Calendar of Events

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Knoxville Children's Theatre: Sense and Sensibility

Category: Kids, family, Literature, spoken word, writing and Theatre

Knoxville Children’s Theatre presents a live production of “Sense & Sensibility.” The play is based on the novel by Jane Austen and is one of the classic novels featured on the reading list for most high schools in the area (including Knox County Schools.) The play will be performed October 27th - November 12th, Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 1 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM.

In this adaption of the classic Jane Austen novel “Sense & Sensibility”, two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood find themselves bound by the trials of life and love. When unexpected misfortunes befall their family, the sisters endure passion and heartbreak while navigating the unforgiving social conventions of Regency England. “Sense and Sensibility” is an enthralling tale of romance, resilience, and the undying bond between sisters. The play features many of Austen’s unforgettable characters, including Willoughby, Fanny, Lucy, Edward, Colonel Brandon and more. The play is performed by 14 talented young actors and designed by 10 talented young designers from ages 9 to 17.

The show is directed by Academy Director Emily Helton. Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

Museum of Appalachia: Fall Heritage Days

  • October 26, 2023 — November 3, 2023

Category: Festivals, special events, History, heritage, Kids, family and Science, nature

The Museum will host a student-focused event; a day to step back in time enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of pioneer Southern Appalachian traditions and old-time demonstrations of the fall harvest season. The event will feature demonstrations from blacksmiths, spinners, weavers, basket makers, sawmillers, sheep shearers, broom makers, beekeepers, and dozens of other artisans. We’ll also have tons of activities, from spelling bees to storytelling.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM each day

2819 Andersonville Hwy., Clinton, TN 37716
https://wwwmuseumofappalachiaorg.ticketleap.com/fall-heritage-days-2023/

Pellissippi State: "what abides here" by Anna Halliwell Gianferante

  • October 25, 2023 — November 17, 2023

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Photos developed from film and handwritten notes passed in class take on a new life in the mixed media exhibit “what abides here” at Pellissippi State Community College. The solo exhibition of artist Anna Halliwell Gianferante is on display in the Bagwell Center for Media and Art Gallery on the college’s Hardin Valley Campus through Nov. 17. Admission to the gallery is free, and it is open to the public weekdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

A public reception with the artist will be held 3 - 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Bagwell Center, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville.

The “what abides here” collection of mixed media works “meets at the junction of memory, photography, truth, glitches and loss,” said Gianferante, an Oak Ridge native who is now a full-time Art instructor at Pellissippi State. This body of work began with Gianferante’s master’s thesis, “Forget Me Not (Really)” for Savannah College of Art and Design. Gianferante sanded, erased and painted on personal photographs that depict moments with people and places no longer in her life. Gianaferante said the art creates separation between the figures and the viewer, just as the subjects of the photographs are now separated from the artist. Gianferante added to the exhibit with a collection of redacted notes she received in school as a teenager. The blank spaces serve as lapses in memory, she explained, while also abstracting the stories to make them unrecognizable. The final pieces of the exhibit showcase a different way of manipulating old photographs using artificial intelligence. Gianferante first erased parts of her original photos using AI and then printed them as cyanotypes to mimic the earliest processes of photography. By harnessing the sun to expose light onto fabric painted with light-sensitive chemicals, each print is unique based on both the weather and the time of exposure. “Some are so unrecognizable that the title is all that seems to be left of the original subject – pushing boundaries of memory and personal truth,” Gianferante said.

Gianferante earned her Master of Fine Arts in painting from Savannah College of Art and Design and her Master of Science in teacher education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She has taught Art courses for more than 11 years in both K-12 public schools and higher education institutions. To request accommodations for any campus event, call 865.694.6411 or email accommodations@pstcc.edu.

Pellissippi State | 865.694.6638 | marketing@pstcc.edu | www.pstcc.edu
10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37933

UT Libraries: National Exhibit on Mental Health Care and Custody

  • October 23, 2023 — December 2, 2023

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

A national exhibition examining the nation’s past responses to mental health and current approaches to care will be on display at UT Libraries this fall. The National Library of Medicine’s Care and Custody: Past Responses to Mental Health exhibit will be in the Jack E. Reese Galleria on the first floor of Hodges Library.

