Calendar of Events

May 31: Halls Branch Used Book Sale, 10:00-5:00

https://www.knoxfriends.org/book-sales/

1-6pm at the Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza in Farragut. The event will showcase a competition of up to 21 amateur artists (individuals and groups) creating chalk art canvases, and we will also have a kids’ zone, yard games, food trucks, and a mini art market that features vendors selling paintings, pottery, stained glass, handmade jewelry, embroidery/apparel/textiles, and other art-based goods.

https://visitfarragut.org/event/chalk-the-plaza/

TOWN OF FARRAGUT | 239 Jamestowne Blvd., Farragut, TN 37934
visitfarragut.org | Office: 865.218.3376

Statehood Day Celebration! Open House - Tennessee will be 229 years old!

Blount Mansion, 200 W. Hill Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. Information: 865-525-2375, www.blountmansion.org

On the Oak Ridge Reservation, located in east Tennessee, over 1100 vascular plants, 72 fish, 34 mammals and over 200 bird species have been observed. The public is invited to nature walks designed to highlight not only the rich flora and fauna diversity of the reservation, but also to demonstrate the work being done to sustainably manage and conserve this resource. Walks will take place on several locations across the Oak Ridge Reservation beginning in late winter through late summer. Reservations must be made in advance by noon the Thursday prior to each walk by contacting Nick Oldham 865-341-3670 (oldhamnv@ornl.gov). More information about these walks is available by contacting Trent Jett at 865-574-9188 (jettrt@ornl.gov).

Date: Saturday, May 31
Location: Oak Ridge Reservation- TBD
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Leader: Nikki Jones and Nick Oldham (ORNL)
Limit: 20 (children are allowed)
Recommendations: We will visit areas of the Oak Ridge Reservation where we will learn about local insects in a variety of habitats, including streams. Techniques for collection of insects will be demonstrated, and participants will have an opportunity to try it out themselves. Dress in layers, wear sturdy shoes, and bring bug spray and water. Be mindful of stinging and biting insects. Wear older shoes or rubber boots if you would like to get in the creek and help! No pets please.

This free public event celebrates Tennessee’s admission to the Union with a day of family-friendly heritage experiences, historic demonstrations, and Appalachian flavor. Held at the historic home of Tennessee’s first governor, John Sevier, the festival features a variety of hands-on activities and programs for all ages. This year’s highlights will include a Cornbread Cook-Off, Rising Appalachia’s cornbread tasting station and food offerings, craft demonstrations, living history interpreters, and special activities presented by rangers from Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The event will be held at Marble Springs State Historic Site, 1220 W. Governor John Sevier Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37920. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.marblesprings.net or call (865) 573-5508 during operating hours.

Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. For information/tickets: 865-684-1200, www.tennesseetheatre.com

Electricity for All examines the complex relationship between technology, information, and power through the historical framework of the Tennessee Valley Authority, a key New Deal initiative from the 1930s that introduced electricity to the Tennessee River Valley. The featured artists provide diverse perspectives on the social implications of technological advances, questioning the histories that were lost and the new narratives that emerged. Organized by the KMA.

For additional information and updates, follow the Knoxville Museum of Art on social media:
Facebook: Knoxville Museum of Art, Instagram: @knoxvillemuseumofart, X: @knoxart

Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World's Fair Park, Knoxville, TN 37916. Hours: Tu-Sa 10-5, Su 1-5. Information: 865-525-6101, www.knoxart.org. Admission and parking are free.

Observations and Imaginings - Watercolors and Drawings by Susan B Miller and Michael Pardee
The Schilling Gallery, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6500 South Northshore Drive
865-584-3957 or www.wpcknox.org

The Market Square Farmers Market is an open-air, producer-only farmers market managed by Nourish Knoxville and held every Wednesday and Saturday, May through mid-November in the heart of downtown Knoxville. Everything at the Market Square Farmers Market is grown, raised, and/or made by our vendors within a 150-mile radius of Knoxville, TN. Products vary by season and include fresh fruits & vegetables, eggs, honey, pasture-raised meats, edible & ornamental plants, cut flowers, bread & baked goods, jams & jellies, coffee, artisan crafts, and more! We offer SNAP & SNAP Doubling services each market day, Nourish Moves – a free walking incentive program – every Wednesday, and Nourish Kids – a free kids activity – on the 2nd Saturday of each month.

Every Wednesday, May 7 – November 19, 2025, 10 AM – 1 PM
Every Saturday, May 3 – November 22, 2025, 9 AM – 1 PM
*** NO MARKET on Saturday, November 29, 2025.

https://www.nourishknoxville.org/market-square-farmers-market

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

Join us for May First Friday as we debut FOLK — a new show by Kendra Barth of Blanket Fort Studio. Her whimsical ceramics blend storytelling, texture, and color in truly charming ways.

https://www.instagram.com/blanketfortstudio/

Rala: Regional and Local Artisans, 112 W. Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Hours: Mon-Thu & Sat 11-6, Fri 11-8, Sun 11-5. Information: 865-525-7888, https://shoprala.com or www.instagram.com/ShopRala