Calendar of Events

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Circle Modern Dance: Modern Dance Primitive Light 2024

Category: Dance, movement

Circle Modern Dance Presents: Modern Dance Primitive Light 2024 in the Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Avenue, December 18 through December 21.

Modern Dance Primitive Light is an intimate event featuring original dance works from Circle Modern Dance past and current core members, local guest artists, and a live band - all in the historic Laurel Theater.

The performance on Wednesday, December 18, at 8:00 pm will be a Dress Rehearsal: Pay What You Wish. Donations (cash or credit) accepted at the door. No ticket needed for entry.
The performances on Thursday, December 19, Friday, December 20 and Saturday will be at 8:00 PM with an additional matinee at 2:00 PM on Saturday.
Advance tickets $20 (general) / $15 (student/senior/military) or pay $25 (general) / $20 (student/senior/military) at the door.

Purchase Tickets: https://buytickets.at/circlemoderndance/1446795

https://www.circlemoderndance.com/

Tennessee Theatre: A Magical Cirque Christmas

Category: Dance, movement, Kids, family and Music

A MAGICAL CIRQUE CHRISTMAS: A HOLIDAY VARIETY SHOW
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18 | 3:30 PM and 7:30PM

https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1B0060E3DE667B37

Bijou Theatre: Jim Brickman

Category: Music

JIM BRICKMAN
"COMFORT AND JOY"
WEDNESDAY, DEC 18 | 7:30PM

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

East Tennessee Community Design Center: Annual Members Meeting

Category: Free event, History, heritage and Meetup

We invite you to our annual members meeting on December 18th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Feel free to bring anyone interested in becoming a member!

Event Schedule
• Happy Hour | 5:00–6:30 PM
• Enjoy hors d'oeuvres and drinks with fellow members and guests.
• Tours of two new Craftsman-style homes that complement the existing neighborhood.
• Program | 6:30–7:00 PM
• Join us as we elect board members, & review ETCDC’s 2024 accomplishments

This facility is also undergoing renovations to host Grandiflora Events, which will provide event services and feature public gardens in the near future. We’re excited to celebrate our shared achievements and look forward to what’s ahead for ETCDC and our community. Membership info: https://communitydc.org/membership/

Held at Grandiflora, 2439 E. Magnolia Ave. Parking in rear, enter off 5th Ave

The Maker City: Holiday Mingle + Gift Exchange!

  • December 18, 2024

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event and Meetup

Wed Dec 18, 2024 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
This is the party of the year. Come celebrate the season of laughter with art, music and hot toddies at one of the newest maker spaces in town. Hang out with old friends and maybe find some new folks with similar interests.

You have the option to sign up for a Secret Santa Gift Exchange. If you register before Monday, November 25 we will match you up with another maker and you will receive a unique hand-made gift!

This community is literally the most fun, so we'll see you there!

At SpaceCraft, 119 Jennings Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/themakercity/1405304

Beck Cultural Exchange Center: Holiday Party

  • December 18, 2024

Category: Festivals, special events

We’re excited to invite you to our annual Holiday Party! Feel free to bring a guest along—it's going to be a fun time! We can’t wait to celebrate together!
5 PM with brief remarks at 6 PM
Join us for food, fun, fellowship & dance!

Holiday Catering by Karen Hardin with Allow Me Catering
Holiday Spirits by Joe Armstrong of WBJE featuring the Cal Johnson Rum Punch
Holiday Music provided by DJ Sir Marlon

1927 Dandridge Avenue | Knoxville, Tennessee 37915 |
RSVP to 865-524-8461 or beckcenter@beckcenter.net
www.BeckCenter.net

Live Band Karaoke Night

  • December 18, 2024

Category: Meetup and Music

Live Band Karaoke Night at Barrelhouse Knoxville! Join us every other Wednesday for an electrifying evening of live band karaoke, starting November 20th. Sign-ups open early at 6 PM—spots filled up fast last session! Don’t miss your chance to shine; arrive early to secure your spot!

