Calendar of Events

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Knoxville Museum of Art: 18th annual East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition

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

Welcome to the 18th Annual East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition, presented by the Knoxville Museum of Art. The ETRSAE showcases the strength and diversity of art education programs in East Tennessee, celebrates talented middle and high school students, and supports arts education. This annual exhibition provides the opportunity for students to participate in a juried exhibition and to have their artworks displayed in a professional art museum environment. We are so delighted by the quality of the artworks, the dedication of the teachers, and the commitment of the museum staff to establish a museum/school tradition for our community.

Public, private, and home schools grade 6–12 in 32 East Tennessee counties were invited to submit up to 15 artworks per teacher. Categories for the competition include ceramic, drawing, digital imagery/video production, mixed media, painting, computer graphics, sculpture, photography, and printmaking. Each participating school is represented by one work of art.

The Best-in-Show winner receives a Purchase Award of $500, and the artwork becomes a permanent part of the collection of Mr. James Dodson, on loan to the Knoxville Museum of Art’s Education Collection. The Best-in-Middle School winner receives $250. If you are a NAEA/TAEA member and the teacher of the student who is selected as this year’s Best-in-Show and Best in Middle School, you will receive a $100 Art Educator Award from the Knoxville Museum of Art. Each student in the exhibition receives a certificate of participation and the “Best” in each of the 10 categories. The winners receive a cash award and a museum family membership.

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.

Holidays on Ice

  • November 24, 2023 — January 2, 2024

Category: Festivals, special events and Kids, family

HOLIDAYS ON ICE
PRESENTED BY HOME FEDERAL BANK
Friday, November 24, 2023 through
Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Market Square

Take a skate on Knoxville's open air ice skating rink.
More information available at KnoxvillesHolidaysOnIce.com.

https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/government/city_departments_offices/special_events/christmas_in_the_city

Clarence Brown Theatre: A Christmas Carol

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

By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Edward Morgan and Joseph Hanreddy
Music by John Tanner
Clarence Brown Theatre
November 22 – December 21, 2023

Knoxville’s longest-running holiday tradition! For more than three decades, Knoxvillians have returned year-after-year to experience this timeless story of hope and redemption. This season, make A Christmas Carol part of your holiday tradition. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll create a wonderful memory… and you will leave the theater with a warm heart and renewed spirit!

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

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

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/

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

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

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

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