There’s a lot of artists and venues thinking I’m catching their listing info on their blog, on their facebook postings, etc. Don’t count on me seeing them. To get your listing onto this website, you MUST use either the contact form, or send an email to the address set up specifically for the listings. You can find further info on how to get this done at this  LINK It is the ONLY way you’ll get a listing put up on the site. Since I’m doing this without charging anyone for doing it, please make this easier for me by submitting your listings via email or the contact form. All the info gets sent into a special folder so that I don’t miss it in the ton of daily email I get.

Don’t see a listing?

If you don’t see a listing, I couldn’t find it when I updated this for this month. Check here sometime on First Friday, a lot of places don’t send me updates until the last minute, so pop in here before you head out for the latest updates. You’ll find their phone number and  links to their web site in the listing below, so you can check to see if they’ve got more recent info on their own site. Not sure what to expect on First Friday? Here’s a little sample from Knoxville Tourism & Sports –

On with this month’s openings!

2 Many Pixels

130 W. Jackson Avenue, Suite 201 Knoxville

501 Arthur

501 Arthur St., Knoxville (865) 951- 2523  Website

8 Shooters Studio

1201 Central Street, Knoxville  (865) 545-4408  Website

A1 Lab Arts

Center for Creative Minds, at 23 Emory Place Knoxville  Website

Art Gallery of Knoxville / Copy Shop

317 Gay Street Knoxville (865) 595- 4401  Website

Art Market Gallery

422 S. Gay Street Knoxville (865) 525-5265  Website

(2/17/12, Knoxville)-February 28-March 31, Art Market Galley of Knoxville is pleased to present an exhibit of recent works by Kristine Taylor and  Jonathan Howe, both of Knoxville.

Artist Kristine Taylor creates unique, one-of-a-kind and limited edition art jewelry using a blend of polymer clay and traditional jewelry materials including stones, pearls, glass, metals and fibers. She is a member of several regional craft guilds and has participated in many regional art shows.

Painter of Jonathan Howe is an award-wining landscape, still-life and portrait artist. His passion lies in the intimate details that form a true likeness in oil portraits and the subtle lighting of rolling landscapes. In addition to painting, Howe works in many other fields of art including drawing, photography, graphic design and carving.

A First Friday Reception for the exhibit is planned for March 2 from 5:30-9 pm with complimentary refreshments and live music.

Belleze Salon and Spa

6209 Kingston Pike Knoxville (865) 558-8424  Website

Birdhouse Laboratories

800 N. 4th Ave Knoxville  Website

Black Market Clothing

23 Market Square, Knoxville (865) 258-8448

Bliss

24 Market Square, Knoxville (865) 329 8868  Website

Bliss Home

29 Market Square Knoxville (865) 673-6711  Website

Blount Mansion

200 W Hill Ave Knoxville (865) 525-2375  Website

Cafe Pita

2121 Cumberland Ave. Knoxville (684-5477)  Website

Casa Hora @ The Emporium

100 S. Gay Street, Suite 109, Knoxville (865) 335-3358 Website

Cocoa Moon Fusion Grill/Koi

19 Market Square Knoxville  (865) 521 3888

Coffee and Chocolate

327 Union Avenue Knoxville (865) 688-9244 Website

Community Television of Knoxville

808 State Street Knoxville (865) 215-4350  Website

Downtown Grind

418 S. Gay Street , Knoxville (865) 524-4747

East Tennessee Historical Society

601 S. Gay Street, Knoxville (865) 216-8824  Website

East Tennessee Community Design Center & Knoxville Downtown Design Studio

500 S. Gay Street Knoxville Mobile (865) 603-3988 Office (865) 525-9945Website

Emporium Center for Arts & Culture / Arts and Culture Alliance / The Balcony Gallery

100 S. Gay Street Knoxville (865) 523-7543  Website

Arts & Culture Alliance Presents “War of the Lawn Ornaments” by Alan Finch and Denise Stewart-Sanabria

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition entitled “War of the Lawn Ornaments”, an investigative, interactive exhibit by local artists Alan Finch and Denise Stewart-Sanabria. The exhibition will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from March 2-30, 2012 with an opening reception as part of First Friday activities on March 2 from 5:00-9:00 PM.

