Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, November 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM.

John Edwin May has documented people with "ink", creating beautiful portraits and photographs of their favorite tattoos. When exhibited, an outer quad of large monochromatic portraits is displayed with four smaller interior color images of tattoos. Viewers are encouraged to guess which tattoo belongs to the correct owner. May hopes that the process of making assumptions that sometimes prove incorrect will help us all to be more accepting of one another. “Years ago, in the development of the project, the world was a calmer place,” he says. “Today, many people are on edge, and it seems we cannot discuss religion, politics, medical beliefs, and more without causing hurt or enticing anger.” His exhibition includes QR codes that link the viewer to which tattoo correctly matches with each portrait. Some of the portraits’ QR codes will also include short, documented stories about the tattoos. For an example, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkLqJUYnErc.

John Edwin May is a photographer located in Knoxville. He studied photography at Lincoln Memorial University, University of South Carolina, and East Tennessee State University, where he earned his MFA in 2010. He has held teaching posts at Pellissippi State Community College, Lincoln Memorial University, Walters State Community College, East Tennessee State University, and Arrowmont School of Art. An avid workshop participant, he has studied with Marsha Burns, Mark Goodman, Tim Grey, Christopher James, Brian Kaufman, Mary Ellen Mark, John Sexton, Craig Stevens, and Joyce Tenneson. May’s photographic work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. Prior to Judgmental Ink, his interest included photographing small-town wrestling venues with their constructed realities. His RINGSIDE series was named as one of PhotoLucida’s 200 Critical Mass Finalists in 2022. Some of the images in Judgmental Ink premiered in 2023 at Walters State Community College, Morristown.

www.johnemay.net
Instagram @amayzn1

The exhibitions will be on display November 1-30, 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. Please note, the Emporium will be closed Wednesday-Friday, November 27-29, for the holidays. 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 https://www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, November 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM.

This new exhibition features artwork by Beka Addison-Browder, John Hilton, Michelle O’Patick-Ollis and Ralph Slatton. Their diverse array of artistic expressions includes intaglio, relief and screen printing, and drawing, which the four artists use to convey a shared fascination of animal imagery. Their creations are like mirrors, reflecting their lives, dilemmas and journeys. They invite viewers to engage with their own identities, to reflect on the human condition, and to discover the beauty that exists within the interplay of humor, darkness, and imagination.

Ralph Slatton uses the process of intaglio to delve into the realms of humorous animals and sinister creatures, and John Hilton uses drawing media and woodcut processes to create fictitious human/animal hybrids. Both artists use veiled disguises to express profound messages about human identity and the human condition. Beka Addison-Browder and Michelle O’Patick-Ollis create imagery with a feminine touch, depicting flora and fauna. Addison-Browder draws inspiration from the flora and fauna of Appalachia and its heritage handicrafts, using screen and block printing processes on fabric in conjunction with various sewing skills. O-Patick-Ollis is inspired by online personality tests that pair individuals with an animal profile that resonates with their unique traits, and she uses printmaking and drawing processes to create imagery where animals symbolize the essence of their human counterparts. Read more about the artists at https://www.knoxalliance.com/animalimagery.

The exhibitions will be on display November 1-30, 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. Please note, the Emporium will be closed Wednesday-Friday, November 27-29, for the holidays. 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 https://www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

This month, we're featuring our Día de los Muertos collaborative exhibit—a vibrant celebration of life, memory, and heritage. Local artists will honor this cherished tradition with powerful artwork and beautifully crafted altars that pay homage to our ancestors. The exhibition debuts on November 1st from 5 PM to 9 PM and will remain available throughout the entire month of November.

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

HoLa Hora Latina, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 112, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-335-3358, www.holahoralatina.org

This year’s show theme is "Objects Lost and/or Found". Featuring more than 30 artists show work in various media. https://www.a1labarts.com/events.html

Friday November 1, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. -- opening reception

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

November First Fridays Poetry Night 11/01/2024 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Kids' Book Club 11/02/2024 - 9:00am
A Meet & Greet with Dr. Camden Morgante 11/08/2024 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm
An Author Event featuring Wes Blake in conversation with Charles Dodd White 11/10/2024 - 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Books & Botox 11/12/2024 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Poetry Night with Amber Albritton, Bess Cooley, & Raye Hendrix 11/15/2024 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm
UAB & KCPL Present Storytime Saturdays 11/16/2024 - 11:00am
A Poetry Reading with Didi Jackson, Linda Parsons, & Gabriel Antonio Reed 11/17/2024 - 3:00pm to 4:30pm
An Author Event with A.R. Johnson 11/22/2024 - 6:00pm to 7:30pm

Union Ave. Books | 517 Union Ave., Knoxville, TN 37902 | 865-951-2180
Monday - Friday: 10AM - 8PM, Saturday: 10AM - 7PM, Sunday: 12PM - 6PM
Mail@UnionAveBooks.Com
https://www.unionavebooks.com/events

Come shop from the members of east Tennessee's oldest craft guild! Pottery, woodworking, fiber arts, photography, jewelry, mixed media, and much much more. Indoor event.

Knoxville Expo Center, 5441 Clinton Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37912
www.foothillscraftguild.net

November 1-2: Cedar Bluff Branch Used Book Sale, 10:00-5:00

Since 1970 Friends has donated over $1M to the Knox County Public Library. Our used book shop and book sales raised nearly $98,000 in FY 2023. Some of the library programs currently receiving support from Friends of the Library include the new Storybook Trails program, the Children’s Festival of Reading, Summer Library Club, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Knox County.
https://www.knoxfriends.org/book-sales/

This November 1st and 2nd South Knoxville is once again the epicenter of Appalachian Mountain Bike Club's epically fun Fall Festival, a free-to-all event. The fundraiser, which takes place at Baker Creek Preserve and is presented by Harper Auto Square, celebrates mountain biking, outdoor recreation, and the Urban Wilderness with two days of guided rides, pro-level competitions, food trucks from local vendors, and live music. Previous Fall Fests have attracted more than 3,500 attendees each year from more than 25 states.

The money raised by AMBC’s Fall Festival helps support the construction and maintenance of over 100 miles of natural surface, multi-use trails that extend from Knoxville city limits to Concord Park in Farragut to I.C. King off Alcoa, and soon to projects in the works in East Knox County.

For general information, visit fallfest.ambcknox.org.

The Appalachian Mountain Bike Club (AMBC) develops, builds, and maintains trails while providing programming to increase access to outdoor recreation.
WE ARE AMBC. WE DIG TRAILS.
AMBC is a chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) and the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA).

Gallery 1010 presents IN SPITE OF: An Ode to Our Relentless Communion, a group exhibition that explores femininity in its most intimate moments, curated by Bella Thomas-Wilson. All of the participating artists are one of the following within The University of Tennessee, Knoxville: undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty, staff, or alumnus.

Opening Reception: November 1, 2024 5pm-9pm
Open Hours: November 2nd, 2024 10am-12pm

Gallery 1010, 100 S. Gay St., Suite 114 Knoxville TN, 37902
https://gallery1010.utk.edu/

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