Calendar of Events

The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra is a proud partner of Love People Jazz, a non-profit dedicated to providing more playing opportunities for musicians and music education for children in Knoxville and the surrounding area. Love People Jazz also plans to open a new Jazz club to provide a home for musicians and performances, as well as a place for education. The KJO and Love People Jazz co-sponsored the Jazz at the Emporium concert series offered for free and open to the public in downtown Knoxville last year. We wanted to share information below about their upcoming fundraiser and plans for the future.

The focus on Jazz has become too much about the music and less about the experience. The best jazz concerts have been at smaller venues/clubs where the people are up close and personal with the musicians. The Jazz experience is essentially the memories we hold on to. That's how we connect with one another and the artists. Love People is about creating more Jazz experiences for the artists, fans of the artists, fans of the music, as well as the bystander who happens to find him or herself in the right place at the right time. Love People creates experiences for serious Jazz enthusiasts and offers just the right atmosphere for those who see Jazz as a cool scene for socializing, dancing and enjoying the people and music!

This concert/fundraiser will feature the great saxophonist, Will Boyd and his band from Asheville, North Carolina. His band includes Andy Page, Zack Page and Alan Hall.

Performing at Barley's, Sunday, August 25th, 7pm
200 E. Jackson Ave
Time: 7 pm - 9:30 pm (doors at 6:30 pm)

Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) is thrilled to launch an exciting new schedule of exhibitions, beginning with Jo Sandman/TRACES, opening to the public on August 23, 2024. The public is warmly invited to the opening reception that Friday from 6:00-9:00 pm. A special Members-Only hour will take place from 6:00-7:00 pm, with a talk by Alice Sebrell, curator of TRACES, at 6:15. Attendees can expect to enjoy summer refreshments, a signature cocktail, and a special musical performance by Rubens Ghenov. The event is free and open to the public, with a cash bar.

Jo Sandman is celebrated for her restless curiosity, sparked by her time at Black Mountain College, and expressed through her experimentation with various imagery, materials, and processes. For more than seventy years, she fearlessly explored an interdisciplinary mix of painting, drawing, experimental sculpture, installation, and photography. Close examination of this work reflects Sandman’s desire to try anything in pursuit of her ideas. TRACES, organized by the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, Asheville, NC, offers viewers a rare opportunity to experience the evolution of the artist’s journey over multiple decades.

"We are honored to present Jo Sandman's TRACES at the Knoxville Museum of Art," said KMA Executive Director Steven Matijcio. "Her unique artistic vision and profound impact on the art world make this exhibition a must-see for art enthusiasts and the broader community alike."

For additional information and updates, follow the Knoxville Museum of Art on social media:
Facebook: Knoxville Museum of Art, Instagram: @knoxvillemuseumofart, X: @knoxart

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.

8/23 • Evening Paddle
8/24 • Evening Paddle
8/25 • Take Action: Greening Your Home: Homemade Cleaning
Products Workshop
8/25 • Self-Care Sunday Yoga
8/29 • Pickin' on Nature with The Singletons and the UTK Appalachian Ensemble

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

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Free and open to the public
Reception Friday, August 9, 2024, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Artist talks at 6:30 p.m.
Gallery hours: 9:30 - 4:30 Monday through Thursday, 9:00 – 1:00 Sunday
At Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Gallery, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918

Mary Bow
Images of many different animals, both domesticated and wild, are rendered in thickly applied acrylic paint on textured canvases using a dry brush technique that allows successive layers of color to show through. Bow hopes to provoke empathy for non-human animals as they live, raise their young and experience joy, sorrow and pain. Mary Bow has degrees in Anthropology, Psychology, and Visual Art, as well as higher degrees in Education. She feels that she has a unique perspective on how human relationships with others in the animal kingdom have changed over time. www.marypbow.com

Curt Imerman’s finely detailed drawings of barns are created by using fine-tipped pens as a brush rather than an instrument to draw lines. As the tip of the pen wears away from use, it produces lighter and finer lines, allowing different effects. Imerman says, “Barns are disappearing from our country’s landscape at an ever-increasing rate. Barns are a part of our Americana. This is my way of memorializing and sharing my fascination with old, weathered barns.” Imerman’s attention to detail comes from his career as a mechanical designer for a major U.S. crane manufacturer. While designing cranes, Curt’s drawing talent was called upon to prepare conceptual drawings of various lift crane designs. He is a member of the Art Market Gallery in Knoxville and serves on their Board of Directors.

https://tvuuc.org/

Performed Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM; Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM; and Sundays at 3 PM.

