EAST
Knoxville
Highlight Events
Chattanooga
Highlight Events
March 5 - 8, 2026
The highlight events will include receptions and celebrations at select participating venues.
KNOXVILLE
-
-
In Spring 2026, the KMA will present a solo exhibition by the Chattanooga-born provocateur Wayne White – a multi-faceted artist, designer, and musician who has charted a kaleidoscopic path through multiple frontiers of art and culture. From Emmy award-winning work as Art Director for Pee Wee’s Playhouse and orchestrating pioneering music videos by acts like Peter Gabriel and The Smashing Pumpkins, to crafting illustrations for The New York Times and singing lead in the art band Username Password, White defies convention to revel in the fray of pop culture. He has also been the subject of the epic 2009 monograph Maybe Now I’ll Get the Respect I so Richly Deserve and an eclectic 2012 documentary titled Beauty is Embarrassing, but the breadth of his work still feels under-appreciated. At the KMA, in concert with a wall painting and a wide-ranging survey of his canvases, drawings and sculpture, White will create a newly commissioned, room-sized kinetic puppet inspired by his memories of the South. This show will be a magnet for collaborators, and will open in conjunction with the Big Ears Festival in 2026 – furnishing a marquee platform for White to unleash an especially unique rendition of his idiosyncratic enterprise.
-
February 20 - April 25, 2026
-
Solo Exhibition by Brittney Boyd Bullock, a Memphis-based visual artist whose practice traces the intimate relationship between craft legacies, material labor, and identity. Working through textiles, beading, and collage, in slow, modular processes, she builds abstracted worlds that honor both personal and collective memory. Her work is grounded in repetition - stitching, beading, spinning, cutting, arranging - each functioning as a form of embodied research and ritual. Bullock draws on archival photographs, family histories, and Southern craft traditions to examine what has been preserved, overlooked, or obscured within Black American life. Rather than reenacting memory, she reframes it by treating materials as carriers of cultural knowledge. Her signature use of grids, layered images, textiles, and fiber reflects her interest in labor as a site of beauty, resistance, and renewal.
CHATTANOOGA
-
-
The Hunter Invitational, conceived by Hunter Museum Chief Curator Nandini Makrandi and launched by the museum in 2007, highlights emerging trends and current events through the work of artists practicing in the Southeast. Opening January 2026, its fifth iteration will present new or expanded works by eight artists – including Anna Carll, Corrine Colarusso, Craig Drennen, Amie Esslinger, Jerushia Graham, Katie Hargrave with Meredith Lynn, and Althea Murphy-Price – offering audiences a chance to discover some of the region’s most innovative talent.
-
Paradise, Curated by Jen Sova and Graham Feyl
Friend of a Friend, Works by Brooke Frank and Bucky Miller
Hard to Handle, Organized by Jackson Hussey
Feb. 27- June 6, 2026
1250 E 13th Street, Chattanooga TN 37408
Wed - Sat, Noon - 6:30
-
We have three exhibitions on view: "Paradise," curated by J Sova and Graham Feyl, which explores how do those historically pushed to the margins build their own worlds and sense of paradise in order to survive, connect, and seek pleasure. Other exhibitions on view include "Friend of a Friend," organized by Bucky Miller and Brooke Frank, and "Techno-animism" organized by Jackson Hussey.
Artists in "Paradise" include: Hannah Banciella, Michael Childress, E. Saffronia Downing, Nicholas V. Elbakidze, Angie Jennings, Aaron McIntosh, Jorge Palacios, Lyra Purugganan, Kit Rutter, Brian Smith, J. Sova, Lisa Waud, Yu Yan.
-
GLIMMER & SHINE
March 6- April 3, 2026
854 McCallie Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37404
Open 5-8 pm on opening and closing reception evenings - March 6 and April 3rd. By appointment at wavelengthspace.com
-
Wavelength Space is pleased to present GLIMMER & SHINE, a juried group exhibition featuring 19 artists (12 residing in TN) in celebration of Women’s History Month (March 2026), sponsored by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Department. glim·mer (n.) — a faint, often hopeful light; a fleeting sign of possibility; a shimmer that draws us in. shine (v.) — to emit or reflect light; to manifest dignity, vitality, or presence. Guided by the vision of artist and guest juror Ayo Janeen Jackson, GLIMMER & SHINE explores how radiance operates as both phenomenon and metaphor - how we reflect, refract, and reclaim light. The exhibition considers reflection as both tool and mirror: a means of looking back through history, examining survival, and discovering strength. “Shine” becomes a sign of dignity, a beacon in darkness, and a record of how artistic innovators illuminate paths forward through art, technology, and science. Artists in the exhibition engage luminosity through precious metals, mirrored surfaces, salvaged materials, and digital shimmer. Like magpies gathering glinting fragments, these artists construct meaning from what catches light by layering materials, histories, and personal narratives to build enduring spaces of beauty and resilience. Co-Curated by: Farron Kilburn, Ayo Janeen Jackson, and Raquel Mullins.
