Calendar of Events

Friday, November 1 at 8 pm

The Tennessee Sheiks are Don Cassell, Nancy Brennan Strange, Don Wood, Barry “Po” Hannah, Ken Wood. Michael “Crawdaddy” Crawley, Marcus Shirley, Will Ross, Nicholas Cassell and Brent Thompson. Taking inspiration from the jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, they describe their music as acoustic swing. The Sheiks’ members are known individually for their work with area bands and musicians for over 20 years working in bluegrass, blues, alt-country, jazz and swing idioms.

Tickets/reservations available at Ticketleap, by mail or at the door 30 minutes prior to show
$20 at the door, $15 General Audience Advance, $14 JCA members, students & seniors 65+

Jubilee Community Arts at the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37916. Tickets: https://jubilee-community-arts.ticketleap.com. Information: 865-522-5851, www.jubileearts.org

Fri Nov 1, 7:30 PM
Central Bearden Church, 6300 Deane Hill Dr.

Join the Knoxville Choral Society, in collaboration with members of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, for an evening of transcendent choral masterworks that inspire resilience, peace, and triumph. This powerful concert will feature two monumental works: Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Te Deum and Joseph Haydn’s Missa in tempore belli (Mass in Time of War). Tickets are $15 online at www.knoxvillechoralsociety.org and at the door. Youth may attend for one penny with a paying adult!

Advanced reservations required: NO
For more information, please contact: anne_siddell@knoxvillechoralsociety.org
https://www.knoxvillechoralsociety.org/event-5742136

The Sunsphere, 810 Clinch Avenue, Floor 4, Knoxville, TN 37902
(865) 314-0660
Price: $15

The Sunsphere is welcoming back Sunsphere Sunsets, a First Friday event. Join us 11/1 from 6-7 PM on the Sunsphere Observation Deck to enjoy refreshments from Status Dough, mingle with Maker Amber Rountree, owner of Sunsphere Scents, and watch the sun go down over Knoxville. Tickets are $15 per person, space is limited. Get your tickets at the link below: https://shop.visitknoxville.com/products/sunsphere-sunset

Tri-Star Arts is additionally pleased to present Pink Noise: An Audio Visual Experience, by Wesley Roden (Knoxville, TN) and Andrew Swafford (Knoxville, TN) in the Carriage House at the historic Candoro Marble Building for one night only on Friday, November 1, 2024 from 5:00 until 8:00 pm. Live music will begin at 7:00pm.
https://tristararts.org/the-gallery/f/pink-noise-an-audio-visual-experience

On Jackson Avenue, 5-9 PM
With artists & makers, caramel apple making, live music. Wear your Halloween costume! Also featuring a chili cook-off!
WWW.OLDCITYKNOXVILLE.ORG
https://www.facebook.com/OldCityKnoxville/

Friday, November 1 from 6-8 Awaken Coffee will host an opening reception for Kara Lockmiller.

“I am a Pop Art artist who paints in clear tonal contrasts with varying shapes and strong lines. There is a kinship between color and music – both can say what words cannot. I paint because there are no words to describe the way music makes me feel. While I can remember the lyrics to almost any song I’ve ever heard, I am most fascinated by the people who pen them.”- Kara

Please join us for some amazing art and of course great coffee!

Awaken Coffee, 125 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Open daily. Information: 865-951-0427, www.instagram.com/awaken_coffee or www.facebook.com/awakencoffeeoldcity/

UT DOWNTOWN GALLERY | 106 S. GAY ST.
FIRST FRIDAYS | NOVEMBER 1, DECEMBER 6, 5-9PM

William Downs’ artwork explores themes of ambiguity and distortion viewed through repetition and representation of the human body. His drawings reveal “feelings of anxiety, fear, joy, angst” or desire with compositions inspired by Cezanne that appear dream-like or otherworldly. He often depicts “people who train their bodies to do inhuman things like run a marathon or bend and contort their bodies,” in surreal-like, panoramic scenes. Multiple figures are layered with warped perspective, creating contrasting areas of compositional ambiguity and sharp focus.

UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay Street. Hours: W-F: 11am - 6pm, Sat: 10am - 3p. For more information: ewing@utk.edu | https://downtown.utk.edu

The Professional Photographers of East Tennessee (PPETN) are excited to announce PHOTO EXPO: Lens and Light, a juried exhibition showcasing the creative works of regional photographers at the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA). The exhibit will run from October 25 to December 15, 2024, in the Kramer Gallery, featuring more than 30 juried photographic prints by PPETN members.

“PHOTO EXPO: Lens and Light presents a unique opportunity for our members to showcase their talents in a prestigious venue,” said Jack Retterer. “We are thrilled to collaborate with the Knoxville Museum of Art, which shares our commitment to fostering creativity and enriching the community.”

Works for the show were chosen by an independent juror and distinguished Knoxville artist, Dr. Carl Gombert, Professor Emeritus, Maryville College, ensuring a diverse and high-caliber display of photographic artistry. Dr. Gombert has a BFA in Drawing from the University of Akron, an MFA in Painting from Kent State University, and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts from Texas Tech University. He has exhibited widely and his work is in numerous public and corporate collections. Since 1993 has taught painting, drawing and art history at Maryville College in Tennessee.

Dr. Gombert’s commented on the PHOTO EXPO ... "... I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in a small way in bringing forth this show. ... All of the work submitted for this exhibition is of a very high quality, and I congratulate every one of the artists who created and submitted work to this show.”

An Artists’ Reception will take place at the KMA on Sunday, November 3, 2024, at 2 PM, where visitors can meet the photographers and enjoy a closer look at the featured works. Awards for Best of Show, 1st Place, and Artistic Distinction will be presented, celebrating outstanding contributions to the visual arts. Select works will be available for purchase throughout the exhibit. The reception is free and open to the public.

The Professional Photographers of East Tennessee is a collective of talented photographers dedicated to advancing the art and profession of photography. Through education, networking, and collaboration, PPETN supports photographers of all levels in the pursuit of excellence. Learn more at ppetn.com.

The museum is located in downtown Knoxville at 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive and is open to the public Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit www.knoxart.org

Conceived and written by Alex Drinnen and Dennis E. Perkins, this exciting rendition tells the tale of the great warrior Beowulf who saves the Kingdom of the Danes from not only the greedy ravages of the monster Grendel but also his equally fierce and vengeful mother. After his victories, Beowulf returns to his homeland to become King of his people where he will face monsters of his very own. Staged by KCT Artistic Director, Dennis E. Perkins, the epic scope of this tale about heroics, ethics, and the goodness of Kings will come to life through a visually dramatic presentation in the tradition of Total Theatre.

The play is performed by fourteen talented young actors ages 11 to 16. The show is directed by KCT Artistic Director Dennis E. Perkins and designed by fourteen student designers ages 11 to 16. KCT is East Tennessee’s leading producer of plays for children and families.

The play will be performed Thursdays and Fridays at 7PM, Saturdays at 1pm and Sundays at 3pm.

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

Fall Heritage Days at the Museum of Appalachia October 24, 25, 31, and November 1,
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Families are invited to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Southern Appalachian traditions & pioneer demonstrations of the fall harvest season.
Dozens of demonstrations and activities for people of all ages!

Tickets at: https://wwwmuseumofappalachiaorg.ticketleap.com/fall-heritage-days-2024/

Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Hwy, Clinton, TN 37716. Information: 865-494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org

BY LILIANA PADILLA
THE LAB THEATRE

College students come together for a DIY self-defense workshop after a sorority sister is assaulted. A sharp, witty, funny, and ferocious play that explores how “not to be a victim,” and how to use your body as a weapon. The classes become a channel for rage, trauma, confusion, anxiety and desire. The play explores the way sexual assault steals your sense of belonging, and how these women might get that back.

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

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