This coming Fourth of July Weekend—and the entire summer, for that matter—is proving to be one of recovery from our year of making-do, biding time, and hoping for better times ahead. Theatre and music organizations have been announcing plans and schedules for the 2021-22 arts season, at the same time hoping that the enthusiasm inertia in both performers and audiences can be re-gained. While we wait for the excitement and involvement of the fall season, there are plenty of interesting events to keep you occupied until then.
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The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra‘s 2021-22 season begins in September, but you can catch them once again as part of the City of Knoxville’s scaled-down celebration of the Fourth. The orchestra, under Music Director Aram Demirjian, will be performing at the Tennessee Amphitheater in World’s Fair Park on Saturday, July 3 at 8:00 PM. The concert is free. And, not unexpectedly, the concert will include classics like Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever, music of John Williams and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Seventy-Six Trombones from The Music Man, music of Richard Rodgers, the always touching Armed Forces Salute, and Valerie Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout. Knoxville Poet Laureate Rhea Carmon will also provide original poetry.
The amphitheater seats 950, but attendees are welcome to find places on the surrounding World’s Fair Park lawn. If you can’t make it or are discouraged by inclement weather, the concert will also be broadcast on WBIR-TV Channel 10 at 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 4.
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This weekend is FIRST FRIDAY, and with it come the expected gallery openings for the month of July.
You will want to catch the July shows at the Emporium Center, courtesy of the Arts and Culture Alliance. The following shows open on Friday, July 2, and continue through July 30, 2021. The opening night receptions are 5:00-8:00 PM with awards at 6:00 PM. Normal gallery hours are Monday-Friday 9 AM – 5 PM. The Emporium Center will be closed on Monday, July 5.
• Knoxville Photo 2021 – The Arts & Culture Alliance presents the ninth annual juried exhibition featuring selected works from 36 artists throughout the region.
• Brandon Woods: Spatium – This exhibition of new works and research by Brandon Woods
• Rodney East: This and That – this new exhibition features acrylic works.
• The Scent of a Woman by Vicki Love – Vicki Love’s exhibition features four distinct arrangements of her functional leather pieces.
• Beyond: Michelle Barillaro – In this new exhibition, Michelle Barillaro features paintings on wood with acrylics or oil & cold wax.
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Located inside the Emporium Center is HoLa Hora Latina — and their July exhibition is by Miguel Ángel González. The opening reception is First Friday July 2nd, 5pm-8pm.
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Walker Evans Photographs at the UT Downtown Gallery
During the months of June and July, the UT Downtown Gallery will be showing photography from the Ewing Gallery’s permanent collection of Walker Evans’ photographs to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Agee’s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.
This exhibition includes 50 framed photographs printed by the Library of Congress from Evans’ original negatives.
The exhibition continues until July 31, 2021.
Normal gallery hours for the UT Downtown Gallery are 11am-6pm Wednesday – Friday and 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM on Saturdays — Admission is FREE
UT Downtown Gallery
106 S. Gay Street
Information — https://downtown.utk.edu
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Check out the work of painter Leesa Osburn, on the walls at PostModern Spirits for the month of July.
PostModern Spirits, 205 W Jackson, downtown Knoxville
Hours: Monday – Friday 4PM-11PM; Saturday and Sunday 12PM-11PM
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Art Market Gallery —Kim Emert Gale & Harriet Howell
First Friday Reception: July 2, 5:30 – 9:00 PM
July’s theme of The Love of Travel finds work by Kim Emert Gale & Harriet Howell
Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay Street
Hours: Tu-Sa 11-6, Su 1-6. Information: 865-525-5265
www.artmarketgallery.net
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Knox History Project — A Suttree Serenade
Thursday, July 1 at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom
From the Knoxville History Project: “Cormac McCarthy’s 1979 novel about his hometown as it was, like it or not, around 1951, may be the most vividly Knoxvillian book ever printed. Recently it’s honored in the name of a park and a popular downtown saloon, but on July 8, it will be celebrated with an outdoor festival at Lakeshore Park. Find out what it’s all about, with a presentation that may be considered a virtual (and much shorter) version of the marathon pub crawl known as the Suttree Stagger.”
FREE, register at: https://knoxvillehistoryproject.org/events/
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A Heads Up for Next Week!
The City of Knoxville is offering a series of Concerts in the Park on the World’s Fair Park Performance Lawn starting Tuesday, July 6. The concerts will run the gamut of music styles, from jazz to country, from Southern rock to classic Rock.
No food or other vendors will be set up at the event, so visitors are encouraged to patronize downtown restaurants and bring their own picnic food and beverages. Restroom facilities will be open. Free parking will be available in the 11th Street Garage. Parking in all City-owned garages is free after 6 p.m.
Tuesday, July 6 — Greg Tardy Quartet
7 – 9 p.m.
Jazz quartet led by saxophonist/composer Gregory Tardy.
Wednesday, July 7 — Joe Lasher Jr, Kaitlyn Baker, Commodore Fox
6:30 – 9 p.m.
A three-band bill with contemporary country up ‘n’ comers and a classic rock cover band.
Thursday, July 8 — Smooth Sailor
7 – 9 p.m.
Yacht rock cover band.
Tuesday, July 13 — Eric Reed Trio
7 – 9 p.m.
Pianist Eric Reed leads this jazz trio.
Thursday, July 15 — Dirty Grass Soul
7 – 9 p.m.
This North Carolina-based roots-rock band is influenced by the classic sounds of the Charlie Daniels Band and the Marshall Tucker Band.
In case of rain, performances will move to the Tennessee Amphitheater.
Weather-related changes will be posted on the City of Knoxville Special Events Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CityofKnoxvilleSpecialEvents.
