Arts & Culture Alliance 2015 Members Show set for December 4 to January 29

Work by Hannah Holder. Image courtesy of the artist.

The largest annual exhibition of local artists in the Knoxville area will take place December 4, 2015 to January 29, 2016 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Arts & Culture Alliance 2015 Members Show will feature a fresh mix of two- and three-dimensional works created within the last two years encompassing a wide variety of media such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, mixed media, photography, fine craft, sculpture, ceramics, fiber, and more. The art is from regional artists who are all individual members of the Alliance. Most of the works in the 2015 Members Show are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition as holiday gifts.

“The annual Members Show is a perfect way to round out a year of diverse programming at the Emporium,” says Liza Zenni, Executive Director for the Arts & Culture Alliance. “We’re excited to see what so many local artists have been working on throughout the year.”

Individual members of the Alliance participate locally and regionally in gallery exhibitions, art festivals, sculpture trails, weekend shows, studio tours, and public murals. Some of the members are full-time artists, while others have day jobs and create on evenings and weekends. Some Alliance members include art professors with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Carson-Newman University, Lincoln Memorial University, Maryville College, Pellissippi State, Roane State, and Walters State. Others are teachers within Knox and surrounding county’s elementary, middle and high schools. Some Alliance members teach classes privately or through community classes with the Fountain City Art Center, Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center, or Knoxville Museum of Art. Many of the artists have working studios in their own homes, and others are part of studio collectives such as The Vacuum Shop, 17th Street Studios, 2515 Sutherland, and Broadway Studios & Gallery. The variety of their experiences is evident in the work they bring to the Emporium for the Members Show.

An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities on December 4 from 5:00-9:00 PM with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and chocolate fondue by the Melting Pot of Knoxville. The First Friday reception features music by Pistol Creek Catch of the Day from 5:00-7:00 PM.

Gallery hours for the 2015 Members Show are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sundays, December 6 & 20 and January 3 & 17, 3:30-6:30 PM. Additional special hours are posted at www.theemporiumcenter.com/visit.html. Please note, the Emporium will be closed December 24 – January 1 for the holidays.

Published December 1, 2015