Temporal Blues by Thoryn Ziemba

That is, if someone hadn’t broken into the studio recently and knocked it onto the floor, breaking it to pieces.  We’re heartbroken.  And the artist has to be feeling a wide range of emotions at this senseless tragedy.

Is this a modern problem we are facing as a community?  as a society?  Shouldn’t we be treasuring art, not destroying it?

For more examples from Ailsa’s Travel theme: Modern this week, get to her blog Where’s My Backpack?  and take a look.  

Johnny Miller supervises the renovation at Saw Works Brewing Company

Who knew Saw Works Brewing Company would be a stop on an art tour?  Well, someone would, and that would be anyone who’s noticed the art of handcrafted brewing exploding in The South.  Saw Works Brewing Company, formerly known as Marble City Brewing,  occupies the old Wallace Saw Works building at 708 East Depot Avenue, next door to Marc Jacobs Denim. And it’s Knoxville’s only micro-brewery.  During the event known as Dogwood Art DeTour on the afternoon of April 12th, Johnny Miller (Tasting Room Manager and Assistant Brewer) seemed pleased to show us around.

The space was quiet on that Sunday afternoon at two-ish.  We’re probably busiest on Fridays, Johnny told us — right about quitting time when folks stop by after work.

Johnny Miller stands ready to give us a tour during Dogwood Arts Festival Art DeTour.

Chalkboards on the wall hold names of brews — and news of the moment.

Chalkboards at The Mill at Saw Works Brewing Company

And Johnny was quick to point out two best-sellers, now award winners: Rocky Hop and Buzzsaw.  From the website:  Rocky Hop IPA: A traditional English platform loaded with tons of American hops, this beautiful autumn hued IPA stays close to our roots. (Makes you wanna try it, right?)

Award-winners on tap at The Mill at Saw Works Brewing Company

Kegs stood ready for delivery outside.  And inside (in the back room), we noticed a lot of plastic wound around fermentation tanks.  You’ll have to excuse the mess.  We’re remodeling and quadrupling our production capacity, Johnny told us.  These are all moving out.

A Pour It Forward board seemed like a great idea.  You post the name of a friend, and when the friend comes to Saw Works, he/she gets a free beer.  Good thing Garth Brooks’ name is on the list:  He’s coming to Knoxville’s Thompson-Boling Arena May 28-31 to play for sold-out crowds.  A cold Saw Works Rocky Hop — free — just might be in his future!

Is your name on the list?

Now don’t just wait ’til it’s Art DeTour time to head over to The Mill, as they call this tasting room on E. Depot Avenue.  The folks at Saw Works offer tours at 5 and 6 PM on Fridays and Saturdays (and sometimes other days).  For 10 bucks, you get a 40-minute tour, a special tour pint glass, and brew, too! Oh, go on.  Do it for art’s sake!

While you’re there, grab a t-shirt from Saw Works!

For more information and touring times:

Saw Works Brewing Company, 708 E. Depot Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917; 865-247-5952; http://sawworksbrewing.com/the-mill/ and http://sawworksbrewing.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SawWorksBrewing?fref=ts

Favorite entry in Chalk Walk 2014 by students of the STEM Academy.

It its sixth year at the Dogwood Arts Festival, Chalk Walk has again brought out artists young and old, amateur and professional to create ephemeral art from mere pieces of chalk.  Although last year’s Chalk Walk was mostly washed away by heavy rains only an hour or so after completion, this year’s event left lasting impressions in Krutch Park and Market Square downtown. And the crowds loved it! Sidewalks were packed as viewers moved cautiously, elbow-to-elbow, careful not to disturb those carefully shaded areas of the designated, marked-off squares.

Chalk Walk is art.  But it’s also an event.  And this year’s combined the best:  great weather, huge crowd, fabulous art!

Artists at Work

The artists were as much fun to watch as they moved in closely or stood up to get a better idea of how the work was flowing.  Sometimes they talked to the crowd; sometimes they worked in silence.  We found it fascinating to watch an artist and then return an hour later to check on the progress.

Artists sometimes worked together to share chalk — whether the rainbow shades came in neat boxes or in sacks of leftover pieces like children use on home driveways.  Jerry’s Artarama donated some of the chalk, but we have a feeling that there could have been several runs to the store for more as artists wore the pieces down to nubs.

Artists worked together to select and share the right colors

Sometimes we wondered if artists dressed to match their creations!

Baby powder was the medium of choice for the faces in this entry.

Teamwork helped Faith McDaniel, Katy Rivers, and Sam Artman create this dancing lady piece.

Curtis Glover dedicated his chalk drawings of the characters from Monsters, Inc., to his nephews, Anderson and Max.

