The Arts & Culture Alliance of Knoxville is presenting the 2008 Tennessee Watercolor Society (TnWs) Biennial Exhibition. This is the 31st statewide juried exhibition showcasing representational and experimental paintings in watermedia by some of the most prominent artists from across the state. 

Internationally known artist Cheng-Khee Chee chose 60 paintings for the exhibit from more than 200 entries, including 17 artists from the eastern Tennessee area. The selected entries are original works in water-based media and were completed in the past three years.

The show will be exhibited at the Emporium Center for Arts & Culture in downtown Knoxville from June 6 through July 25. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities in downtown on June 6 from 5 to 9 p.m.

Knoxville-area artists represented in the exhibit include Barbara Carter, B.J. Clark, Connie Cliff, Tom Eckert, Francie Entz, Genie Even, Russell Fox, Dot Galloway, Fran Henley, Harriet Howell, Brenda Mills, Mary Secrist, Laurie Szilvagyi, Mary Ann Valvoda, Le Voss, Kay Yazdi, and Nelson Ziegler.  The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of nationally-known University of Tennessee art professor Carl Sublett, who died earlier this year.

The exhibition juror, Cheng-Khee Chee, will present a free watercolor demonstration at the Emporium on Sunday, June 1, from 2 to 3 p.m.  Cheng-Khee was born in 1934 in Fengting, China, and received a Bachelor of Arts from Nanyang University in Singapore and a Masters in Library Sciences from the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis. 

In 1979, Cheng-Khee began teaching watercolor painting at the University of Minnesota, where he became an Associate Professor of Art in 1988.  He has been represented in numerous national juried exhibitions and captured more than 140 honors including the American Watercolor Society Silver Medal, Allied Artists of America Gold Medal and Knickerbocker Artists USA Grand Award Gold Medal and purchase Prize for Excellence.

On Saturday, June 7, there will be a TnWS meeting at 10:30am; a demonstration of new acrylic paints by Jerry’s Artarama from 11 to 11:30 a.m.; and the exhibition awards reception from 1:30 - 4 p.m. These events are free to the public and will be held at the Emporium Center.

 Exhibit hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit www.knoxalliance.com.