Calendar of Events

States of Becoming examines the dynamic forces of relocation, resettling, and assimilation that shape the artistic practices of a group of contemporary African diaspora artists in the United States. The exhibition is inspired by curator Fitsum Shebeshe’s 2016 move from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Baltimore, and subsequent firsthand experience with cultural assimilation. States of Becoming is a traveling exhibition curated by Fitsum Shebeshe and produced by Independent Curators International (ICI), New York.

States of Becoming Opening Reception
Friday, January 31, 2025, 6:00-9:00 pm
Members Only Hour, 6:00-7:00 pm
Gallery Talk with Curator Fitsum Shebeshe, 6:15 pm
Reception Opens to Non-Members, 7:00 pm
Musical Performance by Artist Miatta Kawinzi, 8:00 pm
Food by Tarik’s North African + Cash Bar + Specialty Beverage
https://knoxart.org/event/states-of-becoming-opening-reception/

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.

15th Annual Urban Ski Weekend, January 31 – February 3, 2025 in Gatlinburg.
Get ready for the ultimate winter party experience at the 15th Annual Urban Ski Weekend! Featuring 15 exciting events and free drinks all weekend, this legendary celebration proves that skiing is optional, but partying is mandatory!

As seen on Love & Hip Hop ATL, Urban Ski Weekend is where the fun happens. Whether you're looking for an escape from the usual or a chance to meet new people, this is the place to be.

Worried you don’t ski, can’t ski, or don’t love the cold? Don’t let that stop you—this event is all about living it up and creating unforgettable memories!

Gatlinburg – 303 Henderson Chapel Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

For registration and more information: https://thesetnetwork.com/urban-ski-weekend-splash-page-menu/?id=

Knoxville Opera proudly presents La bohème at the Tennessee Theatre on Friday, January 31 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, February 2 at 2:30 PM for the company’s second main stage production of the 2024-2025 season.

As the most popular opera in the world, Puccini’s timeless tale of young artists embracing life, love, friendship, and loss in 19th-century Paris has captivated audiences for generations. This timeless story features sweeping melodies and poignant duets that transcend language – making it the perfect opera to experience for the first time or to enjoy once more. Watch Knoxville Opera share why this iconic operetta resonates with audiences around the world here.

Knoxville Opera has a rich history with La bohème, with this production marking the 5th time the company has staged Puccini’s classic in its four-decade existence. Under the direction of Knoxville Opera's Producing Director, Dean Anthony, and with guest conductor Michelle Rofrano at the helm, this masterpiece will be reimagined once again.

Joined by the Knoxville Opera Chorus, led by Christy Lee, and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, this production showcases a star-studded cast, including Rebecca Krynski Cox as Mimì, Ben Gulley as Rodolfo, Christine Lyons as Musetta, Luis Alejandro Orozco as Marcello, Scott Purcell as Schaunard, and Kevin Short as Colline.

La bohème is a must-see performance, so don't miss your chance to experience this classic operetta! Tickets are on sale now at www.knoxvilleopera.org/la-boheme

At the Tennessee Theatre, 604 S Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902
Knoxville Opera: 865-524-0795, https://www.knoxvilleopera.org/

East Knoxville's Black Food Renaissance
Join us for a special three-day engagement of this new documentary film from East Knoxville food justice collective Rooted East, including ticketed premiere fundraiser events Friday January 31 and Saturday February 1 and a special FREE matinee Sunday afternoon, all with post-screening discussions of the film and the issues it presents.

Showing exclusively at Central Cinema 1205 N Central St Knoxville, TN 37917

Friday January 31st, 2025 | Documentary Premiere with Special Guests | $25 per ticket
Saturday, February 1st, 2025 | Documentary Screening | $15 per ticket

Synopsis: Narrated by Umoja Abdul-Ahad, “Roots of Resilience: East Knoxville’s Black Food Renaissance” is a powerful documentary that delves into the legacy of apartheid and its enduring impact on food security and urban spaces within historically Black communities. The film traces the deep-seated issues of food apartheid—systematic racialized barriers to food access—and how these injustices have left many Black neighborhoods as food deserts, devoid of fresh, affordable, and nutritious food. The documentary highlights the journey of activists, community leaders, and urban gardeners who are working to restore urban green spaces in these marginalized communities. Through intimate interviews and poignant visuals, the film showcases how these initiatives are reclaiming the land for the community, fostering self-reliance, and reviving cultural connections to agriculture. At its heart, Roots of Resilience is a story of hope, resilience, resistance and the power of grassroots movements in disrupting the structures of apartheid and cultivating a future where historically Black communities can thrive.

