Calendar of Events

Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore will observe Sequoyah Remembrance Day Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024 12:00-4 p.m. with free admission to the museum.

Sequoyah dies in August of 1843, we do not know what day he died. So we’ve chosen the first Sunday in August to remember Sequoyah and his life.
We will have the printing press, and blacksmithing demonstrations as well others.

Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, 576 Hwy 360, Vonore, TN 37885. Hours: M-Sa 9-5, Su 12-5. Information: 423-884-6246, www.sequoyahmuseum.org

The Smoky Mountain Blues Society will once again present live music with its continuation of our monthly Blues Cruises of 2024. This month’s performance will feature the BYWATER CALL on the Tennessee Riverboat on Sunday, August 4th at 4 pm – 7 pm.

Tickets are available through the Tennessee Riverboat Company’s website, (tnriverboat.com) and by calling (865) 525-7827. Tickets are just $20 for members in advance and $25 for non-members.

SMBS Members should call to claim their discount (865) 525-7827. Members will be receiving discount code by email.

Bywater Call Band BIO
Meghan Parnell and Dave Barnes are the driving force behind Bywater Call, a powerhouse 7-piece Southern Soul, Roots Rock band out of Toronto, Canada. Since Bywater Call was formed in 2017, they have been Maple Blues and Independent Blues Award nominated and have made waves in the Canadian Festival Circuit. The band has also had the opportunity to extensively tour Europe, including most recently in May and June of 2022, featuring a mainstage appearance at the Netherlands’ premiere blues festival MOULIN BLUES. Performances there have been praised in Dutch and German media, with references to Meghan as one of the best singers in blues and roots today. They will be returning to Europe in Fall 2023. Born out of a love for southern soul, blues and roots music and a passion to create a powerful and moving experience for listeners, Bywater Call is completed by Bruce McCarthy on drums, Mike Meusel on Bass, John Kervin on Keys, Stephen Dyte on Trumpet and Julian Nalli on Tenor Sax.

Each voyage will also have full bar and limited food menu available onboard to buy.

For more information contact: SmokyMountainBluesSociety@gmail.com
www.smokymountainblues.org

First Friday Reception: August 2nd, 5:30 - 9 pm

A native of Virginia, Kathy Holland attended the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCUarts) in Richmond, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and printmaking in 1978. The following summer she studied with master wood-engraver Blair Hughes-Stanton at the Central School of Art and Design in London, England. Ever since graduation from VCUarts, Kathy has worked continually as an artist, exhibiting drawings, etchings, relief prints, and paintings in juried national and international exhibitions and solo shows. In addition to her studio practice, she has worked over the years as a freelance graphic artist, medical illustrator, mura lpainter, portrait artist, art show juror, and drawing instructor. In 1986 she emigrated to Canada, lived in the small rural town of Deep River, Ontario for over11 years, and exhibited her work extensively in solo exhibitions at public galleries throughout Ontario and in juried shows across the US.

Debbie Corley of DC Pottery creates pieces that are mostly wheel thrown, but she constructs some hand-built pieces as well, focusing on functional ware that is intended to be used and enjoyed in daily life. Inspired by the dynamics of the outside world, the changing seasons, and the organic patterns and textures found in nature, her work includes surface designs are created by employing carving techniques to expose the clay material underneath underglazes, hand painting to emphasize and highlight to create contrast and interest, and layering of patterned transfers, textures, and decals.

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

This upcoming First Friday we will be showcasing “Sueños,” an exhibition that celebrates the artistry of Honduran artists Sergio Martínez, Valeria Martínez, and Estefano Martínez.

https://holahoralatina.org/current-exhibit/
865.335.3358

Emporium Center + Dogwood Gallery
Reception: August 2nd / 5-8PM
Details TBA

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

Paintings by Lauren Adams, opening reception on Friday, Aug 2, 5-9 PM

RED Gallery, 130 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-524-0146 or https://www.facebook.com/REDgalleryKNOX/

The Arts & Culture Alliance, with support from Messer Construction, is pleased to present a new installation entitled WIN THE FUTURE! in the Emporium Center's main gallery throughout the month of August and opening on Friday, August 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM.

WIN THE FUTURE!, created by Jake Barton, is an immersive experience allowing visitors the opportunity to interact with their future selves and see how their current decisions shape Knoxville’s future health and well-being. As visitors make choices, they will walk among the trees of the Smokies; then, while inside an interactive DreamCube, they may be invited to extinguish a forest fire, clear flooded streets, or plant virtual flowers. This unique experience, focused on the climate crisis, helps visitors discover actions that can change the future, for better or worse. Preview the DreamCube at https://theaccelerator.studio/dreamcube.

