Calendar of Events

A Zoom Program Sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society on Thursday, April 3 at 7pm

Our hummingbirds are returning to East Tennessee in April after their winter migration. Did you know there are over 330 hummingbird species, but they are only found in North and South America? They may be small, but they are colorful and powerful.
Join the UT Arboretum Society via Zoom on Thursday, April 3, 7pm EDT as Michelle Campanis, education coordinator at the University of Tennessee Arboretum, and naturalist/author Stephen Lyn Bales, give us an overview of our beloved hummingbirds. The First Thursday Nature Supper Club presentation is hosted by the UT Arboretum Society each month. The class is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link and recording. Register at www.utarboretumsociety.org under Programs.
These vibrant flower-loving pixies occur in a wider range of colors than all other bird species combined. Purple, yellow, green, crimson, blue, like the colors of a rainbow. The wintertime Rufous Hummingbird is even bathed in UT Orange! Yet, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is our most familiar summertime hummer. Closed captions are available. Please contact Michelle at mcampani@utk.edu for any questions or registration issues.

To contact Stephen Lyn Bales or buy one of his UT Press books, email him at hellostephenlyn@gmail.com.

THURSDAY, APRIL 3RD, 2025 | 5:30-7pm
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, ART + ARCHITECTURE RM109 | 1715 Volunteer Blvd.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRI-STAR ARTS

Tri-Star Arts is pleased to present an upcoming exhibition in their Main Gallery at the historic Candoro Marble Building. A solo show featuring recent works by artist Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi (Johannesburg, South Africa) opens Friday, April 4 and will run through Saturday, June 14, 2025. Curator: Brian R. Jobe.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, April 4, 2025 from 5:00 until 8:00 pm (artist in attendance). The address is 4450 Candora Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920 and admission is always free of charge. Visitors should drive only on the crushed gravel driveway and parking lo surfaces. Driving vehicles on the lawn is always prohibited.

There will be an artist talk on the evening of Thursday, April 3, 2025 at the University of Tennessee School of Art (room AA109) co-presented by the UT School of Art. Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi obtained her BA from Harvard University (2004) and her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York (2008). She divides her time between studio work, performance, and navigating the field of art as social practice. Her work investigates the lived consequences of imperial histories and the personal dimensions of political identities, collectivity, and futurity, among other concepts. https://thenjiwenkosi.com/

Tuesday, April 8 at 6:00 p.m. at Maple Hall, 414 S. Gay Street

Illustrated with a researched slide show, we’ll go deep on the history of music in Knoxville, about two centuries of it, from intriguing evidence in the early days to the robust operatic era after German immigration, to the once-famous country-music radio era of the mid-20th century, with connections to blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, and electronic music. The emphasis is on how Knoxville changed the world of music—and vice versa. Joining Jack and Paul will be at least one collaborator, Eric Dawson, an advisor on the Walking Music Guide project.

Free program. Food and drink for purchase.

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

It's fun, free, and easy! The Hike-a-Thon is free to register and you can participate from anywhere in the world. This month-long competition in April supports the protection of our lands and waters—where people and nature can thrive. https://campaigns.tenngreen.org/event/hike-a-thon2025/

TennGreen Land Conservancy empowers landowners and communities to protect large, connected natural areas that support diversity of life, inspire appreciation of nature, and spark action to protect the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the land that sustains us all. To learn more, visit tenngreen.org.

2025 Featured Dogwood Trails: Holston Hills & Morningside. The Dogwood Trails are open annually from April 1-30th, just in time to showcase the beauty of spring in East Tennessee! Knoxville’s iconic Dogwood Trails date back to 1955 and today cover more than 90 miles in 13 neighborhoods throughout the city. Take a drive, a walk, or a bike ride and enjoy the scenic natural beauty of our region.

No RSVP required. Please email vbaumgartner@dogwoodarts.com or call (865) 637-4561 with questions or concerns.

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

The O’Connor Senior Center Artist Trading Card group will be exhibiting recent artwork by its members and other artists at the Fountain City Branch Library from Tuesday, April 1st through Wednesday, April 30th during regular library hours.

Artist Trading Cards are small works of art (2 1/2” X 3 1/2”) of any medium. ATCs began in Switzerland in the 90’s by artist Vanci Stirnman and have become a popular genre of art. ATC groups meet around the world online and in person. The goal is to have fun, create something and connect with others by trading and sharing cards. The O’Connor group meets on the fourth Monday of the month from 1:00 - 2:00 pm. The small exhibit of ATCs can be seen at the Fountain City Branch Library, 5300 Stanton Rd, Knoxville, TN 37918.

Tim Wiegenstein, Creative Aging Teaching Artist, provides instruction, materials, prompts and creative ideas at the O’Connor Center. 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

First Friday, 5-8 PM on March 7
Seven Decades in Bloom reflects on the 70-year journey of Dogwood Arts, with an immersive retrospective honoring our rich history, evolution, and impact on the region.

