Downtown Knox ArtWalk

July's featured artists are wood artist, Paul Morris and batik patiner, Robin Ford.

Paul Morris, Wood:
Paul Morris, wood carver and pyrographer, lives and works in the East Tennessee mountains. His carvings come from what he sees in nature. Using wood for his canvas he creates artwork that is based on the natural world of the forest and mountains where he
lives.

Robin Ford, Batik:
Batik is the primary form of artistic expression for Robin Ford. Under the title "Robin Original", Robin sold her batik work on clothing for 33 years at outdoor festivals from Nashville to Raleigh. Now her batik is concentrated on paintings. The paintings are on cloth and painted in the wax-resist method; coloring coming from layers of dye applied between the waxed layers.

Explore the marketplace of more than 60 juried-in East TN artists.

5:30 PM—9 PM.

Grab your gear, your friends, and your passport to experience our downtown! Meet some of East Tennessee’s most interesting amphibian residents in the form of little bronze sculptures!

Grab a passport at Mast General Store, Visit Knoxville, or download a digital version at knoxnewts.com. Study the clues, and find all 12 bronze newts hidden amid our downtown landmarks.

This permanent, self-guided scavenger hunt is free to play and open 24/7, year round. Happy hunting!

RED Gallery is proud to host the opening of “Soil and Sky” Paintings and Collages by Ranee Taylor.

“Soil and Sky” explores sensory experience and our deep-rooted connection to the natural world. The work invites viewers to reconsider the boundary between humanity and nature, challenging the notion that we are separate from, or superior to, the ecosystems we inhabit. The more we attempt to dominate or distance ourselves from nature, the more we overlook its enduring power and wisdom.

5 PM—9 PM.

Addison's bookstore will be open for special extended hours First Friday!

6—9 PM.

Enjoy jazz with Kenneth Brown and Family. Great spot for dinner and cocktails.

8 PM—10:30 PM.

Visit Bethie Lou’s Fabulous Gift Store at their new location at 108 E Jackson Ave, Ste 1! ome in for a special experience of fun, laughter, and fabulous gifts. Extended First Friday hours.

Open until 9 PM.

Enjoy music from Mike McGill and the Refills (21+).

9 PM.

Stop in Studio 106 Art Gallery. Located on the lower level of the Emporium Center inside suite 106, the gallery will offer specials and discounts for First Friday!

11 AM—9 PM.

Join the UT Downtown Gallery for Art Source 2025. This is an exhibition of the work of art teachers and art interns in the Knox County School System. For more than fifteen years, Art Source, the exhibition dedicated solely to Knox County art educators, has given these same teachers an opportunity to nourish and showcase their own artistic talents.

5 PM—9 PM.

Hot shop Glassblowing Demonstrations at nationally known Pretentious. Don’t miss this.

5 PM—9 PM.

The Arrowmont Gallery's July exhibition features summer instructors J. Leigh Garcia and Kwok-Pong “Bobby” Tso.

This exhibition explores cultural identity, history, and the tension between displacement and belonging. Through printmaking, ceramics, and mixed media, these two new bodies of work engage in dialogue through pattern and representation, reflecting personal and ancestral narratives.

J. Leigh Garcia will be teaching “Dye, Print, and Bind,” a one-week workshop in the 2D Studio. Garcia received her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and BFA from the University of North Texas. She has received numerous awards for her work including the Emerging Printmaker Award from Southern Graphics Council International (SGCI), New Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award from Kent State University, Gamblin Emerging Artist Award, and Arts Institute Sinaiko Frank Graduate Fellowship for a Woman in the Arts. Her work is included in over 15 permanent collections including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI; National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, IL; Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, TX; Zuckerman Museum of Art, Kennesaw, GA; and Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University.

Kwok-Pong “Bobby” Tso will be teaching “Ceramics Mold-Making for Utilitarian and Storytelling,” a one-week workshop in the ceramics studio. Kwok-Pong was born and raised in Hong Kong and decided to come to the USA to continue his education while beginning to explore the cultures differences. He holds his BFA from Northwest Missouri State University and M.A and MFA from the University of Iowa. His work has been exhibited and published both internationally and nationally, he was named as Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist in 2014, and NCECA Emerging Artist in 2016 and spent the summer of 2014-2015 as resident at the Archie Bray Foundation. In addition to his studio practice, he is currently an Assistant Chair and Associate Professor of Art at Washburn University Topeka, KS. and Board of Director for Artaxis.org.

5 PM—9 PM.

For over 22 years, the Pilot Light has been the go-to for independent and experimental music. On Friday, hear performances by HiDAZE with Lucille Klement and NOTACOP. Tickets at door.

8 PM.

Music from Pleasantly Wild with James Leigh & The Rest and Firewater Tent Revival. Tickets at door.

8 PM.

Original oils by Robin Rohwer and photography by Christopher Rohwer. The husband and wife artist duo is excited for Spring with lots of new work to share!

In studio until 9 PM.

Kick-off First Friday at Maker Exchange! Browse work by 150+ local artists or enjoy a cocktail or bite in the Tavern.

4 PM—9 PM.

Music by Smooth Sailor.

8 PM. 

Get ready to dance with music from DJ Andres Tapia.

10 PM.