Ambispection: the Art of Donald Keefe
Ambispection: The Art of Donald Keefe
This exhibit explores the double-minded quality of one who is reserving judgement and commitment for when, if ever, enough knowledge is gained to silence all doubt.
The Hardin Valley Project
The Hardin Valley Project
An Exhibit by Emily Greenquist
Photographs show the development of Hardin Valley from 2020 - 2023, exploring the emotional balancing act between the sadness of change and the need for development. We hope you’ll take an art break and view an exhibit of art by Emily Greenquist in our Willson Exhibit Room.
EXPOSURE
EXPOSURE features work by professional and amateur photographers in our area. See this exhibit in our Hallway Gallery.
Learn to Crochet
REGISTRATION CLOSED
This therapeutic crochet training class helps you learn a pleasurable skill with a lifelong opportunity for creative expression. Did you know that crocheting also has mental health benefits? Crochet is not just a skill, but as one comes to discover with time, a doorway to soul connections.
Auditions: Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Musical
AUDITIONS
Jeff Kinney’s popular “Wimpy Kid” takes center stage as his cartoon diary becomes a hilarious and heartfelt musical. Grab a hall pass and don’t be late for an adventure familiar to anyone who actually survived middle school.
Kids Arts Camp 2024
REGISTER BY MAY 20
Week one: June 3 – 7
Week two: June 10 – 14
AACA’s 27th annual arts camp for grades K-6 is for students who will have completed the grade in the 2023-24 school year. There are daily classes in art, music, drama, and dance. The beloved summer camp led by Kay Frank and Lisa Sharp is a great introduction to the arts in a week full of fun for newbies and practiced performers alike.
Jr. Musical Theatre Camp 2024
REGISTER BY JUNE 3
Camp Dates: June 17 – 28
AACA’s 3rd Jr Musical Theatre Camp is for grades K-6. Campers enjoy two weeks of theatre games and classes in acting, music, movement, and stage craft with directors Blake Chastain & Chrissy Baker. The camp ends with three performances on Friday, June 28 & Saturday, June 29.
Youth Theatre Camp 2024
REGISTER BY JUNE 24
Camp Dates: July 8 - 19, 2023
AACA’s annual Youth Theatre Camp for grades 6* - 12 is an area favorite. Campers enjoy two weeks of classes in acting, improvisation, stage combat, music, movement, and stage craft with directors Bob Borwick, Kelly Borwick, and Pam Thigpen. The camp ends with a performance of their original musical on Friday, July 19 at 7:00pm.
*Students who are 11 years old or older as of July 31 are eligible for camp.
Visual Arts Mini Camp K-5
GRADES K - 5
REGISTER BY JULY 8
CAMP DATES July 22 - 26
Dress for a mess and join AACA instructor Holly Doucette for five days of visual arts projects in a variety of mediums and styles. Grades K-2 meet at 9:00 AM, Grades 3-5 meet at noon. The camp ends with a collective exhibit on Friday during last 30 minutes of camp at The Arts Center.
Visual Arts Mini Camp 6-12
GRADES 6-12
REGISTER BY JULY 8
CAMP DATES July 29 - August 2
Dress for a mess and join us for five days of visual arts projects in a variety of mediums and styles. Grades 6-8 meet at 9:00 AM, Grades 9-12 meet at noon. The camp ends with a collective exhibit on Friday during last 30 minutes of camp at The Arts Center.
Theatre Bootcamp
REGISTER BY JULY 15
Camp Dates: July 29 - August 1
Registration deadline: July 15, 2024
Students grades 3 - 6 enjoy a one-week intensive of theatre classes to prepare for main stage auditions and show participation. The camp is directed by ACT veteran directors of children's and multi-generational shows, Michael Webb and Melonie Carideo.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Musical
TICKETS ON SALE JUNE 21
Jeff Kinney’s popular “Wimpy Kid” takes center stage as his cartoon diary becomes a hilarious and heartfelt musical. Grab a hall pass and don’t be late for an adventure familiar to anyone who actually survived middle school.
80s Prom
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Big hair and big ballads. Dress up and get down or come to hear the sounds of the 1980s – this evening has it all.
Songwriters in the Round Hosted by Kyshona
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Kyshona Armstrong is a music therapist turned singer-songwriter who uses her music to provide a voice to those who are silenced or unheard. This one night only concert is curated just for us by Kyshona to celebrate contemporary voices such as Crys Matthews, the up-and-coming singersongwriter hailed as the new Woody Guthrie, and Rissi Palmer, trailblazing performer of “Southern Soul.” This Black Box ON TOUR performance is in the Sue E. Trotter Theatre Black Box at The Arts Center.
Table Read: Collection of One-Act Plays by Tennessee Williams
RESCHEDULED!
Join us for a table read of a collection of one act plays by Tennessee Williams led by Jan Burleson.
We'll read some of Williams's most exuberant early including one-acts he later expanded to powerful full-length dramas: The Pretty Trap, a cheerful take on The "Glass Menagerie," and Interior: Panic, a precursor to "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Table Read: Collection of One-Act Plays by Tennessee Williams
POSTPONED
Due to inclement weather, tonight’s table read has been postponed. We will reschedule this event for a later date. Stay safe!
