Sixty paintings from over 200 entries were selected for the exhibit by the juror, internationally known artist Cheng-Khee Chee, including 17 artists from the East Tennessee area. The show will be exhibited at the Emporium Center for Arts & Culture in downtown Knoxville from June 6 - July 25, 2008. The selected entries are original works in water-based media and completed during the past three years. An opening reception will take place as part of First Friday activities downtown on June 6 from 5:00 - 9:00 PM.

The exhibition juror, Cheng-Khee Chee, will present a free watercolor demonstration at the Emporium on Sunday, June 1, 2:00 - 3:00 PM. Cheng-Khee was born in 1934 in Fengting, China, and received a B.A. from Nanyang University in Singapore and a Masters in Library Sciences at the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis. In 1979, Cheng-Khee started teaching watercolor painting at the University of Minnesota, where he became Associate Professor of Art in 1988. He has been represented in numerous national juried exhibitions and captured over 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 11:00 – 11:30 AM; and the exhibition awards reception from 1:30 - 4:00 PM. These events are free to the public and will be held at the Emporium Center.

The reception on Friday, June 6, from 5:00-9:00 PM, is free and open to the public, and features complimentary hors d’oeuvres. The 2008 Tennessee Watercolor Society Biennial Exhibition is on exhibit June 6 - July 25 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Exhibit hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543, or visit www.knoxalliance.com.