Wendel Werner wows in West Knox

Posted on February 24, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Jazz pianist Wendel Werner and his wife, Alison. He performed on Thursday at a delightful fundraiser for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.

Delicious food and drink, brilliant and celebratory music, and warm camaraderie on a Thursday night. What a great excuse to drop a few bucks in support of the Knoxville. Symphony League which, in turn, supports the Knoxville Symphony.

Noted local jazz pianist Wendel Werner was the headliner at a lovely private dinner in the Montgomery Cove neighborhood at the beautiful home of Lisha and Frank Venable this past Thursday. The event, attended by about 20 guests and a number of volunteers, was part of the popular “Elegant Dining” series of special dinners put together by the Symphony League. The League covers the hard costs of the events so that all proceeds go directly to the Knoxville Symphony.

The standout at dinner was the moistest and most flavorful beef tenderloin I’ve had in a long time — as well as mouthwatering grilled shrimp — both prepared by Frank Venable, a retired financial adviser who, we discovered, started his career as a bartender and cook at a number of famous old Knoxville restaurants. Most notable was the extremely popular Half Shell in Bearden, where Venable cooked and tended bar — before he was even 18 years old! (I think I can say that because the statute of limitations has long run out!) Continue reading →

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Scores of women — and 2 men — get stadium peek!

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Former Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero with Doug Kirchhofer, left, of Boyd Sports, and Stone Mosley of Denark Construction.

Members of the Executive Women’s Association, which consists of the top female business leaders in town, last week got a private tour of Covenant Health Park, the new multi-use stadium in downtown Knoxville that will be home to the Knoxville Smokies.

In addition to hosting the home games of the minor league baseball team, Covenant Health Park also will be home to the One Knoxville SC soccer team and the site of all kinds of concerts, gatherings and other activities. It is set to open mid-April.

About 50 women — and two brave fellows! — took a 45-minute tour of the facility led by Doug Kirchhofer, CEO of Boyd Sports, which owns the baseball team and will manage the facility, and Stone Mosley, assistant project manager of Denark Construction, the general contractor building the stadium.

“I got a little choked up, to tell you the truth,” said Phyllis Nichols, the recently retired long-time president and CEO of the Knoxville Area Urban League. “Randy Boyd had a vision that a lot of people could not see. And to stand on concrete and see that it’s become a reality, it’s awe-inspiring.” Continue reading →

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Evergreen Ball: Funds and fun for the Smoky Mountains!

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Jim and Missy Kane Bemiller during the silent auction at the Evergreen Ball.

The Evergreen Ball, which raises funds every year for the Friends of the Smokies organization, was another big success this year, selling out Cherokee Country Club’s ballroom and two overflow areas and raking in big bucks in its silent and live auctions.

And, it was a lot of fun in the process!

Although the term “ball” usually connotes dancing, the only actual rug-cutting happened at the “after party” with a phenomenal 10-piece band, “The Atlanta Party Fanatics,” taking the stage of a large tent in the parking lot. And, to keep the crowd from bailing to see the anticipated University of Tennessee vs. Auburn basketball game late that night, a huge screen was set up adjacent to the stage with the live television broadcast of the game. So, even though the results were disappointing for most in attendance — the score was 53-51 in favor of the Tigers — folks could distract themselves and maybe salve their wounds with terrific music and an open bar!

According to Friends of the Smokies, the silent bids totaled $127K and the live auction brought in more than $60K. On top of that, a special “Fund the Cause” segment, where folks who had already paid dearly to attend were asked to donate even more, pulled in an additional $40K. The final fundraising results will take ticket sales and expenses into account and will be released later.

In the meantime, let’s look at that party! Continue reading →

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Want to surprise a reluctant honoree? Try this!

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

What party? From left, front, Dan Hamilton, Dawn Ford, Robin Gibson; behind them, Jeannie Dulaney; coming in door, Diana Condon.