Dates of Shows at Barrelhouse:

December 18, 2024
January 15, 2025
January 29, 2025
February 12, 2025
February 26, 2025

Event Details: Doors and Sign-ups: 6 PM
Karaoke Time: 7 PM to 9 PM
Entry: $5 cover charge
https://www.visitknoxville.com/event/live-band-karaoke-night-at-barrelhouse-knoxville/28802/
https://gypsycircuscider.com/barrelhouse/

Appalachian Equality Chorus: Merry and Bright: A Holiday Celebration

Category: Music

The Appalachian Equality Chorus invites you to join them for their highly anticipated annual holiday concert, Merry and Bright, presented by Choice Health Network–Positively Living. This festive celebration brings together a vibrant mix of traditional carols, modern holiday hits, and joyous performances that will leave you feeling warm and bright this holiday season. The Merry and Bright concert will take place on three dates:

• December 15th, 2024 at 4:00 PM at the ETSU Martin Center in Johnson City
• December 20th, 2024 at 8:00 PM at the Historic Bijou Theatre in Knoxville
• December 21st, 2024 at 2:00 PM at the Historic Bijou Theatre in Knoxville

This year’s concert program promises a dynamic and heartwarming mix, with everything from timeless Christmas carols to modern holiday hits by artists like Kelly Clarkson, Cher, and the Indigo Girls. The chorus will be accompanied by twirling dancers, dazzling bright costumes, and a variety of merry antics that will delight audiences of all ages.
"We're thrilled to bring together a diverse set of holiday traditions that celebrate love, joy, and unity," said Bleu Copas, the Chorus' recently appointed executive director. "This concert is not only a chance to experience beautiful music but also to connect with the uplifting spirit of the season. Whether you're a fan of classic carols or contemporary hits, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!"

Tickets are now available for purchase at www.appequalitychorus.org. Don't miss the opportunity to make this holiday season a little Merry and Bright with the Appalachian Equality Chorus.

The Bottom: The Sewing Circle Exhibition

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Fine Crafts

Dec 14, 2024, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Bottom, 2340 E Magnolia Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917

This exhibition will feature quilts from members of our community who participated in The Sewing Circle program. Over the last 4 months, adult artists have gathered at The Bottom to gain new sewing skills, develop their artistic voices, and tell stories through quilt-making.

By exploring the important role that quilting has historically held in Black storytelling and community building, this exhibition presents a "full circle" moment that relates directly to our mission: to celebrate culture, engage creativity, and build community for Black Knoxville.

RSVP https://www.thebottomknox.com/events-1/the-sewing-circle-exhibition-reception

Maker Exchange: Upcoming Events

  • December 10, 2024 — December 20, 2024

Category: Culinary arts, food, Exhibitions, visual art, Free event, Meetup and Music

Connect with Knoxville’s maker community! Come back often for our ever-changing schedule of maker presentations, performances, markets and meet-ups. https://www.makerexchangeknox.com/happenings/

December 10, 9:30AM - 3:30PM Artist in Action – Valerie Pearce
December 10, 12:00PM - 8:00PM Artist in Action – Brian Melton
December 10, 3:30PM - 7:00PM Artist in Action – Deana Fulton
December 10, 5:00PM - 11:00PM Tavern Notes: Live Music at Maker Exchange (5:00-11:00 PM) Willow Osborne, Jesse Blue Eads, & Cody Bauer
December 11, 10:00AM - 3:00PM Artist in Action – Brian Melton
December 11, 5:00PM - 7:00PM Tavern Notes: Live Music at Maker Exchange (5:00-7:00 PM) Fiddles and Flatpicks
December 13, 5:00PM - 7:00PM Tavern Notes: Live Music at Maker Exchange (5:00-7:00 PM) Holiday Carolers
December 20, 5:00PM - 7:00PM Tavern Notes: Live Music at Maker Exchange (5:00-7:00 PM) Holiday Carolers

CURATED BY DOGWOOD ARTS AT WORLD’S FAIR PARK
710 Clinch Avenue, Knoxville TN 37902
General · Makers: 865-637-4561
Tavern: 865-934-2983
Coffee Shop: 865-934-2985
Event Space · Sales: 865-934-2963
info@makerexchangeknox.com

TVUUC Gallery: Yvonne Dalschen & Debby Hall

  • December 8, 2024 — February 5, 2025

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Reception Dec 13, 6-7:30 PM with artist's talks at 6:30 PM
Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church
Free and open to the public

Yvonne Dalschen
After living for over 20 years in the “Secret City” of the Manhattan Project, I never learned how to stop worrying and love the bomb. I am surrounded by fences and signs, atomic nostalgia, selective amnesia and heritage tourism, and I sometimes seem to be the only one bothered by this. “Ghosts of the Manhattan Project” started during the clean-up of K-25. This uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge was the largest building in the world when built in 1944. My work is an ongoing exploration of the landscapes and archives of the atomic age, layering histories with observations into photographic palimpsests. I picture the invisible and the unthinkable, collecting the choices and promises made, the stories told, the stories forgotten and the fears that haunt us at night.

