Calendar of Events

This month, we’re kicking the year off with a midnight release, author meet-and-greets, and much more. Keep reading for all the details and mark your calendars!

Katie Holt - This event will take place on January 5 at 3:00pm at the bookstore. This is a free event. Please RSVP so we know to expect you!

Adam Rosenbaum - This event will take place on January 15 at 3:00pm at the bookstore. This is a free event. Please RSVP so we know to expect you!

Join us on January 20th from 10 PM to 1 AM for a night shrouded in intrigue and excitement at the Onyx Storm Midnight Release! Immerse yourself in the captivating world of The Empyrean series as you embark on a thrilling adventure filled with riddles, puzzles, and clues hidden throughout the store. Secure your tickets now and step into a world of magic and mystery!

Andrew K. Clark - This event will take place on January 26 at 3:00pm at the bookstore. This is a free event. Please RSVP so we know to expect you!

Jessi Gold - This event will take place on January 29 at 6:00pm at the East Tennessee History Center. This is a free event. Please RSVP so we know to expect you!

Billy Collins - Friends of Music and the Arts, The Episcopal Church of the Ascension and Union Ave Books are excited to present Billy Collins for Water, Water. This ticketed event will take place on Thursday, January 30th at 7:30pm at The Episcopal Church of the Ascension. Doors will open at 6:30pm and a book signing will follow the reading. Purchase Tickets

Union Ave Books, 517 Union Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-951-2180, www.unionavebooks.com

Saturdays, 10am -1pm
We are committed to bringing you the freshest and most delicious fruits, vegetables, and other locally sourced products. Our farmers work hard to bring their harvest to your table, and our artisans craft unique products that you won't find anywhere else. Come visit us on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm and experience the vibrant community of Dixie Lee Farmers' Market Farmers Market!
https://dixieleefarmersmarket.com/winter-farmers-market

At The Standard, 412 West Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902

BORN OF OSIRIS with special guests WITHIN DESTRUCTION, ENTHEOS, AXTY, AND LOST IN SEPARATION
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
5:30PM Doors | 6:00PM Show
ALL AGES (patrons under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian)

Tickets: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/born-of-osiris-the-standard-tickets/13968663

Remixing the Past: Using Historical Moving Images from TAMIS in Art and Documentary, Wednesday, February 19, 2025 @ 12:00 p.m.
East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay St., Knoxville, TN 37901

Have you ever been curious to see how people use historical images from the Knox County Public Library collection? Join the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound (TAMIS) for an entertaining presentation on how artists, students and filmmakers have transformed archival footage from the collection into documentaries and art projects. Plenty of entertaining and educational examples will be shown during this Brown Bag. Perhaps you might be inspired to transform and remix some archival objects of your own!

Brown Bag Lectures are a partnership between the Knox County Public Library and the East Tennessee Historical Society with support from FirstBank and the Friends of the Knox County Public Library.

For more information about this lecture and to stream online, visit https://www.easttnhistory.org/event/remixing-the-past-using-historical-moving-images-from-tamis-in-art-and-documentary/.

East Tennessee Historical Society, 601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. Museum hours: M-F 9-4, Sa 10-4, Su 1-5. Information: 865-215-8824, www.easttnhistory.org

The Sundress Academy for the Arts is pleased to announce the guests for the February installment of our reading series, poets Gardner Dorton and Sebastian Elios. Join us on Wednesday, February 19th from 7:00-8:00 PM for this month's reading, NOW ONLINE! https://tiny.utk.edu/sundress

Gardner Dorton is a poet living in Knoxville, TN. His debut collection of poetry If I Were God I Would Also Start With Light was published by Thirty West Publishing House in 2024. His poems have appeared individually in places like The Greensboro Review, The Florida Review, Wussy Magazine, and The "30 Below" Anthology with Narrative. When he's not reading his poems, he's probably drinking tea with his husband watching a Twilight movie or picking up ripped open trash from his oversized dogs.

A poet accustomed to living on the margins of different identities, Sebastian Elios (he/him) is constantly reflecting on what it means to partake in the world and human ecosystems. His poems are attempts to summarize experiences which reach far beyond words. Raised by Black women, both literally & literarily, his writing is rooted in their many lessons & examples. A past fellow of VONA, Abode Press, & Southern Esesu, he’s been published by Tabadul Collective, Callaloo, Pigeon Pages, & Querencia Press among others. When he’s not writing, he’s probably listening to Tierra Whack or Waxahatchee and walking around barefoot. You can follow him on Instagram or find his work at sebastianellios.com.

Each month we split donations with our community partner. Our community partner for February is Bridge Refugees Services. https://www.bridgerefugees.org/

https://www.facebook.com/events/1005300871504472/

Knoxville’s ONLY Salsa Party With 2 Instructors Teaching Lead & Follow—All for Just $10! Master your salsa and bachata basics before the party starts—get top-notch instruction from both lead and follow perspectives in a single class! No Partner Needed—Perfect for Beginners & Seasoned Dancers.

Friday Salsa Party Schedule inside Monday Night Proofing Co at Kern's Food Hall
9:00 PM–Salsa Class, 9:30 PM–Bachata Class, 10:00 PM–1:00 AM–Social Dancing
Price: $10 cover, Includes both dance lessons and the party—no hidden fees.

