Calendar of Events

First Friday Reception: May 2nd, 5:30 - 9 pm
May Featured Artist

Kimberly Collins, Photography
Kimberly is a storyteller. Whether she’s weaving a tale of fiction or exploring the world through the camera lens, story is the ultimate goal. Kimberly’s photography covers many areas across the country, but her favorite subjects make their home in Appalachia
—wild horses in West Virginia, a stream in the Great Smoky Mountains, an ancient magnolia tree, or the delicate blooms on a dogwood. She hopes to share the magic and wonder of Appalachia through her photography. Kimberly is board member of the Art Market Gallery in Knoxville, Tennessee (2025). Kimberly is also a published author and her latest historical fiction series, Mingo Chronicles (Blood Creek and The Massacre), depicts the coal mine wars in West Virginia. Set in the early 1900s, this pivotal labor struggle includes one of the largest armed insurrections in the history of the United States. Kimberly is a writer, a photographer, a dreamer—creating worlds with the magic of words and images.

Art Market Gallery, 422 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Tu-Sa 11-6, Su 1-6. Information: 865-525-5265, www.artmarketgallery.net, www.Facebook.com/ArtMarketGallery

Join us for The REQUIEM Project, an ongoing COVID memorial by Bay Area artist Tina Rath, opening on First Friday, May 2nd, from 5:00 to 9:00 PM at the Arrowmont Gallery, with Rath present.

This installation represents the staggering global loss of the COVID-19 pandemic, with each of the more than 7 million lives lost symbolized by an individual golden circle. REQUIEM seeks to make this unimaginable number tangible. Every drawing includes handwritten names, honoring individuals and acknowledging their unique lives. Though the pandemic years may feel distant, the collective grief and trauma remain with us. The REQUIEM Project invites us to engage in a quiet, meditative process of healing through art. Throughout the exhibition, including opening night, visitors are invited to take part in “Compassion Drawing” sessions. Using gold watercolor, one can contribute their own circles to the project. Each circle—like a fingerprint—is distinct, reflecting personal touch. Multiple people work on the 50 x 72″ drawings, creating a rich tapestry of varied circles expressing the collective nature of The REQUIEM Project. Whether or not you personally lost someone to COVID-19, “Compassion Drawing” sessions are open to everyone, no art experience is needed. Children age 10+ are also welcome, and all materials with simple instructions will be provided. You may also write the name of a loved one who died from COVID-19 on a circle. Their name will be added to a growing global database of those lost, compiled by the artist.

If you’re unable to attend in person but would still like to honor someone, you can email their name(s) to tina@tinarath.com. Tina will personally include them in the artwork and send you an image and the drawing number they appear on.

For more information on this exhibition and others, please visit our site at https://arrowmont.org/galleries/
110 S Gay St. Knoxville, Tennessee 37902 | (865) 436-7511

Friday, May 2 from 6-8 Awaken Coffee will host an opening reception for the art trio “The Three Dames" consisting of Marcia Shelly, Cheryl Massey, and Linda Blair

Marcia has exhibited extensively across the lower 48. She typically paints with acrylics and often likes LARGE.

Cheryl describes her creative process as starting with a lingering spark of inspiration—an image that evolves until it is fully expressed through color on canvas.

Linda begin with mere colorful spots then evolve naturally, and while the blends are often a surprise, the surprise is a special aspect of the total pleasure.

Please join us for some amazing art and of course great coffee!

Awaken Coffee, 125 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Open daily. Information: 865-951-0427, www.instagram.com/awaken_coffee or www.facebook.com/awakencoffeeoldcity/

The 2025 Epiphone Student Guitar Design Exhibition & Auction includes 20 guitars designed and painted by youth artists from across East Tennessee.

Dogwood Arts Gallery, 123 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902

The 2025 Epiphone Student Guitar Design Exhibition & Auction includes 20 guitars designed and painted by youth artists from across East Tennessee. The exhibition will be on display in the Dogwood Gallery during the month of May and at Southern Skies Music Festival on May 10th. The guitars will be auctioned online to benefit youth art programs at Dogwood Arts.

Participating schools: Bearden High School, Concord Christian School, Farragut High School, Gibbs High School, Home School, Jefferson Middle School, Karns High School, L&N STEM Academy, Maryville High School, and West Valley Middle School.

