Downtown Knox ArtWalk

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

6—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!

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

5 PM—9 PM.

This month's featured artists:

Julie Fawn Boisseau-Craig, Jewelry
Julie works primarily in porcelain and glass, incorporating metal and wood as needed to create intricate sculptural installations. In addition to her large-scale work, she produces functional pottery and wearable glass art at Wild Pony Studio in Rockford, Tennessee. Her hot shop glasswork is created at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro, North Carolina where she is now the Project Manager as well.

Jack Retterer, Photography
Jack is a photographer, poet, digital artist and teacher in East Tennessee. He has over 50 years of photography experience. Jack currently teaches “Fine Art Photography” at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. He is also active as a teacher and speaker for art and photography groups throughout Tennessee

Explore the marketplace of more than 50 juried-in East TN artists.

5:30—9 PM.

Stop by Awaken Coffee for the opening reception of Knoxville artist Lyndsey Ullom.

Lyndsey will be painting live, showcasing her vibrant portraiture inspired by nature, wildlife, and the stories of women. Her stunning work captures the true essence of her subjects to evoke powerful memories and connections.

Come for the art, stay for your favorite brew!

6—8 PM.

Original oils by Robin Rohwer and photography by Christopher Rohwer. The husband and wife artist duo has lots of new work to share!

In studio until 9 PM.

Join RED Gallery for A Brief Moment in Time: A1LabArts Members Show.

See over 40 participating artists displaying paintings, drawings, photography, ceramics, and more — something for everyone! 

5—9 PM.

Enjoy live jazz music from Candela. Great spot for dinner and cocktails.

8—10:30 PM.

Underground @ Mirage featuring a selection of house music. Enjoy house music all night long at this FREE event. (ID required.)

6 PM—1:00 AM.

Get ready to dance with music from DJ Andres Tapia.

10 PM.

For June's First Friday, The Tomato Head is having a DJ perform from 6—8:30 at the Market Square location.

Join DJ Soularia at The Tomato Head Downtown for First Friday Vinyl Vibes! Spin into the weekend with an all vinyl set full of soul, funk, and feel good tunes paired with fresh, local eats.

6—8:30 PM.

Visit Able Trade for beer, bites, and local talent.

This month, the featured artist is the Knox Pride master gardener Ran Brady. She is a community volunteer and artist that blended both passions to create, The Botanical Butch. Plus, bring in pantry items to help stock the Knox Pride shelves during First Friday Gallery night!

You can also explore everything the Able Trade facility has to offer, including fully equipped workshops and their monthly events.

5:30—8:30 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.

Enjoy the Smokies Baseball Live Radio Show from 5–6 PM, and live music from Mike McGill and the Refills from 9–12. (21+ Free)

5 PM.

The musical guest for First Friday Live will be Russell Walker.

6—7 PM.

Enjoy live music from 7—9 PM! And don't miss new work in the Curio by Chris McAdoo, Coral Grace Turner, and Douglas Lawrence. 

5—9 PM.

Dream Thesaurus curated by Lynne Marinelli Ghenov
Dream Thesaurus presents the work of Mikel Elam, Risa Hricovsky, and Caroline Santa. These three artists each use a surplus of materials to create layered surfaces loaded with innovative texture and color combinations that invoke contemplation and introspection.

Terra Madre: Women in Clay
Terra Madre is a juried group of female clay artists that was founded in 2000 by a handful of like-minded potters in Knoxville. Their mission is to uplift one another in our clay journeys, to inspire a greater appreciation for ceramics in East Tennessee, and to encourage excellence in clay artistry and craftsmanship.

Let’s Get Whimsical! by Larry Cole
Let’s Get Whimsical! is a collection of works from artist Larry Cole’s walk on the playful side. These paintings are comical, sometimes outrageous, and intended to induce a chuckle and a smile. Created when more serious studio work got bogged down, or inspiration wouldn’t come, they are products of the artist’s attempt to break through creative slumps. They are pure amusement and represent faces of characters the artist has encountered over a lifetime of “people watching”.

Cam de L’àmé by Chet Overall
Cam de L’àmé, French for ‘Camera of the Soul’ – is a photo project started by Chet Overall, Fall of 2024. Rooted in conceptual / storytelling photography, the project aims to show the more ‘gritty’ side of society, to show a more street, real life approach to the art of photography.

5—9 PM.

This month's featured maker at the Visitor's Center will be Kaitlin Dennehy-Rough of Rabbit and Fox Pottery.

5—7 PM.

Union Ave Books is excited to present a Poetry Night in celebration of First Fridays, featuring Shelby Hansen, Paul Luikart, Rowe Carenen, and Kristin Entler. RSVP for this FREE event by visiting unionavebooks.com/events.

