Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at The Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from October 1-31, 2021. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, October 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features an outdoor concert by Knoxville Opera musicians. All visitors to the Emporium are required to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

This project was born out of a desire for change. I am a planner, I over-design and overthink everything, stressing the details. I have so many full sketchbooks, but all too frequently get overly critical in my head and am paralyzed into inaction. The designs are left on paper, rather than translated into wood. I decided to break that cycle, to push myself out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to make 50 bud vases in 50 days, each beginning as a 6” x 6” x 2” block of ash. There is a certain creativity that only arrives while engaged in the act of making, and that’s what this project taps into. The bud vase was a natural fit as the focus of the project, as the plants chosen to fill each are brought in only as a temporary attraction, never lasting perfection. Each day in the challenge required releasing the previous day’s idea and beginning anew again, similar to the daily routine of finding new plants with which to decorate.

Douglas Molinas Lawrence grew up on a farm in rural Virginia where his love of nature and art first developed. In university, he studied both Architectural Design and Environmental Sciences, pursuing a deeper understanding of where and how humankind intersects with the wider natural world. This interest has taken him to lead sustainable agroforestry projects in South America, as well as design and craft fine furniture and sculpture in Tennessee. Douglas’ work can be found in private collections across the United States and abroad, as well as in the permanent collection of the Tennessee State Museum.

www.douglasmolinaslawrence.com
Instagram @douglasmolinaslawrence
www.facebook.com/douglawrencewoodworking

The exhibitions are on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (closed Saturday, October 30 and open Sunday, October 31, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM). For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.