Knoxville First Friday

A note from your host-

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.

On with this month’s openings!

501 Arthur

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

8 Shooters Studio

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

A1 Lab Arts

201 Randolph Street (Old City) Knoxville  Website

Abode

15 Market Square Knoxville (865) 523-5090   Website

Performance by Camilla O’Neal, 7-9p.m.

Abode is thrilled to showcase Camilla O’Neal. Camilla is a singer/songwriter & cowboy boot connoisseur – capturing the spirit of the west with a pair of boots and a guitar!

Camilla O’Neal was raised in the Wilds of Wyoming. While performing all over the world, Camilla would always wear a pair of 1940 custom made cowboy boots handed down to her by her Grandmother. This pair of boots came to be the topic of many conversations between Camilla and the people in the audience. Everyone wanted a pair, wanted to know where they came from, how old they were. She got offers that were out of this world for her pair of beautiful boots, but could never sell them, for the years they’d seen were worth more than gold. Camilla started researching, learning as much she could about cowboy boots, different styles, leathers, stitching and trends throughout the years and turned this into an opportunity to give people a chance to own a piece of the Old American West. She began searching out old cowboy boots that still had class, sass, and lost of use left in ‘em. Each pair of boots she finds has a past rich in history and a story to tell of their own. Camilla’s deep love and appreciation of the west rings true with each pair of boot she comes in contact with.

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

February 2 – February 28, the Art Market Gallery of Knoxville will spotlight the work of two member artists, Pat Herzog, pottery and Brenda Mills, paintings.

The Gallery will host a First Friday Reception for the Featured Artists on Friday, February 5 from 5:30-9p.m. with Irish music by Gil Draper.

Belleze Salon and Spa

6209 Kingston Pike Knoxville (865) 558-8424  Website

Birdhouse Laboratories

800 N. 4th Ave Knoxville  Website

Bliss

24 Market Square, Knoxville (865) 329 8868  Website

Bliss Home and Art

29 Market Square Knoxville (865) 673-6711  Website

An exploration of the subconscious revealed through contemporary digital media and traditional fiber art techniques will be on view at Bliss Home at 29 Market Square in downtown Knoxville through February, 2010.

Blount Mansion

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

Casa Hora @ The Emporium

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

Coffee and Chocolate

327 Union Avenue Knoxville (865) 688-9244

Community Television of Knoxville

808 State Street Knoxville (865) 215-4350  Website

This month we feature two works by Robert Simpson.

“String Theory” “A man falls down a hole and into a trap. Only an obscure manuscript of an abstract mathematical theory and a distant memory of a children’s story are his means of escape.”

There will also be excerpts from his production of “Twelfth Night”. Mr. Simpson will be in attendance to discuss his works.

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) 525-9945  Website

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

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

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present its first “New to Knoxville” exhibition featuring eight artists who are new to the Greater Knoxville area. The selected art includes watercolor, photography, sculpture, oil and acrylic paintings, mosaics, drawing, and mixed media and will be exhibited at the Emporium Center from February 5-26, 2010. A public reception will take place on Friday, February 5, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown and features live music by the Old City Buskers.

The following artists will be featured:

Stephen Brayfield of Knoxville; watercolor Website

Bill Cook, Jr. of Knoxville; sculpture Website

Connie Gaertner of Knoxville; oil on canvas

Michael Hyneman of Knoxville; digital photography Website

Patsy Rodriguez of Sevierville; ceramic mosaics

Mary Ruden of Seymour; photography and drawing  Website

Diana Scott-Auger of Greenback; acrylic paintings  Website

Erika Smith of Knoxville; mixed media Website

“New to Knoxville” is on display February 5-26, 2010 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, February 6, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit Knox Alliance.

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The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition titled “Headlights and Streetlights”, featuring recent works by Mike C. Berry and Bobbie Crews. Crews’s classic automobile paintings explore the relationships between “man and machine”, combining realism and abstraction in a way that melds the familiar with the unexpected; Berry’s series of new pieces explore visual moods of the city and urban areas of modern life. “Headlights and Streetlights” will be displayed in The Balcony at the Emporium Center from February 5-26, 2010. An opening reception with live music by the Old City Buskers (www.oldcitybuskers.com) will take place as part of First Friday activities on February 5 from 5:00-9:00 PM.