Show Statement

Five thousand years ago, in Mesopotamia, marble sculptures of giant bunnies and the god Enlil stood before a rural stone house. Not really. Or did they? Yard art has surely been around for a long time in the gardens of countless cultures in both divine and tasteless form. In our own country it has ranged from the spiritual to the tacky to the offensive. Who made these concrete icons originally? What was their motivation? Why do people persist in buying certain statues that seem to celebrate shameful moments in our country’s history? Are frogs really that cute? Why do only Catholics put Madonnas in their yards, but Protestants like St. Francis in their gardens? Do little boys really urinate into giant shells?

Last year, Clinton artist Alan Finch stumbled upon a remote find of almost Pompeian magnitude. Though never covered in volcanic ash, and in fact still in business, it had the air of a lost time and culture. It needed the kind of anthropological investigation only artists can manage. He contacted Knoxville artist Denise Stewart-Sanabria and proposed a collaborative project: the “War of the Lawn Ornaments”. Using mainly alternative photo processes, such as lomography, pinhole, and I-pad images, they documented the undisclosed site, adding dioramas and found object installations to fully capture the depth of the experience. Warning: This is an investigative exhibit containing images that made the artists cringe and occasionally declare “WTF”?

This exhibit is being exuberantly funded by The Society for the Preservation of Lawn Art, which is located in another undisclosed location in the Greater Appalachia region.

About the Artists

Native Oak Ridger, Alan Finch, has been active in the East Tennessee arts community for over 25 years. His paintings, sculpture, and photography have been included in numerous local, regional, and national exhibitions. Finch founded two art groups, Group W and Kaleidoscope, and he has curated exhibitions across the state. He will be guest curator for a Kaleidoscope show at the Oak Ridge Art Center next March. Alan and his wife Darlene live in Clinton. For more information on Alan Finch, visit www.saatchionline.com/buy-art?query=alan+finch.

Denise Stewart-Sanabria was born in Massachusetts and received her BFA in Painting from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst. She has lived in Knoxville since 1986. Sanabria paints both hyper-realist “portraits” of everything from produce to subversive jelly donuts, and full-scale, cut-out charcoal on plywood portraits of contemporary people that she uses to create conceptual installations. Recent exhibits include: “Continuare: The Figurative Tradition in Contemporary Art” at Ewing Gallery at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; the 55th Mid-States Art Exhibition, Evansville Museum of Art, Evansville, IN; “Quantum Confusion” at Appalachian Center for Craft at Tennessee Tech, Smithville, TN; “The American Still Life: Yesterday and Today”, The Bascom, Highlands, NC; “In the Flesh”, Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, VA; and the “26th Tallahassee International”, at the Florida State Museum of Fine Arts. Stewart-Sanabria also writes exhibit reviews for Number, an independent arts journal from Memphis, Art Papers, and Art Now Nashville. For more information on Denise Stewart-Sanabria, visit www.stewart-sanabria.com.

“War of the Lawn Ornaments” will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, March 3, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

Arts & Culture Alliance Presents “Fine Craft in March” on March 2 & 3

(02/17/2012/Knoxville) – The Arts & Culture Alliance and Foothills Craft Guild proudly present “Fine Craft in March,” a showcase and sale of works by Foothills Craft Guild Members, March 2-3 at the Emporium Center. This show highlights the handmade, original work of 26 East Tennessee craft artists working in a variety of media including: fiber, wood, glass, jewelry, clay, photography, natural materials, soap, and mixed media. The Emporium gallery provides an ideal environment in which to view the work and meet the artists.

