Calendar of Events

By Bernard Pomerance
Directed by Sarah Campbell

The Elephant Man is based on the life of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century. A horribly deformed young man – the victim of rare skin and bone diseases – he becomes the star freak attraction in traveling sideshows. Found abandoned and helpless, he is admitted to London’s prestigious Whitechapel Hospital. Under the care of celebrated young physician Frederick Treves, Merrick is introduced to London society and slowly evolves from an object of pity to an urbane and witty favorite of the aristocracy and literati, only to be denied his ultimate dream – to become a man like any other.

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

The Joy of Music School has partnered with Concerts For Our Own, a local organization committed to supporting causes in our community through live music. Marshall Charloff & The Purple Xperience will perform Friday, October 18, 7:30 PM in the Tennessee Amphitheater at World's Fair Park.

Each show will spotlight partnering organizations. Proceeds will support the Joy of Music School, Knoxville Pediatric Cancer Collaborative and The Love Kitchen. All ticket proceeds will go towards supporting these organizations.

All shows will be held in the Tennessee Amphitheater at World’s Fair Park
963 World’s Fair Park Dr
Knoxville, TN 37916

Joy of Music School, 1209 Euclid Avenue Knoxville, TN 37921. Information: 865-525-6806, www.joyofmusicschool.org

Join us for the 2024 Legacy Luncheon for the Parks on October 18th for our annual luncheon at the beautiful Holston River Farm!

Our guest speaker, Erik Weihenmayer, is one of the most celebrated and accomplished adventurers in the world as the only blind climber in history to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Erik's No Barriers a movement is a mission is to help all of us deal with challenges, to turn into the storm of life, face barriers head-on, embrace a pioneering and innovative spirit, and team up with great people to live rich in meaning and purpose.

The Luncheon funds the work of Legacy Parks to create parks and trails and conserve our natural resources. Reserve your tickets or table at https://legacyparks.networkforgood.com/projects/222127-legacy-luncheon-for-the-parks-2024

We look forward to seeing you under the big tent!

Legacy Parks Foundation: 900 Volunteer Landing Lane, Knoxville, TN 37915. Information: 865-525-2585, www.legacyparks.org

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Friday, October 18, 8:00 PM at the Bijou Theatre.

Tickets at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1B0060F0C9E942B7

Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information/tickets: 865-522-0832, https://knoxbijou.org/

Friday, October 18 at 6:00 p.m. starting outside Hodges Library

Located on a river peninsula, the University of Tennessee’s campus is an unheralded but fascinating historical site. Established on Knoxville’s steepest hill during the early Jacksonian Era, the college became a battleground in 1863, but its existing buildings reflect evolving architectural styles and hosted lectures by Carl Sandburg and Eleanor Roosevelt, and concerts by Frank Sinatra and Nina Simone. These old brick buildings also reflect the decisive years of a few legendary alumni, from groundbreaking Hollywood director Clarence Brown to Pulitzer-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy. There’s a century-old gridiron with history you can read from outside, the exotic stories behind a diverse array of statues, and Circle Park, which is perhaps much older than you may assume.

In a 90-minute walk, historian Jack Neely will tell UT’s stories. The tour starts outside Hodges Library on the corner of Volunteer Boulevard and Melrose Avenue.

Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10 for students.

Parking: The official Vol Hall Parking Garage on White Avenue is three blocks from Hodges Library.

This walking tour is presented in partnership between the Knoxville History Project and University of Tennessee Libraries. https://knoxville-history-project.square.site/

Thursday, October 17, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, October 18, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
Tennessee Theatre

From the passion of Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade for Orchestra to the intensity of Brahms’ Third Symphony, the KSO’s October MoxCar Marketing + Communications Masterworks program is brimming with romanticism. Award-winning violinist Paul Huang returns to present Tchaikovsky’s searing Violin Concerto.

Aram Demirjian, conductor
Paul Huang, violin

SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: Ballade for Orchestra
JOHANNES BRAHMS: Symphony No. 3
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: 865-291-3310, www.knoxvillesymphony.com

The exhibition will be on view at the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg from October 14, 2024, through, December 13, 2024.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. Information: 865-436-5860, https://www.arrowmont.org

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, From the original by Frederick Knott

A masterclass in suspense, “Dial M for Murder” is a riveting stage thriller that weaves a web of deceit and suspense as ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice meticulously plans the perfect murder of his unfaithful wife, Margot. With each twist and turn, you will be drawn deeper and deeper into a plot filled with betrayal, manipulation, and unexpected revelations. As tensions mount and secrets unravel, true motives are laid bare, while audiences are kept guessing and on the edge of their seats until the final, electrifying climax.

GENERAL AUDIENCES
https://www.orplayhouse.com/

The 9th annual Tennessee Medieval Faire invites you to travel back in time to the High Middle Ages (circa 1194 AD) to Live the Age of Chivalry with Robin Hood. The festival will open on October 5 and run for three consecutive weekends on Saturdays and Sundays. This outdoor, interactive, family-friendly, entertainment-oriented, special event will spring to life in Harriman, just west of Knoxville.

“The Sheriff of Nottingham is throwing a grand Faire to impress the evil Prince John and to win Lady Marian’s heart,” said Lars Paulson, general manager emeritus. “The Sheriff has also invited Robin Hood and his merry friends to the festivities to lure them in for capture. But who will be the mouse and who will be the cheese? Come and see!”

