The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from March 3-31, 2017. A public reception will take place on Friday, March 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition. The First Friday reception also features music and dance by Pasion Flamenca from 6:00-6:30 PM and live music by Swing Serenade from 7:00-9:00 PM. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be available.
Abingdon Arts Depot - Juried Members Exhibition in the lower gallery
The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present a new exhibition of mixed media works by 27 members of the Depot Artists Association in Abingdon, Virginia. For the fourth year, the Arts & Culture Alliance is proud to partner with another community-based art gallery in the Southeast for the purpose of promoting local artists within each community. The Arts Depot will host a simultaneous display of work by 42 Knoxville-area artists in their gallery space at 314 Depot Square in Abingdon during the month of March.
The works chosen to travel to Knoxville were juried by Steven Reeves during the Depot’s 27th Annual Holiday Members Exhibition this past December. Reeves is the Executive Director of the Kingsport Art Guild established in 1949, a non-profit that promotes advocacy, education, and exhibitions. Reeves has a studio at the Arts Depot and holds his BFA from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Members selected to represent the Arts Depot are Jeana Chapman, Sheryl Daniels, J. C. Dean, Jackie Dolpp, Judith Fitzgerald, John David Ford, Nancy Garretson, Jody Houston, Greg Howser, Carl Jessee, Sr., Elizabeth John-Morison, Nancy Johnson, Carina Karlsson, Larry Knott, Michele Marlowe, Lisa May, Rita Montrosse, Helen Morgan, Adelaide Moss, Cecelia Pippin, Fallon Ray, Sara Reece, Steven Reeves, Frank Renault, Joyce Samuel, Josiah Stam, and Michaela Stam. The Association operates the Arts Depot in the historic Depot Square area of downtown Abingdon. The Association is supported in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Tourism Corp. For more information about the Arts Depot, call (276) 628-9091 or visit www.abingdonartsdepot.org.
Jose Roberto: The Art of Surrealism in the Balcony gallery
When I was a little boy, I put my hand in a meat grinder and lost most of my left arm. That was the beginning of my life as an artist. The loneliness and isolation I experienced during childhood now allow me to delve into the deepest realms of my emotions and release them at will onto the image. My subjects are usually emotionally-charged themes brought about by my own life experiences.
My paintings are influenced by my love of architecture, graphic novels and the great masters. Painting gives me the freedom to delve deep within myself and connect with the side that most people try to keep repressed. I want viewers to say, “I’ve been in that same emotional place.” The act of painting is a collection of my thoughts, energy and experiences. Painting allows me to focus on myself, listen to my inner voice and sort my feelings out. You can love my paintings or hate them, but if they move you then I have done that which I set out to do as an artist, I have touched you deep within your soul, and in the end, that is all that really matters. For more information, visit http://www.joseroberto.com/.
New Work by Coral Grace Turner in the display case
Including hand screen printed fabric and needlepoint. I am interested in working with spaces that already exist in my art; previously I had worked as a site specific sound installation artist. While my materials have changed I still see myself working within these parameters except my site has become much smaller. Everyday household objects are the space that I utilize in my current work, a linen gust towel or a wool pillow. These pieces all use pictograms as part of the imagery. I have been collecting pictograms off of packaging and from books for years because I love the way they are drawn and I see a kind of beauty in the simplicity of their purpose. Within my work some of the pictograms function as literal instructions for the possible use of the object and others allude to a message while also creating a decorative pattern. It is the efficiency of these images that I strive for in my own communications with people, whether it is in my work or my life. For more information, please visit http://www.coralgraceturner.com/art.html.
“New Beginning” by Joe Bracco on the North Wall
I was born in Buffalo, New York. I started art with drawings of the Peanuts characters in 3rd grade. Since that period of time, I have explored different areas of art from cartoons to Dali. I went to SUNY at Oswego in 1976 for Fine Art and Cartooning. In 1979, I enrolled in the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I went for the commercial part of the art to enhance my knowledge in the art field. The art world was tough, and I fell into a management position with a major drugstore during which time I lost touch with my art.
In 2014, I had the first of two hip replacements which lead to a new beginning in my art. I had a lot of time and began painting again. At this point, I’m not completely back to my level from 32 years ago, however I am growing. I’m a “halfback”, migrating from New York to Florida and then to Tennessee, and I couldn’t pick a better place for my new beginning. For more information, please visit www.joe-bracco.pixels.com.
Vintage Re-Inventions: Steampunk Creations by Eric Holstine, Jason Lambert, and Jason Edwards in the Atrium
Eric Holstine of Charleston, WV combines art with technology to create unique pieces that provide functionality. Holstine is a mixed-media artist with a professional background in Information Technology and uses mixed media, including stained glass, metal, wood, polymer clay, and repurposed items. Much of his work is of the steampunk genre and has been on exhibit in different venues in West Virginia, Maryland, as well as at the Steampunk World’s Fair in New Jersey. He was awarded “Most Original Design” at the WV Makers Festival in October 2015. Holstine’s work includes a functional mantle clock, an "Acoustic Roundabout Cube,” and a steampunk-style robot lamp. All pieces have an electronic feature and/or lighting effect designed and programmed by the artist. For more information, please visit http://ehartwork.com.
Experimentation is Jason Lambert's primary goal. While originally working in pen and ink he has recently transitioned into use of copper, steel, sharpies and nail polish to create unique 2- and 3-D works. His degree in geology and minor in anthropology from the University of Kentucky have helped inform a love of old science he applies to new art. “I never truly consider my work finished, only stalled or given away,” says Lambert. “The process of creation and fusion is what really attracts my imagination. My current body of work is more captured moments or thoughts that I am attempting to flesh out, each one trying to attain completion, rather than a mono thematic installation. In the end, my creations are meant to be enjoyed, for whatever reason you find, adding fantasy, whimsy, and just a little sharpness to your moment.”
Jason Edwards works with acrylic paints, markers, inks, spray paint and charcoal on paper and canvas. He also works with woodblock printing, digital painting and video. His paintings and woodblocks style is whimsical, and his videos are very conceptual. Common themes in Jason’s paintings are reflective of other people’s emotions, and themes in his videos mostly deal with his internal emotions. In his works, he reminds us that it is ok to be human living in a world that is unbalanced and extreme. Edwards is currently working as a scenographer at Woolly Mammoth Theater Company in Washington, DC.
The exhibitions are on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.
**Attached images: Works by the artists
About the Arts & Culture Alliance
The Arts & Culture Alliance serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Alliance receives financial support from the Tennessee Arts Commission, the City of Knoxville, and First Tennessee Foundation.