The Show hours are: Friday, March 2, 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM and Saturday, March 3, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Admission is free. A public reception takes place on Friday, March 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities in downtown Knoxville.

The exhibition and sale serves as a preview of the 46th Annual Fine Craft Fair to be held in November 2012 at the Jacob Building in Chilhowee Park. Chartered in 1968, the Foothills Craft Guild is the oldest artisan’s guild in Tennessee. Membership includes over 240 craft artists residing in Tennessee who have been accepted to the Guild through a rigorous jury process for high standards of workmanship, design, and originality. For more information on the Guild, visit www.foothillscraftguild.org.

Arts & Culture Alliance Presents “Elements: Human and Natural”

(02/20/2012/Knoxville) – The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present “Elements: Human and Natural”, a new exhibition of photographs by local artist Jeff Tidwell, opening Friday, March 2, at 5:00 PM on the north side of the Balcony at the Emporium Center in Knoxville. This exhibition reflects Tidwell’s desire to capture the basic elements, such as light, water and earth, as well as human elements: the way people behave, the things people make, and the emotional connection to those things.

Jeff Tidwell has been involved in photography for over 40 years and learned the craft from his father who taught photography at Webb School of Knoxville. Tidwell has worked with 35mm, medium format, and digital photography. In addition to fine art photography, he has captured images of weddings and parties as well as Black and White photo reproduction. He currently runs Tidwellimages Photography and offers digital studio portraiture. For more information on Jeff Tidwell, and to view galleries of his work, visit www.tidwellimages.zenfolio.com.

“Elements: Human and Natural” will be displayed in the Balcony at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, from March 2-30, 2011. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on March 2 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, March 3, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

Ewing Gallery

1715 Volunteer Blvd. Knoxville (865) 974-3200  Website

Fluorescent Gallery

627 N. Central Knoxville (865) 522-1752  Website

Gallery 1010

113 South Gay Street Knoxville  Website

Hanson Gallery

5607 Kingston Pike Knoxville p (865) 584-6097  Website

Indigo

327 Union Avenue Knoxville (865) 525-8788  Website

Ironwood Studios

119 Jennings Avenue Knoxville (865) 405-0777  Website

John Black Photography

501 Union Ave. Knoxville (865) 522-1715  Website

Julie Apple Handbags

121 Gay Street Knoxville  (865) 235-1252  Website

Kate Moore Creative / Jennie Andrews Photography

123 S Gay Suite B Knoxville (865) 951-8416  Kate Moore Website Jennie Andrews Website

Knoxville Arts and Fine Crafts Center 

1127B Broadway Ave. Knoxville (865) 523-1401

Knoxville Museum of Art

1060 World’s Fair Park Knoxville (865) 525-6101  Website

Knox ivi

17 Market Square, Knoxville  Website

Knoxville Chamber of Commerce

17 Market Square, Knoxville

Tennessee Artists Association will have a reception Friday, March 2, 2012 at 7:00 pm to share the work of some of our members. The reception will be at the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, 17 Market Square, Knoxville, Tn 37902. Please join us for a glass of wine and to meet the artists.

Tennessee Artists Association is a volunteer organization comprized of artists of all levels of ability. Residents of Tennessee who are 18 years of age or older are elegible for membership.