Mike C. Berry earned his Master of Fine Arts Degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He has exhibited in group shows throughout Tennessee and Georgia during the last ten years. Working primarily in pastel and oil, Berry creates colorful and vibrant cityscapes and landscapes, often bending and twisting the perspective in his compositions.  Berry’s work is also used in Pilot Food Mart billboards across Knoxville and surrounding areas. The Dogwood Arts Festival awarded Berry’s painting “Spring in the City” the 2007 Limited Edition Print, which sold out in a record-breaking 21 days. Currently, one of Berry’s works is the cover art for Jack Neely’s new book “Knoxville, This Obscure and Prismatic City”. Also, his work appears on his blog “Postcards from Knoxville” (http://mikecberry.blogspot.com), which features new small paintings of Knoxville each day. Berry was voted the Best Visual Artist of East Tennessee by The Knoxville News Sentinel 2009 Readers Poll. He is the Gallery Manager for the University of Tennessee’s Downtown Gallery in Knoxville and is an active member of the Arts & Culture Alliance. His work is on display at his studio located in the Emporium Center (Suite 111) and is open to the public every First Friday from 5:00-9:00 PM. For more information on Mike C. Berry, visit his website.

Bobbie Crews is originally from Northwest Ohio but has called Knoxville home since 1990. Creating art all of her life, she took a break from painting to raise three boys and then started painting professionally in 1993. Although Crews was already painting for her livelihood, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art from the University of Tennessee, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2007. She is known for her work in murals, portraits, and design, and her work is included in private and corporate collections nationally and in Bermuda and Africa. Locally, Crews’s work can be seen in the Howard Baker Federal Courthouse, the Knoxville Family Justice Center, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, the downtown Lyric Theatre in Loudon, Aubrey’s Restaurants, and numerous other locations. Crews also teaches workshops, gives private instruction, does speaking engagements for and about art, and works as a courtroom sketch artist. She is an activist for women in the form of artwork for education and awareness of domestic violence. She has had solo shows in the town of Farragut, the Knoxville Family Justice Center, and the Howard Baker Federal Building. She is a member of the American Portrait Society and A1LabArts, an associate member of the American Watercolor Society and the Tennessee Watercolor Society, and she was inducted as a lifetime member of the Tennessee Artists Association. She is married to Clay Thurston, an accomplished nature and wildlife photographer, and they make their home in Fountain City. Her working studio is also in the Emporium Center (Suite 107). For more information on Bobbie Crews, visit her website.

“Headlights and Streetlights” will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, February 6, from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. For more information, contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

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  Web Site

Philippa Roberts Jewelry Trunk Show,   February 4-15, 2010 ~ First Friday, Feb. 5, 5-8 p.m.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day…Hanson Gallery presents a Philippa Roberts Jewelry Trunk Show February 4-15, with a First Friday celebration February 5 from 5-8 p.m. California designer Philippa Roberts’ stunning collection of jewelry illustrates her love for clean lines and soft colors. Her designs can be worn formally or informally, with an appeal to all ages.  The opening reception is Friday, February 5 from 5-8 p.m. The trunk show continues through February 15. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10am-5:30pm and Saturday 10am-5pm. For more information, please call (865) 584-6097.

Also on display in February are recent works by Maryville painter, Chriss Hardy. Included in this collection is a series of shoppers at the Farmer’s Market in downtown Knoxville. The show continues through February 27.

Indigo

327 Union Avenue Knoxville (865) 525-8788  Website

Ironwood Studios

119 Jennings Avenue Knoxville (865) 405-0777  Website

Julie Apple Handbags

130 West Jackson Ave. Knoxville  (865) 235-1252   Website

Julie Apple Handbags will be holding a Haiti Benefit on First Friday:

Haiti Benefit Outreach Benefit Sale – 50% of all purchased go to The Haiti Outreach Program
There will be beverages & refreshments and music by ELEKTRONABAVA

Knoxville Arts and Fine Crafts Center

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

Zachary Searcy- Oil Painting  Website

Knoxville Museum of Art

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

Knox ivi

17 Market Square, Knoxville  Website (17 Market Square is located directly beneath The Chamber of Commerce.)

Knoxville Visitor Center

301 Gay Street Knoxville (800) 727-8045  Website

Maplehurst Inn

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

Midtown Arts Center

513 Cooper Street between downtown Knoxville and downtown north. (865) 406-7885

Morelock Music

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

Old City Java

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

Organized Play

221 Cumberland Avenue Knoxville (865) 521-0690 Website (Organized play is in the former spot of the Deka Bakari gallery.)