About the Filmmaker: Ronald Levy is a 28-year-old filmmaker from Memphis, TN, dedicated to creating content that leaves a lasting impact on culture. His passion is to compose work that not only entertains, but also challenges and inspires change. Ronald aims to explore human emotions and societal values, using film as a tool to foster understanding and dialogue. The mission of his company, Levron's Art, includes documentaries to short films, all with the goal of making a meaningful contribution to society and the art of storytelling. You may visit Ron’s website at: https://levronsart.com/

https://centralcinema865.com/production/roots-of-resilience-east-knoxvilles-black-food-renaissance/

Gallery 1010, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 114, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Reception Fri 5-7 PM, Sat 10 AM – 1 PM, or by appointment. Information: https://gallery1010.utk.edu/

Gallery 1010 is a contemporary art exhibition space located at 100 S. Gay Street in Suite 114 of the Emporium Center of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. As one of three University of Tennessee School of Art galleries, Gallery 1010 is the only fully student-run, non-profit, off-campus exhibition space in the state of Tennessee. The mission of Gallery 1010 is to provide space for the School of Art students of the University of Tennessee to experiment and develop new ideas while gaining educational gallery experience in professional standards and practices.

FRIDAY, JAN 31 | 7:30PM

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

Eastern Kentucky duo The Local Honeys, Montana Hobbs and Linda Jean Stokley, build on a strong foundation in traditional and old time music to create a repertoire of songs capturing the many shades of life in Central Appalachia. The pair are noted for their rich harmonies and strong instrumentation and are backed on this tour by a band including percussion, guitar, and bass.

With their self-titled debut on La Honda Records, the duo have set forth on a journey to create something true to themselves while pushing the envelope within the tradition. Carefully crafted vignettes of rural Kentucky rise above layers of deep grooves and rich tones curated by longtime mentor Jesse Wells, Grammy nominated producer and musician (as well as Assistant Director at the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State). Rollicking banjo meets guitar hooks and blue collar rural grit is met with lush melodies and nimble harmonies; a project filled with juxtaposition not by accident. Wells along with The Food Stamps rhythm section - Rod Elkins (percussion) Craig Burletic (bass) and Clay City, KY’s Josh Nolan (guitar) all lent their expertise and signature groove as collaborators during the session creating a fluidity, warmth and cohesion that can only be created through friendship. The project was engineered in Louisville at Lalaland by Grammy winner Anne Gauthier.

http://www.thelocalhoneys.com/

Tickets available at TicketLeap, by mail or at the door 30 minutes prior to show: $25 at the door, $20 General Audience Advance, $19 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

A funeral parlor in a small Midwestern town is the setting for these three darkly funny and touching short plays. In Tell Tale, we enter the private thoughts of a respectable married mortician, lost in passion for a beautiful real estate broker who markets to the bereaved. In Thief of Tears, we meet Mac, the attractive daughter of an upper-class WASP family who frequents the Viper Room and steals jewelry from corpses. And in Thirteen Things about Ed Carpolotti, a newly widowed suburban matron finds her world crashing about her only to be rescued by love from beyond the grave.

The play is being produced by Theater 23 (https://theater23.org), and will run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Jan 30th, 31st, and Feb. 1st at 7:30 PM, and on Sunday, Feb. 2nd at 2:30 PM at the Old City Performing Arts Center at 111 State Street, Knoxville, TN 37902

Tickets are available for the play at https://theater23.org/tickets. For more information contact info@theater23.org or 865-257-9493.

Waynestock 2025 at the Relix Variety Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee will feature performances by Trisha Gene Brady and The Lonetones. The annual three-day celebration of local music and community will return Jan. 30-Feb. 1 to Relix in Knoxville's Happy Holler, 1208 N Central St, Knoxville. This year’s beneficiary is RadioKCM, a subsidiary of Knoxville Community Media.

You can be a part of it all. It’s only $10 per night at the door, and that includes a raffle ticket.