Young Artists

Some of the best entries in the competition came from students.  Teams and soloists from area schools gave it their all in the hot sun — and made quite an impression with their creativity and detail.

Taking a picture of the entry by students at Blue Grass Elementary.

Loved this picture even more when we discovered the artist was only 14 years old!

An eighth grade student from Vine Middle School worked on this creative drawing and then talked with us about what inspired her.

Sent a picture of this colorful tiger done by students at West High to the LSU fans in my family!

Summer Meiling Finn, the 2013 People’s Choice Award winner, won again this year in the Middle School category.

Personal Faves

Of course, any time you go to an event like this, you have some standouts. Here are the ones we remember most . . . just because we like them.

The artist evaluates the many shades of color in this portrait of a lady.

Many hands — students from STEM Academy — worked on this dreamlike creation while the principal and teachers cheered them on!

If you live in Knoxville and you love the Vols, you’ll crowd around (like just about everyone did) to snap a picture of their favorite hound dog, Smokey!

About the only thing I can remember drawing with chalk during my lifetime is a hop-scotch grid, so I’m thinking we just may have to join our granddaughter when she creates something special in our driveway this summer.  After all, if  you mess up a chalk drawing, so what?  It’s not like we could compete with the artists on Market Square.  They’re good.

Emerson quote rang true with a lot of folks judging by the number of photos taken of it!

Chalk Walk 2014 was sponsored by Avanti Savoia.  Chairing this event were Kathy Slocum and Jim Dodson.

For more information, click here for the Dogwood Arts Festival Website.  You can also check out the history of street art as well as the winners in this year’s competition.

Filed under: Festivals Tagged: Avanti Savoia, Chalk Walk, Dogwood Arts Festival, Jim Dodson, Kathy Slocum, Knoxville, Smokey, Tennessee ]]> https://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2015/04/09/chalk-one-up-for-fun-dogwoods-arts-2014-chalk-walk/feed/ 30 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 0.000000 rushasams Chalk drawing by students at STEM Academy, Knoxville Chalk Walk 2014 sign Chalk Walk: color selection Chalk Walk: Colorful bird Chalk Walk: Artist using baby powder Teamwork for Chalk Walk Chalk Walk: Curtis Glover's entry Chalk Walk: Blue Grass Elementary Chalk Walk: Princess painting Chalk Walk: Entry from Vine Middle School West High Students draw tiger Chalk Walk: Summer Meiling finn Portrait of a lady with artist STEM students painting a dreamlike lady Chalk Walk: Smokey Chalk Walk: Emerson quote https://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2015/01/18/weekly-photo-challenge-serenity/ https://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2015/01/18/weekly-photo-challenge-serenity/#comments Sun, 18 Jan 2015 12:24:58 +0000 http://ohtheplaceswesee.com/?p=5541 Continue reading →]]> Knoxville’s Dogwood Arts Festival brings entertainment, food, activities and parties during the more than two-week span of time of celebration.  But the Open Gardens event offers visitors a bit of serenity as they quietly roam some of the area’s most stunning gardens.

Formal garden on tour during the Dogwood Arts Festival, Knoxville, Tennessee

Sometimes you just take a look at dogwoods, tulips, and flowering shrubs.  Sometimes you take pictures.  And sometimes you just sit and reflect.

Reflecting pool and statuary in one of the Open Gardens, Knoxville, Tennessee

During this cold winter weather, we’re longing for a bit of serenity.  We’d love to sit in someone else’s garden and ponder what it would be like to look out at the view of the moment in a serene setting.

View of Lake Loudon from one of the Open Gardens, Knoxville, Tennessee

For more entries in the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Serenity, click here.

A millstone found in a Knoxville garden becomes a focal point for two criss-cross pathways.

During Knoxville’s Open Gardens day, a Dogwood Arts Festival event, local homeowners voluntarily push open their gates and let those of us in love with flora and fauna roam the grounds freely.

One formal garden held something quite unique — seventeen antique millstones — integrated in various ways throughout the beautifully manicured grounds. According to the homeowner, most of the millstones were discovered onsite as old vines and overgrown shrubbery were cleared to restore the gardens to their original glory.   What a find!

Three old millstones form a pathway in a lovely, traditional Knoxville garden.

For more interpretations of the Word a Week Photo Challenge: Hole, click here.

Woman carrying a metal Knoxville sign that she purchased from Coldstream Market, an upstairs shop specializing in what I call vintage and industrial antiques.

This week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Letters coincided with one of Knoxville’s Dogwoods Arts Festival events — the Market Square Art Fair 2014.  Not only did we see fine pottery, woodenware, photography, and blown glass art objects, we also spotted quite a few letters both in the square and the shops surrounding it.

