Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from September 4-25, 2020. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, September 4, from 5:00-7:00 PM to which the public is invited to attend at 75 people at a time. All visitors to the Emporium are asked to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works are for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition.

Ryan-Ashley Anderson will showcase a series of pieces featuring links that are created with unexpected materials in unexpected ways.

The foundation of my work is exploration and self-expression. As a jewelry-maker and artist who loves fashion and textile design and draws inspiration from architecture and pattern, I am in a constant state of curiosity and discovery. I ask myself questions such as “how can I use this technique in an unexpected way?” and "how can I push this material further?” My mixed media jewelry incorporates pre-fabricated textiles, textile strips I have created by stitching beads together, leather, cord, rope, and metal.

Ryan-Ashley Anderson — maker, marketer, designer, and DIY instructor — is a television show host and jewelry designer at JTV for their Jewel School programming. She loves designing with unexpected materials and utilizing traditional techniques to create modern designs. She has over 15 years’ experience designing and showing jewelry, teaching DIY workshops, and designing jewelry tutorials. Before Jewel School, Anderson worked as a guest designer with Jewel, Madewell, and Bonnaroo, and she continues to pursue her passion for helping makers build their businesses by serving as a guest speaker and marketing coach at summits and conferences. In her spare time, you can find her gardening, enjoying the outdoors, cooking, taking on handy projects around the house, hanging with her precious pets, and spending time with her church family. Follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ryanashleyanderson and Instagram at www.instagram.com/ryanashleyanderson.

The Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, downtown Knoxville. Open Wednesdays from 9 AM – 5 PM and other days (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM) by appointment only. Info: (865) 523-7543 or www.knoxalliance.com