First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, May 2nd from 5-8PM
Gallery Hours: M-F 10AM-5PM
123 W. Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
https://www.dogwoodarts.com/event-details/epiphone-student-guitar-design-exhibition

"I present a curated collection of self-portraits created over my 30-year artistic career. These works chronicle my life from husband to father to widow. The work follows not just what I looked like, but my seasons of life and artistic influences. To quote Vincent Van Gogh: People say, and I’m quite willing to believe it, that it is difficult to know oneself, but it’s not easy to paint oneself either. Other than high school art classes and a scholarship to Governors School for the Arts, I am largely self-taught. I paint in acrylic, using an airbrush and more recently a paintbrush as I have come to value brush strokes. I count among my artistic influences: Salvador Dali, Chuck Close, Van Gogh, and M.C. Escher."

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, May 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM. A free gathering with the exhibiting artists will also feature live music by Robinella and friends. At the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday (May 3 & 10), 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and additional hours TBA. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, May 24, for the holiday. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Born and raised in East Knoxville, Sheryl Sallie holds a bachelor’s in education from Knoxville College and a master’s in educational psychology from the University of Tennessee. She taught in the Knoxville City School System and the Knox County School System for 35 years. After retirement, she wanted to try something new, and after several tries at different art forms, she chose mixed media because it became a natural fit. Sallie is also a poet, honored in several poetry contests including winning first place in the Tennessee Writers Alliance Poetry Competition in which Nikki Giovanni served as final judge. Her artwork has exhibited at the Fountain City Art Center, the Oak Ridge Art Center and the Emporium. She lives in Karns with her husband, Reginald.

I picked this collection to highlight some of my favorite pieces as well as introduce new pieces. Mixed media is ideal because it allows me to express myself by using everyday objects in extraordinary ways. I use layers of collage, paint, image transfers, and found objects to create texture and substance in my art. Currently I am adding works to a group of paintings depicting Goddesses: strong, beautiful women, as I see them. Goddesses exist everywhere women gather. I hope the viewers will see something that brings joy and will touch something deep within.

Instagram @sheryl_j_sallie

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, May 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM. A free gathering with the exhibiting artists will also feature live music by Robinella and friends. At the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday (May 3 & 10), 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and additional hours TBA. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, May 24, for the holiday. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Whispers from the Root and River explores the quiet space where nature and spirit meet. Through abstract landscapes and felted, mixed media figures made of wool, branches, and cloth inscribed with blessings, Laura McRae Hitchcock evokes the presence of the wild feminine and the sacred voice of the land. Her process is slow and meditative—felting wool with barbed needles until it becomes form, or painting layer upon layer—mirroring the journey back to self and ancestral memory. This collection is an invitation to remember that we, too, are part of the mystery that lives in root and river, body and breath.

Laura McRae Hitchcock is a painter and mixed media artist whose work is rooted in memory, nature, and the unseen forces that shape our inner landscapes. She holds a degree in art from Agnes Scott College. Hitchcock is the co-founder of Wild Hair Adventures Art Retreats, and her art has been exhibited in solo and juried shows nationwide and in Europe. She is a member of the National Association of Women Artists and its South Carolina chapter. Recently, she moved from the Lowcountry of South Carolina to the foothills of the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee where she finds great joy being surrounded by rolling mist, the hush of old trees, and the whispers of the mountains.

LauraMcRaeHitchcock.com | Instagram @lmcraehitchcock
wildhairartretreats.com | facebook.com/LauraMcRaeHitchcockFineArt

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, May 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM. A free gathering with the exhibiting artists will also feature live music by Robinella and friends. At the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday (May 3 & 10), 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and additional hours TBA. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, May 24, for the holiday. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Husband and wife duo, Brian Miller and Iliyana Skrobanska, present a new exhibition of photography and fiber art/mixed media.