The DreamCube serves as a "time machine" to save the future. It utilizes a customized algorithm to help visitors discover their highest impact climate actions by talking to their future self. The DreamCube also compiles solutions for systems change to not only create a shift in climate action but also in how we talk about it.

Jake Barton is principal and founder of Local Projects, a New York-based design firm which specializes in media design. Since 2006, Barton and his team have worked on creating the media design for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum; they also worked to develop the algorithm used to place names around the 9/11 Memorial itself. Other clients include the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Frank Gehry-designed Eisenhower Presidential Memorial and Cleveland Museum of Art. In 2013, Local Projects was named the National Design Award winner for Interaction Design, while in 2011 it was listed as the second most innovative design firm by Fast Company magazine. Barton designs museum experiences that bring complex topics to life, inspiring reflection and action.

WIN THE FUTURE! is sponsored by Messer Construction with support from the Arts & Culture Alliance and the Emporium Center. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9 AM - 5 PM or by appointment through Thursday, August 29.

As part of a special First Friday Block Party sponsored by the Alliance and City of Knoxville, the free opening reception on Friday, August 2 will also feature nearly 20 artist vendors and live music with Robinella outside along the 100 Block of Gay Street, which will be open to pedestrians only from 4-10 PM between Jackson and Vine avenues. Inside the Emporium, music will be provided by Rodney Lee and TOO EASY (Rachelle and Kenneth Navy).

The Emporium Center is located at 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Featuring Artists: Patsy Ferrell White and Medha Karandikar

Opening reception: Friday Aug 2nd from 5-9pm

Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 Broadway St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Hours: Saturdays 10am-5pm, by appointment, or when the "open" sign is illuminated. Information: 865-556-8676, www.BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com and www.facebook.com/broadwaystudiosandgallery/

CreepyCon is a comprehensive Halloween and Horror themed convention held annually in Knoxville, TN, focusing on an extensive array of activities and experiences included in the ticket price. This three-day event is characterized by its heavy emphasis on performances and an abundant schedule of things to do, catering to a wide range of interests within the Halloween & Horror genres. Attendees have access to numerous panels, classes, contests, demonstrations, celebrity guests, haunted attractions, escape rooms, shows, and over 200 vendors. The convention is designed to offer so much variety and content that it’s virtually impossible for any single attendee to experience everything available over the course of the event’s three days. From educational workshops and expert panels to entertainment and shopping, CreepyCon offers an overload of options, ensuring that there’s something for everyone.

New to CreepyCon 2024: The Dark Side! We added an additional 50,000 square feet compared to last year’s show and turned the lights off! Enjoy a seamless transition from the the light side of CreepyCon to The Dark Side with tons of unique performances, vendors, and so many more things to do!

Event Hours
Friday, August 2nd – 5pm-9pm (4 hrs)
Saturday, August 3rd – 11am-8pm (9 hrs)
Sunday, August 4th – 12pm-5pm (5 hrs)

https://creepycon.com/

8/1 • Knoxville Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream
8/2 • Knoxville Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet
8/3 • Knoxville Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream
8/4 • Self-Care Sunday Yoga
8/4 • Knoxville Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet (Matinee)
8/4 • Knoxville Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet
8/6 • Big Fun Tuesday: End of Summer Blast

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Visitor Center open daily 10-6; grounds and trails open daily from 8 AM - dusk. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org

BY LESLIE KIMBELL
Directed by Jill Stapleton Bergeron

Polly Porter, famous 1970s gospel singer of the group Polly Porter & the Praise His Name Singers, has gone on up to heaven. Her daughter, Caroline, has come home to Savannah, Georgia, to pack up Miss Polly’s house, but there is just one little problem (or two or three): Miss Polly was an extreme hoarder of epic proportions, Caroline’s useless siblings are totally MIA, and her three best friends from high school, former co-cheerleaders, have all shown up… unannounced! Lizzy now owns the Miss Georgia Belle Pageantry system, Donna Jo is the local community theatre diva, and Becca is having a late-in-life geriatric pregnancy with baby girl number five. The gospel music plays and the margaritas pour as the four ladies laugh, cry, scream and come together to pack up Miss Polly’s house, heal old wounds, and make new plans for their future.

With humor, wit and vulnerability, Packing Up Polly delves into themes of forgiveness, acceptance and the transformative power of letting go… unpacking the layers of our own lives to find healing and redemption.

Performances are Thu-Sat 7:30 PM and Sun 3 PM

Theatre Knoxville Downtown, 800 S. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information & tickets: 865-544-1999, www.theatreknoxville.com

July 18 - Aug. 11, 2024, details TBA

Join Tennessee Stage Company and Ijams Nature Center for the time-honored tradition of outdoor Shakespeare with Knoxville Shakespeare on the lawn at Ijams.

https://tennesseestage.com/