For February’s First Friday we don’t have just one artist… we have THREE! We’ll be hosting Tami and Chris Cosman, as well as Jennifer Corum. The reception, along with our traditional milk and cookies, will be from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.

The artists of Third Hand (Tami and Chris Kosman) are inspired by recycled materials, and create new works from everyday goods. Tami’s works include women’s fashion accessories, household crafts, and candles inspired by her discoveries in vintage craft books and finds mined from thrift stores and garage sales. These items are combined with new materials to create new works of art. Chris creates photo collages and woodworks inspired by photographs he makes in the course of documenting his life.

Our third artist, Jennifer Corum, finds recycling an exciting challenge that feeds her art. Jennifer’s Jennyflex8 line of clothing and accessories is based on her long-time love of saving small colorful toys and other items that catch her eye. Whether constructing skirts, handbags, or placemats, Jennifer seeks to create items that reflect her own personal joy and bring smiles to the people who use them.

Remedy Coffee

125 W. Jackson Ave. Knoxville Website

The Fortunate Traveler

119 S. Central Street Bldg. 2, (In the Old City beside the Crown and Goose) Knoxville (865) 474-1098  Website

The Gathering Place at Regas

318 North Gay Street, Knoxville (865)637-3427  Website

Artwork by Busey, Sharon Trammel, Erika Gerber, Tilda Ross, Issac Privett

Unarmed Merchants

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

URBhana

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

UT Downtown Gallery

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

The 10th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition continues a tradition begun by the University of Hawaii Dept. of Art. By invitation only, this exhibition is comprised of 81 sculptures by artists from 14 countries and includes Meta Physical #4 by Knoxville artist Richard Jolley. The small format of the works in the exhibition, with the subsequent ease and economy of handling, provides exposure to a broad spectrum of contemporary sculpture. These triennial exhibitions were initiated as an attempt to incorporate a variety of multicultural traditions and a range of sculptural ideas, styles, and materials. As geographical borders are fractured and the global context dominates, the identity of the individual often becomes hybrid. Whether defined by the artists’ ethnicity or the location of production, all art is increasingly integrated into the fabric of contemporary society. Although the act of affirming cultural identity becomes more complex, these sculptures demonstrate the imaginative spirit and endless creativity of the individual artist.

Vagabondia

27 Market Square Knoxville (865) 525-4842   Website

World Grotto

Market Square, Knoxville   Website

Yee- Haw Industries

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

Yee-Haw has last minute decided to be open First Friday February 5! If you are lucky enough to live in Knoxville come by the studio to hear some great old time Appalachian string band music with Chance McCoy of Greenville, WV. (They will be playing for tips so be generous & feel free to BYOB). They will be live on WDVX.com Blue Plate at noon if you are unlucky enough not to live in Knoxville.

A note from your host-

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.

This year, the first Friday fell on New Year’s Day, so it’s been shuffled off to January 8th.

Here’s hoping 2010 is a great year for everyone. Happy New Year!

On with this month’s openings!

501 Arthur

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

8 Shooters Studio

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

A1 Lab Arts

201 Randolph Street (Old City) Knoxville  Website

Abode

15 Market Square Knoxville (865) 523-5090   Website

Abode will be featuring the first annual “Dress Your Nest” Winter Sale! Come take advantage of great savings on rugs, select furniture pieces, popular home accessories and of course holiday items (to get you into the spirit for next year – while buying at a bargain price!). You don’t want to miss this!

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

Belleze Salon and Spa

6209 Kingston Pike Knoxville (865) 558-8424  Website

Birdhouse Laboratories

800 N. 4th Ave Knoxville  Website

Bliss

24 Market Square, Knoxville (865) 329 8868  Website

Bliss Home and Art

29 Market Square Knoxville (865) 673-6711  Website

“Chimera Concepts” by Amy Lee

An exploration of the subconscious revealed through contemporary digital media and traditional fiber art techniques will be on view at Bliss Home at 29 Market Square in downtown Knoxville during the months of January and February, 2010. A reception will be held for the artist was held on actual First Friday, Jan. 1st, but will be on view during the rescheduled Jan. 8th First Friday events.