EVERY SATURDAY SALSA PARTY at Holiday Inn Cedar Bluff
Date: Every Saturday!, Time: 9:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Get ready for an unforgettable night of music, dance, and fun with this incredible dance experiences in one location! Whether you're a seasoned dancer or just starting, this event is designed for everyone to enjoy.

Information: info@salsaknox.com or (865) 455-3658. https://www.salsaknox.com/

MY MEMORY IS A MACHINE - AMBROSE RHAPSODY MURRAY
FIRST FRIDAYS | JANUARY 3, FEBRUARY 7, 5-9PM
Come meet the artist as part of the February 7th First Friday Art Walk.

Ambrose Rhapsody Murray (she/they) is a self-taught artist with roots in Florida and Asheville, NC. Through sewing, painting, material experimentation, film, and collaborative projects, they create stories to investigate our relationships to the colonial undercurrents of our lives, the charged symbology of black feminine bodies, and the ephemeral and layered qualities of memory and remembering. Ambrose received their Bachelor’s from Yale University, and was recently selected as Forbes 30 under 30 in the 2024 Art section. Their work lives in the permanent collection of The Studio Museum in Harlem and the Montclair Art Museum, and has exhibited across the US and abroad.

This exhibition and programming is co-sponsored by The Pride Center and generously supported by UT’s Office of Multicultural Student Life; Women, Gender, and Sexuality; The Department of Geography and Sustainability, and Africana Studies.

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

Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 21, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Tennessee Theatre

The Knoxville Symphony and several East Tennessee collaborators bring Mendelssohn’s charming “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to life. Crawford-Seeger’s bouncing “Rissolty, Rossolty,” Rautavaara’s atmospheric “Cantus arcticus: Concerto for Birds and Orchestra” and Smetana’s evocative “The Moldau” open the program.

Aram Demirjian, conductor
Laura Beth Wells, narrator
Appalachian Ballet Company
Women of the Webb School & Pellissippi State Community College choirs

RUTH CRAWFORD-SEEGER: Rissolty, Rossolty
EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA: Cantus arcticus: Concerto for Birds & Orchestra
BEDRICH SMETANA: “The Moldau” from My Fatherland
FELIX MENDELSSOHN: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: 865-291-3310, www.knoxvillesymphony.com

Ty Myers, Thursday, February 20, 2025, 8:00 PM (Doors 7:00 PM) at
The Mill & Mine.

Ty Myers grew up on a cattle ranch owned by his family for more than six generations outside of Austin TX. He clung on to music as a kid and never let go, obsessing over an expansive range of artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Withers, and Otis Redding to Chris Stapleton and George Strait. He gave up baseball and football and opted for homeschooling in order to wholeheartedly pursue his dream. During 2023, he made waves with his debut single “Tie That Binds.” Between packing houses in his home state and sharing the stage with Willie Nelson, he has performed countless sold out shows across the states.

Tickets at: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/ty-myers-the-select-tour-the-mill-mine-tickets

The Mill & Mine, 227 W. Depot Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Tickets/information: 865-343-6000 or https://themillandmine.com

On February 20 at 6 PM, Knox Heritage is hosting a showing of the documentary “Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Modern Masterpiece” at Historic Westwood (3425 Kingston Pike).

A dedicated team of historians, craftspeople, members of the Unitarian congregation and Unity Temple Restoration Foundation reveal the history of one of Wright’s most innovative buildings that merged his love of architecture with his own spiritual values.

Admission is free but space is limited- please RSVP by Wednesday, February 19 at https://www.knoxheritage.org/preservation/preservation-network/? Complimentary popcorn, sodas, and water will be available. Parking is available at Laurel Church of Christ (3457 Kingston Pike).

Knox Heritage at Historic Westwood, 3425 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-523-8008, www.knoxheritage.org

Update 2/19/25 - Feb. 20 Meeting CANCELED!

Tellico Village Art Guild Meeting at the Yacht Club top floor 10 AM; Coffee at 9:45.
Janet Muir will be speaking on Artistic Photography of Wildlife.

Jan Muir has been creating intimate portraits of wildlife in remote locations. She will share her art, favorite locations, adventure stories, and some simple tips to bring your own photographic vision to life.

Art Guild of Tellico Village, 128 Saligugi Way, Loudon, TN 37774. Info: agtv.president@gmail.com or www.tellicoartguild.com

One of the challenges interpreting the stories of people enslaved by the Mabry family is the lack of individualized details, but over the last few years, the museum has uncovered fascinating and sobering tales like Wiley Mabry--the man who bought himself. And we are excited to share with you the story of another family who was enslaved by the Mabrys--the Franklins. Only a few months ago, our colleagues at the East Tennessee Historical Society shared a research lead that unlocked a trove of information about Eliza Franklin, her ten children, and her husband, Ben Franklin, who was a Free Black man in Knoxville.

Join our executive director, Patrick Hollis, as he shares what we've learned about their lives following them in their footsteps to freedom and our plans for integrating their story into Mabry-Hazen House. The presentation will take place in the Julia-Meek Guest House on the Mabry-Hazen campus and is free and open to the public.

Mabry-Hazen House, 1711 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915. Information: 865-522-8661, www.mabryhazen.com