Calendar of Events

Cosponsored by the Birdhouse Neighborhood Center
April 6, 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm and April 8, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Cost: Sliding-scale donation ($0-35)

This workshop is designed for teachers, community leaders, and any other individuals ages 13 & up who would like to learn how to design and create giant puppets and other parade art for this spring's Cattywampus Parade and Block Party on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at Suttree Landing Park!

Now in its 8th year, Cattywampus's people-powered Parade invites community members of all ages to make giant puppets, costumes, and other art and come together to parade as one. This year’s parade theme “Our Joy is Powerful” invites us to let delight, play, and celebration inspire our artmaking as we conjure our collective joy as a community and use it as fuel to practice audacious acts of imagination and move into the future together.

During this workshop, we will focus on papier-mâché, cardboard sculpting, rigging, and other methods for making inexpensive parade art. There will not be enough time for participants to complete their own project during this workshop but each participant will receive a Giant Puppet Making & Parade Art Manual to take home, plenty of hands-on experience, and time to work on their own design/brainstorm a project for their group.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYZcbyuVMlet13ORe03uJOimCbmankbv7Cuqw4X-sZAzi4VA/viewform

Experience an unforgettable night as ORCMA (Oak Ridge Chorus & Symphony Orchestra), Knoxville Opera, and the Pellissippi State Variations Choir bring Beethoven’s legendary Symphony No. 9 to life! Plus, don’t miss Gabriela Lena Frank’s Pachamama Meets an Ode—a breathtaking fusion of classical and indigenous South American music.

April 5 | 7:30 PM – Clayton Center for the Arts, Maryville
April 6 | 6:00 PM – ORHS Performing Arts Center, Oak Ridge

Join us Sunday night as we celebrate ORCMA’s 80th Season!
Get your tickets now: www.orcma.org/concerts

Growing up in the court of his guardian Sir Ector, Arthur plays at sword fighting, and, although he’s destined to become a Squire to his half-brother Kai, he dreams of becoming a great knight. But when the wizard Merlin arrives, Arthur starts an education that will not only touch his dreams and alter his destiny, it will forever change the lives of his young friend Guenever and the entire Kingdom of England, as well.

The play will be performed from April 4 – April 19, with showtimes on Thursdays and Fridays at 7 PM, Saturdays at 1 PM and 5 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM.

The production will serve as KCT’s debut in their exciting new location at 747 World’s Fair Park.

https://knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com/tc-events/the-sword-and-the-stone/
Information: 865-208-3677, www.knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com

4/4 • Big Night Hike
4/5 • Spring into Hope: A Mental Health Awareness Festival
4/6 • Reset, Renew, Rejuvenate: Yoga Workshop and Sauna Session
4/9 • 10-Minute Play Festival with Company West

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

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.

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/