If you read this blog very often, you know that one of my best friends is Dawn Ford. And her husband is one of my husband’s best friends. We go back forever. We travel together. We are in clubs and organizations together. In short, I want to make her happy.

And she was quite clear about one thing recently. Although she had a birthday last month, she did NOT want a party. She ESPECIALLY did not want a surprise party. If she said it once, she said it a hundred times — not just to me, but to all her family and friends. I reluctantly agreed. She would not have to worry about me!

Her son (and only child), Christopher, agreed, too. At least he SAID he agreed.

But a few weeks before her birthday, he gave me a call. “We are going to have a party,” he said. “And I need your help with the guest list. Who’s in that movie club you all have? I need their contact info.”

“Oh, no!” I told him. “She will kill you. And if I help you, she will kill me, too!”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “It’s gonna happen. Send me that list.”

“If I do it and she gets mad, you have to take full responsibility,” I said. But I was really worried.

“It’s on me,” he assured me. “I have a plan.” Continue reading →

Filed under: Knoxville | 8 Comments

KSO’s 90th year: historic violin, nine world premieres

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Knoxville Symphony Board President Rick Fox, right, and his partner, Ralph Cianelli, show the violin his late great-aunt used to take lessons from the KSO’s founder in the early 1900s. The violin has been in the attic of Fox’s home, The Middlebrook, for 75 years.

As the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra prepares to celebrate its 90th anniversary this year, its board president, Rick Fox, has donated to the group a violin that his late great-aunt used to take lessons from the KSO’s founder, Bertha Walbern Clark.

And, although the 2025-2026 lineup of performances has not yet been unveiled, Music Director Aram Demirjian has announced an ambitious program called “Nine for Ninety,” whereby the season will include nine specially commissioned world premieres.

The nine new pieces will be spread out among four of the KSO’s various lineups: the Masterworks, Chamber, Q-Series, and Concertmaster series. Additionally, one commission will be for the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra.

The violin, which belonged to Faye Howard Ballew, was presented to Rachel Ford, the Symphony’s executive director, during the board and staff’s annual holiday party last month, which was held at Fox’s historic home, The Middlebrook.

“The KSO is excited to have this historic violin added to its collection,” Ford said. “Already possessing Bertha Walburn Clark’s viola and the batons she used to conduct the KSO, we now have an instrument that she was connected to via her teaching career which significantly impacted many students throughout Knoxville. Many thanks to Rick for his generosity and bringing this violin ‘home.'” Continue reading →

Filed under: Historic preservation, Knoxville, Music | 4 Comments

Popular “Artsclamation!” moving to downtown Knoxville

Posted on January 8, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Muffett Testerman Buckner displays a purchase at Artsclamation! fundraiser.

The latest Artsclamation! fundraiser benefiting Covenant Health‘s Peninsula mental health programs has come and gone. But there’s news for the next Artsclamation: It’s moving to downtown Knoxville!

After a two-decade run being held most often at Sacred Heart Cathedral‘s parish hall in Bearden, the December 2025 event is scheduled to be at The Standard, located at 416 W. Jackson Avenue.

Over the past 22 years, the juried art sale has raised more than $2 million toward Peninsula’s mission of helping thousands of East Tennesseans recover from disorders and dependencies. Peninsula is a 155-bed facility providing inpatient mental health services to adults, adolescents, and children. It also offers several outpatient mental health services, including Peninsula Lighthouse, which offers drug and alcohol recovery programs.

Tyler Janow, the volunteer chair of the event, said organizers are grateful for the church providing a home for Artsclamation! all these years, but the affair has outgrown the space. “Moving to The Standard will not only allow us to capitalize on the exciting holiday events downtown — like the Christmas parade, which will share the date with Artsclamation’s  private preview — but it will allow us to showcase more regional artists than ever before,” he said. Continue reading →

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If New Year’s Eve is any indication, 2025 will be great!

