Emporium Center opens new exhibitions

The Arts & Culture Alliance will present four new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from October 5-27, 2018. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

	Painting by Charles Peters; image courtesy of the artist

The exhibitions presented at the Emporium are part of American Craft Week, a national event celebrating the tradition of American craft in artists’ studios, galleries museums, schools, and festivals. This year’s official celebration will be held October 5-14. For a complete list of American Craft Week public events taking place locally and nationwide, visit www.americancraftweek.com.

Tennessee Artists Association: The Fall Juried Show: 44th Fall Art Exhibition in the Main gallery The Tennessee Artists Association (TAA) will feature original art by over 20 Tennessee artists including oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastels, photography, and mixed media. As TAA's ninth show at the Emporium Center, they are excited about the opportunity to present the breadth and quality of Tennessee artists' works represented by its members. The 44th Fall Show is juried by Julie Rabun, Assistant Professor of Art at Carson-Newman.

Tennessee Artists Association (TAA) was founded in 1972. The TAA is a civic organization of fine artists with about 50 members. TAA encourages each individual artist to grow and develop through fellowship with other artists, educational programs, and opportunities to exhibit and sell art, and it serves the community through classes. Membership in TAA is open to anyone age eighteen years and older and a resident of the state of Tennessee. Dues are currently $50 for single membership, $60 for family and $15 for students. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6500 Northshore Drive, which includes a business meeting, a program, and a time for fellowship and refreshments. Guests are always welcome to attend. For more information, visit www.tnartists.org.

	Ceramic by Bryan Wilkerson; image courtesy of the artist

Mid-South Sculpture Alliance SELECT: Member’s Exhibition in the Balcony and Atrium galleries
Mid-South Sculpture Alliance (MSA) is an affiliate organization of the International Sculpture Center (ISC). Its membership is open to anyone, anywhere with an interest in and commitment to the field of sculpture. MSA advances the creation and awareness of sculpture in its many and varied forms, promoting a supportive environment for sculpture and sculptors. Its annual conference takes place in Knoxville from October 4-7. In collaboration with the UT-Knoxville Sculpture Program, MSA presents a juried exhibition of work by its members. Selected sculptures will offer a dynamic exhibition highlighting a variety of techniques, media and content.

Juror Elizabeth Turk will give a talk and present the juror's choice award at 7:00 PM during the First Friday reception on October 5. A native Californian, Elizabeth Turk is an artist, primarily known for marble sculpture. Turk has also mastered a variety of media, molding forms in wax and clay, casting objects in bronze and iron, and working with fragile material such as glass and porcelain. In 2010, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and the Annalee & Barnett Newman Foundation award. Today, she splits time between Santa Ana, CA and NYC. Turk received her MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art, Rinehart School of Sculpture in 1994, her BA from Scripps College, Claremont, CA in 1983. She has been represented by Hirschl & Adler, Modern since 2000, and continues to exhibit more experimental work in other venues.

Exhibiting artists include: Luke Achterberg, Manami Ishimura, Ray Katz, Ben Lock, John Medwedeff, Corrina Sephora Mensoff, Ayokunle Odeleye, Bret Price, and Kristen Tordella-Williams. For more information, visit www.midsouthsculpture.org.

Charles Peters: Action Paintings on the North Wall
Charles Peters will display paintings made with oil/enamel, charcoal, sand, and/or collage. Although Peters has taken many art classes, he is primarily self-taught. He uses books, online courses, documentaries, and other resources to study technique and art history. “I paint everything I see and every way it makes me feel,” he says, “There is no single subject in my work.”

Artist statement: “Artists are forced out of their own free will to paint.” – Willem De Kooning. My work, to me, is instinctual; I do it as an infant breathes. If I am not an artist in this life, I’m not anything. I’m unhappiness, I’m terror. I paint my chaos so that I may live one day in peace. I work hard to make a living out of my art, and I will thankfully go wherever this life takes me.

Bryan Wilkerson: Tales from the Kiln - Skulls, Goons, and Toons in the display case
A collection of handmade ceramics and original drawings by Bryan Wilkerson. Wilkerson is a Tennessee native and Professor of Art and Design at Roane State Community College. His creative practices are focused primarily on ceramics and public art but extend into design and drawing. His work explores humor, craft, irony, and play through common symbolic references. He is also the creator and director of the ArtMobile traveling gallery and pop up workshop space.

For more information, visit www.bryanwilkerson.com or www.instagram.com/bryanwilkerson.

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. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.

Published September 8, 2018