ArtXtravaganza Art Show & Sale, March 3-5, Spotlights Original Works by 65-Plus Artists
Whether you’re looking for that special piece for your home, the perfect gift or to simply explore the superb variety of fine art offered, be sure to check out this year’s ARTXTRAVAGANZA Art Show & Sale, Friday, March 3 through Sunday, March 5, at Webb School of Knoxville’s Lee Athletic Center. Free and open to the public, the event boasts nearly 70 juried artists from across the Southeast and beyond.
Now in its 21st year, ArtXtravaganza is a celebration of art and community, where guests can purchase fine art paintings, sculpture, jewelry, photography, and more – all at a variety of price points. The event features a wide range of artistic mediums, such as oil/acrylic, ceramic, watercolor, wood, glass, stone, and fiber. To keep the show exciting and fresh for both first-time and returning visitors, many of the artists are new to this year’s ArtXtravaganza and a sizable number are traveling to Knoxville from other cities.
Master portrait artist and landscape painter Jonathan Howe of Knoxville, Tennessee, is ArtXtravaganza’sfeatured artist for 2023. In addition, during a reception on Friday, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., local artist Jessica Dover Ramsey will create an original art piece to sell via silent auction that evening.
ArtXtravaganza will also include a student art exhibition, presenting pieces by Webb Lower, Middle and Upper School grades, as well as an “artist in action” booth, featuring Webb student artists. Select student art pieces will also be available for sale.
Reflecting Webb School’s tradition of fostering community by enhancing lives through art education and appreciation, proceeds from ArtXtravaganza help support Webb’s visual and performing arts, including the school’s hallmark Artist-In-Residence program, a four-to-six-week on-campus teaching and learning experience that includes nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. The program provides Webbstudents a glimpse into the real world of art by exposing them to professional artists, their work and their perspectives, and inspires students to explore their own creative abilities. This past fall, the school hosted mixed media artist Carrie Dickason of New Mexico, whose works are influenced by her observations of nature, combined with interests in the constructed environment and consumer society. She shared her knowledge and expertise with Webb’s elementary, middle and high school students during their art classes.
Emma Schmidt of Austin, Texas, recently took up residence as Webb’s spring visiting artist. Schmidt is a painter, mapmaker and illustrator whose art is inspired by the natural world.
Doors to ArtXtravaganza will be open from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, March 3. The art sale continues Saturday, March 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, March 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Twenty-five percent of each sale is tax-deductible. For more information, visit artxtravaganza.org.
