Calendar of Events

Reception: Friday, March 28, 5-7pm
Ewing Gallery of Art + Architecture | 1715 Volunteer Boulevard

Francis Akosah : Echoes of Heritage: A Journey Through West African Culture
As an artist, I feel a responsibility to share these stories, to amplify voices that have long been silenced, and to honor the beauty and diversity of West African culture. In each artwork, I strive to capture the essence of my heritage, honor the legacy of those who came before me, and inspire future generations to embrace their own cultural identities. My work extends beyond simple documentation. It is a call to action, a dialogue about the profound influence these historical objects have on society. By re-contextualizing these artifacts in a contemporary setting, I hope to have conversations which speak to their significance and relevance today. Through exhibitions, installations, and public interventions, I aim to create spaces for reflection, learning, and celebration of West African cultural richness. This journey is deeply personal to me. It speaks about my cultural roots and highlights the importance of heritage and tradition in shaping our identities. Ultimately, I believe that through understanding, appreciation, and respect for our differences, we can come together as a global community.

LaKesha Lee : Memory to Materials and Objects
My work is an ongoing dialogue between the past, present, and future, centered on honoring self-representation, family legacy, and the resilience of Black identity. I form assemblage collages, sculptural forms, and ceramic works, using found objects and materials that carry traces of lived experiences to display curated memories. These fragments—old photographs, textiles, ceramics, and everyday artifacts—are a material language that explore memory, materials, personal history, and cultural traditions.

Eliza Frensley : Family Obscura
This exhibition explores complexities of family histories and investigates relationships between heritage and personal identity. Through a comparison of both sides of my family, the work challenges the viewer to reflect on the ways in which traditions and the individual experience inform cultural narratives and memory.

Gaby Hurtado-Ramos : Tomorrow Night
Tomorrow Night is an exhibition of prints, drawings, and video dedicated to the glimmers of last night's party and the hopefulness for the next one.

https://ewing-gallery.utk.edu/upcoming-exhibitions/

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL
MARCH 24-25 - TWO DAYS! at the Bijou Theatre.

Embark on an extraordinary cinematic adventure at the Bijou Theatre this March as the Banff Mountain Film Festival returns for two nights! Renowned as the world’s largest and most prestigious mountain festival, Banff showcases the very best in adventure, exploration, and environmental storytelling.

This year, we're thrilled to welcome back the Banff Road Warrior from Canada—a beloved feature of the Bijou screenings, returning for the first time since the pandemic.

The 2024/2025 World Tour will feature a selection of award-winning films chosen from over 400 submissions to the annual festival. These films are an exhilarating journey through the captivating beauty of uncharted landscapes, the richness of remote cultures, and the heart-pounding excitement of action sports.

Each evening will feature a different lineup of films, transporting you to the far corners of the globe and celebrating the boundless spirit of adventure. Exact films will be announced soon—stay tuned for updates.

Don’t miss your chance to experience the Banff Mountain Film Festival at the Bijou Theatre—where the spirit of adventure comes to life on the big screen!

https://www.ticketmaster.com/banff-mountain-film-festival-tickets/artist

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

Join us on Monday, March 24th at 6pm at Union Ave Books! Featured readers TBD.

UTK’s Creative Writing MFA Program presents Chiasmus, a reading series featuring graduate/undergraduate creative writers—followed by an Open Mic!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1000310078584608/

Monday, March 24 at noon at UT Law School, 1505 Cumberland Ave

In conjunction with UT’s commemoration of the centennial of the Scopes “monkey trial” in Dayton, Jack Neely will be talking about one of the most interesting lawyers who ever lived and worked in Knoxville. Although Clarence Darrow is famous for his role as the aggressive defense attorney in the trial, Scopes’ lead defense attorney, who controversially enlisted Darrow, was John R. Neal (1876-1959). A severe eccentric, originally from a town that’s now at the bottom of Watts Bar Lake, Neal was both a former UT professor—fired for insubordination two years before the Scopes trial—and later a significant influence on the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority. He even makes a startling cameo in Cormac McCarthy’s novel Suttree. Free program.

Knoxville History Project: 865-300-4559, www.Knoxvillehistoryproject.org

The O’Connor Senior Center will host a regular monthly Artist Trading Card meeting on Monday, March 24th from 1:00 - 2:00 pm. This meeting is free and open to anyone interested in making and trading ATCs. Refreshments will be served.

No art experience is required. The goal is to have fun, create something and connect with others by trading and sharing cards. The group is currently preparing for a small exhibit of ATCs at the Fountain City Branch Library.

