Calendar of Events

Friday, December 8, 2023

Blount Mansion: A Home for the Holidays

Category: Festivals, special events and History, heritage

Step back in time and experience the magic of Christmas at Blount Mansion during A Home for the Holidays - our candlelit Christmas experience. Tours will be conducted on Saturday, December 2nd and 9th at 5:00pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm, 6:30pm, 7:00pm, and 7:30pm. Tours will last approximately 30 minutes.

On these special evenings, the historic house will be adorned with hundreds of twinkling candles and festive decorations provided by the members of the Knoxville Garden Club. Our docents will lead you through the beautifully decorated rooms, sharing stories about the house's history and the many holiday traditions it exhibited over the centuries. You'll learn about the family who lived in the house, the customs they celebrated, and the decorations they used to create a warm and inviting Christmas atmosphere.

A Home for the Holidays is a truly magical experience for guests of all ages. They're a perfect way to celebrate the holiday season with family and friends and to learn more about the history and traditions of Christmas.

Tickets are available via our Facebook and Instagram or online at: https://knoxnews.evvnt.events/events/a-home-for-the-holidays-blount-mansion-christmas-tours

Blount Mansion, 200 W. Hill Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-2375, www.blountmansion.org

Oak Ridge Art Center: Holiday Shops

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

The booths are up and waiting for your arrival! This year we have 35 artists representing clay, fiber, painting, paper goods, fine jewelry, woodturning and more! Holiday Shops runs from Dec. 2nd through Dec. 9th, 9-4 each day.

REMINDER: additional parking is immediately past our lot, in the former Recording for the Blind and ORAU lots. See you there!

https://www.facebook.com/OakRidgeArtCenter/

Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Hours: Tu-F 9-5, Sa-M 1-4. Information: 865-482-1441, www.oakridgeartcenter.org

Lilienthal Gallery: Flow: Mastering a Brushstroke

  • December 1, 2023 — February 28, 2024

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

OPENING NIGHT
December 1, 5 - 9 pm

Lilienthal Gallery cordially invites you to the opening of Flow: Mastering a Brushstroke, which contemplates the meditative dance through which the energetic flow of creativity is transmitted by poetic forms of ink and motion.

ARTIST TALK at 6:30 pm
German artist Sigrid Artmann will discuss her calligraphic process of Absolute Writing, a practice which delves into the intuition of body-soul connection.

DRESS CODE - Minimalistic composition of black and white.

Launching an exclusive, limited-edition brew by Crafty Bastard featuring the work of Sigrid Artmann.

Flow is the synthesis between action and awareness— a state by which all else falls away in favor of the fullest moment of subjective creativity.

CURATED BY ILANA LILIENTHAL AND KELLY FERGUSON
PRESENTING ARTWORKS BY SIGRID ARTMANN, GUO HAI-JIANG, AND ANTHONY HUANG

23 Emory Place
Knoxville, Tennessee 37917
https://lilienthalgallery.com/flow/

Rala: Works by Brian Pittman

  • December 1, 2023 — January 31, 2024

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

The opening reception will be from 6-8pm December 1st. Brian, aka "The Cathedral Guy", creates highly detailed work that is recognizable throughout Knoxville. An architect by trade, he designs each cathedral, castle, floor plan, and rose window from his imagination. Brian's work will remain on display from December 1st - January 31st.

https://shoprala.com/collections/brian-pittman-original-art
https://www.facebook.com/events/1720889741656518

Tri-Star Arts: Greetings From Vestal III

  • December 1, 2023 — January 27, 2024

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

FRIDAY, DEC. 1, 5:00—8:00 pm
TRI-STAR ARTS RECEPTION feat. Tri-Star Arts resident studio artists Rachel Sevier Dallery, Casey Field, Lisa Flanary, Risa Hricovsky, and Ashley Pace
MAIN GALLERY
Friday, December 1, 2023 (5-8pm) and will run through Saturday, January 27, 2024. Curator: Brian R. Jobe.

Hop by Gabrielle Barnhart (Knoxville, TN)
PROJECT SPACE
opens Friday, December 1, 2023 (5-8pm) and will run through Saturday, January 15, 2024. This show is located within the unique architectural space of a narrow wooden stairwell.

The Lottery by Melissa Catanese (Pittsburgh, PA)
curated / organized by Mauro Antonio Barreto (Nashville, TN)
CARRIAGE HOUSE
Friday, December 1, 2023 (curator in attendance). One night only.

Root by Jason Sheridan Brown (Knoxville, TN)
GROUNDS
on view through Tuesday, December 31, 2024

The Tri-Star Arts Gallery and Studios are located in the historic Candoro Marble Building, 5 minutes from downtown Knoxville at the corner of Maryville Pike and Candora Avenue.
4450 Candora Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920
This exhibition is open to the public regularly from Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 am until 5:00 pm, alongside iconic spaces within the Candoro Marble Building — located in the Vestal neighborhood of Knoxville. Photo: Bruce Cole.
https://tristararts.org/visit

Art Market Gallery: Ed Lewis and Kate McCullough

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

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

Ed Lewis’s innovative woodworking will be featured during the month of December. Ed's woodworking journey spans a lifetime, transitioning to woodturning in 2017 after retiring. A standout member of the Smoky Mountain Woodturners, he's won multiple club challenges, showcasing his dedication and skill. He began with traditional pieces but quickly delved into segmented turnings, creating diverse works like wood snakes, moonshine stills, and lighthouses. Ed generously shares his expertise by teaching woodturning to students at Wears Valley Ranch. His innovative segmented pieces earned him spots at the prestigious Master Woodworkers Show in Knoxville in both 2019 and 2023, where his talent dazzled audiences.

