Calendar of Events

Preservation Network, Thursday, May 8 at 6:00 PM, 6612 Deane Hill Drive.

Join Knox Heritage and David Howard, owner of The Handmade Table, for an evening of learning, fun and inspiration in his studio. David will discuss the use of antique materials in the making of furniture and cabinetry, and then we'll watch and talk with his artisans as they work on various projects. This event is FREE to attend, but please RSVP at https://www.knoxheritage.org/events/handmade-table.

Knox Heritage at Historic Westwood, 3425 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Information: 865-523-8008, www.knoxheritage.org

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

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.

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.

The McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, announces a new exhibition, “Homelands: Connecting to Mounds Through Native Art,” opening to the public on January 25, 2025. The project sets a new standard for collaborative exhibition practices at the McClung and represents the museum's most significant renovation in more than 20 years.

"‘Homelands’ is a defining moment for the McClung Museum. It’s the largest project we’ve undertaken in over two decades, but its impact goes far beyond its scale,” said Claudio Gómez, Jefferson Chapman Executive Director of the museum. “This exhibition has challenged us to rethink how we collaborate, bringing in new perspectives and allowing us to honor Native voices in ways that are both respectful and forward-thinking.”

“Homelands” showcases contemporary art by 17 Native artists to emphasize the enduring ties between Native Nations and Knox County. As a result of the exhibition, the museum has acquired 22 new works for its permanent collection.

https://news.utk.edu/2025/01/07/mcclung-museum-to-open-exhibition-centering-native-voices-and-contemporary-art/

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/