Katie Aronat (Chattanooga, TN) , Lael Burns (Ft. Worth, TX), Casey Callahan (Omaha, NE), Aria Cooper (Chattanooga, TN), Darcie Denton (Ringgold, GA), Dana Donaty (Boynton Beach, Florida), Barbara Ensley (Athens, TN), Jessi Hamilton (Chattanooga, TN), Sarah Knight (St. Louis, Missouri), Emma McDonell (Chattanooga, TN), Melissa Mote Glosup (Chattanooga, TN), Reese Nelson (Chattanooga, TN), Jennifer Pepper (Nashville, TN), Nicci Schwartz (Hixson, TN), Ellie Swann (Chattanooga, Tennessee), Margarita Velazquez (Indianapolis, IN), Chase Williamson (Knoxville, TN), Megan Wolfkill (Cincinnati, OH), Emily Yurkevicz (Grinnell, IA)
-
time. place. curated by Ashley Layendecker
February 6 – March 29, 2026
The Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902
Mon-Fri, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sat, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
-
time. place. examines how geographic and temporal contexts shape artistic practice, how creative relationships influence the ways we work, and how shared consciousness emerges within artistic communities. The exhibition considers how artists are formed not only by where and when they work, but by the people who surround, challenge, and support them.
time. place. features artists who are all Tennessee-based, Tennessee-born, or deeply influenced by this region with strong ties to Knoxville and Nashville. Curated by Ashley Layendecker, each featured artist has had a personal impact on her journey as an artist and curator working within these communities. The proverb “iron sharpens iron” serves as a guiding framework for this exhibition: when two pieces of iron are rubbed together, both are refined and sharpened, and the saying speaks to mutually beneficial relationships grounded in accountability, encouragement, and constructive feedback.Featured artists will respond to a prompt addressing the significance of time and place within their practice as well as the work presented. These reflections will be shared throughout the exhibition’s run and discussed further during an artist panel on the closing weekend during Big Ears Festival (date and time forthcoming).
Artists exhibited include: Asafe Pereira, Benjy Russell, Brandon Donahue-Shipp, Brianna Bass, Daniel Bruce Hughes, Eric Cagley, Josh Bienko, Joshua Shorey, Katarina Riesing, Kayla Rumpp, Lynne Marinelli Ghenov, Megan White, Nathan Sulfaro, Rubens Ghenov, and Thomas Wharton.
Ashley Layendecker (B. 1993) is an Independent Curator and the Director at Red Arrow Gallery in Nashville. A former practicing artist, she discovered her passion for curating shortly after receiving her BFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2016. Her time at UTK deeply inspired her as classmates, graduate students and professors formed her critical eye and influenced her on a profound level. Many of these artists are included in this exhibition. Layendecker gained significant experience while volunteering at Fluorescent Gallery (2016-2018); she learned her true passion didn’t lie in promoting her own art but the art of others. Since joining Red Arrow in 2018, she has curated over 60 exhibitions in Nashville, New York, Mexico City, Chicago, and Miami. As the Director at Red Arrow, Layendecker oversees daily operations, curates exhibitions, and drives the gallery’s strategic direction. She represents the careers of six artists: Annie Brito Hodgin, Ashanté Kindle, Julian Rogers, Karen Seapker, Margaret R. Thompson, and Emily Weiner. Her curatorial work for Red Arrow has been most notably featured in The Wall Street Journal, Galerie Magazine, and W Magazine. As a proud member and fierce contributor of the Tennessee Art Scene, her mission is to make Southern-based artists more well-known outside of the region and to share the importance of the art made here. Layendecker sits on the board of The Warhol Society at The Frist Museum of Art in Nashville. She is the Co-Founder of Nashville Pantheon, housed in The Nashville Downtown Presbyterian Church, which hosts experimental and experiential pop-up exhibitions.
-
Is Everybody Ready? Works by Andy Safety in conjunction with Big Ears Festival
March 26 - April 21, 2026
Red Gallery, 130 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN
Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm
DURING BIG EARS
Thursday, March 26 - Sunday, March 29, 10am-6pm
Andy will be in the gallery Noon-1pm Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday. -
Is Everybody Ready? was what my grandfather used to say after we were all loaded into his Buick Skylark before
we took off down the road. This phrase can mean several different things in these times. It’s hard to know what to be ready for next. In this rapidly changing world it is a challenge to know what to prepare for as we head down
the road. I think some color, a little humor, and some quiet, contemplative time are in order.
I moved to Knoxville in the mid-nineteen eighties from San Francisco, after graduating from the San Francisco Art Institute. I immediately loved Tennessee and the grittiness of this town. Having a life in art felt like a real possibility. You could work a part-time job and be able
to afford a house and a studio space. My first studio was on the second floor of an office building at Central
and Broadway. Two years later I was able to build a large studio into a derelict warehouse space next to the railroad tracks on Jackson Avenue, just up the street from where we are now in the Red Gallery. After ten years in Knoxville I moved out into a rural landscape where I work in the studio every day. I consider myself very fortunate to have had a forty-year run making art in Tennessee. So this exhibition is a homecoming of sorts. I’m so pleased to contribute to the Big Ears Festival. I love this festival and have not missed one yet. Welcome to my world.
