Calendar of Events

May 17: Children’s Festival of Reading, World’s Fair Park, 10:00-3:00

The Children's Festival of Reading is held on the third Saturday in May to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer. The event launches summer programming at the Library and features children's book authors and illustrators, storybook characters, science demonstrations, storytellers, musicians, arts & crafts, a parade of books, and more than 50 community organizations. Last year, more than 11,000 guests attended. In its 19th year, the Festival has become a mainstay event for a generation of families. This year, it is set for May 17 in World's Fair Park with award-winning authors and illustrators including:

Kate Messner, New York Times bestselling author of The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, Capture the Flag and Over and Under the Snow

Vivian Vende Velde, award winning author of fantasy, science fiction, and spooky tales including Heir Apparent, Never Trust a Dead Man and Cloaked in Red

Kevin Lewis, the mastermind behind Chugga Chugga Choo-Choo and My Truck is Stuck

https://www.knoxcountylibrary.org/

7:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Join us for The Summer Soiree at the KMA—a lively, annual fundraiser celebrating the arts! Dance the night away to the sounds of the Wes Bailey Band while savoring exquisite hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Holly Hambright of Holly’s Eventful Catering. This enchanting summer evening promises to be the most enjoyable way to support the cultural heartbeat of our community. Don’t miss your chance to indulge in a night of fun and philanthropy at the Knoxville Museum of Art!

Presented by Ann & Steve Bailey and hosted by Art House. Questions? Email arthouse@knoxart.org.

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park, Knoxville, TN 37916. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org.

Step into a realm of magic and wonder at Waltz of the Faeries, an exquisite masquerade ball where fantasy and elegance intertwine. On May 17, 2025, beneath glowing lanterns and a starlit sky, don your finest fae-inspired attire and waltz through a night of live music, mystical quests, enchanting elixirs, and dazzling masquerade contests. With exclusive VIP perks, a whimsical marketplace, and an evening of spellbinding surprises, this is your chance to embrace the magic.

https://www.ancientlorevillage.com/waltz-of-the-faeries/

Knoxville Chamber Orchestra in performance, May 17, at 7:00 PM.

​Anton Arensky Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32 (violin, cello, piano).
Mozart Piano Trio in E major, K. 542

​Sean Claire, violin
Cherylonda Fitzgerald, cello
Ryan Fogg, piano

Concert at Westminster Presbyterian, 6500 Northshore Drive Knoxville.
Suggested donation $25 at the door / students free.

https://www.knoxvillechambermusicsociety.com/

Electricity for All examines the complex relationship between technology, information, and power through the historical framework of the Tennessee Valley Authority, a key New Deal initiative from the 1930s that introduced electricity to the Tennessee River Valley. The featured artists provide diverse perspectives on the social implications of technological advances, questioning the histories that were lost and the new narratives that emerged. Organized by the KMA.

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.

By Byron Au Yong and Aaron Jafferis’, a contemporary "comic-rap-scrap-metal-opera"
Directed by Keturah Stickann and conducted by the exceptional Judith Yan

Stuck Elevator is based on the dramatic true story of an immigrant delivery man trapped in an elevator for 81 hours. Through a blend of music, spoken word, and multimedia, the opera vividly portrays the psychological and emotional toll of confinement, while also touching on themes of immigration, cultural identity, and the pursuit of the American Dream. A co-production with Knoxville Opera, this opera promises to deliver a unique and impactful theatrical experience.

River & Rail Theatre, 111 State Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-407-0727, www.riverandrailtheatre.com

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

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/

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/

The WDVX Blue Plate Special is a live performance radio show held at noon at Visit Knoxville (301 S. Gay Street) every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with your host Red Hickey… and on Saturday with host Sean McCollough. On Fridays WDVX takes the Blue Plate Special to Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria (200 E Jackson Ave) for “The Big Plate”. Make yourself at home as part of the WDVX family at this this daily free concert series. From blues to bluegrass, country to Celtic, folk to funk, rockabilly to hillbilly, local to international, it’s all part of the live music experience on The WDVX Blue Plate Special.

All seats are free, and visitors may come and go as they please.

Info: 865-544-1029, http://www.wdvx.com