Calendar of Events

Monday, April 21, 2025

Knoxville Museum of Art: Artists on Location Show & Sale

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Festivals, special events, Free event and Fundraisers

A PLEIN AIR PAINTING EVENT PRESENTED BY THE KMA GUILD
At Knoxville Museum of Art
FREE ADMISSION • CASH BAR
Saturday, April 26, 5:30-8:30 pm
1050 World's Fair Park Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37916

The public is invited to watch the artists outdoors in and about Knoxville painting in plein air on Monday, April 21 through Friday, April 25, capturing the beauty of East Tennessee. Follow us on Instagram for locations, times, and live updates. @artistsonlocation

2025 AOL PARTICIPANTS

Olga Bankston, Jean Cauthen, Kimberly Daniel, John Eiseman, Alex Eisenzopf, Lisa Engle, Sara Fair, Kathleen Gray Farthing, Robert Felker, Tiffany Foss, Kim Hall, Brigitte Hubbard, Kirk Larsen, Chris Leeper, Rachael McCampbell, Victoria Pearmain, Brenda Pinnick, James Craig Reynolds, Robin Roberts, Robinson Rebecca, Amanda Scott, Richard Sneary, Jeff Steiner, Patricia Sweet, Jennifer Taylor, Richie Vios, Cory Wright, Jing Zhao

Featured Artist: Bill Farnsworth
Proceeds will benefit participating artists and the Knoxville Museum of Art.

865.525.6101 | info@knoxart.org
www.knoxart.org

Safety City Knoxville: Let's Ride, Knoxville!

  • April 21, 2025

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event, Health, wellness and Kids, family

Ride Into Fun at Safety City – Parks & Rec Extravaganza!
Monday, April 21st | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Knox County Schools are out for in-service, and Safety City is in for an exciting day of riding and recreation! Bring the kids out to enjoy a safe, fun-filled environment where they can ride bicycles, non-motorized scooters, push cars, wagons, and even strollers through the streets of mini Knoxville! This free event also features the Parks & Rec Extravaganza—a showcase of Spring and Summer Programs, including Summer Camp info, lifeguarding job opportunities, and hands-on activities for the whole family.

Helmets are required for all riders.
Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
For safety, no pets, no motorized scooters or bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, or hoverboards are allowed.
Don’t miss this perfect way to spend your school-free Monday—come ride, learn, and play at Safety City!

https://www.facebook.com/events/2438733803164047/

River & Rail Theatre Company: Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grille

Category: Music and Theatre

River & Rail Theatre Company proudly announces its upcoming production of "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," a soul-stirring theatrical experience celebrating the life and music of legendary jazz artist Billie Holiday. This remarkable performance will star the acclaimed actress and singer Shinnerrie Jackson in the title role, bringing Holiday’s iconic voice and heartrending story to life on stage.

Performance Dates and Venue: The production will run at River & Rail Theatre Company in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee at the Old City Performing Arts Center (111 State Street), from April 17-May 4 2025, offering audiences an intimate and unforgettable evening of music and drama.

Written by Lanie Robertson, "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill" takes audiences back to a small Philadelphia nightclub in 1959, where Billie Holiday performed one of her final concerts. Through the hauntingly beautiful melodies of Holiday’s most beloved songs, including "Strange Fruit," "God Bless the Child," and "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," the play weaves a narrative that is both poignant and raw, exploring her struggles, triumphs, and enduring legacy.

Shinnerrie Jackson Shines as Billie Holiday: Shinnerrie Jackson, a celebrated performer known for her captivating stage presence and powerful voice, steps into the role of Billie Holiday with grace and authenticity. Her portrayal promises to capture the essence of Lady Day’s artistry and vulnerability, offering audiences a deeply emotional and immersive experience.