Patrons are encouraged to come to the festival with a sense of play. Wearing a medieval costume is optional, but patrons can enter the costume contest to win a prize. Patrons are also encouraged to share a talent in the Gong Show or to get knighted after a Chess Match. For the more romantic, folk dancing and speed courting are available. There will also be unicorn photo opportunities, axe-throwing, corn hole, giant chess, steel drum, and other games.

Throughout the eight-acre medieval village, professional acts will seek to entertain. Tournaments of skill will include The Royal Joust by Equus Nobilis and Human Combat Chess by the interactive street characters. Demonstrating circus talents will be aerialist, The Mandy Circus (new) (Oct 5-6); The Flaming Ginger (Oct 12-13, 19-20); and award-winning teen juggler, The Amazing Atticus (new). Back by popular demand will be interactive comedy trio, The Tortuga Twins; and Middle Eastern dance will be showcased by Tanasi Fusion (Oct 12-13) and Misfit Gypsies (Oct 19-20).

Patrons can feel transported by Celtic, pirate, and folk music by The CrossJacks, Kris Colt-The Black Rose, Estaban Diego of Landloch’d, Cory Whipple, Timothy Russell, Catalina the harpist, and Bravura Music Academy. Costumed street characters will also seek to entertain in the Tales of Robin Hood, The Sheriff’s Follies, Throw Me a Line, Chester the Heroic Little Pig, and Sherwood School. Interacting with these costumed street characters is also encouraged. Please visit the website for entertainment details: https://tmfaire.com/medieval-faire-entertainment/. Schedules will be available online before opening and at the festival entrance.

Adding to the festivities will be a variety of juried craft vendors, selling costumes, accessories, and gifts. Food will be available for purchase, including turkey legs, BBQ, loaded nachos, loaded baked potatoes, and desserts. Hot and cold beverages will also be available, including beer for adults ages 21 or older with a valid photo ID. Vendors are independent businesses and accept cash and credit.

The Tennessee Medieval Faire will be open rain or shine. The dates are October 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, 2024. Hours are 11am-6pm ET. The festival is located at 550 Fiske Road, Harriman, TN. Free field parking is provided, with handicap parking available near the entrance. The grounds consist of semi-rugged terrain with grass and some topography. Admission prices include all taxes and fees and are $20 for ages 13 and up, $10 for ages 5 to 12, and free for ages 4 and under. Tickets may be purchased online at https://tmfaire.com/tickets/ or on festival days at the ticket house for cash or credit. There will be no ATM onsite, so patrons are encouraged to bring cash for purchases, tips, and convenience and to purchase festival beverage tickets (online and at the festival). For more information, please visit https://tmfaire.com/, sign up for the e-newsletter for information and ticket discounts, and like and follow the Tennessee Medieval Faire / Tennessee Pirate Fest / Darkhorse Entertainment on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562198558178

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition titled 50x50 in recognition of its 50th anniversary. The exhibition will be on display throughout the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville and opens on Friday, October 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM. The free gathering with exhibiting artists will also feature live music by Variego3 inside the Emporium.

Curated by John Douglas Powers, 50x50 is a survey of Knoxville- and Tennessee-based artists exhibiting alongside peers from across the country. The exhibition is a celebration of the individual artistic voice and the essential role of organizations like the Arts & Culture Alliance in supporting and nurturing those diverse voices. The Arts & Culture Alliance serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions.
"You know, it’s a pretty big milestone for the Arts & Culture Alliance (formerly the Arts Council) to be able to celebrate 50 years of quiet, uninterrupted service to a community, its artists and arts and culture organizations," says Liza Zenni, Executive Director. "We remember and thank all the board and staff members whose devoted and unselfish service over the years has made this anniversary possible. We remember and thank the thousands of artists and arts and culture organizations whose belief in the concept of an alliance drove this organization forward with their constant participation in ACA’s programs and activities, the most visible of which in the last 20 years has been the Emporium Galleries. I couldn’t imagine a curator whose expertise and sophistication could be more perfect than John Powers to bring the many threads of ACA’s ethos together into one exhibition. He has somehow found a way to pair local art with art from further afield so that the cumulative effect is one that looks forward to the exciting future that is yet ahead of ACA."

Utilizing all the exhibition spaces at the Emporium, 50x50 includes more than 100 works utilizing a variety of media and conceptual approaches by 50 different artists.

John Douglas Powers is an artist and educator based in Knoxville, Tennessee and is Professor of Sculpture and Time-Based Art in the School of Art at the University of Tennessee. Powers received his M.F.A. in sculpture (with distinction) from the University of Georgia and a B.A. in art history from Vanderbilt University. His work has been featured in The New York Times, World Sculpture News, Sculpture Magazine, Art Forum, The Huffington Post, Art in America, The Boston Globe and on CBS News Sunday Morning. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Virginia A Groot Foundation Award, a Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant as well as a Southeastern College Art Conference Individual Artist Fellowship. Powers was a founding member and co-director of C for Courtside, an artist run curatorial project space. He sees creativity as vital to humanity and remains committed to supporting the arts.

The exhibition will be on display October 4-26, 2024 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at https://www.knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Historic Downtown Clinton, along with Pearl City Holdings, is hosting a one-of-a-kind indoor Christmas pop up market every Thursday-Saturday in October, November, and December.
At 341 Market Street
https://www.historicdowntownclinton.org/about

The Oak Ridge Art Center's Open Show is a juried mixed-media exhibition open to all artists. It is intended to showcase exceptional work produced throughout our region. Over $4,000 in awards are available. The 2024 juror will be David Underwood, Professor of Art and Director of Exhibitions at Carson­ Newman University.

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