6—7:30 PM.

In 1945, during a national revival of craft education, Arrowmont launched its signature summer workshop program, welcoming students from across the country to study art and craft on campus. Today, that legacy continues through more than 150 workshops each year, led by nationally and internationally recognized artists, makers, and university faculty. Across a wide range of media, concepts, and techniques, instructors come to Arrowmont to share knowledge, encourage experimentation, and foster creative community. Each summer, the Arrowmont Gallery highlights a select group of workshop instructors, offering Knoxville audiences a glimpse into the talent teaching on campus. The artists featured in this exhibition showcase the diversity of contemporary practices across a variety of mediums.

5—9 PM.

Join Dogwood Arts for the opening reception of Coat of Many Colors.

This group exhibition illuminates LGBTQ+ identity across Appalachia. Commemorating living history in a region colored by vibrant originality and rich cultural heritage, this gallery explores what it means to be LGBTQ+ in Appalachia today and how LGBTQ+ people express their identity. 

The exhibition opens on June 5, 2026, just in time for Knoxville’s Rhinestone Festival, celebrating legendary musician and longtime LGBTQ+ ally Dolly Parton.

5—8 PM.

For over 22 years, the Pilot Light has been the go-to for independent and experimental music. On Friday, join them for the Knoxville Community Media 50th Anniversary Celebration. Visit thepilotlight.com to see the full lineup. Don't miss this FREE event.

11 AM – 12 AM.

Casa HoLa invites you to view works by Pachi, Paulina Marchant, and Susana Esrequis.

With the Help of their Art Chair Member, Rossy Toledo, and Executive Director, Enrique, Casa HoLa has curated an amazing exhibition that give a voice to local Lantix artists. 

The exhibition will debut on Friday, June 5th from 5–9 PM and remain available until the end of the month inside The Emporium (Suite 112).

5—9 PM.

Stop by Amulet this First Friday to view works by Jess Schwarz.

Jess Schwarz is a multidisciplinary artist based in Eastern Tennessee. Working across materials and processes, Schwarz’s practice centers on material transformation and systems of communication. Their work examines identity, disability, and violence through experimental, evolutionary craft-based historical techniques.

5—8 PM.

Kick the festivities off on Friday night with a Rhinestone Fest pre-party in The Old City! Enjoy the market, live music, a community square dance, face painting, food, and more!

Then join in again during the Rhinestone Fest on Saturday, for a full day of Dolly-themed fun. 

5—9 PM.

Stop by Salon Niche from 5–9 PM for a free art show featuring works from Matthew Israel. 

Matthew Israel is an Artist whose work explores the quiet moments and architecture of downtown Knoxville. His black and white images focus light, shadow, and the character of historic buildings. Each piece welcomes paint, hoping to highlight the beauty and presence of the city’s overlooked details.

For their First Friday featured special, Salon Niche will be offering $30 spray tans. Walk-ins welcome!

5—9 PM.

Join the UT Downtown Gallery for the exhibit, Beauford Delaney: Degrees of Separation.

Beauford Delaney’s luminous paintings and magnetic character bridged the gap between everyday individuals and global icons, joining them in relationships that stretched from Knoxville to Paris. Drawing on Derek Spratley’s thirty years of experience as administrator of the Delaney Estate, Beauford Delaney: Degrees of Separation, revisits the painter’s work and worlds through the lens of these “degrees of separation” to explore the deeply reciprocal influence the artist had on those he encountered throughout his travels across the domestic and international stage. This exhibition features works by Beauford Delaney with additional works by friends and paintings and drawings from the Ewing Gallery Permanent Collection by his brother Joseph Delaney.

At 6:30, hear remarks from Derek Spratley, Esq, Administrator of the Beauford Delaney Estate; Dr. Mary Campbell, Associate Professor of Art History, University of Tennessee; and Stephen Wicks, Barbara W. & Bernard E. Bernstein Curator, Knoxville Museum of Art.

5—9 PM.

Enjoy music from The Mendenhall Sisters. Stay for some great food and beer!

7—10 PM.

View works by the featured artist for June — Archie Liggett Jewelry! Archie is an ex-zookeeper and stay-at-home mom who turned a hobby into a creative and thriving small business that combines a love of people with a passion for giving new life to old silverware. She hand stamps words and phrases onto vintage utensils and repurposes them into one-of-a-kind jewelry and gifts, including bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and more. Each piece is full of charm, character, and a story of its own.

Live music from Joey's Van. Tickets at door.

8 PM. 

Live music all night from The Knockdown Dragouts with Year of October. Tickets at door.

8 PM.

Locals can enjoy Free Admission to the Sunsphere from 10-6 PM.