KingsportARTS, along with Urban Synergy, is organizing Project Storefront: Downtown Kingsport. The purpose is to bring life, color and art to empty storefronts in our downtown area and to attract future tenants to the spaces. We are now accepting applications from arts organizations and artists who want to display and/or advertise their work in these locations. These spaces are being offered in conjunction with Urban Synergy at no charge on a temporary basis. Please complete the attached application and return to KingsportARTS. Storefront availability will be based on a first-come-first-serve basis, so get your application in soon! Please contact KingsportARTS (423) 392-8420 or email Cathie at ccfaust@gmail.com or Tina at KingsportARTS@gmail.com if you have any questions. ‚  Storefront Application ‚  Great News! We now have a Storefront on the corner of Center and Broad Streets. More art is needed for this location. The displays at 223 and 215 A & B Commerce Street are turning over the first week of April. Get your application in now to be considered for these locations. Please share this information with anyone and everyone you think may be interested. KingsportARTS 1200 East Center Street Kingsport, Tennessee 37660 423.392.8420 Cathie Faust, Executive Director, ccfaust@gmail.com Tina Radtke, Arts Education Director, kingsportarts@gmail.com

Carousel Fine Craft Show & Brass Ring Gala Reception

March 22, 23, 24, 2013

There will NOT be a ribbon cutting ceremony today (March 22, 2013).‚ The decision was made to wait for that until the carousel building starts. We will keep you updated.

The City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts is pleased to announce the Carousel Fine Craft Show and Brass Ring Gala Reception.‚ In celebration of the amazing community project known as the Kingsport Carousel Project we present Kingsports new premier juried, high quality, fine arts and crafts show. This juried show will feature fine artists, artisans, craftspeople and photographers. The show has been juried by Kingsport Artisan Walt Turpening and will take place at the Kingsport Farmers Market at the corner of Center Street & Clinchfield Street in Kingsport, Tennessee. The show will feature only original hand-made works of fine craft/art. NO commercial items for resale, kits, imported or consigned goods will be accepted.‚ Many show booths will have live demonstrations of their craft.

Carousel animal carvings and rounding board paintings (some still in progress) will be prominently displayed.‚ The public is encouraged to visit the show to see the progress of the Carousel Project and to interact with the carvers, painters and other volunteers as they perform live demonstrations, as well as taking part in the Fine Craft Show.

The future site of the Kingsport Carousel will be in the vicinity of the Kingsport Farmers Market. Special opportunities to sponsor animals and paintings will be made available to the public.

The show will be opened up with the Brass Ring Gala Reception on Friday March 22 from 6-9 pm sponsored by Engage Kingsport.‚ This will be a special fundraiser for the Carousel Project.‚ This reception will be a true celebration with all the carousel animal carvings and paintings together under one roof along with all our incredible carvers, painters and other volunteers on hand to interact with. The gala will feature‚ My New Favorites, a local Tri-Cities band. My New Favorites is the union of four musicians that play a fusion of old time, bluegrass, rock, gospel, jazz and classical.

This will be a festive time with music, bard, drinks and a cash bar with wine and beer as well as exclusive access to the Carousel Fine Craft Show, Kingsports premier juried show, featuring some of the best regional artisans and their hand-made works of fine craft and art.‚ All Gala attendees will get a 2 day pass to the show.

Please join us as we celebrate the Kingsport Carousel Project and launch it to the next level.‚ This project would never have taken place without the support of the people of Kingsport and the region.‚ We encourage you to pass this information on to your family and friends.

Dates/Times: March 22-24, 2013

Gala Event: Friday March 22‚ 6 pm-9 pm

Show hours: Saturday‚ March 23 – 10 am – 5 pm

Sunday March 24 ‚ 10 am – 5 pm

Tickets available now at www.EngageKingsport.com or use this QR code:

• Gala Event is $35.00

Includes entry pass to show for all days. Gala Event will include bard /drinks & beer/wine for sale, with exclusive access to the Fine Craft Show as well as Carousel Project volunteers along with the carousel ‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ animals, paintings & carving demonstrations.

• Tickets to Fine Craft Show are
$5.00 for 1 day
$7.00 for 2 day pass

Featured Carousel Fine Craft Show artists:

The Carousel Project:

It started as one man’s dream to have a carousel for the Kingsport community. He talked a few fellow Kiwanis members into investigating the idea and the Four Horsemen took charge. Now Kingsport has a carousel carving studio at the Lynn View Community Center where the carvers can be found working on their animals.‚ It is open to the public M-F from 10 am ‚¬ 5 pm. Volunteer painters are also hard at work painting the hand-carved animals. Another set of volunteer painters are painting Kingsport scenes on Rounding Boards for the Carousel.

Mechanics, merchants, fund raisers and enthusiasts are urged to get involved in this legacy project for Kingsport. The work continues until the 1956 vintage Herschel frame is in its own round house connected to the Farmers’ Market and all animals have a place on the carousel with children of all ages riding. Completion date is set for spring 2014 so there is a lot of work to be done and a great way to get to know great people!