Posted on January 2, 2025 by Cynthia Moxley

Hancen Sale, left, kind of shows you the mood of the packed house at J.C. Holdway at midnight on Tuesday.

J.C. Holdway, Knoxville’s only restaurant owned by a James Beard Award-winning chef, is great on any day, of course. But Chef Joseph Lenn‘s eatery really excels when it comes to making special occasions even more special! And what’s more special than New Year’s Eve?

This past Tuesday, in honor of the holiday, J.C. Holdway offered a five-course gourmet dinner with optional wine pairings selected by Chef Lenn and sommelier Jason Drotar. The prix fixe menu ($215 per person) sold out long before doors opened for the last day of 2024. And folks came in a mood to party! Continue reading →

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Fete salutes innovation at Mercedes — and United Way

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Cynthia Moxley

Lee Ann Furrow Tolsma, president of Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville and Furrow Automotive Group, welcomes guests to the Tocqueville Society dinner that she and her husband, John, hosted at the dealership recently on behalf of United Way of Greater Knoxville.

What does Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville have in common with the United Way? Turns out to be a lot more than you might think. Both organizations, it seems, are using innovation to maximize their results.

The two concerns recently came together to celebrate that connection when Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville hosted the annual Tocqueville Society dinner honoring those who have most generously supported the United Way of Greater Knoxville. Lee Ann Furrow Tolsma, the president of Furrow Automotive Group and Mercedez-Benz of Knoxville is co-chair of this year’s United Way campaign along with her husband, John Tolsma.

Both greeted guests at the dinner and thanked them for their support of one of Knoxville’s premier non-profits. “When you give money to United Way, you are giving to an agency that uses technology to improve what they do,” John Tolsma said. “Sync up and step up!” Tolsma urged. Continue reading →

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21 years of cookies means happy holidays!

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Cynthia Moxley

Jennifer Holder at the cookie exchange last Sunday.

For 21 years, a group of friends — many of them original members — have been participating in a December cookie exchange. Every year we say the cookies are the best ones ever. But — I swear! — this year they really were!

The exchange, held at our condo in the J.C. Penney Building on Gay Street in downtown Knoxville, has found its groove. It’s efficient and fun. It’s a great gathering time, but it also doesn’t occupy the entire day in an extremely busy time of year.

We start at noon and mingle for an hour as folks bring in their platters of cookies and find a place for them on the dining room table. Lunch, normally a selection of salads, is served at 1 p.m. And then the cookies are swapped. The whole thing is over by 2:30. And everyone has cookies to serve at home or take to other holiday gatherings. A win on all fronts.

We recommend that everyone start this festive little tradition. Because, as my favorite cookbook author Ina Garten says, “You can be miserable before you have a cookie and you can be miserable after you have a cookie. But you can never be miserable while you are eating a cookie!” Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas from the 18th century!

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Cynthia Moxley

Blount Mansion long-time supporter Dorothy Stair with the historic home’s executive director, David Hearnes.

Two historic homes in downtown Knoxville held holiday open houses last night and it sure was fun — even from a 21st century perspective!

James White’s Fort, at 205 E. Hill Ave., and Blount Mansion, at 200 W. Hill Ave., welcomed guests with great food, libations, and an interesting mix of people and history.

James White’s Fort is called “the birthplace of Knoxville.”

Founded in 1786, the Fort is one of the most visited historical sites in Knoxville. It is a museum home highlighted by the original residence of James White, the founder of Knoxville.

Blount Mansion, just a block to the west, was built circa 1792. It was home to U.S. Constitution signer William Blount, who was appointed by President George Washington to govern the Southwest Territory, which Blount shepherded into admission to the union as America’s sixteenth state, Tennessee.

In addition to a family home, this wood frame dwelling also served as the territorial capital. Blount Mansion is Knoxville’s only National Historic Landmark and the city’s oldest operating museum, opening in 1926.

Let’s party! Continue reading →

Filed under: Events, Historic preservation, Knoxville | 4 Comments