The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from November 2-30, 2018. A reception will take place on Friday, November 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM as part of First Friday activities downtown to which the public is invited to meet the artists and view the artwork. Several dancers from Pasion Flamenca will perform from 6:30-7:00 PM in the gallery. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

Eric Buechel: The Familiar in the Main gallery
Eric Buechel was born and raised in New Jersey. His artistic abilities emerged early in life, and he was fortunate to learn many of his skills from his father, Ernest J. Buechel, Sr., who was a talented artist himself as well as a master ship-modeler. Buechel spent much of his youth absorbed in studying the great masters, often taking trains into New York City as a youth to spend hours in the museums. After high school, he attended the DuCret School of Art in Plainfield, New Jersey. He had the opportunity to study with Dr. Furman J. Finck, an official presidential portrait painter, author, and Dean of DuCret at that time. He learned much of his incredible detail from Dr. Finck. Buechel later transferred to Broward College in South Florida where he earned his degree in fine art. He soon went to work in Manhattan and began his career as an illustrator and later as an art director.

 

Artist Statement: My work focuses on sharing my vision of beauty found in the familiar and ordinary. A walk in nature, an outing to a local café, the face of a loved one: these are the things that bring me joy. Capturing those memories on canvas and sharing those memories brings me even greater joy. Memories are filtered through an emotional lens which can be seen through the differing styles of my work which lends a different feel to each piece. The goal of my art is to share these reflections and memories through a vision on canvas and bring the viewer to a place within their own memories of joy and happiness. After all, our lives are filled with ordinary events which we all have in common. Art should be beautiful; I unapologetically strive to share beauty.

 

To learn more about Eric Buechel, please visit www.ericbuechel.net/emporium.

 
The Arrowmont Experience in the Balcony
The Arrowmont Experience, in its third year at the Emporium, will feature work by Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts’ current Artists-in-Residence: Sasha Baskin, Alyssa Coffin, Everett Hoffman, Stephanie M. Wilhelm, and Kari Woolsey. The Artists-in-Residence Program provides early career, self-directed artists time, space and support to experiment and develop a new body of work in a creative community environment. Each year, five artists of different media are selected for the eleven-month program, which begins mid-June and continues through late May of the following year. Arrowmont’s artists-in-residence will showcase works made using a range of media. The current Artists-in-Residence include:

  • Sasha Baskin, who is focused on the integration of analog and digital weaving processes, including ikat, natural dye processes, hand-controlled damask, hand-manipulated glitch, and computerized weaving; from Ridgefield, CT: www.sashabaskin.com
  • Alyssa Coffin, interdisciplinary artist from Providence, RI: www.alyssacoffinart.com
  • Everett Hoffman, whose current work examines everyday material debris reconstructed within the complex narratives of identity, gender, and sexual desire; from Southwest Idaho: www.everetthoffman.net
  • Stephanie M. Wilhelm, pottery and ceramics; from Manchester, MD: www.stephaniemwilhelm.com
  • Kari Woolsey, functional pottery and ceramics; from Boca Raton, FL: www.kariwoolsey.com

 

To learn more about Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, please visit www.arrowmont.org.

 

Broadway Studios & Gallery: Shape, Shoot, Symbolize and Sketch in the Atrium
This exhibition features an array of work by the Artists in Residence at Broadway Studios and Gallery (BSG): Sheila Chesanow, Anne Freels, Jessica Gregory, Paula Johnson, Kathleen Kinney, Mariclair Tan, and Cynthia Tipton. BSG is located 1127 N. Broadway in North Knoxville and is a co-op of ten artists working in studios under one roof. They hold monthly exhibitions, operate a retail store, and offer private lessons. The Artists in Residence include:

  • Sheila Chesanow, artistic photography
  • Anne Freels, cornhusk dolls and natural materials
  • Jessica Gregory, acrylic, oil, and watermedia paintings
  • Paula Johnson: stained glass and pysanky (Ukrainian eggs)
  • Kathleen Kinney: fiber art
  • Mariclair Tan: sculpture and religious art
  • Cynthia Tipton: oil paintings

 

To learn more about the artists, please visit https://www.broadwaystudiosandgallery.com/artists

 
Mene Manresa (Desiderio Manresa Bodipo): CONNECTION on the North Wall
Desiderio Manresa Bodipo, artistically known as Mene Manresa, was born on the island of Annobon (Equatorial Guinea). From an early age, he studied drawing, painting and ceramics at the Hispanic-Guinean Cultural Center in Malabo. He became part of the Monte Alen project where he was able to expand his skills as an artist along with professional artists from Spain.

 

Mene Manresa has participated in several artistic competitions in Equatorial Guinea and has won several awards. He expanded his knowledge in graphic design, sculpture, animation, and in entertainment (circus), however he is most recognized for his paintings. In 2011 he did a cultural exchange tour in the U.S. funded by the NGO EG Justice. During the tour, his paintings were shown in several universities and at Highlander Research & Education Center. Manresa is inspired by everyday factors of his environment, and he interposes them in an abstract and modern-realistic world. His work is unique with vivid colors that impact viewers at first sight and help them navigate his world of imaginary composition. For this exhibition, he is presenting new paintings with hopes that viewers can connect with him in his world of modern creativity.

 

To learn more, follow him on Instagram at www.instagram.com/menemanresa.



Kacey Noel Chumley: Hello Kacey in the display case
This exhibition features acrylic paintings containing macabre and adorable elements. Kacey Chumley is a writer, Illustrator, and blogger from Tazewell, Tennessee. This is her first solo exhibition.

To learn more, please visit www.xoxartdesigns.com or www.facebook.com/KaceyChumleyyy.

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. Please note, the Emporium will be closed Thursday-Friday, November 22-23, for the holiday. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit the Web site at www.knoxalliance.com.