Tom Sawyer may be the most famous resident of St. Petersburg, Missouri, but he’s a down to earth character who not only knows how to cure warts with stump water and live the swashbuckling life on the high seas, he can also whitewash a fence in no time flat. Mark Twain’s homage to the imagination and high adventure of youth on the mighty Mississippi features Tom and a cast of characters who live at the very heart of Americana: Huck Finn, Aunt Polly, Becky Thatcher, the Widow Douglas, Muff Potter, and more.

The play is performed by 17 talented young actors and designed by 9 talented young designers from ages 9 to 16.

KCT is East Tennessee’s leading producer of plays for children and families.
Knoxville Children's Theatre, 109 E. Churchwell Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

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.

Exhibition: Paintings by Lucie Gilot
Gestural Portraits and Seasonal Drawings with her sons

Schilling Gallery at Westminster Presbyterian Church
6500 Northshore Dr
(865-584-3957)
www.wpcknox.org
Hours: Monday thru Thursday, 9 AM to 4 PM, Friday 9 AM to noon

A two-person show, Outta Time, featuring recent works by artists Joshua Bienko (Knoxville, TN) and Lester Merriweather (Memphis, TN). Curator: Brian R. Jobe.

A preview reception will be held on Friday, June 7, 2024 from 5:00—8:00 pm. Additionally, there will be an artists’ reception on Friday, July 19, 2024 from 5:00—8:00 pm (artists in attendance). There will be an artist talk by Bienko and Merriweather beforehand on July 19 at 3:30pm.

Joshua Bienko (b. 1978, NY) received his MFA from the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia in 2008, and his BFA from the University of Buffalo in 2000. He has exhibited at NADA (NY), Dallas Contemporary (TX), Artpace (TX), Labor Ebertplatz (Köln), Vox Populi (PA), Big Medium (TX), OUTERSPACE (Facebook) and the Guggenheim Museum (in collaboration with YouTube Play Biennial). Most recently he has shown in New York, Portland, Baltimore, Brooklyn and Pittsburgh. He has also curated shows in Brooklyn, Queens, Seattle, and Gainesville and is one of the founding members of the artist-run space Ortega y Gasset Projects in Gowanus, and C for Courtside in Knoxville. He is a 2009 Tanne Foundation recipient, and a Hambidge Residency and V.C.C.A Fellow. Bienko is an Associate Professor in the School of Art at the University of Tennessee, where he teaches Drawing and Painting. “Who’s the G.O.A.T.? Jordan! Or maybe J.M.W. Turner. Yeah, Either Jordan or Turner.”

Lester Julian Merriweather (b. 1978) is a Memphis-based visual artist. He attended the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture. He holds an MFA from Memphis College of Art and a BA from Jackson State University. Merriweather has exhibited extensively throughout the U.S. at various venues such as the Studio Museum (New York, NY), CAM (St. Louis, MO), TOPS Gallery, Crosstown Arts, and Powerhouse (Memphis, TN), Diverseworks (Houston, TX), Stella Jones Gallery (New Orleans, LA), and Atlanta Contemporary (Atlanta, GA). He has also exhibited internationally at the Zacheta National Gallery (Warsaw, Poland). Merriweather served as the first Curatorial Director of the Jones Gallery & the Martha & Robert Fogelman Galleries of Contemporary Art at the University of Memphis from 2010-2016. He worked on the Board of Directors for Number, Inc. independent journal where he created the Art of the South exhibition series. He is a founding member of the ArtsMemphis Artist Advisory Council and the artsAccelerator Grant Panel. He served as the Curatorial Consultant for the PPF Contemporary Art Collection (Memphis, TN). He is Emeritus for the Advisory Panel of TONE Memphis. Merriweather is participating in Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage. Originating at The Frist Art Museum (Nashville, TN), the exhibition travels to The Museum of Fine Arts (Houston, TX) and The Phillips Collection (Washington, D.C.).

Tri-Star Arts at Candoro Marble Building, 4450 Candora Drive, Knoxville, TN 37920. Hours: Tu-Sa 11-5. Information: https://tristararts.org/visit