Books cut into letter shapes stood in alphabetical order at Bliss on Market Square.

Scrabble letters graced these coffee mugs at Bliss — complete with number values.

Letter tags were only 50 cents apiece at Coldstream Market on Market Square.

And one sign at Bliss dictated what we should all do.   Come to think of it , that would’t be so bad on a hot day, now would it?

For more letters, go to Weekly Photo Challenge: Letters.  Or just Go Jump in the Lake!

Patricia Herzog: “Spring Rain”

Although not one of the official Dogwood Arts Festival 2014 events, the Opening Reception of unique pottery by the Terra Madre potters on March 28th was the starting point for us of what this festival is all about:  a celebration of the natural beauty of East Tennessee and the creative spirit of area artists.

Display at entry to The District Gallery with pottery featuring stamped Navajo designs by Jacqueline Mirzac

Owners of The District Gallery & Framery, Denise and Jeff Hood, dedicated a major portion of the gallery to the show.  And patrons turned out to view the pottery by this juried organization of women clay artists living and working in Knoxville.

Denise Hood, co-owner of The District Gallery, welcomes guests to the Opening Reception for Terra Madre: Women in Clay.

Mike Murphy, Photographer, and Linda Bonds, owner of Stones of Spirit, admire the pottery at the Opening Reception.

Liz Howell and Gray Bearden, Terra Madre exhibitors, take time to visit.

The pottery was as varied as the styles of the artists from fanciful, decorative pottery to pieces of a more utilitarian nature — vases, bowls, pitchers, etc.  When we returned the next day to take a look without the crowds, we noted that many items had been sold. Enjoy this sample of the excellent craftmanship on display at the Opening Reception.

Lisa Kurtz whom we had met at last year’s Art Detour and whose vase we purchased was on hand to assist with the reception.  Her wall pocket glazed in shades of brown left a lasting impression as it held spring daffodils in the midst of a lovely show.

Wall pocket by Lisa Kurtz

Pottery from Terra Madre: Women in Clay runs through April 18 at The District Gallery.  And while you’re there, take a close look at the other exhibit: Vision of Home: Recent Works by Kathie Odom. For more information:

The District Gallery & Framery

Owners:  Jeff and Denise Hood 5113 Kingston Pike, Suite A Knoxville, TN 37919 Gallery: 865.200.4452 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDistrictGallery

Terra Madre 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerraMadreKnoxvilleTN

The District Gallery

5113 Kingston Pike

Vision of Home:  Recent Works by Kathie Odom

April 11 through May 3

Kathie Odom stands beside featured painting “Bethlehem Road” bearing this caption: “While standing in a country church parking lot located somewhere between Seymour and Walland, I painted this farm. Nestled in the Smokies, light bounced off the barn. Be still my heart!”

The featured artist of the Dogwood Arts Festival, Kathie Odom was on hand at The District Gallery.  Her painting, Sycamore Row, was selected as the 2014 Limited Edition Print.

After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Kathie distinguished herself as a pastel artist in the 1982 Dogwood Arts Festival. But in 2009, she began working in a new medium:  oils.  Her subject matter is influenced by the rural landscapes she loves with nostalgic scenes of barns, sheds, fields, and trees changing with the seasons.  Notes hand written by the artist were posted next to each painting, providing personal insight into what had inspired her to create each painting.

Bennett Galleries

5308 Kingston Pike

Richard Jolley

A Retrospective of Work, Creating Something for Nothing

April 11 through June 28

Attending the Opening Reception at Bennett Galleries: Don Bosch, Richard Jolley (featured artist), Ashley Capps, and Maureen Bosch.

In conjunction with the unveiling of the largest glass installation in the U. S. at the Knoxville Museum of Art — The Cycle of Life, Within the Power of Dreams and the Wonder of Infinity by Richard Jolley — Bennett Galleries opened a retrospective of work revealing the stages of Jolley’s career.

Born in 1952 in Wichita, Kansas, Richard Jolley, now known as a glass master, was raised in Oak Ridge and studied at Tusculum College (Greenville, TN), George Peabody College (Nashville, TN) and Penland School of Crafts (Penland, NC).  Maintaining a glass studio in Knoxville since 1975, Jolley has been heralded around the world for his creativity and unique style.  More than 65 public and private exhibitions and 33 collections boast at least one glass creation by Richard Jolley.  A huge crowd of supporters at Opening Night at Bennett Galleries gathered to talk with the artist about the pieces on display and the upcoming reveal at Knoxville’s Museum of Art.

Fountain City Art Center

213 Hotel Avenue

Foothills Craft Guild Spring Exhibit

April 11 through May 9

Larry Gabbard explains his unusual techniques (adding horse hair and sugar, for example) to create one-of-a kind pottery pieces.