Tickets at https://www.simpletix.com/e/lady-day-at-emersons-bar-and-grille-by-lan-tickets-177072
Information: 865-407-0727, www.riverandrailtheatre.com

Clarence Brown Theatre: The Play That Goes Wrong

Category: Comedy and Theatre

BY JONATHAN SAYER, HENRY SHIELDS, AND HENRY LEWIS

Welcome to the opening night of 'The Murder at Haversham Manor', where things go from not very good to an utter disaster. 'The Play That Goes Wrong' is an ill-fated play-within-a-play, set on the opening night of the Cornley Drama Society’s newest production. The troupe’s ambitious whodunit has everything you never want in a show: falling props, collapsing scenery, an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything…including their lines. Come see why this show has been called “the funniest play Broadway has ever seen!” (Huffington Post)

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

Ijams Nature Center: Upcoming Events

Category: Classes, workshops, Kids, family and Science, nature

4/15 • Community Science Showcase
4/18 • Evening Paddle
4/18 • Big Night Hike
Nature in Percussion - 4/19 @ 1 pm - Hear talented UT percussionists perform at this FREE concert!
4/20 • Self-Care Sunday Yoga with Hope Irwin
4/22 • Nature Nerd Trivia
4/24 • Pickin' on Nature Bluegrass Show
4/24 • Bike with a Naturalist
4/25 • Ijams After Dark: Bioblitz Edition
4/25 • Evening Paddle

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

Tri-Star Arts: Featuring Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi & Meg White

  • April 4, 2025 — June 14, 2025

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

MAIN GALLERY
A solo show, Injury: Thirteen Studies, featuring recent work by artist Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi (Johannesburg, South Africa)

PROJECT SPACE
From Dark To Blue by Meg White (Milwaukee, WI)

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

UT College of Music: Upcoming Concerts

  • April 4, 2025 — May 7, 2025

Category: Free event and Music

UT Big Band Concert
Tuesday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall

Woodwind Chamber Music Spring Showcase
Monday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall

Chamber Orchestra Concert
Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall

String Chamber Ensembles
Wednesday, April 16 at 5:30 p.m.
Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall

UT Bands Concert
Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m.
Alumni Memorial Building, Cox Auditorium

UT Opera: Dialogues of Carmelites
Friday, April 25 - Sunday, April 27
Bijou Theatre

UT Small Jazz Ensembles Concert
Monday, April 28 at 6:00 p.m.
Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall

UT Appalachian Strings
Friday, May 2 at 8:00 p.m.
Laurel Theatre

Rhythm & Blues Ensemble Concert
Wednesday, May 7 at 5:30 p.m.
Natalie L. Haslam Music Center, Powell Recital Hall

UT College of Music: Unless otherwise noted, concerts are FREE and open to the public. In-person events that take place in the Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall or the James R. Cox Auditorium also have livestream options: https://music.utk.edu/news-events/#calendar. Venues: Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center located at 1741 Volunteer Boulevard; James R. Cox Auditorium and Performance Hall 32, both in the Alumni Memorial Building located at 1408 Middle Drive. Information: 865-974-8935, https://music.utk.edu/events/

Awaken Coffee: Emily McTyre

  • April 4, 2025 — April 27, 2025

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

Friday, April 4 from 6-8 Awaken Coffee will host an opening reception for Emily McTyre

Emily McTyre is a photographer, filmmaker, and mixed media artist from East Tennessee. Her photography is often inspired by travel, evoking a sense of place for the viewer.

More about this collection: Emily enjoys working with black and white film as it emphasizes light and shadow, texture and pattern. Photos in this collection were taken around the world: England, Germany, Georgia, and Tennessee. Whether it be our own backyard or many miles away, we can capture moments and symbols of familiarity that tie us together.

Please join us for some amazing art and of course great coffee!

Awaken Coffee, 125 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Open daily. Information: 865-951-0427, www.instagram.com/awaken_coffee or www.facebook.com/awakencoffeeoldcity/

Pour Taproom: Exhibition by Holly Pawlowski

  • April 4, 2025 — April 27, 2025

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

They will be on view and available for purchase until the end of April.
First Friday reception, April 4, 6-8 PM
Instagram @hollypawlowskiart
https://www.facebook.com/holly.pawlowski.71

Address: 207 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902
Phone: (865) 337-5726

Arts & Culture Alliance: No Bigger Than a Breadbox

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

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, April 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM. A free gathering with the exhibiting artists will also feature live music by Robinella and friends.

No Bigger Than a Breadbox – Biennial Small Works Show in the upper gallery
The Arts & Culture Alliance’s fourth biennial juried exhibition features selected works from 48 artists throughout the region. The exhibition was designed to celebrate the innovation of artists who create work on a small scale (under 12”) and in a broad range of media and styles. Over $1,500 in cash awards will be announced at a brief awards ceremony at 5:30 PM on Friday, April 4 with remarks from the juror, Julie Lohnes.