The traveling exhibit provides a historical overview of how mental health policies have evolved from custodial forms of treatment such as commitments to asylums and mass incarcerations to more inclusive approaches aimed at protecting the rights of those with mental health conditions. The exhibit also highlights how physicians, advocates, families, and government agencies have contributed to shaping mental health policies.

UT Libraries’ goal for hosting the traveling exhibition is to spark conversations surrounding mental health and effective coping strategies among UT students, faculty, staff, and community members.

A book display featuring related reads on mental health will be viewable on the second floor of Hodges Library.

UT Libraries was selected as a location for the traveling exhibition through the efforts of librarians Melanie Dixson, Niki Cobb, Calantha Tillotson, and Paris Whalon.

https://volumes.lib.utk.edu/news/ut-libraries-to-host-national-exhibit-on-mental-health-care-and-custody/

Clarence Brown Theatre: The Moors

Category: Theatre

The Moors
By Jen Silverman
The Lab Theatre
October 18 – November 5, 2023

Wait. What? An anthropomorphic Mastiff. A catfished governess. Two forlorn sisters on bleak English Moors yearning for love in a manor where every room looks the same. This is a new play the likes of which you have not seen before. It’s a dark, funny, genre-bending trip the New York Times calls, “the reason we go to the theater.” Try it!

Clarence Brown Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. For information/tickets: 865-974-5161, www.clarencebrowntheatre.com

UT Humanities Center: Prints & Books by Eric Avery, MD

  • October 15, 2023 — January 30, 2024

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Free event, History, heritage and Literature, spoken word, writing

This event is available to the public at the UT Printmaking Showcase Gallery. The Printmaking Showcase Gallery is located in the UTK Art and Architecture Building, in the second-floor hallway outside of the Printmaking Lab (Room 241).

It will feature selected prints and books by medical doctor and visual artist Eric Avery MD as he explores issues such as social responses to diseases (specifically HIV and Emerging Infectious Diseases), death, and sexual health. As part of one of his exhibitions, Avery set up an HIV clinic at the Fogg Museum of Art at Harvard University. His work has been shown internationally, and is in the collections of the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), the ARTS Medica Collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia, PA), and the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale University (New Haven, CT), among many others. His website is: https://www.ericaveryartist.com/

These events are free to attend and open to students, faculty, and the public.
https://www.facebook.com/events/332368039150381

TVUUC Gallery: COMMA Artist Group

  • October 13, 2023 — December 6, 2023

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Free and open to the public
When: Reception Friday, October 13, 2023, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Artists’ talk at 6:30 p.m.

The COMMA (Come, Make Art) Artist Group was founded in 2004 by Gay Nell Gray and Cheri Jorgenson as a plein air group that met weekly during the summer at UT Gardens. It grew to be a year-round endeavor of gallery and artist studio visits, creating artwork in other locations, and exhibiting as a group. This nature-inspired exhibition includes diverse media and processes.

The members are award-winning former and current art educators. Included here are Gay Nell Gray, Judy Jorden, Cheri Jorgensen, Shelley Mangold, Martha Robbins, Caitlin Seidler, Valerie Sigmon, Carol Vinson, and Suzanne Wedekind.

Gallery hours: 10-3 Monday through Thursday, 10-12:30 Sunday
Where: Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Gallery, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918

East Tennessee Historical Society: They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, History, heritage, Kids, family and Music

They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler is the first retrospective exhibition of Carl and Pearl Butler, the iconic country music duo whose timeless lyrics and harmonious melodies left an indelible mark on country music. With a career spanning over four decades, Carl and Pearl Butler became celebrated figures in the world of country music. “Carl made scores of major-label records during the 1950s,” says Bradley E. Reeves, the exhibition’s guest curator and author of the new book Honky Tonkitis: On the Road with Carl Butler and Pearl. “These are some of the best bluegrass, gospel, and hard country records ever made, although none could be called a massive hit.” That honor would come in 1962, when Carl and Pearl recorded “Don’t Let Me Cross Over.” The song remains among the fastest ever to ascend to No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country Singles. Carl and Pearl’s unique “Knoxville sound,” along with heartfelt lyrics, earned them a dedicated fan base who supported them at performances across the United States and Canada through the 1970s. The exhibition offers visitors a rare glimpse into the lives of these music legends.