History and background of ATCs, instruction, materials, prompts and creative ideas will be provided by Tim Wiegenstein, Creative Aging Teaching Artist. No age requirements apply for this program; ATCs are for any age, and intergenerational events are encouraged. The O’Connor Center is located at 611 Winona Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. For more information, call 865-523-1135, or email info@oconnorcenter.org

Home Runs & Home Teams - A History of the National Pastime in Tennessee
Rogers-Claussen Feature Gallery

As Tennesseeans, baseball is in our DNA, and although the game is common to us, it has never remained the same during anyone’s lifetime. Who were among the first to play baseball in Tennessee? How did 31 Tennessee towns come to host a MiLB team? What makes a day at a Tennessee ballpark an iconic experience? Home Runs & Home Teams provides an overview of the national pastime as it has played out in the Volunteer State. For every story included in the exhibition, there are hundreds more–from players to pennants, from bat makers to bat boys–that could have been shared. So as you “round the bases,” think about your connections to the game, your ties to the past. What does baseball mean to you and to your community? What baseball stories should libraries and museums preserve to share with future Tennesseans? Let’s play ball!

601 S Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902
https://www.easttnhistory.org/exhibitions/home-runs-home-teams/

Dogwood Arts, in collaboration with professional muralist Megan Lingerfelt, will unveil six new murals in Downtown Knoxville as part of the 3rd Annual Mural Workshop at Maker Exchange. Six local and regional artists were selected to participate and will design and paint an 8x8 ft mural in the Curio at Maker Exchange. The workshop begins Saturday, March 22nd and artists have until Friday, March 28th to complete their pieces. The murals will remain on display at Maker Exchange through May 2025 (710 Clinch Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902).

Participating Artists:
Adele Ferguson – @ahousecalled_adele
Zoe Haun
Andi Kur – www.andikurart.com
Lydia May – @lydiamay.art
Jordan Thompson – @jordankthompson
Esther Sitver – esthersketch.com

About the Workshop: Designed by Megan Lingerfelt and Dogwood Arts, the Mural Workshop at Maker Exchange provides emerging artists with hands-on training in large-scale mural painting. Participants gain experience from seasoned professionals and leave with the skills and confidence to pursue their own mural projects. For more detailed information about the workshop, visit: https://www.dogwoodarts.com/post/2025-mural-workshop-at-maker-exchange

More information about the program can be found online at https://www.dogwoodarts.com/murals.

You can find our full listing of events by visiting our Events Calendar: https://music.utk.edu/events/
Can't attend in-person? Check out our Livestream. https://music.utk.edu/livestream/

Wind Ensemble Concert
Thursday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Alumni Memorial Building, Cox Auditorium

Chamber Singers & Concert Choir Spring Concert
Tuesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Alumni Memorial Building, Cox Auditorium

Musicology Distinguished Lecture Series: Professor Timothy D. Taylor
Monday, March 31 at 4:30 p.m.
Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall

Men's & Women's Chorales Spring Concert
Tuesday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Alumni Memorial Building, Cox Auditorium

BY PHILIP DAWKINS
LAB THEATRE

A magical fable with music. This exciting new play tells the story of the Fail family and their seemingly difficult challenge to just stay alive around blunt objects, disappearances and the odd case of consumption. Sometimes you just never see death coming. In this upbeat, tuneful, magical fable you can either worry about the ever-impending death or you can live, love, and sing some songs along the way.

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

On view through March 28
In the Blackberry Farm & William "Ed" Harmon Galleries

Featuring works by Knoxville artist Jon Pemberton, this exhibit showcases a collection that interprets anonymous secrets and transforms them into art. A reception will be held in the gallery on Saturday, March 22 from 6-8 p.m.

Visit Monday-Friday 10am–5pm to see these works in person.

Clayton Center for the Arts, 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

On view through March 27
At DENSO & La Dolce Vita Galleries

This art exhibition showcases K-12 art students alongside their teachers and current art interns/student-teachers from East Tennessee. A Closing Reception and Awards Ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 27 from 5:30-7:30PM.
www.dogwoodarts.com

Visit Monday-Friday 10am–5pm (or before/during CCA performances) to see the results of the artistic student-teacher synergy that happens in our schools!

Clayton Center for the Arts, 502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804. Information: 865-981-8590, www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com

The Museum of Infinite Outcomes presents Symbiogenesis: A New Nature in the Anthropocene at Ijams in March!

Sponsored by Arrowmont and part of the AVIFAUNA 2025, this exhibition features the indoor and outdoor works of regional artists that engage the living landscape. A reception is March 9 from 2-5 pm.
https://museumofinfiniteoutcomes.com/avifauna

Ijams Nature Center, 2915 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920. Visitor Center open daily 10-6. Information: 865-577-4717, www.ijams.org