Yvonne Dalschen is a German photographer living in Oak Ridge, TN. She is interested in history of place, cultural landscapes and digital experimentation. She earned an MA in Comparative Literature from the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich and a Photography Certificate from the University of Tennessee. Her images haven been exhibited nationally and internationally from Oak Ridge to Sydney, Australia, recently at the Knoxville Museum of Art, The Bascom Center and UGA’s Circle Gallery.

Debby Hall
“The Joy of Color” features paintings reflecting the artistry in nature through color and the spontaneity of alcohol inks and watercolors. Whether painting abstracts or more realistic mountains, flowers, landscapes or birds, Hall hopes her paintings bring people joy and a greater connection to the beauty around us.

Debby Hall is a self-taught artist whose paintings were juried into the Oak Ridge Art Center’s Open Show (September 2023) and the “Arts in the Airport” Spring 2024 show, where she received the Award of Merit. She exhibits often through Knoxville’s Arts & Culture Alliance and the St. Lucie Culture Alliance. She donates net proceeds from art sales to a non-profit charity, Saving Grace in Uganda, that rescues young homeless street children and gives them medical care, food, education, housing and hope in a country with virtually no social services. For more information visit her website, https://artforsavinggrace.com

Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Gallery hours: M-Th 9:30-4:30, Su 9-1. Information: 865-523-4176, www.tvuuc.org

Art Market Gallery: Featuring Claire Bodnaruk and Allen Monsarrat

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Fine Crafts and Free event

First Friday Reception: December 6th, 5:30 - 9 pm
December Featured Artists

Claire Bodnaruk, Glass
A Native Tennessean, Claire Bodnaruk has lived in Australia, Florida, Minnesota and Chicago, before returning to her home state of Tennessee in 2019. Following a career in advertising, film & video production, she explored different creative outlets while raising her two daughters. Claire has been working in glass for over 20 years. Her journey in glass began with becoming proficient in metal fabrication, incorporating colorful glass into unique jewelry. During travels to London, France and Italy, she was inspired by the beautiful Venetian and stained glass art that led to exploring glass on a larger scale. Learning from recognized glass artists across the United States in glass blowing to glass fusing, Claire’s current focus is in kiln formed glass, the manipulation of shaping glass in a kiln with heat and gravity. The process to produce one piece may involve several firings with many hours in the cycle, multiple techniques and manipulations, and cold working for a quality finish. Her work is both functional and nonfunctional glass art.

Allen Monsarrat, Painting
Allen’s art education began with three years training in architecture, but finished with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a concentration in pottery at the Memphis College of Art. His first art career was as a studio potter in Friendsville, Tn for 25 years. That was followed by careers in decorative wall finishes, faux painting, cabinetry finishing and the occasional mural project. It was studying “trompe l’oiel” (fool the eye) imagery with French master craftsman Michel Nadai that nurtured his interest in creating representational art. “Creating a painting is always an exciting journey. I am never certain whether a painting will be as successful as I have envisioned it in my mind. I am more than a decade into developing my representational painting skills. I have honed my methodology into a procedure of how I develop a painting by breaking it into manageable steps. First choosing a subject with personal meaning based on my travels or a subject close to home here in East Tennessee. But the image must be a strong composition and contain a range of tonal values from darks to lights. This is worked out by doing an under painting by using only one color to establish a range of values. At this point I can concentrate on colors and brush application. Brush application refers to how apparent or not are the actual brush strokes. Slowly edging away from my original tendency toward photorealism, some of my new work has a more painterly feel to it. Yet, like a photograph, it retains a great deal of detail.
I have always been a student of art. The continuing passion I have for art is that I will never stop learning.”

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

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