The Arts & Culture Alliance will present four new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from May 6-27, 2016. A public reception will take place on Friday, May 6, 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 a Jazz Jam Session hosted by Vance Thompson and Friends from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Black Box Theatre. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and chocolate fondue from the Melting Pot will be available.

Photography by Abigail Malone	Sculpture by Héctor Saldívar
Photography by Rachael Quammie	The Big Banana, by Laurie McCormick
Delirio by Jorge Yances Art by Dennis Cerrato Painting by Sergio Martinez

The exhibitions include:

International Latino Art Exhibition in the main gallery, May 6-27
Curated by Dina R. Ruta and featuring fifteen artists from five countries. This exhibition comes from a desire to innovate and give Latin American art a space and purpose here in Knoxville, promoting the integration of cultures in order to broaden the concept of art and establish it as a mode of communication. These exceptional contemporary artists have generated a dynamic dialogue that, together with the overwhelming power of color and varied gesture, consistent with the conception of it as a cultural symbol, transcends the chronological and geographical boundaries of the continent.

Featured artists include:
Argentina: Inés Barlasina, Ángel Barón Da conté, and José Utrera
Colombia: Jorge Yances
Honduras: Elías José Díaz Alcántara, Dennis Cerrato, Víctor López, Sergio Martínez, Santos Arzú Quinto, Omar Sánchez, and Iván Soto
México: Rafael Sáenz Félix and Héctor Saldívar
Venezuela: Ángel Blanco and Al Vanegas


Small Plates: A Response to Hunger (on display Friday, May 6 ONLY) in the Balcony
Curated by R.L. Gibson for www.artandartdeadlines.com and featuring physical, spiritual, political, emotional and creative views on hunger from artists residing in California, New Jersey and Russia, and more images from artists closer to home, including Tennessee. The work will be exhibited unadorned, unframed and at the approximate size of a small plate. Food is the perfect inspirational metaphor for feeding the creative self. The demeaning cutesiness of the bohemian “starving artist” image numbs us to the real struggle of hunger and starvation worldwide. Starvation, in a literal way, robs humanity of being human and ends even the possibility of a creative self.


Photography by Rachael Quammie in the display case, May 6-27
Rachael Quammie is new to the Knoxville area. Originally from Florida, she moved to Oak Ridge about a year ago. Photography has always been a passion of hers and she is eager to share it with others. Quammie has focused most of her passion for photography in the area of weddings and babies’ first moments. She especially loves capturing moments in time in which the memory will last forever.


Abigail Malone: Recessive in the Atrium, May 6-27
Abigail Malone’s photography series, "Recessive," was inspired by a lifetime of admiration for her mother's beautiful red hair. She is fascinated by how the combination of genetics plus childhood experiences shape who we become. Through this series, Malone hopes to tell a story that is both captivating and nostalgic for viewers. More of this series can be viewed at www.abigailmalone.com.

Abigail Malone was born and raised at the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Seymour. She fell in love with the darkroom her first year of college and decided to pursue a degree in photography. She received a Bachelor’s of Photography from Carson-Newman University in 2004. Since then, she has become a successful wedding and portrait photographer based in Knoxville. Malone is truly passionate about teaching children and adults the art of photography. Last year Abigail began a series of personal work titled Recessive, which she plans on continuing over the next several years. Instagram: @recessive.series.

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 and Sunday, May 15, 3:30-6:30 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.