Calendar of Events

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Pivot Point Gallery: Featuring Alessandra Page

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Opening Thursday November 16 5-7pm
I'm a primarily self-taught pastelist who moved to Tennessee in the late autumn of 2020 after decades on the coast of Maine I paint both en plein air and in the studio. My work unabashedly steps away from social commentary. I paint calm. I fall in love with the light and let it define what I'll paint. Because of that emotion I often think of my paintings as intimate portraits of the subject.
https://www.apagefineart.com/

Pivot Point Gallery, 15 Emory Place, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-248-0050, www.pivotpointgallery.com

The District Gallery: The Big Tiny Show

  • November 10, 2023 — January 6, 2024

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

THE BIG TINY SHOW - A SMALL WORKS EXHIBIT
We are excited to announce the Big Tiny Show is back! The Big Tiny Show is a national juried exhibition of small 2D works, opening Friday, November 10, 2023. The Big Tiny Show will include works from established and emerging artists, in a variety of subject matter, media, and expression. The focus of the Big Tiny Show is to celebrate the power of delightfully tiny original art. Each original work of art has a history and a story that we’re excited to share with our clients. It is our aim to make these tiny, but mighty, original works accessible to anyone and everyone.

GALLERY HOURS: Tues – Fri: 10:00 – 5:30 and Sat: 10:00 – 4:00
5113 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919, 865-200-4452
https://www.thedistrictgallery.com/bigtinyshow/

Westminster Presbyterian Church: Works by Hannah Morrow

  • November 6, 2023 — December 22, 2023

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Instagram @han.morrow; www.hannahmorrowart.com

Growing up in Marietta, Georgia, I had a deep passion for art, particularly for drawing animals. I was so passionate about it that I even did my first dog portrait in middle school. My passion for color and gesture only grew as I attended The University of Tennessee and earned my BFA. I've since moved to Chattanooga, where I live with my husband and daughter, Della.

My professional career in photography has helped me to hone in on details, color, and composition, which in turn has enhanced my ability to capture the unique personalities of pets on paper. I'm equally drawn to realism and detail, and the vibrancy and movement of color and paint strokes. Together, they create pieces that speak to the viewer.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6500 S Northshore Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-R 9-4, Fri 9-12. Information: (865) 584-3957 or www.wpcknox.org

Ewing Gallery: AI T.B.D.

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

This exhibition, curated by Julie Kress and Mark Stanley, professors in the College of Architecture and Design, exhibits the work of artists, designers, and architects whose work practice makes use of Artificial Intelligence.

The Ewing Gallery will be closed November 22-26 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

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

Tomato Head: Exhibition by Andrew Godwin - Second Nature

  • November 3, 2023 — January 9, 2024

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

A solo exhibition of paintings and works on paper.
Instagram @andrewgodwinart
www.andrewgodwin.com

Market Sq, Nov 5 - Dec 3
Kingston Pk, Dec 5 - Jan 9

Tomato Head, 12 Market Square (865-637-4067) and 7240 Kingston Pike, Suite 172 (865-584-1075), in Knoxville. Daily hours: 11 AM - 8:30 PM
https://thetomatohead.com/

Dogwood Arts: Fragile

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

Join us for the Opening Reception of 'Fragile', a group exhibition featuring sculptural and functional ceramics by 42 local + regional artists.
• First Friday (Nov. 3rd): 5-8PM
• First Friday (Dec. 1st) 5-7PM [Christmas Parade begins at 7PM]

'Fragile' is a juried exhibition featuring work by Cecilia Albert-Black, Saul Alpert-Abrams, Kendra Barth, Sophie Blondel, Joan Bontempo, Anna Boynton, Alex Broussard, Jordan Butzine, Kate Buuck, Jose Calabres, Jill Campbell, Marissa Childers, John E. Cole, Maggie Connolly, Morena Constantinou, Deborah Corley, Garrett Durland, Amy Evans, Lauren Farkas, Bailey Fritz, Maddison Graybill, Barron Hall, Amanda Humphreys, Jennifer Kaplan, Ellie Kotsianas Christner, Lisa Kurtz, Hsiu-yi Lai, Hannah Langer, Andrea Larsen, Frank Martin, Amanda McDonald, Emily Morin, Diahn Ott, Ashley Pegram, Caitlin Robinson, Tina Rosling, Maya Stansbury, Cindy Sugg, Kathleen Sutton, Colleen Tongco, Bryan Wilkerson, and Jacene Witzel.

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts123 W. Regular Gallery Hours: M-F | 9AM-5PM

Awaken Coffee: Michelle Barillaro Exhibition

  • November 1, 2023 — November 30, 2023

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

Michelle Barillaro’s striking abstracts will be displayed! Michelle finds personal pleasure in abstracts because they allow the viewer to see something in them related to their own experiences and dreams. She primarily paints on wood panels with oil & cold wax medium. The addition of cold wax lends itself to different techniques for texturing, layering, and subtracting paint- conceal and reveal- to build a history within the painting.

First Friday reception on November 3. 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/

UT Downtown Gallery: Jorge Lucero Study Collection

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

The Gallery is open on the First Friday of every month from 5-9pm as part of Downtown Knoxville’s First Friday Art Walk
FRIDAY, November 3, 5 - 9PM
FRIDAY, December 1, 5 - 9PM

The JORGELUCEROSTUDYCOLLECTION is a modest art library and ephemera archive assembled by Mexican-American artist and educator Jorge Lucero during his various teaching appointments across the American midwest. Most of the time the STUDYCOLLECTION is housed at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and it is open to the public once a week when classes are in session. Browsing, study, quiet reading, sitting, and open discussion is encouraged during a visit to the STUDYCOLLECTION.

The STUDYCOLLECTION is non-circulating. It is the primary mission of the STUDYCOLLECTION to be a forum for conviviality, especially over these unique items within this particular place and time, therefore its holdings are rarely lent individually. In 2017, the STUDYCOLLECTION was borrowed in its entirety by the University of North Texas for the duration of their Spring semester. The University of Tennessee is only the second institution or person to perform this gesture.

THEJORGELUCEROSTUDYCOLLECTION holds no special events other than the singular event of being open during its designated time each week. Visitors to the STUDYCOLLECTION have made reasonable suggestions about specific public events that could potentially increase the number of visitors and the visibility of the STUDYCOLLECTION (e.g. public readings, organized discussions, screenings or listening events, etc.). Although these suggestions are appreciated and understood as coinciding with other models of how similar spaces are normally participated in, the mission of the STUDYCOLLECTION is not necessarily to be consumed en masse or to provide purposeful entertainment of any sort. The staff of the STUDYCOLLECTION is perfectly at ease with nothing (or the appearance of nothing) happening during the open times of the STUDYCOLLECTION.

Lucero’s exhibition is presented by the UT Downtown Gallery in collaboration with the Tennessee Art Educators Association annual conference. Funding is generously provided by the Arts & Culture Alliance, Knox County, the Department of the Treasury, Tennessee Art Educators Association, the East Tennessee STEM Hub, and UTK co-sponsors from the Center for Enhancing Education in Mathematics and Sciences and the Department of Theory & Practice in Teacher Education.

Location: The UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay Street
Times: W-F: 11am - 6pm, Sat: 10am - 3pm
For more information: ewing@utk.edu | https://downtown.utk.edu

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/

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

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