123 W. Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
Regular Gallery Hours: M-F | 10AM-5PM

KITE SYMPHONY: a multidisciplinary exhibition by Roberto Carlos Lange + Kristi Sword
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BIG EARS FESTIVAL | FIRST FRIDAYS: MARCH 7 + APRIL 4 | 5-9PM

EXTENDED BIG EARS HOURS: MARCH 27, 28, 29 | 12-9PM and MARCH 30 | 12-6PM and SPECIAL PERFORMANCES | STAR SCORES
Each day of the festival, a unique ensemble – featuring Lange, Rob Frye, and a cast of special friends and guests – will perform four experimental compositions alongside and impressionistic film exploring the forces shaping the West Texas landscape and Appalachian skies.
Thursday | March 27, 7:30PM | Performers: Rob Frye, Roberto Carlos Lange, and Darian Donovan Thomas
Friday | March 28, 1PM | Performers: Roberto Carlos Lange
Saturday | March 29, 1PM | Performers: Rob Frye and Roberto Carlos Lange
Sunday | March 30, 1PM | Performers: Rob Frye, Roberto Carlos Lange, Darian Donovan Thomas, and Kalia Vandever

Kite Symphony is a multidisciplinary exhibition by Roberto Carlos Lange and Kristi Sword. The project features a series of drawings called Radio Telescope. Two films, one experimental piece called Star Scores, will be scored live during the Big Ears festival, and a film documenting sculptural interventions during their time in Marfa, Texas. Sound is the throughline between these diverse elements of this long-term project. Lange is a musician (widely known as Helado Negro), Sword is a visual artist, and Kite Symphony is an extension of their collaborative practice where they create work at the intersection of music, performance, and visual art. Parts of the film were originally commissioned by Ballroom Marfa and organized by Sarah Melendez.

“Lange, better known as Helado Negro, teams with the visual artist Kristi Sword for a sprawling and inspired project paying tribute to the Marfa, Texas sky.” – Pitchfork

UT Downtown Gallery, 106 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: W-F 11-6, Sa 10-3. Information: 865-673-0802, https://downtown.utk.edu

Presented by The Standford Eisenberg Knoxville Jewish Day School

Violins of Hope is a collection of over 50 violins that survived the Holocaust, played by Jewish musicians in ghettos, concentration camps, and even as symbols of resistance. Each violin, lovingly restored by Israeli master violin maker Amnon Weinstein and his son Avshalom, carries a powerful story of resilience and survival. These instruments bear witness to the indomitable spirit of their owners, whose music defied the darkness of one of history’s most tragic periods. The Violins of Hope project will feature performances, exhibitions, and educational programs that celebrate the enduring power of music and the human spirit. Through these events, communities will come together to reflect on the past and inspire a future rooted in hope, acceptance, and unity. Join us as we honor these extraordinary instruments and the stories they tell.

*A Big Ears 2025 Exhibition (one of four very special exhibitions of visual art on display during the festival weekend (Mar 27-30) and during the month leading up to it. Extended hours TBA.

Digital Motif, 108 S Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. (865) 214-6367 or https://digitalmotif.com/

Knoxville artist Jean Hess offers a kaleidoscopic selection of work that ranges from celestial, to playful, to poignant. Starry skies and planetary motion. Plants, animals and gems. Appalachian coal miners, lost cultures and maps of lost lands. Hess works with socio-historical data, found artifacts and ephemera that enable her to invoke complex stories.

Westminster Presbyterian Church Schilling Gallery, 6500 S Northshore Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-R 9-4, Fri 9-12. Information: (865) 584-3957 or www.wpcknox.org

Fountain City Art Center is celebrating 20 years of art education. Join us for an exhibit of students' works.

Opening Feb 21, 6:30-8 PM

Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartcenter.com

The Smithsonian’s National Collection of Fishes X-rays represent more than 70 percent of the world’s fish specimens and is the largest and most diverse collection of its kind in the world. Although the X-rays featured in the national collection were made for research purposes, the strikingly elegant images demonstrate the natural union of science and art and are a visual retelling of the evolution of fish. X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out, an exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), showcases these dramatic prints exposing the inner workings of the fish.

The exhibition features 32 black-and-white digital prints of different species of fish. Arranged in evolutionary sequence, these X-rays give a tour through the long stream of fish evolution. The X-rays have allowed Smithsonian and other scientists to study the skeleton of a fish without altering the specimen, making it easier for scientists to build a comprehensive picture of fish diversity.

The exhibition also includes specimens from the collections of the McClung Museum, the Etnier Ichthyological Collection, and the Vertebrate Osteology Collection to highlight research happening with fish specimens at the University of Tennessee.

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/