Blount Mansion

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

Casa Hora @ The Emporium

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

Coffee and Chocolate

327 Union Avenue Knoxville (865) 688-9244

Community Television of Knoxville

808 State Street Knoxville (865) 215-4350  Website

Community Television will be closed January 1st and will not be participating in First Friday

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) 525-9945  Website

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

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

National Juried Exhibition of 2009

Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony, January 8, 5:00-9:00 PM

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present its National Juried Exhibition of 2009, a new exhibition featuring selected artwork from 46 artists in Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, and North Carolina. The National Juried Exhibition provides a forum for local artists to compete on a national scale and display their highest quality work. The selected art features both traditional and non-traditional work and will be exhibited at the Emporium Center through January 29. A brief awards ceremony will take place at 6:00 PM in which $1,000 in cash prizes will be awarded!

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365: AIGA Annual Design Competition

Opening Reception, January 8, 5:00-9:00 PM

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present the AIGA Knoxville exhibition 365: AIGA Annual Design Competition in the Balcony at the Emporium Center. AIGA’s suite of competitions is widely recognized as the most discerning statement on design excellence today, extending a legacy that began more than 90 years ago. Through the competitions, AIGA creates an authoritative chronicle of outstanding design solutions, each demonstrating the process of designing, the role of the designer, and the value of design. The selections in AIGA’s annual competition represent the best work across all disciplines of communication design and strategy and were chosen by a distinguished jury of design peers. They become part of the AIGA Design Archives, a searchable visual database of exemplary design. They are exhibited at the AIGA National Design Center in New York and offered as a traveling exhibition for display across the country. http://knoxville.aiga.org.

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Both exhibitions will be on display through January 29 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with additional hours on Saturday, January 9, 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  Web Site

The Artist Reception/Celebration of the New Year will be Saturday, January 16 from 1-3 pm. Chriss Hardy paints with oil on canvas, and focuses especially on scenes of people being active in everyday local contemporary life. This collection includes a series of downtown Knoxville Farmers Market paintings.

Indigo

327 Union Avenue Knoxville (865) 525-8788  Website

Ironwood Studios

119 Jennings Avenue Knoxville (865) 405-0777  Website

Julie Apple Handbags

130 West Jackson Ave 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 (17 Market Square is located directly beneath The Chamber of Commerce.)

Knoxville Visitor Center

301 Gay Street Knoxville (800) 727-8045  Website

Maplehurst Inn

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

Midtown Arts Center

513 Cooper Street between downtown Knoxville and downtown north. (865) 406-7885

Morelock Music

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

Old City Java

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

Organized Play

221 Cumberland Avenue Knoxville (865) 521-0690 Website (Organized play is in the former spot of the Deka Bakari gallery.)

Remedy Coffee

125 W. Jackson Ave. Knoxville Website

The Fortunate Traveler

119 S. Central Street Bldg. 2, (In the Old City beside the Crown and Goose) Knoxville (865) 474-1098  Website

The Gathering Place at Regas

318 North Gay Street, Knoxville (865)637-3427  Website

Ryan Blair, Betty Bullen, Bob Stevenson, Rosemary Floyd, Terrie Boruff Yeatts, Isaac Privett, Alice Carroll, Katy Smith

Unarmed Merchants

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

URBhana

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

Circle Modern Dance presents a series of workshops with Angela Hill, a former Knoxvillian and now Sydney, Australia based performer, award winning choreographer and teacher. After three years of living, studying and working in Sydney, Angela and her partner Andre Hayter are back in Knoxville for a visit. As the creative partnership AH Squared they will present an interactive installation for “First Friday” January 8th at URBhana on the 100 Block of Gay Street. The video tracking system known as “Little SIS” works as a social interaction system, encouraging movement and changing spatial relationships as participants movements are tracked and translated into sounds. This is a free event.

Artists Tess Gray will have her artwork on display for this night and the month of January.

UT Downtown Gallery

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

Vagabondia

27 Market Square Knoxville (865) 525-4842   Website

World Grotto

Market Square, Knoxville   Website

Yee- Haw Industries

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