Exhibiting artists include:
+ Mary Burk Smith of Wallingford, CT
+ Ashley Helton of Cleveland, GA
+ JoEl Levy Logiudice of Ashland City, TN
+ Terri Jordan of Clarksville, TN
+ Thomas Neckvatal of Crossville, TN
+ Brent Quarles of Jefferson City, TN
+ Sally Brogden, Jordan Butzine, Raeus Cannon, Heather Casteel, Victor Costantino, Rachel Sevier Dallery, Landin Eldridge, Drew Ellis, Shannon Ferguson, Gordon Fowler, Deana Fulton, J. Leigh Garcia, Karen Hall, Drew Justice, Hannah Jun Langer, Ashton Ludden, Shelley Mangold, Paulina Marchant, Sara Blair McNally, Sonja Oswalt, Amber Purdy, Rebecca Robinson, Robin Rohwer, Adam Rowe, and Chloe I. Wack of Knoxville, TN
+ Steven McQuilkin of Lenoir City, TN
+ Bernard R. Sizemore II and Lois Trader of Loudon, TN
+ Betty Bullen of Luttrell, TN
+ Brooke Holmes of Maryville, TN
+ Yvonne Dalschen, Garrett Durland, Lynn Fisher, and Robert Grassel of Oak Ridge, TN
+ Shana Goethals of Sevierville, TN
+ Carra Artis of Seymour, TN
+ Suzette McCauley of Townsend, TN

The exhibitions will be on display April 4-26, 2025 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and additional hours TBA. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, April 21, for the holiday. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley: Seasons of Change

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Free event and Kids, family

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, April 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM. A free gathering with the exhibiting artists will also feature live music by Robinella and friends.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley: Seasons of Change in the Atrium
Seasons of Change embraces the vibrant artwork of young artists from the Youth Arts Initiative Program at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley. Through classes and workshops, these young creatives are encouraged to explore and grow in their artistic practice. Featured in the exhibit are a diverse range of works, including fiber arts, ceramics, photography, and more. Each piece reflects the theme of change, inviting students to reflect on their personal experiences of transformation.

Over the course of several months, students have honed new skills and built confidence, often working in art forms they are discovering for the first time. We are proud to share the art created by our talented students and celebrate their journey as emerging artists within our community. For more information, visit www.bgctnv.org

The exhibitions will be on display April 4-26, 2025 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and additional hours TBA. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, April 21, for the holiday. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Arts & Culture Alliance: Jack Retterer – POETOGRAPHY; Blending Poetry and Photography

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Free event and Literature, spoken word, writing

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, April 4, from 5:00-9:00 PM. A free gathering with the exhibiting artists will also feature live music by Robinella and friends.

Jack Retterer – POETOGRAPHY; Blending Poetry and Photography on the North wall
POETAGRAPHY … Blending poetry and photography. On the surface, poetry and photography appear to be two very different and unrelated art forms. But, as legitimate arts forms, they have much in common. Both help us explore, communicate and understand the human experience. Both can bring our deepest emotions to the surface. They can also help us recognize how we are all more alike than different. As an artist, poet and photographer, my biggest challenge is maintaining a balance in my Poetagraphy creations so that the poetry is not just a caption nor is the image simply an illustration. Each poem and image must be able to stand on its own, and when presented together, create a new and more complete emotional experience beyond what either can accomplish alone.

Originally from the Chicago area, Jack Retterer was introduced to photography at age 16. Early education came from a combination of trial and error and self-study of photography by Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Dorothea Lange, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Yosef Karsh and others. He later took classes at the Chicago School of Photography. Frequent attendance at workshops, photography club seminars and conferences helped further his skills. Before moving to Tennessee, Retterer taught photography at Benedictine University in Naperville, IL; currently, he teaches Fine Art Photography at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is active as a teacher and speaker for art and photography groups, and his work has sold and received recognition in numerous Tennessee venues. His present and past professional affiliations and memberships include Professional Photographers of America, Professional Photographer of East Tennessee, Tennessee Artists Association, Arts & Culture Alliance, Art Market Gallery, Art Guild of Fairfield Glade, Tellico Village Art Guild, Foothills Craft Guild, and the Tennessee Poetry Society. He has served on the boards of artist and photography associations in both Tennessee and Illinois. For more information, visit jackrettererphotography.com

The exhibitions will be on display April 4-26, 2025 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and additional hours TBA. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, April 21, for the holiday. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

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