Members of the Foothills Craft Guild were honored guests at the 2nd annual Fountain City Art Exhibit located at the home of the Fountain City Art Center. Works from Foothills members will be on display and on sale through May 9.

Foothills Craft Guild is known for fine craftmanship and unique creations.  Applicants for membership in the guild must reside in Tennessee and submit original work for jurying. On Opening Night of the Foothills Craft Guild Spring Exhibit, members of the guild were on hand to talk to guests and explain the processes used in creating the pieces on display.

A night for art.  A night for crafts.  And an interesting first look at Knoxville’s 2014 artsy side!

The District Gallery: http://thedistrictgallery.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDistrictGallery

Bennett Galleries and Company: http://thedistrictgallery.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BennettGalleries

Fountain City Art Center: http://fountaincityartctr.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fountain-City-Art-Center/166052916742955

Foothills Craft Guild: http://foothillscraftguild.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoothillsCraftGuild

You might enjoy my Pinterest board, “For the love of art.”

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/rushasams/for-the-love-of-art/

Knoxville’s Dogwood Arts Festival 2014 officially runs through April, but blooms don’t always get it!  We can remember festivals beginning AFTER the delicate four-petaled dogwood blooms have peaked and faded.  On the other hand, we can also remember years when blooms just aren’t ready for opening day even if we have visitors from around the world in town to see them.  They do what they do when they want to do it!

But this year’s different.  Timing seems perfect.  First, we noticed our Lenten Roses (Helleborus Orientalis) perk up their nodding heads and show us their throats mid-March.

Lenten Roses are first to peek out and show their colors in the garden.

Then we were blessed with massive blooms on our White Star Star Magnolia.

Open bloom on a White Star Star Magnolia

Daffodils, too, opened with yellow profusion in late March along the Interstate where dedicated volunteers have sprinkled them for years, thanks to the vision of Maria Compere and others.  And the rest of us just follow suit, adding handfuls of bulbs to our landscape each fall.

Daffodil blooms anxiously awaiting their own “open date.”

Redbuds with their graceful branches dotted with tiny pinkish, purplish blossoms began around the first of April saying, We’re here.  Look at us.

Redbuds along Knoxville’s Lake Loudon near the Henley Street Bridge

And this pink profusion of tulips was enough to make us stop and take a closer look on Sunday, April 6th, even if we did have to get on our hands and knees for a good shot!

Full plantings of pink tulips in bloom at Cherokee Country Club, Knoxville

But finally on the first weekend of Dogwood Festival (as if the blooms knew what we wanted this year), we were blessed with lacy canopies of luscious springtime beauty. It’s Dogwood Time in Tennessee!

Dogwoods blooming at entrance to Krutch Park, downtown Knoxville

Wanna keep track of dogwood blooms?  You can watch one pink dogwood tree on the Fountain City Trail unfold from bud to full bloom as pictures are added each day.  Head to the Dogwood Arts website for Bloom Watch 2014.

Just buds on Wednesday, March 26, 2014.

Almost full bloom on Monday, April 7th: Pink dogwood, Bloom Watch 2014

Or come to Knoxville for any one of the signature events and activities that put us on the map for the best place to visit in April — events like Rhythm ‘n Blooms, Chalk Walk, Open Gardens, Dogwood Trails, and Art in Public Places.

Singing happy songs on a sunny day in downtown Knoxville! Does it get any better than this?

Loving the sunshine and music downtown

“Sailor’s Warning” by Duke Oursler. Part of Art in Public Places, downtown Knoxville

As part of Chalk Walk 2014, artists from Spamalot add their entry to the sidewalk in Krutch Park. Spamalot arrives in Knoxville April 24th: http://clarencebrowntheatre.com/plays/monty-pythons-spamalot/

The Dogwood Arts Festival invites residents and visitors to enjoy music, art, and festivities downtown or drive through subdivisions marked with pink “follow-me” markings where dogwoods and other flowers celebrate the 60th year of Dogwood Trails.

Strolling through Krutch Park: Dogwood Arts Festival 2014

Prettiness is blooming all over Knoxville.  So join our blog this week and next as we drive the trails, stroll the gardens, and admire the art.  The Dogwood Arts Festival is here at last!

Dogwood Arts Festival

Digital Guide: http://www.dogwoodarts.com/about/

Trails and Gardens: http://www.dogwoodarts.com/trails-and-gardens/

Events & Exhibits: http://www.dogwoodarts.com/events-exhibits/

Bloom Watch 2014: http://www.dogwoodarts.com/bloomwatch2014/

Have you visited Knoxville during the Dogwood Arts Festival?  Or do you live here and love the events and blooms?  Add your comments below.  We’d love to hear from you.