-
March 6 - March 28, 2026
110 S. Gay St. Knoxville TN 37902 US
Wednesday 10-5, Thursday 10-5, Friday 2-7, Saturday 10-5
-
“100 & Under: Planted!” Featuring special events with The Plant Curators Featuring a group of local, regional, and Arrowmont-connected artists, “100 & Under: Planted!” showcases a variety of handcrafted, plant-themed works, all priced at $100 or less, including ceramic planters, garden labels, propagation stations, botanical prints, and more. As we enter a season of longer days and warmer light, “100 & Under: Planted!” offers a reminder that even after dormancy, life persists. The exhibition will be on view March 6–28, 2026. In addition to the artwork on view, plants from Knoxville’s own The Plant Curators will be available for purchase at the gallery, offering a unique selection of houseplants and living plant art. For those curious about creating their own plant pieces, join us for a Mini Mossy Rock Terrarium Workshop with The Plant Curators on Thursday, March 19th, from 6:00–7:00 PM, held at the Arrowmont Gallery. This workshop is limited to 8 participants, with sign-up required and a fee of $50. To culminate the exhibition, The Plant Curators will return on Saturday, March 28th, from 11:00 AM–5:00 PM for a special Plant Sale, featuring a curated selection of plants to bring even more life into your space. As the final day of the exhibition, local purchasers of Planted! pieces will be invited to pick up their new artwork and take home a little piece of spring.
Maureen Aderman, Lela Arruza, Robert Batey & Dana Cohen, Olivia Bridges, Jenn Cole, Audry Deal-McEver, Talia Drury, Alyssa Fuson, Vanessa Hartman, Gayle Haynie, John Caleb Houston, Mitch Jones, Karly Jean Kainz, M. Kobe Ling, Megan Koeppel, Douglas Molinas Lawrence, Maia Leppo (Safran Everyday), Ashlee Mays (Museum of Infinite Outcomes), Marret Metzger, Sage Morgan, Ty Murray, Diahn Ott, Liz Pechacek, Brent Quarles, Trisha Ram, Celeste Rudd, Grace Satterfield, Rebecca Smedley, Kelly Sullivan, Sara Torgison, Leandra Urrutia, Heather F. Wetzel, Laiken Whittredge, Kari Woolsey
-
Pattern: The Art of Repetition
March 20 - June 2026
23 Emory Place, Knoxville, TN 37917
WEDNESDAY – SUNDAY, 12 – 5 PM
-
Checkered, paisley, houndstooth, and chevron. Patterns decorate the world through ornament and artifice. Zebra, cheetah, feathers, and flowers. Nature repeats in an array of colors and forms. Patterns reflect the rhythm of life as echoes of the past heard in the present moment.
Hidden within patterns are stories of culture, spirituality, philosophy, and emotion. These stories are literally woven into our lives; embedded into our clothes and architecture. Across place and time, amongst seemingly disparate cultures, similar imagery arises. Often, their core meaning is about the interconnectedness of life. Although the study of patterns can track the migration of people from one place to another, and how their aesthetics merged, it also signals the innately human instinct to depict our world through repetition and rhythm.
Beginning with our cognitive development, repetition functions as an intuitive form of understanding. Our brains utilize pattern recognition as a means of learning. For instance, our ancestors realized that bright colors may indicate poisonous berries and language was built through repeated sentence structures and sounds. It is no wonder why humans have gravitated towards patterns as a means of expression and communication. They connect people across the world through a similarity shared by all.
Artists: Jered Sprecher, Patricio Rodriguez, Juan Manuel Rozas, Bayona, Tellas, Basmat Levin
-
May 1- August 7, 2026
-
Tri-Star Arts is pleased to present the next exhibition in their Main Gallery at the historic Candoro Marble Building. A two person show, Looking At Looking Through, featuring recent works by artists Linda King Ferguson (Nashville, TN) and Alex Lopez (Carbondale, IL) opens Friday, May 1 and will run through Friday, August 7, 2026. Curator: Brian R. Jobe.
About the Artists
Linda King Ferguson (b. 1954, Battle Creek, MI) thinks of her abstract paintings as social bodies defined by relational determinants. Through a material language of open and closed forms, color gradients, surface depths, and spatial proximities she explores the subjectivity of vulnerability and strength. Ferguson earned a BFA from Alma College, a MA from Rhode Island School of Design, and an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She also studied at Penland School of Crafts and Academia Di Belle Arti (Perugia, Italy). Ferguson has an affiliation with Minus Space (Brooklyn, NY), Red Arrow Gallery (Nashville, TN), and La Fontsee Gallery (Grand Rapids, MI).
Alex Lopez holds an MFA from Alfred University in New York and a BFA from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He has taught at Trinity University and at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is currently an Associate Professor and heads the sculpture program at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Lopez’s work as a multimedia artist encompasses a diverse range of media, including sculpture and installation. His method resembles that of a scientist or anthropologist, involving observation, evaluation, experimentation, and documentation of significant moments and events. Through exploration and trial, Alex generates an unsettling, contradictory sense of completeness as his work shifts between factual and fictional narratives.