Calendar of Events

The Arts & Culture Alliance and the artists of The Emporium Center are pleased to offer an Open Studio Night on Friday, November 27, from 5:00-8:00 PM. The public is invited to attend this free event to peruse the studios of these artists as well as view the November exhibitions (in their final days) at the Emporium.
The Open Studio Night aims to give the public a glimpse into the creative processes used by artists, who are accustomed to welcoming visitors in their working studios. The Emporium’s artists have a wide array of backgrounds, including a banker, a hospital pharmacologist, a police officer, a director of recreational activities at a local senior center, a former modern dancer, and more.

The artists will also use the opportunity to share techniques and inspiration for their media, which include acrylic, digital arts, drawing, fiber arts/weaving, jewelry & clothing, oil, photography, and watermedia.

The Emporium Center’s current artists include: Sheila Chesanow, Derrick Freeman, Connie Gaertner, Judi Gaston, Tobertha Jackson, Diana Kilburn, Katie Kinney, Fritz Massaquoi, Wokie Massaquoi-Wicks, Pam Radford, Chris Rohwer, Robin Rohwer, Gayla Seale, W. James Taylor, and Sandy White.

The Emporium Center is Knoxville’s first true arts center, which re-opened following renovations in 2004. Built in 1898 as the original home of a prestigious furniture company, the Emporium housed a wholesale goods distributor and later became a textile manufacturing facility that fulfilled military contracts. The two adjacent buildings and the vacant lot were the location of the “Parthenon of Country Music,” which served as the home of the WNOX Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round. The 28,000 square feet of flexible use space houses multiple art galleries showcasing local and regional artists with exhibitions that change each month. The Emporium also houses the administrative offices of non-profits Arts & Culture Alliance, Circle Modern Dance, HoLa Hora Latina, Knoxville Gay Men’s Chorus, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and Tennessee Stage Company as well as studios for fifteen individual artists.

The Emporium is available for private rentals for receptions, fundraisers, dinners, parties, and more and is open to the public Monday-Friday 9 AM – 5 PM with monthly First Friday receptions. Please note, while the Emporium will be closed Wednesday-Friday, November 25-27, for the holidays, it will be open Friday, November 27, from 5:00-8:00 PM for the Open Studio Night. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.