New Exhibitions Opening at The Emporium on July 2

June 8, 2021 - KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at The Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from July 2-30, 2021. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, July 2, from 5:00-8:00 PM. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store. The opening reception features music by Elza Gate, a folk duo (Pat Parr and Bob Cushman) from Oak Ridge performing a wide variety of music, including traditional tunes from the Southern Mountains and British Isles, bluegrass, and country.

Knoxville Photo 2021 in the lower gallery
The Arts & Culture Alliance presents the ninth annual Knoxville Photo juried exhibition featuring selected works from 36 artists throughout the region. The exhibition encompasses photographs depicting all subjects and genres, including streetscapes, cityscapes, landscapes, environmental portraiture, portraits, abstracts, and more. Joe Longobardi served as juror for the exhibition and viewed 323 images to select the exhibition. 

The following artists’ works will be shown:

+ Dave Edens of Madison, AL
+ Samuel Brown of Dacula, GA
+ Evan P. Thompson of Kansas City, MO
+ Adam Jeffrey Trabold of Johnson City, TN
+ Nicholas Bell, Brandon Cartwright, Jürgen Dopatka, Laurie Drake, Jacques Gautreau, Charles R. Graves, Emily Greenquist, Gary Heatherly, Shelley King, Ashlyn Kittrell, John Edwin May, Tom Owens, Norm Plate, Chris Rohwer, Owen H. Weston, Tonya Wunder and Steve Zigler of Knoxville, TN
+ Kelsey Dillow of Luttrell, TN
+ Brianna Bivens and Catherine Griffith-Benson of Maryville, TN
+ Javier Arrieta of Nashville, TN
+ Yvonne Dalschen, Lela Moore, Anna Rykaczewska and Kelli L. Thompson of Oak Ridge, TN
+ Eric Buechel of Pleasant Hill, TN
+ AngelaDawn of Powell, TN
+ Marlon Davey of Rutledge, TN
+ Robert Batey of Sevierville, TN
+ Amanda Long of Signal Mountain, TN
+ Jelisa Peterson of Austin, TX
+ James E. Meldrum of Beloit, WI

Over $1,000 in cash awards will be announced at the reception at 6:00 PM on Friday, July 2.

Pictured: Remembrance by Gary Heatherly (top) and KAPOW Beer by John Edwin May (bottom)

Brandon Woods: Spatium in the upper gallery
This exhibition of new works and research by Brandon Woods seeks to define a new artistic discipline—Spatium—for artworks such as his which bridge painting and sculpture. A number of works included in the exhibition are created on dimensional panels projecting out from the wall at exciting and unexpected angles, activating the space around them. Woods’ approach to painting results in these works having surfaces that change in color and composition as the viewer moves around them, bringing the viewer’s awareness to their own perceptions of space.

Brandon Woods (b. 1987, Knoxville, TN) is an interdisciplinary artist who pursues highly innovative approaches to creating works of art through an engagement with science and mathematics. Woods earned his MFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2015. He has received numerous awards and grants for his work, including, most recently, a Bailey Opportunity Grant through the Arts & Heritage Fund. His work has been exhibited and collected throughout the United States and internationally: in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Hong Kong, Canada, and France. He lives and works in Knoxville.
www.brandonwoodsart.com
www.instagram.com/brandonwoodsart
www.facebook.com/bwoodsart

Rodney East: This and That in the Atrium
Rodney East was born in southern Indiana in 1945. He is a Vietnam Veteran and worked for Chrysler and GM before retiring from Delphi. Over the years, he has painted seascapes, landscapes, florals and various abstracts using primarily oils, watercolors and acrylics. In recent months, his Macular Degeneration has prevented him from painting. This new exhibition features acrylic works. 

The Scent of a Woman by Vicki Love in the display case

In this new exhibition, Vicki Love will feature four distinct arrangements of her functional leather pieces: shades of whites and creams celebrating the freshness of summer events; a collection of black which will traverse the spectrum from sophisticated to whimsical, as well as Victorian with a touch of Goth; ultra girlie to denim baby; and earth tones with emphasis on texture and movement.

Beyond: Michelle Barillaro on the North Wall

In this new exhibition, Michelle Barillaro features paintings on wood with acrylics or oil & cold wax. Each medium lends itself to different techniques for layering and subtracting paint with household tools and brushes until the perfect composition is realized.

Born in Gainesville, FL in 1969, she moved to South Florida and essentially grew up on the beach, which deeply instilled her love for the saturated colors and tranquility of this tropical environment. The built environment also enticed Barillaro, and she moved to Knoxville to attend the University of Tennessee’s School of Architecture. After completing her degree, she stayed in East Tennessee and absorbed its natural beauty. While in college, Barillaro took multiple ceramics courses and honed her sketching and drawing skills related to architecture. Just two years ago, she took an eight-week workshop on mixed media at her local community art center and felt the passion for creating – specifically painting – reignited. Abstracts have always been a constant, whether they feel soft and moody, linear and architectural, or suggest a sea or landscape. She paints the recognizable colors of Florida and the suggestion of the hills of Tennessee. Abstracts allow the viewer to see something related to their own personal experiences and dreams.
www.instagram.com/m.bartist

The exhibitions are on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, July 5. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

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 and the City of Knoxville.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Suzanne Cada
sc@knoxalliance.com