Calendar of Events

A Wildflower Affair! On May 9 celebrate Ijams Nature Center’s 50th anniversary of continuing one family’s environmental legacy in the place where it all started: the Ijams family homesite gardens.

Make plants to join us on Friday, May 9, 2025, from 11 am-1 pm. You'll enjoy classical music, create a beautiful mini bouquet, craft your own mimosa or vodka cocktail, and hear from HP and Alice’s grandchildren, Martha and George Kern, at this seated luncheon featuring fresh, seasonal fare and a few surprises!

​Complimentary shuttle service provided.
Tickets will be available soon!

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

Candlelight Concert with Sanctus Real & Blue Violin, Friday, May 9, 7:00 PM at the Bijou Theatre.

Under the soft glow of candlelight, Blue Violin and Sanctus Real join forces for an evening that will leave you with lasting memories. This concert is more than just a show - it's an experience that transcends the ordinary, with moments of grace and musical brilliance that will fill your heart with joy.

Tickets at: https://www.ticketmaster.com/candlelight-concert-with-sanctus-real-blue-knoxville-tennessee-05-09-2025/event/1B0062559EAD5A6B

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

Gallery 1010, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 114, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Reception Thu 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.

The 2025 Epiphone Student Guitar Design Exhibition & Auction includes 20 guitars designed and painted by youth artists from across East Tennessee.

Dogwood Arts Gallery, 123 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902

The 2025 Epiphone Student Guitar Design Exhibition & Auction includes 20 guitars designed and painted by youth artists from across East Tennessee. The exhibition will be on display in the Dogwood Gallery during the month of May and at Southern Skies Music Festival on May 10th. The guitars will be auctioned online to benefit youth art programs at Dogwood Arts.

Participating schools: Bearden High School, Concord Christian School, Farragut High School, Gibbs High School, Home School, Jefferson Middle School, Karns High School, L&N STEM Academy, Maryville High School, and West Valley Middle School.

First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, May 2nd from 5-8PM
Gallery Hours: M-F 10AM-5PM
123 W. Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
https://www.dogwoodarts.com/event-details/epiphone-student-guitar-design-exhibition

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth

Surrounded by his circle of married friends, habitually single Bobby is forced to question his adamant retention of bachelorhood by examining the joys and pitfalls of companionship. Through an array of amusing and stirring interactions, the couples lead him on a compelling roller coaster of laughter, tears, and introspection. A tour de force of wit, intellect, and emotion, Sondheim’s brilliantly brisk and energetic musical score and witty lyrics delve deep into the human psyche, resulting in a delightful cocktail of hilarity, heartache, and self-reflection as Bobby explores and grapples with the idea of settling down himself.

PG-13 AUDIENCES
https://www.orplayhouse.com/

Sheep Shearing Days - May 2 & May 9, 2025.

Students and families are invited to celebrate the arrival of spring with the annual tradition of sheep shearing. This student-focused event will show how pioneers turned wool into clothing and will feature hands-on activities and immersive learning experiences with Appalachian artisans, educators, and musicians.

Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Hwy, Clinton, TN 37716. Information: 865-494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org

May 2 & May 9, 2025

Students and families are invited to celebrate the arrival of spring with the annual tradition of sheep shearing. This student-focused event will show how pioneers turned wool into clothing and will feature hands-on activities and immersive learning experiences with Appalachian artisans, educators, and musicians.

Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Hwy, Clinton, TN 37716. Information: 865-494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org

Families are invited to celebrate the arrival of spring at Sheep Shearing Days at the Museum of Appalachia May 2 and May 9, 9:00 AM -3:00 PM . This student-focused event will show how pioneers turned wool into clothing and will feature hands-on activities and immersive learning experiences with Appalachian artisans, educators, and musicians.

$20/adults, $10/kids
Free parking

Museum of Appalachia, 2819 Andersonville Hwy, Clinton, TN 37716. Information: 865-494-7680, www.museumofappalachia.org

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com

MAIN GALLERY
Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi — Apr. 4 - Jun. 21, 2025 / reception Apr. 4, 2025

PROJECT SPACE
Meg White — Apr. 4 - Jun. 21, 2025 / reception Apr. 4, 2025

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

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/

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/