Relix Venue, 1208 N Central St, Knoxville, TN 37917
Phone: (865) 224-6346

MAIN GALLERY
A solo show, Under The Branches, featuring recent work by artist Jered Sprecher (Knoxville, TN) opens Tuesday, January 28 and will run through Saturday, March 29, 2025. Curator: Brian R. Jobe.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, January 31, 2025 from 5:00—8:00 pm (artist in attendance). There will be an artist talk given by Sprecher beforehand on January 31 from 3:30—4:30pm.

Jered Sprecher is an artist who makes paintings, drawings, and installations that abstract the landscape to explore the precarious relationship between nature and technology. His work wrestles with the beauty and complexity of the environment and how we as humans interact with the world around us both directly and mediated through technology. He received his BA from Concordia University and his MFA from The University of Iowa. Sprecher has exhibited at The Drawing Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Des Moines Art Center, Hunter Museum, Asheville Art Museum, and Espai d'art Contemporani de Castelló. He has had solo exhibitions at Jeff Bailey Gallery, New York; Gallery 16, San Francisco; Steven Zevitas Gallery, Boston; Kinkead Contemporary, Los Angeles; Whitespace, Atlanta; Ferrara Showman, New Orleans; and the Knoxville Museum of Art. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Bailey Opportunity Grant, and a Tennessee Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship. Sprecher has been awarded residencies at the Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation, the Chinati Foundation, The American Academy in Rome, and the Irish Museum of Modern Art. He is a Professor at the School of Art at the University of Tennessee. He lives and works in Knoxville, Tennessee.

PROJECT SPACE
My Art Is Fine, My Art Is Craft by Melissa Everett (Knoxville, TN) opens Tuesday, January 28 and will run through Saturday, March 29, 2025. This show is located within the unique architectural space of a narrow wooden stairwell. An opening reception will be held on Friday, January 31, 2025 from 5:00—8:00 pm (artist in attendance).

Melissa Everett is a self-taught quilter, textile artist, and caregiver living in Knoxville, TN. She received her BS from the University of Tennessee in Therapeutic Recreation in 2005. The philosophies of play permeate her process and journey as an artist. Her work is energized by textures, simple lines and shapes created by the human hand, rooted in tradition but continually pushing for freedom – and embracing imperfection. She creates surface pattern designs on natural fibers by utilizing fiber-reactive dyes, textile pigments and the traditions of quilt making. Each dyed, painted or printed textile, a unique piece of art, is often cut and deconstructed to be reconciled into a new work. Everett’s work has been exhibited in national and local shows including QuiltCon, Houston International Quilt Festival, McGhee Tyson’s Art in the Airport. She has also been published in QuiltFolk and Quilt Now magazines. Melissa was born and raised in the mountains of Waynesville, NC where craft, improvising and resourcefulness were a way of life for mountain folk; these values carry through her work and connect her to her ancestors.

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

The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, announces a new exhibition, “Homelands: Connecting to Mounds Through Native Art,” opening to the public on January 25, 2025. The project sets a new standard for collaborative exhibition practices at the McClung and represents the museum's most significant renovation in more than 20 years.

"‘Homelands’ is a defining moment for the McClung Museum. It’s the largest project we’ve undertaken in over two decades, but its impact goes far beyond its scale,” said Claudio Gómez, Jefferson Chapman Executive Director of the museum. “This exhibition has challenged us to rethink how we collaborate, bringing in new perspectives and allowing us to honor Native voices in ways that are both respectful and forward-thinking.”

“Homelands” showcases contemporary art by 17 Native artists to emphasize the enduring ties between Native Nations and Knox County. As a result of the exhibition, the museum has acquired 22 new works for its permanent collection.

https://news.utk.edu/2025/01/07/mcclung-museum-to-open-exhibition-centering-native-voices-and-contemporary-art/

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Tu-Sa 9-5, Sun 12-4. Information: 865-974-2144, https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/

1/24 • Family Owl Prowl
1/25 • Becoming a Survivalist: Beginner Outdoor Skills
1/25 • Nonprofits 101: Behind the Scenes at Ijams
1/25 • CREATIVE SERIES: Herbal Infusions Workshop
1/25 • Family Owl Prowl
1/26 • Reset, Renew, Rejuvenate Workshop
1/26 • Winter Tales with the Smoky Mountain Storytellers Association
1/31 • Nature Nerd Trivia
2/2 • SoundBath Meditation
2/2 • Reset, Renew, Rejuvenate Workshop

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