Brian Miller’s journey started with trips to the Everglades and multi-week family vacations that ignited his wanderlust. He purchased his first camera, a Minolta SRT 201, as a teenager and used it to document travels including the Canadian Rockies and the Arizona desert. He earned a Master’s in Wildlife Ecology studying moose in the North Woods of New Hampshire. After working as an environmental consultant in southern Louisiana, he turned his urge to travel into a full-time photography business. For more than 25 years, he has used photography to capture the aesthetic beauty of this world that hopefully resonates with the viewer on an emotional level. Miller’s first book, Birds of the Gulf Coast, was published by Louisiana State University Press in 2001. His photographs have appeared in numerous magazines, calendars, and books including National Wildlife magazine, National Geographic Traveler, Natural History, Wildlife Conservation, BrownTrout, and Audubon. National Geographic noted him one of “our finest…photographers,” and he was a featured photographer in their 2000 book Heart of a Nation: Writers and Photographers Inspired by the American Landscape.

briankmiller.com

For many years, painting and creating art were Iliyana Skrobanska’s hobbies: a side activity to her main occupation as a fashion designer and business owner. Her favorite media has always been fiber art and painting with acrylic, and she gradually combined them into one. By stitching pieces of felt onto a painted canvas to create a 3-D effect, or by creating a surface from handmade felt and painting it with acrylic, she emphasizes texture and multidimensionality. Her artworks can look different from different angles, and abstract art is her chosen language because of its ability to trigger the imagination. Skrobanska loves traveling and hiking, drawing inspiration from natural beauty such as landscapes, sunsets, rock walls, and even flowers. She has lived in Knoxville since 2018 and is a full-time, award-winning artist, busy with many art festivals.

iliyana.art | Instagram @iliyanaskrobanska

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, May 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM. A free gathering with the exhibiting artists will also feature live music by Robinella and friends. At the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday (May 3 & 10), 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and additional hours TBA. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, May 24, for the holiday. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

This new exhibition features a curated collection of quilts from members of Knoxville Modern Quilt Guild and showcases modern elements such as bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work. The collection of small quilts exhibited as a group stems from a challenge in which members all received the same fabric bundle and a prompt to interpret modern quilting elements in a mini quilt.

This Knoxville branch of the Modern Quilt Guild has a mission to support and encourage the growth and development of modern quilting through art, education, and community. The Knoxville Modern Quilt Guild is a nonprofit organization for residents in and around Knoxville who have an interest in modern design and quilting. Marking its 15th year of operation in 2025, the guild provides members with a community where modern quilters can meet, share ideas and create in an environment that encourages creativity and acceptance. The Knoxville Modern Quilt Guild meets monthly and welcomes new members.

Instagram @knoxmqg | knoxvilleMQG.com

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, May 2, from 5:00-9:00 PM. A free gathering with the exhibiting artists will also feature live music by Robinella and friends. At the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Saturday (May 3 & 10), 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM; and additional hours TBA. Please note, the Emporium will be closed on Monday, May 24, for the holiday. Most of the works on exhibition will be for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop at knoxalliance.store. For more information, please see knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

Gallery 1010, 100 S. Gay Street, Suite 114, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Reception Fri 5-9 PM, Sat 10 AM – 1 PM, or by appointment. Information: https://gallery1010.utk.edu/

Gallery 1010 is a contemporary art exhibition space located at 100 S. Gay Street in Suite 114 of the Emporium Center of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. As one of three University of Tennessee School of Art galleries, Gallery 1010 is the only fully student-run, non-profit, off-campus exhibition space in the state of Tennessee. The mission of Gallery 1010 is to provide space for the School of Art students of the University of Tennessee to experiment and develop new ideas while gaining educational gallery experience in professional standards and practices.

Shop the Old City Market! On West Jackson Avenue. The Old City Market transforms the historic Old City into a curated, outdoor market showcasing artists, crafters, and creative makers.

First Friday Markets: Apr 4 · May 2 · Aug 1 · Sep 5 · Oct 3 · Nov 7 · Dec 5, 5PM to 9PM

Sunday Markets: Apr 13 · May 18 · Rhinestone Fest June 7 · June 15 · July 20 · Aug 17 · Sep 21 · Oct 19 · Nov 16 · Small Business Saturday Nov 29, 11AM to 4PM

https://oldcityknoxville.org/market/

Friday, May 2, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Local artist Tianna Bush will be delighting the Birdhouse with her charcoal drawings on May’s First Friday! Tianna graduated from Austin East High School in May 2024. Her artwork captures beauty in people and nature.

The Birdhouse Neighborhood Center, 800 N 4th Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917. Information: https://www.fourthandgill.org/birdhouse-neighborhood-center