Downtown Knox ArtWalk

Come hang out in the Old City for a summer Block Party featuring One Knox Soccer Club! Let's celebrate our local soccer club! ⚽️ Bring your friends (and the whole family) for an evening packed with games, local vendors, and live music. Whether you’re a longtime One Knox fan or just looking for something fun to do while out for First Friday, this is the place to be.

5–8 PM.

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.

Join the Tomato Head as they'll be hosting Vinyl Vibes with Captain Ed. Stay for some great food and drinks!

6–8:30.

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.

This month's featured artists:

Linda Sullivan, Ceramics
Linda has had a special interest in developing unique glazes since graduate school at Northern Illinois University, where she received a Master of Fine Arts degree. She taught art at the elementary, high school, and college levels in the early years after graduating. A later position as a computer programmer led to a 30-year career in healthcare information technology. Throughout that time, she continued to work as much as possible making pottery. She alternates between stoneware and porcelain clays and places special emphasis on clean, precise forms. Both the creative as well as the technical aspects of pottery making continue to inspire her.

Curtis Imerman, Painting and Drawing
Curt considers himself as being a self-taught artist. Curt has no formal training as an artist. He started drawing with pencil and paper at a very early age. Curt experimented with painting with watercolors, oils, and acrylics, but always returned to drawing with pencils and inks. Curt has expanded his artistic abilities into drawing flowers, mushrooms, butterflies, birds, animals, and beyond. He enjoys drawing these new subjects that challenges his ability.

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

5:30—9 PM.

Join Awaken for a special evening celebrating the work of Knoxville artist Patsy Ferrell White. A self-taught artist known for her distinctive freehand portraits, Patsy's latest collection, Derby City Musings, features watercolor and collage inspired by the excitement and tradition of the Kentucky Derby. Each piece incorporates authentic Derby Week racing programs and Churchill Downs race tickets, adding a unique layer of history and storytelling. 

Meet the artist, enjoy an inspiring collection of local art, and sip your favorite coffee while you browse!

6—8 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.

Join RED Gallery for "Facet of a Whole" by Michelle Barillaro.

5—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 Dogwood Arts for the opening reception of the 18th Annual Dogwood Regional Exhibition, featuring a diverse array of work by 27 artists.

5—9 PM.
(Awards ceremony at 6:30)

Enjoy live jazz music from the Larry Vincent Trio. Great spot for dinner and cocktails.

8—10:30 PM.

Enjoy music from Lydia Hamby & Co. Stay for some great food and beer!

7—10 PM.

Enjoy live music from Knoxville Utility Band. (21+ Free)

9 PM.

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

This month features artist, musician, creative, Celeste Rudd. Celeste blends strategy with Appalachian craft traditions. She oversees retail for Arrowmont and drives regional impact through Crudd Creative, using her multidisciplinary practice to advocate for local heritage and creativity. We are excited to welcome this incredibly talented artist of all categories and crafts to showcase their latest work in our space! 

5:30—8:30 PM.

The musical guest for First Friday Live will be Adeem the Artist.

6—7 PM.

Enjoy live music featuring Michael & Sarah Jean Cammisano from 6—8PM! And don't miss new work in the Curio by Hsiu-yi Lai, Diahn Ott, and Garrett Durland.

5—9 PM.

Be.Coming / Be.Longing: Tennessee Asianx Artists curated by Karlota I. Contreras-Koterbay 
Be.Coming/Be.Longing explores the materiality of the self in the midst of diaspora, displacement, longing and belonging. Artists in the exhibition represent polyphony of visual voices that provide glimpse on the identities tethered to the notion of Asia and Tennessee, both as linchpins, rather than monoliths.  The complex dialogue on identity, becoming and belonging is unshrouded, foregrounding each individuals’ whisperings through creative practices.

2026 Dogwood Regional Exhibition
Now in its 18th year, the Dogwood Regional Exhibition is a highly anticipated annual showcase celebrating fine art from both emerging and established artists across our region. Recognized for its diverse and high-caliber selections, the exhibition has become a cornerstone event for Dogwood Arts to celebrate exceptional artistic talent in our community. This year’s exhibition was juried by Julie Lohnes, Director and Curator of Galleries and Collections at the University of Tennessee School of Art, ensuring a thoughtfully curated and inspiring collection.

Leaving the Pines by Gale Bolduc
From Gale: "A collection of reflections. I share an unpredictable, uncomfortable, uncertain childhood with all humans. I think we can all agree, though multifaceted, we share a sameness, mine kind of went like this."

Every Piece Has A Purpose by Twyla & Manuel Marti
Although working in different mediums, Twyla and Manuel (Manny) Marti share a common artistic philosophy: both construct imagery from individually shaped elements, transforming familiar materials into works rich with texture, movement, and meaning.

5—9 PM.

Join Arrowmont Gallery for the opening of 100 & Under: Dinner Party.

Centered around the ritual of gathering, this exhibition showcases handmade objects created to bring people together. Featuring a wide variety of pieces perfect for your next dinner party, this exhibition highlights a group of over 20 local, regional, and Arrowmont-connected artists. Embodying their mission of enriching lives through art and craft, their 100 & Under exhibitions are designed to invite more handmade work into people’s everyday lives.

5—9 PM.

Union Ave Books is excited to present a Poetry Night in celebration of First Fridays, featuring Jacob Lietz, Connie Jordan Green, Zuleyha Ozturk, and Spencer K.M. Brown. RSVP for this FREE event by visiting unionavebooks.com/events.

6—7:30 PM.

Casa HoLa invites you to view Art Without Borders: Celebrating the artists of Casa HoLa.

This special exhibition celebrates the talented artists who make their gallery and creative community so vibrant. Featuring a diverse collection of work from Casa HoLa artists, this exhibit highlights the power of art to connect us across cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.

The exhibition will remain available until the end of the month inside The Emporium (Suite 112).

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.

Live music all night from Soulfinger with The Merlin's Nest. Tickets at door.

8 PM.

Get ready to dance with music from DJ Andres Tapia.

10 PM.

Live music from Doomsayer's Planet Doom (EDM Night). Tickets at door.

8 PM.