They seem happy here! This is Anita Hollmann Matijcio and Steven Matijcio on the last stop of our downtown progressive dinner last Saturday. It was taken at The Overlook, where Gay and Bill Lyons live.
Most downtowners I know are art and culture lovers. We go to the Knoxville Symphony and Jazz Orchestra. We go to concerts at the Bijou and Tennessee Theatres. We go to plays at the Clarence Brown Theatre. We patronize all the excellent restaurants in town. And, we go to the Knoxville Museum of Art.
So, it was only natural for the group of us who regularly holds progressive dinners to invite the Museum’s new executive director, Steve Matijcio and his lovely wife, Anita Hollmann Matijcio, to the progressive dinner we held last weekend. They were nice enough to hire a babysitter for their 14-month-old daughter and they trekked from their home in Fountain City to downtown Knoxville to join us! We are so glad they did.
Steven has been on his job at the KMA for about eight months now and they’ve pretty much gotten settled in. Anita, who is an urban planner by profession, might soon be ready to go back to work. So we are so glad we got the opportunity to get to know them better and welcome them to their new hometown. They moved here from Houston, but Steven, who holds dual citizenship in Canada and the U.S. has lived in places as disparate as New York City, Cincinnati, Winston-Salem, Berlin, South Korea, and Poland.
I love this quote from Steven, which is in his bio on the KMA’s website: “I spent the formative years of my career in the Southeast,” says Matijcio, “and the values this region invests in community, people, and culture have continued to resonate. I’m excited to engage all of these cornerstones in Knoxville and build upon the inspiring ascent of the KMA in the state and country. The KMA has thought a great deal about what Appalachia means locally and nationally, and we will navigate what a ‘Global Appalachia’ means today, tomorrow, and well into the future.” Cheers!
Our first stop was at The Elliott, a condominium complex at the corner of Church Avenue and State Street, where Jacque and Cliff Hawks live. (Wouldn’t it be fun to say you live at the intersection of Church and State?) From left, hostess Jacque Hawks, Anita Hollmann Matijcio, and Gay Lyons.
Steven Matijcio, left, and Bill Lyons.
Our host on the first stop, Cliff Hawks, left, and Alan Carmichael.
Jacque put out a wonderful appetizer spread. Clockwise from top: spinach and feta rugelach (my favorite!), pears wrapped in prosciutto, arugula, and pomegranate seeds with balsamic and olive oil glaze, and boursin butter atop cucumber and radish coins. Yum-yum!
Loved the lilies!
We also loved visiting with Chopin!
After about 45 minutes, Alan and I high-tailed it out of there to beat the group to the next stop — our condo a few blocks away at the J.C. Penney Building on Gay Street.
I was glad I had followed the advice of my good friend, Madge Cleveland, who told me something I will never forget: “Dinner party 101: set the table the night before!”
Whenever I have a need for flowers, I am so grateful for the Market Square Farmers’ Market and the Sevier Blumen booth!
Our guests soon arrived for the entree course! Here’s Steven Matijcio and Jacque Hawks.
Anita Hollmann Matijcio and Gay Lyons.
Cliff Hawks, left, and Bill Lyons could only be discussing one of two things with that level of intensity — politics or sports!
Time to sit! Dinner was a little arugula, apple and walnut salad and boeuf bourguignon — Ina Garten’s recipe. (Thanks to Bill Fox at Ashe’s Wine & Spirits for helping me pick out the perfect red wine to put in the dish and a different one to serve with it!) The boeuf bourguignon is served over a thick slice of grilled country bread, which you cannot see in these pictures.
Cliff being a gentleman!
Then, it was off to our last stop: The Overlook at 600 W. Hill Avenue for dessert at Bill and Gay Lyons’ place. Here’s the obligatory photo of the view from one of their balconies.
Another good view: Gay bringing out Bourbon Bacon Cherry Crisp with cherry vanilla ice cream and Cheerwine chocolate crumbles! Wow!
In honor of the new Knoxvillians we were welcoming, Gay used her “Knoxville” plates!
Happy eaters!
But, there was more! After dinner drinks in cute little cocktail glasses. (I loved that Mozart chocolate liqueur, which I’d never had before.)
A nod to Halloween!
Alan couldn’t resist picking up Simba Marie. (I think she was less thrilled about it!)
Here’s the last thing we saw as we left!
So, there you have it. An official downtown welcome! If you’d like to read a good profile of our new KMA executive director written by my friend Megan Venable, click here.
It was such fun getting to know Steven & Anita better & officially welcoming them to Knoxville. We always enjoy spending time with our wonderful downtown progressive group. Time to plan the next one.
Gay, I need you to bring me some of that dessert the next time I see you 😉
What a nice welcome to Knoxville! You downtown folks are a classy bunch, and so sweet to do this for Steven and Anita. We want them to know they landed in the right place!
Gay: I agree! I think they are going to fit right in! And, yes, let’s plan more!
Maggie: I’m telling you, it was downright sinful!
David: Steven has big shoes to fill! But we really like him and do think he and Anita have landed in the right place.
I what a lovely welcome…they must feel loved already! Your art loving group needs to add Dogwood Arts First Fridays to your outings. Tonight we open a new pottery exhibit ‘Fragile’.
Thank you for doing this. I look forward to getting to know them better ❤️
Vicki: We will do that!
Jane: You are really going to like them!
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