Key highlights of the exhibition include:
1. Rare Family Archives: Museum guests will have the opportunity to view the Allen “Junior” Butler Family Collection, which has been made publicly available for the first time and includes never-before-seen photographs, home movies, original instruments, and stage costumes that belonged to Carl and Pearl Butler. “I’m grateful to Allen Butler and his family for opening their home and archives to share with us,” says Reeves.
2. Musical Journey: Explore the duo's musical journey through a feature film, which transports visitors through various periods of their career and traces their unfiltered, raw singing style, one that derived from and advanced the “Knoxville sound.”
3. Behind-the-Scenes: Gain insight into the lives of Carl and Pearl Butler through never-before-seen family photographs and recently uncovered anecdotes from the family and fellow musicians, including Dolly Parton who viewed the Butlers as her “second parents.” “Despite their successes,” says Adam Alfrey, Assistant Director for Historical Services at Knox County Public Library, “Carl and Pearl faced personal and professional struggles, which are intimately documented through the family’s photographs.”
4. Interpretive Experience: Engage with the exhibition to understand how both Knoxville and Nashville played a role in the development of country music. Also, learn how chart-topping artists can quickly become all but forgotten, even in their hometown. “The Butlers somehow fell through the cracks,” reflects Reeves. “It’s my hope that this book and exhibition will contribute to a reappreciation of their great body of work.”
They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler promises to be a heartfelt educational experience for country music enthusiasts and fans of all ages. It serves as a testament to the enduring influence of Carl and Pearl Butler on the world of music.

At 5:00 pm, Friday, October 6, 2023, there will be an opening reception for They Sang What They Lived: The Story of Carl and Pearl Butler. The event will include a meet and greet with Carl and Pearl Butler’s family, a book signing by guest curator Bradley E. Reeves, and an exhibition of Appalachian musical pioneer paintings by artist Amy Campbell. At 7:00 pm, there will be a “Tribute to Carl and Pearl,” opened by a performance of the Paul Brewster and Friends Band, comprised of 14-year-old mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis and Grand Ole Opry performers Daniel Grindstaff, Kent Blanton, Stephen Burwell, and John Meador. A screening of 8mm home movies shot by the Butlers (watch for an appearance by 10-year-old Dolly Parton), as well as some of the Butlers’ rarest television appearances, will conclude the evening.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.eastTNhistory.org/lights-camera

Tennessee Artists Association: American Modernism

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

The Frothy Monkey is hosting the Tennessee Artist’s Association’s show of “American Modernism” from October through January at the Frothy Monkey, 419, S. Gay St. Knoxville, TN 37902.

More than ten TAA artists will be represented at the exhibit, and many will be on hand for a meet and greet on Friday, October 6th from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The Frothy Monkey is the perfect stop for coffee, conversation and community. The restaurant offers fresh baked goods, beer, wine & cocktails along with its coffee and tea selections. The Frothy Monkey seeks to provide a safe and welcoming environment that can nourish guests and build community relationships.

For more information, contact twiegenstein@gmail.com

Pellissippi State Strawberry Plains: All the Eggs in One Basket

  • October 2, 2023 — December 31, 2023

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

Cherokee basketry and Southern Appalachian basket styles are on display now at Pellissippi State Community College’s Strawberry Plains Campus. The “All the Eggs in One Basket” exhibit curated by Art Professor Jeffrey Lockett is free and open to the public through the college’s Appalachian Heritage Project, which is housed in the Strawberry Plains Campus Library. Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Appalachian Heritage Project serves as a repository for regional literature, history and folklore and includes programming including exhibits, lectures and workshops. “Abundant river cane in the Southern Appalachians contributes to its widespread use in weaving and basketry,” Lockett said. “The known works of the 17th century Cherokee Indians introduced the unique combination of materials and weave patterns using this cane.”

