Beauford Delaney paintings travel abroad in measure of Knoxville art museum's reach | Ashe

The Knoxville Museum of Art is sharing several of its Beauford Delaney and Bessie Harvey artworks with several American, European and Asian museums, which is a tribute to the merit of these important works. They include museums in Andover, Massachusetts, and New York, as well as in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Barcelona, Spain; and Brussels. Our KMA has strong ties in the U.S. and Europe.

Democrat Jane George kicks off her campaign for Congress against Tim Burchett from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 17 at Bistro at the Bijou on Gay Street.

Burchett could have a credible Republican opponent in the August primary, though no one has stepped forward. He continues to make outrageous statements, the latest being on certain members of Congress (unnamed) being entrapped in sexual misdeeds. There is no evidence to validate Burchett’s claims.

The general election is Nov. 5.

The oldest and youngest candidates in this year’s Knox County Commission races are facing off for the District 4 seat now held by Kyle Ward, who is retiring after one term. The district covers part of West Knoxville and West Knox County.

Garrett Holt, 30, and Elizabeth Tombras, 83, have birthdays a day apart – Holt’s Dec. 18, 1993, and Tombras’ Dec. 17, 1940.

Holt lives outside the city and Tombras lives in West Hills. Holt ran unsuccessfully against Gwen McKenzie for Knoxville City Council in 2022.

District 4 is one-ninth of Knox County and has a very active and informed voter base. Before Ward, the district was ably and effectively represented by Hugh Nystrom. He, too, retired after one term.

The law outlawing at-large runoffs for the six district council seats in Knoxville became effective Jan. 1. It does not become the rule for city elections until 2025, when five district council seats are up for election. All five incumbents are term-limited and must retire. They are former vice mayors Gwen McKenzie and Andrew Roberto; Seema Singh; Beer Board chair Lauren Rider and current Vice Mayor Tommy Smith.

Two or more of these five members may consider a run for mayor in 2027 when Indya Kincannon’s second term expires and she, too, is term limited.

The city has not decided yet whether to challenge the law. I do not see it having a major impact on city elections but think the legislature should not have overturned provisions of the city charter, which voters adopted.

This law was sponsored by District 18 Rep. Elaine Davis, who is seeking her second term in the legislature. She once lost to Gloria Johnson in a different district. Davis does not live in the city and is not personally affected by the current charter. Democrat Bryan Goldberg is set to oppose her.

Some observers say the real motive in adopting this law is to make it easier for a Republican to be elected to the Knoxville City Council. A candidate would have to run in only one-sixth of the city and not citywide, which would be less expensive.

Regardless, there will be five new members of the City Council in two years.

The recent $148 million judgment by a jury against former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will likely never be paid because Giuliani simply does not have that much money. Giuliani has filed for bankruptcy, and the amount is likely to be reduced substantially on appeal.

This is not to say the two Georgia election workers defamed by Giuliani do not deserve compensation for their suffering, but it will not be what they were awarded.

Birthdays  

Jan. 11: Scott Rhea is 61. Sherri Garrett is 59. Marian Epps is 48. Eden Bishop is 57. City Pension Board director Kristianne Paczkowski is 55. Reinhold C. Mann is 71. KPD spokesman Scott Erland is 36. Meghan Conley is 41.

Jan. 12: Chris Barksdale is 43. Dr. Bill Sullivan is 83. Michael L. Earlywine is 53. Anna Corcoran is 44. Carol Montgomery is 75. Attorney John M. Neal is 70.

Jan. 13: Adrienne Simpson-Brown is 54. Dan Hurst is 62. Former Knox County Parks Director Doug Bataille is 66. Ernest S. Carr is 73.

Jan. 14: David Mink and William J. Ellis are 64. Retired police officer Bob Woodbridge is 66.

Jan. 15 (Martin Luther King Day): Former Democratic congressional nominee Renee Hoyos is 59. Ron H. Feinbaum is 59. Blake Gibson is 35. Chris Blue is 34. Terry Alexander is 68. Christine Griffin is 81. Lloyd Aldridge is 75.

Jan. 16: Leslie Testerman is 94. Eric Williams is 34. Retired and respected attorney Bob Marquis is 81. Attorney Jedidiah McKeehan is 42. Former county commissioner Robert Bratton is 61. Former Knox Youth Sports director Wayne Christensen is 78. John H. Dougherty Jr. is 80.

Jan. 17: Knox County school board member Mike McMillan is 74. Mason Leaf is 47. Madeline Griffey is 35. Sean Driscoll is 76. Butch Jones is 56. Armond G. Morris is 57. Thomas M. Vester is 69. Former first lady Michelle Obama is 60.

Victor Ashe is a former Knoxville mayor and former ambassador to Poland. He is a columnist for Shopper News. 

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville Museum of Art loans Delaney paintings to other museums