Calendar of Events

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Bennett: Annual Ceramic Exhibition

  • April 4, 2025 — April 26, 2025

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Including work by Amy Elswick, Ryan J. Greenheck, Marga McBride, Terrafirma Ceramics, Liz Kinder, Ann Mallory, Michael Poness and Lori Katz

5308 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN 37919
Hours: Mon–Sat, 10am–5:30pm
865-584-6791 or www.bennetthome.com

Rala: Hello, Bridal Waltz & Other Musings

  • April 4, 2025 — April 26, 2025

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Join us for First Friday Artwalk on April 4th, 6-9 PM, as we celebrate Cynthia Markert’s new show

A longtime Knoxvillian, Cynthia studied Studio Arts at the University of Tennessee with a minor in Women's Studies. Her gilded, glowing, and brooding works often emerge from dreams, taking shape in layers of rich texture and light. Collectors in Tennessee and beyond have been drawn to the depth and mystery of her pieces, each one a luminous reflection of her unique artistic vision.

See Cynthia's work in person through April or anytime online at www.shoprala.com
112 W Jackson Avenue, Knoxville TN 37902

RED Gallery: Old Cityscapes - Paintings by Robert Felker

  • April 4, 2025 — April 25, 2025

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

First Friday, April 4, Opening 5-9pm
Open Gallery Fridays through April, 5-8pm

“If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.”-Edward Hopper

This body of work endeavors to honor the urban landscape, with a particular focus on Knoxville’s Old City. A variety of methods, artistic processes, and subjects are presented, but the aim is singular—to offer an exploration of this corner of downtown. I peeked around corners, stood in doorways, walked sidewalks (and railroad tracks), on a personal scavenger hunt. There is pleasure and surprise in the search; in the seeing, and what I found was new perspectives, tensions, contradictions... the reflection of a scruffy exterior and the pulse of a steady heartbeat within.

About RED Gallery
RED Gallery, at 130 E Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN, primarily features local and regional artists. The gallery is located in the historic Jackson Atelier building in Knoxville’s Old City. Gallery owner Robin Easter is proud to provide a unique space for Knoxville to experience and enjoy a broad range of visual arts. To learn more about RED Gallery, call 865-524-0146 or email robin@robineaster.com

For more information about the show contact: robertfelkerart@gmail.com

Union Ave Books: April Events

  • April 4, 2025 — April 25, 2025

Category: Free event, Lecture, panel, Literature, spoken word, writing and Meetup

First Fridays Poetry Night - This event will take place on April 4th at 6:00pm at the bookstore.

Rachel Coffman - This event will take place on April 12th from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the bookstore.

Heather White - This event will take place on April 15th at 6:00pm at the bookstore.

Bill Haltom - This event will take place on April 25th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the bookstore.

Our next book club will take place on the last Monday of the month at Knox Brew Hub starting at 6:30 pm.
Everyone is welcome.

These are free events. Please RSVP so we know to expect you!
Union Ave Books, 517 Union Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-951-2180, www.unionavebooks.com

TennGreen Land Conservancy: Hike-a-Thon

  • April 1, 2025 — April 30, 2025

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event, Health, wellness and Science, nature

It's fun, free, and easy! The Hike-a-Thon is free to register and you can participate from anywhere in the world. This month-long competition in April supports the protection of our lands and waters—where people and nature can thrive. https://campaigns.tenngreen.org/event/hike-a-thon2025/

TennGreen Land Conservancy empowers landowners and communities to protect large, connected natural areas that support diversity of life, inspire appreciation of nature, and spark action to protect the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the land that sustains us all. To learn more, visit tenngreen.org.

Dogwood Arts: Open Trails

Category: Festivals, special events, Free event and Science, nature

2025 Featured Dogwood Trails: Holston Hills & Morningside. The Dogwood Trails are open annually from April 1-30th, just in time to showcase the beauty of spring in East Tennessee! Knoxville’s iconic Dogwood Trails date back to 1955 and today cover more than 90 miles in 13 neighborhoods throughout the city. Take a drive, a walk, or a bike ride and enjoy the scenic natural beauty of our region.

No RSVP required. Please email vbaumgartner@dogwoodarts.com or call (865) 637-4561 with questions or concerns.

Dogwood Arts, 123 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-637-4561, www.dogwoodarts.com

O’Connor Senior Center Artist Trading Card Exhibit

  • April 1, 2025 — April 30, 2025

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

The O’Connor Senior Center Artist Trading Card group will be exhibiting recent artwork by its members and other artists at the Fountain City Branch Library from Tuesday, April 1st through Wednesday, April 30th during regular library hours.

