come out to Pellissippi State for festivals including games, activities, food and a screening of the film “Encanto” at sunset: 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21, on the college’s Hardin Valley Campus and again 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, on Pellissippi State’s Strawberry Plains Campus, 7201 Strawberry Plains Pike

And don’t miss a lively performance by Knoxville’s own Latin jazz band Candela on Wednesday, Sept. 27, in the Hardin Valley Campus Courtyard. Candela will play 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., and refreshments will be served.

For a full list of Pellissippi State’s activities planned for Hispanic Heritage Month, including concerts and lectures, visit www.pstcc.edu/hispanic-heritage. To request accommodations for any campus event, call 865.694.6411 or email accommodations@pstcc.edu.