Our Website

Contact: Steve Black 865-966-9083  steve.black@tds.net

Knoxville Visitor Center

301 Gay Street Knoxville (800) 727-8045  Website

Lox Salon

103 W. Jackson Knoxville Website

Maplehurst Inn800 W. Hill Avenue, Knoxville  (865) 803-6215

Midtown Arts Center

513 Cooper Street  (865) 406-7885

Morelock Music

411 S. Gay Street Knoxville  (865) 766-5192  Website

Old City Java

109 S. Central Avenue Knoxville (865) 523-9817   Website

Oodles Uncorked

18 Market Square Knoxville (865) 521-0600  Website

Organized Play

221 Cumberland Avenue Knoxville (865) 521-0690 Website

Preservation Pub

28 Market Square Knoxville  (865) 524-2224  Website

Rala

323 Union Avenue Knoxville (865) 525-7888  Website

Remedy Coffee

125 W. Jackson Ave. Knoxville Website

Rita’s Italian Ice

Market Square, Knoxville

Salon Visage

11 Market Square Knoxville (865) 694-4000

Tennessee Valley Bikes

214 W. Magnolia, Knoxville Website

The Fortunate Traveler

119 S. Central Street Bldg. 2 Knoxville (865) 474-1098  Website

Tomato Head

12 Market Square, Knoxville – (865) 637-4067 Website

“Preserving Watermelon Country” art exhibit at The Tomato Head

The strange narrative paintings of Julie Armbruster return to Knoxville this Spring! On Saturday March 3rd, Julie Armbruster will install her newest work at The Tomato Head in downtown Knoxville located at 12 Market Square. Focusing on work from the Professor Wunderbar series, Preserving Watermelon Country, illustrates the story of a large-headed, white cat, Professor Wunderbar. A reluctant heroine, Wunderbar uses her intuitive powers and self-help idealism to help preserve the diversity of her community. In the story, Professor Wunderbar befriends some unusual creatures, battles an army of mind-altered kittens, and attains some incredible powers.

The newest work reveals some interesting twists that are sure to peak your curiosity. The show will be on display at The Tomato Head in downtown Knoxville until April 7th and then moves to the Maryville Tomato Head from April 7th- May 6th. A closing artist reception will be held Saturday May 5th from 3:30-5:30pm at the Maryville Tomato Head restaurant. At the reception, Armbruster will share some fantastic pizza and she will have her limited edition books relating the story, as well as a selection of prints and art gifts.

Julie Armbruster’s work has evolved to include much more intricate compositions and details and narrative threads. Her work is often realized through automatic drawing and then refined through layered rendering and delicate outlining. The landscapes seem oddly familiar. The world rendered in the paintings is set at a distance from the viewer with the addition of the resin surface and illustrative style. The shine and saturation of color give the work an inviting pull. The viewer is further entranced by the complexity of emotions conveyed by the characters that are often faced with some sort of weighty decision or traumatic occurrence. The narratives are realized through anthropomorphic characters that seem bewildered and internal. Her stories are both funny and dark and typically lack a straightforward resolution.

Julie Armbruster’s work can be seen on her website www.JulieArmbruster.net and in her hometown of Asheville, NC at the Woolworth Walk and her River Arts District Studio.

Julie Armbruster has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in galleries throughout the East Coast and Abroad, including the School of Architecture in Venice Italy, 80 Washington Square Gallery in New York, and Rebus Works in Raleigh, North Carolina. Often seeking shows in alternative spaces, her work has been exhibited in skate shops, bars, music venues, restaurants, and record shops. Julie Armbruster was born in Voorhees, NJ in 1979 and has lived in New York most of her life. She received a Masters in Painting from New York University in 2003 and has studied abroad in Italy and Germany. Following Graduate school, she moved to Asheville, NC and maintains an art studio in The Wedge in River Arts District.

Unarmed Merchants

129 S. Gay Street Knoxville (865) 549-5769 Website

URBhana

115 S. Gay Street (865) 525-7381  Website

University of Tennessee University Center Concourse Gallery sponsored by the Visual Arts Committee

1502 West Cumberland Ave.  Knoxville Call Meghan Terry at 865-974-5455 for more information or visit activities.utk.edu for a full list of VAC events.

Fibers Studio-Fibers and mixed media. http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/fibersstudio/

UT Downtown Gallery

106 S. Gay Street Knoxville (865) 673-0802  WebSite

Yee- Haw Industries

413 S. Gay Street Knoxville (865) 522-1812  Website