In the 18th and 19th centuries, storage baskets were used for daily needs such as harvesting, transportation and food preparation, Lockett added. However, as mountain tourism and markets for mountain crafts grew into the 20th century, Cherokee basket makers responded by producing baskets for the tourist trade. Most baskets on display in the "All the Eggs in One Basket” exhibit were made by Jimmy Lawrence of Clinton, Tennessee. Lawrence, born in 1937 in Abington, Virginia, is a Virginia Tech-educated mechanical engineer with a lifelong fascination with Appalachian crafts. He and his wife, Gail, have a regionally known collection of Southern folk art, crafts and utilitarian ware at their home.

“Jimmy says his curiosity for Southern crafts together with his engineering background has allowed him to approach basketmaking and weaving as an artform as well as an achievement in engineering,” said Lockett, who named the exhibit in honor of the variety of Lawrence’s traditional egg baskets that are on display. "Jimmy takes traditional Appalachian styles as well as Cherokee weaving traditions and varies the materials to include slippery elm bark, native cane and white oak.” All works in the exhibit are from the collections of Lawrence or Lockett. The Strawberry Plains Campus Library is open 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday.

Pellissippi State | 865.694.6638 | marketing@pstcc.edu | www.pstcc.edu

Tennessee Artists Association: Annual Members Juried Art Show

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

The Tennessee Artist’s Association is holding its Annual Members Juried Art Show at the Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Rd., Knoxville, 37918. A gala reception will be held on Sunday, October 1, 2:00 - 4:00 pm, and refreshments will be available. Fountain City Art Center regular hours are Tuesday- Thursday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

More than 40 artists and over 100 pieces of artwork will be represented at the show. Prizes include Best of Show, 1st Place, 2nd Place, & 3rd Place in various categories, including Portraiture, Figurative & Animals; Abstract, including 3-D & Collage; Landscapes, including Seascapes & Streetscapes; Flowers & Still Life; and Emerging Artists will be featured.

Juror is Michael C. Berry, a working artist and professor of art at UT. Berry is known for his dynamic urban compositions that bend and twist the cityscapes that have become his unique style. Berry was the 2007 Dogwood Arts Festival Limited Edition Print Artist and has earned various awards and recognitions over the years.

TAA is celebrating 51 years as the area’s oldest member supported arts organization. TAA members work in many different genres of art and types of media and at various levels of ability. TAA seeks to be inclusive of all members and encourages active participation in shows and events.

Tennessee Artists Association meets monthly at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6500 Northshore Dr., Knoxville. TAA - A place to learn and grow as an artist. Monthly programs of TAA include practical art demonstrations, discussions, and opportunities for individual artists to get involved in learning, community and shows More on the Tennessee Artist’s Association can be found on the web at https://tnartists.org, on Instagram at @tn_artists, and on Facebook at TNArtistsAssociation.

The Maker Exchange: The Richness of Life by Beth Meadows and Mike Berry

  • September 30, 2023 — December 11, 2023

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

New Work by Beth Meadows and Mike Berry
at The Maker Exchange, 710 Clinch Avenue, Knoxville, TN
Opening Reception Thursday, October 5, 5-8 pm
Show runs September 30- December 10, 2023

The Richness of Life is a joint exhibition of new paintings and cutouts.

Gallery is open 24/7, however...
• Sometimes the Maker Exchange holds events in the gallery space. Call ahead to check for any events that would affect normal hours (865) 522-2800 ext. 7
• On the night of the opening, artists I will have smaller items for sale

https://bethmeadows.com/
http://www.mikecberry.com/
https://www.makerexchangeknox.com/

2 of 3