New Exhibitions Opening Jan. 5 at the Emporium Center

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Arts & Culture Alliance presents five new exhibitions Jan. 5-26, 2018 at the Emporium Center.

The public is invited to a reception to meet the artists and view the artwork 5-9 p.m. Jan. 5 as part of First Friday activities downtown. Knoxville jazz musicians Will Boyd and Kelle Jolly will perform during the reception, and Juice Bar – Market Square will provide tastings of their juice, smoothies and food. Most of the works may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

Genevieve S. Byrd: Pour L'amour des Chevaux in the lower gallery

Genevieve S. Byrd specializes in equestrian paintings and will display artwork created with pencil, oil, watercolor and acrylic in this solo exhibition. An avid equestrian herself, Byrd has worked with horses for her entire life. Specializing in pastel, watercolor and oil paint, her works include a variety of mediums. Some of her current work is featured in veterinary hospitals, art galleries, restaurants, private collections and various businesses throughout Georgia, Maryland, California and Tennessee.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission Gallery of Arts Tribute in the Balcony gallery

The MLK Gallery of Arts Tribute will kick off the 2018 King Week Celebration (Jan. 10-15, 2018). The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission is partnering with the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville to provide this annual exhibition. The Gallery of Arts Tribute is a juried exhibition developed to recognize local artists and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The exhibit will feature works by local artists reflecting the 2018 theme, “Transforming the Community by Committing to Service,” attributed to the Dream and the Dreamer who affirmed, “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” Works in the exhibitions may also be a reflection of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and have pertinence to the themes of unity, community, love, reconciliation, social justice, and civil rights. For more information, visit www.mlkknoxville.com.

Works by Jo Marie Brotherton, Renee Mathies, and Cheryl Prose in the display case

Jo Marie Brotherton, Renee Mathies, and Cheryl Prose are all recipients of 2017-2018 Bailey Opportunity Grants.

Jo Marie Brotherton’s work encourages the viewer to engage in rotating the glass orbs she creates. In creating a finished piece, there is a peace coupled with challenged anxiety when she is sitting at the flame. For more information, visit www.jomariebrotherton.com.

Renee Mathies is a glass and metal artist who loves to play with fire. She is a member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers, the Smoky Mountain Firecrackers, and The Creative Hands Street Team which is an East Tennessee group of Etsy sellers. She loves to sell her work in person at shows because it gives her a chance to show people the craft and work it requires. Her media include handmade glass beads, acid etched copper, forged copper, and bronze and sterling jewelry components. For more information, visit www.outofthefiredesigns.com/.

Cheryl Prose will display encaustic wall art, handmade books, artist jewelry featuring wire work, lamp work beads, and mixed metal. Prose is a bookbinder and mixed media artist. She is a co-founder and coordinator of the Knoxville Book Arts Guild. She frequently serves as a studio and instructor’s assistant at Penland School of Arts and Crafts, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and John C. Campbell Folk School. Her work has shown in numerous group exhibits in Knoxville and Lenoir City as well as Shelby, NC and Asheville, NC. Her work is published in “Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin” by Lark Press. For more information, visit www.gildedleafbindery.com.

Sam Stapleton: Stilled Life on the North Wall

Through the years, Sam Stapleton’s dedication to the varying pursuits of rock concert photography, color landscape imagery, magazine collaboration with his freelance writer/wife, Patricia Hudson, as well as black and white portraiture arising from the births of two daughters, have led inexorably to the maturation of his photographic vision.

Carol Robin King: Jewelry For The Walls in the Atrium

Tennessee artist Carol Robin King works in various mediums including watercolor, acrylics, and pastel and she recently began working in bas relief 3D art with drywall. She currently resides in Kodak.

The exhibitions are on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. Exhibition hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, Jan. 15. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at 865-523-7543, or visit www.knoxalliance.com.

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.

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