Table Read “9 to 5: the musical”
Join us for a no-pressure table read of the musical, “9 to 5: the musical,” led by Tyler Peaden. No experience necessary. You can read a part, or just listen and hang out.
Evening with the Stars 2024
SOLD OUT
This annual favorite is where tomorrow’s stars take the stage and ideas for House Blend Concert Series shows are born.
Table Read “Murder in the Studio”
Join us for a no-pressure table read of the collection of radio plays, “Murder in the Studio,” led by Dawn Queen-Huston. No experience necessary. You can read a part, or just listen and hang out.
Table Read “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
Join us for a no-pressure table read of the musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat,” led by Tyler Peaden. No experience necessary. You can read a part, or just listen and hang out.
FRIDAY: THEATRE
AACA instructor Jamey Wright leads theatre activities in the Peggy Dow Performance Center.
THURSDAY: SINGING
AACA instructor Jamey Wright leads singing activities in the Peggy Dow Performance Center.
WEDNESDAY: DANCE MOVEMENT
AACA instructor Olivia Stillwell of Armfield Dance Academy leads dance movement activities in the Peggy Dow Performance Center.
TUESDAY: MUSICAL THEATRE
AACA instructor Tyler Peaden leads musical theatre activities in the Peggy Dow Performance Center.
MONDAY: VISUAL ARTS
AACA instructor Emma Stratton leads visual arts activities in the Visual Arts Studio.
SPRING BREAK Artsplorations
REGISTER NOW
Make your Spring Break an Arts Break!
Join us for Artsplorations!
AUDITIONS: Evening with the Stars 2024
AUDITIONS
This annual favorite is where tomorrow’s stars take the stage and ideas for House Blend Concert Series shows are born.
2024 Arts Gala
RESERVE YOUR SEAT!
“Peace, Love, and Art” Arts Gala will bring us all together for a night of music from the season of love. The evening will begin at 6:30pm with the opening of the silent auction, cash bar, and hors d’oeuvres. Special music will set the mood during cocktail hour as guests peruse auction items donated by area artists, individuals, and businesses. Before the catered dinner, you can participate in the oral auction featuring special items like original artwork and one-of-a-kind experiences. Following dinner, the band get you to the dance floor.
Synthesize: Shape, Surface, and Saturation
SYNTHESIZE: SHAPE, SURFACE, & SATURATION
This collection of complex, abstract works by four artists (Jan Burleson Carl Gombert, Carrie Pendergrass, and Kelly Spell) is a celebration of color and shape. The various media—printmaking with unique process applications, quilting with modern design, oil painting with a relation to collage, and mixed media—combine in a spontaneous union of pattern and repetition that generates vibrant visual energy.
The Sound of Music
SOLD OUT
One of the most beloved musicals of all time! In Austria, 1938, an exuberant young governess brings music and joy back to a broken family, only to face danger and intrigue as the Nazis gain power.
Auditions: Biloxi Blues
AUDITIONS
Eugene Jerome is a young army recruit during WW II, going through basic training and learning about Life and Love with a capital 'L' along with some harsher lessons, while stationed at boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1943.
Hot Comb, Honey?
SOLD OUT
“Hot Comb, Honey?” explores and celebrates the relationship between Black women and their hair. Following a set of live music by The Hardaway Sisters, "Hot Comb, Honey?" takes participants on an emotional, empowering journey from the middle passage to the present day.
Inspired Action
Inspired Action
An Exhibit by by Sandra Paynter Washburn is in the Peggy Dow Performance Center. Come meet the artist at our opening reception on February 16.
‘64 — ‘71: The Music of a Changing World, Set 2
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You wanted more and we heard you! Celebrate the music of a period that shaped generations of music featuring vocalists and our house band, September Song.
Table Read “The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window”
Join us for a no-pressure table read of the play, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window,” led by Claire Brown. No experience necessary. You can read a part, or just listen and hang out.
OPEN EXHIBITION
Open Exhibition
See work by artists of all ages in McMinn and surrounding counties!
Table Read “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol”
Join us for a no-pressure table read of the play, “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol,” led by Bob Borwick. No experience necessary. You can read a part, or just listen and hang out.
Table Read “Little Women”
Join us for a no-pressure table read of the play, “Little Women,” led by Colby Pilkey. No experience necessary. You can read a part, or just listen and hang out.
A Jazzy Little Christmas
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A perennial favorite back in the Black Box for the first time since 2019, “Jazzy” helps us ring in the Holiday season with sacred choral music and secular songs performed by small groups and soloists.
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concert
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
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The beloved visit from Knoxville Symphony is back by popular demand. This program features Classical selections and popular seasonal tunes. This Black Box ON TOUR performance is in the Auditorium at Athens City Middle School.
Interest Meeting: “Hot Comb, Honey?”
INTEREST MEETING
We’re seeking 15 or more Black women and girls, ages 8 to adult to be a part of a conversation about Black hair. There’s no stage or performing experience needed—and no memorization! This will be an easy introduction to creative storytelling.