Artist Trading Cards are small works of art (2 1/2” X 3 1/2”) of any medium. ATCs began in Switzerland in the 90’s by artist Vanci Stirnman and have become a popular genre of art. ATC groups meet around the world online and in person. The goal is to have fun, create something and connect with others by trading and sharing cards. The O’Connor group meets on the fourth Monday of the month from 1:00 - 2:00 pm. The small exhibit of ATCs can be seen at the Fountain City Branch Library, 5300 Stanton Rd, Knoxville, TN 37918.

Tim Wiegenstein, Creative Aging Teaching Artist, provides instruction, materials, prompts and creative ideas at the O’Connor Center. No age requirements apply for this program; ATCs are for any age, and intergenerational events are encouraged.

The O’Connor Center is located at 611 Winona Street, Knoxville, TN 37917. For more information, call 865) 523-1135, or email info@oconnorcenter.org

Dogwood Arts: 7 Decades in Bloom: Celebrating the Legacy of Dogwood Arts

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Free event and History, heritage

First Friday, 5-8 PM on March 7
Seven Decades in Bloom reflects on the 70-year journey of Dogwood Arts, with an immersive retrospective honoring our rich history, evolution, and impact on the region.

123 W. Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902
Regular Gallery Hours: M-F | 10AM-5PM

Digital Motif: Violins of Hope: Strings of the Holocaust

  • March 3, 2025 — April 9, 2025

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Free event, History, heritage and Music

Presented by The Standford Eisenberg Knoxville Jewish Day School

Violins of Hope is a collection of over 50 violins that survived the Holocaust, played by Jewish musicians in ghettos, concentration camps, and even as symbols of resistance. Each violin, lovingly restored by Israeli master violin maker Amnon Weinstein and his son Avshalom, carries a powerful story of resilience and survival. These instruments bear witness to the indomitable spirit of their owners, whose music defied the darkness of one of history’s most tragic periods. The Violins of Hope project will feature performances, exhibitions, and educational programs that celebrate the enduring power of music and the human spirit. Through these events, communities will come together to reflect on the past and inspire a future rooted in hope, acceptance, and unity. Join us as we honor these extraordinary instruments and the stories they tell.

*A Big Ears 2025 Exhibition (one of four very special exhibitions of visual art on display during the festival weekend (Mar 27-30) and during the month leading up to it. Extended hours TBA.

Digital Motif, 108 S Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. (865) 214-6367 or https://digitalmotif.com/

Westminster Presbyterian Church Schilling Gallery: Firmament: Mixed Media Work by Jean Hess

  • March 2, 2025 — April 27, 2025

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Knoxville artist Jean Hess offers a kaleidoscopic selection of work that ranges from celestial, to playful, to poignant. Starry skies and planetary motion. Plants, animals and gems. Appalachian coal miners, lost cultures and maps of lost lands. Hess works with socio-historical data, found artifacts and ephemera that enable her to invoke complex stories.

Westminster Presbyterian Church Schilling Gallery, 6500 S Northshore Dr, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-R 9-4, Fri 9-12. Information: (865) 584-3957 or www.wpcknox.org

Fountain City Art Center: Two Decades of Discovery: A Journey Through Art Education

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

Fountain City Art Center is celebrating 20 years of art education. Join us for an exhibit of students' works.

Opening Feb 21, 6:30-8 PM

Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartcenter.com

McClung Museum: X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out

Category: Exhibitions, visual art, Free event and Science, nature

The Smithsonian’s National Collection of Fishes X-rays represent more than 70 percent of the world’s fish specimens and is the largest and most diverse collection of its kind in the world. Although the X-rays featured in the national collection were made for research purposes, the strikingly elegant images demonstrate the natural union of science and art and are a visual retelling of the evolution of fish. X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out, an exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), showcases these dramatic prints exposing the inner workings of the fish.

The exhibition features 32 black-and-white digital prints of different species of fish. Arranged in evolutionary sequence, these X-rays give a tour through the long stream of fish evolution. The X-rays have allowed Smithsonian and other scientists to study the skeleton of a fish without altering the specimen, making it easier for scientists to build a comprehensive picture of fish diversity.

The exhibition also includes specimens from the collections of the McClung Museum, the Etnier Ichthyological Collection, and the Vertebrate Osteology Collection to highlight research happening with fish specimens at the University of Tennessee.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, 1327 Circle Park Dr on the UT campus, Knoxville, TN 37996. Hours: Tu-Sa 9-5, Sun 12-4. Information: 865-974-2144, https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/

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