About the City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts & Engage Kingsport:

The City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts, part of the City of Kingsport, connects, coordinates and engages the public with a creative community.‚ It operates a public art program, concert and theatrical events, the Carousel Project and a broad range of support to the areas arts organizations.‚ They work in tandem with Engage Kingsport, a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization, in order to facilitate their goals.

The Carousel Projects dream of having a hand-carved menagerie style carousel is getting closer all the time.‚ Built by a group of nearly 100 volunteers, the Carousel will become a treasure for families of the region for many years to come.

In addition to the Carousel Project, Engage Kingsports goals are to collaborate with a variety of arts organizations as well as non-arts organizations, with the aim of increasing opportunities and outlets for artists of all types. As Kingsport becomes a destination for artists, new markets emerge for the creations of these artists.

Become a financial supporter of the Carousel Project‚¬ supporters at all levels are needed to make the project a success. Tax-deductible donations should be made payable to Engage Kingsport, 1200 E. Center St. Kingsport, TN 37660. Engage Kingsport is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization.

Donations can be made through PayPal on www.EngageKingsport.com

Donations of any amount welcomed.

As Tennessee continues to make strides in transportation efficiency, state leaders are evaluating and implementing long term solutions that include propane, natural gas, biofuels and electric vehicles (EV).

The Tennessee Alternative Fuel Vehicle Roadshow, is a series of free educational events, being held March 12-26th in Kingsport, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis and Nashville.

Tennessee Department of Transportations Policy Manager for the Long Range Planning Division, Alan Jones, will speak on the efforts the state is making towards the implementation of clean, domestic and affordable alternative fuels.

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservations Director of the Office of Energy Programs, Molly Cripps, will also speak at the Kingsport and Nashville events.

The Alternative Fueled Vehicle Roadshow is a first for Tennessee, with vehicle displays ranging from small electric vehicles, to large trucks powered by a variety of alternative fuels.

It will include a 2-hour seminar, featuring a panel of experts speaking on vehicles powered by electricity, propane, biofuels, and compressed natural gas. The discussion will focus on fueling infrastructure, public safety and the economic viability of each fuel type. They will also demonstrate how businesses and government can transition to these price-stable, lower maintenance fleet options.

The program will be directed by Jonathan Overly, Director of the East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition in Kingsport, Knoxville and Chattanooga.

Atha Comiskey, with Middle Tennessee Clean Fuels will host the event in Nashville, and Paul Rice of West Tennessee Clean Fuels will  moderate Memphis.

Tennessee Tour Stops:

Tuesday, March 12th 1p–4p – Kingsport-Tennessee Environmental Conference- Meadowview Conference Center

Wednesday, March 13th 20th 9a-12n –Knoxville- Smokies Stadium

Thursday, March 14th 9a–12n – Chattanooga – DoubleTree by Hilton-

Monday, March 25 9a–12n– Memphis – Agricenter

Wednesday, March 26, 9a–12n– Nashville Ed Jones Auditorium- Ellington Agricultural Center

Highlights of the Tennessee Tour include presentations by EFACEC-DC Fast Charging for Electric Vehicles, Nissan of North America, Roush Clean Tech and Alliance Auto Gas for propane.

Natural Gas will be represented by Westport, MLGW, Gibson County Utility District and Chattanooga Gas.

Warren Nevad, Executive Director of the Tennessee Renewable Energy & Economic Development Council (TREEDC) will speak on biofuels.

Tour Director, Joy Kramer adds, We import the dirty fuels, and export the clean ones. Our events are designed to reverse that equation, with education and hard numbers to make the business case.

Events are free and open to the public, but registration is required. For more information, visit www.afvroadshow.com or call 678-810-0929.

KINGSPORT, Tenn. ‚¬ Kingsport City Schools will host a City-Wide Choral Concert on Tuesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. located in the Ross N. Robinson Middle School auditorium, 1517 Jessee Street, Kingsport.

The concert will showcase the talents of fifth grade students from each of Kingsports eight elementary schools. In addition, all 6th grade choral students from Robinson and John Sevier Middle School will participate, totaling approximately 250 students.

This year songs will be multicultural from various parts of the world including: Music Brings Us Together; Kookaburra; La Bamba; Hine Mah Tov; Arirang; Ah Shloaha D’Varim; Cantare, Cantaras; Bon Se Aba; Tama Tu; Get America Singing; and Peace Round.

This event is free and open to the public.

Rehearsal is at Robinson from 8 to 11 a.m. the same day.

For more information, contact Debbie Johnson at d_johnson@k12k.com or call (423) 378.2270.

Kingsport‚ City Schools is a public school system located in Kingsport, Tenn., serving students in Sullivan and Hawkins county. The district is comprised of 13 schools, including a Pre-K, eight elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school and an alternative school; with total enrollment reaching 6,500 students. The vision of Kingsport City Schools is to be, Student Focused ‚¬¦ World Class.

For more information on Kingsport City Schools (KCS), visit k12k.com, listen live on, WCSK 90.3 FM, The Voice of KCS, watch KCS Today on Charter Channel 16 at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. or call (423) 378.2100.‚ Were social too; follow us on Facebook, Kingsport City Schools and on Twitter, @KptSchools.