Kate McCullough’s stunning watercolor paintings will be featured. Kate McCullough began painting in watercolor about 18 years ago after a 35-year hiatus from art. Initially her studies at Villa Marie College and SUNY College at Buffalo included general design, art history and oil and acrylic painting. When she returned to painting, she decided that watercolor was a medium that she would like to explore. Kate immediately fell in love with it and hasn't looked back. She has studied art at UT and has attended many workshops. Kate is the former president of the Knoxville Watercolor Society and a member of the Tennessee Watercolor Society.

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

Bennett: Epicurean by Denise Stewart-Sanabria

  • December 1, 2023 — December 29, 2023

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Join us in The Gallery this December as we celebrate new work by Denise Stewart-Sanabria in her exhibit Epicurean Indulgences. The exhibit opens on December 1 and runs through December 29.

We will kick off the exhibit with a Champagne Open House on Saturday, December 2nd from 11–4, with meet the artist from 12–3. Stop by!

Bennett, 5308 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-Sa 10-5:30; Sundays in December 1-5. Information: 865-584-6791, https://bennetthome.com/

Zoo Knoxville: Visit with Santa

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

We invite you to join us for a festive "Visit with Santa"! Come for a day filled with holiday cheer where Santa Claus himself will be taking a break from his busy schedule to meet and greet guests of all ages. You may also take keepsake photos, but please bring your own camera or phone-no professional photography available. Free with general zoo admission and for Zoo Knoxville Members. Presented by Publix Charities.

Santa will be greeting guests from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. daily in the Wee Play Adventure Building on the following dates:

Friday, Dec. 1
Saturday, Dec. 2
Sunday, Dec. 3

Friday, Dec. 8
Saturday, Dec. 9
Sunday, Dec. 10

Friday, Dec. 15
Saturday, Dec. 16
Sunday, Dec. 17

Friday, Dec. 22
Saturday, Dec. 23

Wishing you the happiest of holidays from all of us at Zoo Knoxville!
3500 Knoxville Zoo Drive, Knoxville, TN 37914
(865) 637-5331 or zooknox@zooknoxville.org
9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. daily
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

Knoxville Watercolor Society: Exhibition at Rose Center

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

"From an Eastern Tennessee Point of View"
442 W 2nd N St., Morristown, TN 37814
open Mondays - Fridays. 9am-5pm, and Sat. Dec 2nd 9am-4pm
Opening Reception, Friday, December 1st, 6-8 PM
Exhibit open December 1st - December 21st, 2023
https://www.facebook.com/knoxville.watercolor.society/

Knoxville Children's Theatre: Elf, Jr. The Musical

Category: Kids, family, Music and Theatre

KCT Intern Evie Braude will direct the production, Teresa Seals will serve as Musical Director, and Donya Walker-Bacon will choreograph.

Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and that his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. Elf JR. features songs by Tony Award-nominees, Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, with a book by Tony Award-winners, Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin.

Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

Oak Ridge Playhouse: Lionel Bart’s OLIVER!

Category: Kids, family, Music and Theatre

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Lionel Bart
DECEMBER 1-17, 2023

This beloved musical, based on the classic Charles Dickens novel “Oliver Twist,” tells the tale of an orphaned boy who escapes the cruel workhouse where he was raised and finds himself caught up in the criminal underworld of Victorian London. Featuring unforgettable songs such as “Consider Yourself” and “Food, Glorious Food” and memorable characters like the wily Artful Dodger and the greedy Fagin, Oliver! tugs at the heartstrings of audiences of all generations with its themes of resilience, redemption, and the power of kindness.

GENERAL AUDIENCES

Oak Ridge Playhouse, 227 Broadway, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Information and tickets: 865-482-9999, https://www.orplayhouse.com/

Arts & Culture Alliance: 2023 Members Show

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

The Arts & Culture Alliance proudly presents its 2023 Members Show, the largest annual exhibition of local artists in the Greater Knoxville area. The fresh mix of two- and three-dimensional works created within the last two years encompasses a wide variety of media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, mixed media, photography, fine craft, sculpture, ceramics, fiber, and more from regional artists who are all individual members of the Arts & Culture Alliance, which serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Membership is open to all, and information may be found at www.knoxalliance.com/join-renew.

A free celebration with the artists will take place on Friday, December 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM. The 50th Annual WIVK Christmas Parade starts at 7:00 PM along Gay Street and passes in front of the Emporium.

"If you really want to give your mind a break and have a fun time seeing every kind of perspective in nearly every kind of media, don't miss this exhibition," says Liza Zenni, Executive Director of the Arts & Culture Alliance. "Just wandering through it will give you a lift!"

Individual members of the Alliance participate locally and regionally in gallery exhibitions, art festivals, sculpture trails, weekend shows, studio tours, and public murals. Some Alliance members are full-time artists, while others have day jobs and create on evenings and weekends. Some members include art professors with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Carson-Newman University, Maryville College, Pellissippi State, Roane State, and Walters State. Others are teachers within Knox and surrounding counties’ elementary, middle and high schools. Some Alliance members teach classes privately or through community classes with the Appalachian Arts Craft Center, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Fountain City Art Center, Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center, Knoxville Museum of Art, Mighty Mud, and Oak Ridge Art Center. Many of the artists have working studios in their own homes, while some are part of studio collectives such as 17th Street Studios, Broadway Studios & Gallery, The Emporium, Mighty Mud, Relay Ridge, Sunday Studios, and West Fifth Studios.

The 2023 Members Show will be on display throughout the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville from December 1-15, 2023. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or via the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Saturday, December 2 & 9, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed December 18 – January 1 for maintenance and the holidays. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

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