ArtsFlash Biweekly Newsletter

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Last updated: Thursday, May 15

ALLIANCE NEWS and REMINDERS

Make Music Knoxville, June 21
June 7: Deadline to Sign up. Make Music Day returns on Sunday, June 21, filling the city with free, all-day performances from 9 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Produced by the Arts & Culture Alliance as part of the global Make Music Day initiative, the event invites musicians of all ages and skill levels to perform in public spaces across Knoxville, from sidewalks and storefronts to parks and plazas. This isn’t a curated festival—anyone and everyone can participate! Classical, hip hop, bluegrass, opera, punk, and everything in between all have a place, creating a citywide, come-as-you-are music experience.

We encourage you to get involved by performing, hosting performances, spreading the word, or helping connect artists to spaces. Registration is open now for both musicians and site hosts. The deadline to sign up is June 7. Click to sign up! Reach out to Casey at knoxville@makemusicday.org if you have any questions.

Advocacy Call-to-Action
Last Friday, President Trump released his proposed annual Administration budget for FY27 to Congress. He has again recommended severe cuts to many domestic agencies, specifically proposing minimal funds in order to close the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Please take two minutes now to send a turn-key, customizable message to your U.S. House of Representative and two U.S. Senators to fund these cultural and educational agencies.

Artists Roundtable at the Emporium in 2026
Save these dates: May 27, June 24, July date TBD for Member Mixer, August 26, September 23, October 28, November 18 (3rd Wednesday), December date TBD for Member Meeting. Roundtables are for ACA individual members who are working artists of any kind at any level to come together and share questions, challenges, and successes. Monthly roundtables are free for ACA members, but we ask that you please RSVP for future roundtables whenever possible. Questions: Casey Fox, Director of Impact and Development, at cf@knoxalliance.com.

Sell Your Artwork via our Website
We want to promote the sale of our individual members’ items to our loyal patrons, the general public, and your family & friends through our online shop at www.knoxalliance.store. To list up to three works, fill out the simple form at www.knoxalliance.com/members-shop.

LOCAL & REGIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Dogwood Arts Regional Exhibition
May 20: Submission Deadline. The Dogwood Regional Exhibition showcases fine art of all kinds from emerging and established artists throughout our region. The juried exhibition takes place annually in August in Downtown Knoxville. An independent juror with significant ties to local, regional and national creative culture reviews each application, selects the participants, and awards over $2,000 to participating artists.

Tremont Writers Conference, Oct 21-25
May 15 deadline: Calling all writers of fiction, nonfiction and poetry: Refine your work alongside seasoned professionals and peers at the fourth annual Tremont Writers Conference, an intensive five-day retreat coordinated by Smokies Life and Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. The conference on the Tremont campus invites participants to brainstorm projects and fine-tune their work alongside award-winning author workshop leaders and professional park educators in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This year’s faculty members include guest writer and New York Times best-selling author Ron Rash; recent Kentucky poet laureate and memoirist Crystal Wilkinson (nonfiction); celebrated playwright and Knoxville poet laureate Linda Parsons (poetry), and award-winning Cherokee novelist Kelli Jo Ford (fiction).

Metro Arts is Seeking Community Grant Panelists
June 15: Application Deadline. Metro Arts is seeking community members in Davidson County & surrounding counties to serve as grant panelists! Panelists review and score applications to inform funding recommendations for General Operating Support and Thrive Project Grants. Panelists play a critical role in Metro Arts’ grant programs, and this is an impactful way to support Nashville artists and arts organizations. This is a paid opportunity, and selected panelists will receive a stipend of $500.

Remix the Past Film Contest
July 15 Deadline. Explore history through vintage movies and enter the inaugural Remix the Past Film Contest. Using select archival footage from TAMIS, filmmakers and artists are invited to remix the enduring idea of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Top entries will light up the screen at the Tennessee Theatre on August 15. Go ahead and revisit the past through a new lens. Prizes awarded for best 1-3 minute film ($500), best 30 second-1minute film ($150) and People’s Choice ($250)

YNST Magazine: Open Call to Artists, Writers, and Poets for Issues 12 – 14
YNST is by and for Appalachian creatives, and always free to submit. Seeking art and poetry / short creative writing to round out the rest of this year’s creative content. YNST takes rolling submissions of work samples and story pitches between open calls. All submissions will be considered for both print and digital publication. Click for more information.

Vendor Applications Open for Knoxville Asian Festival, Aug 29-30
Interested in being part of the festival? Be involved as a Commercial Vendor, Volunteer, Country Booth, Food Vendor, or Performer: https://www.knoxasianfestival.com/applications/

Arts & Craft Vendor Applications Open: Louie Bluie Music & Arts Festival
August 29 Deadline. Open to local and area artists and crafters of Appalachia.

Current Art Fund: Project Grants for Tennessee Artists
August 31 Deadline. Tri-Star Arts will award Current Art Fund grants of $7,500 each to 8 Tennessee-based contemporary visual artists this year ($60,000 total). The Current Art Fund seeks to support visual artists and artist collectives in creating independent, non-traditional, public-facing projects that contribute to the rich dialogue within contemporary visual art scenes across the state of Tennessee. The call for applicants will be open from June 1 – August 31, 2026.

Tennessee Craft Fair Applications
July 15 Deadline. Tennessee Craft invites you to apply! The 48th Annual Fall Tennessee Craft Fair 2026, open free to the public October 9-11, 2026, outdoors in heart of Nashville at beautiful Centennial Park, adjacent to the iconic Parthenon. The show is ranked in the top 30 of premier craft art fairs in the country. Attracting approximately 45,000 visitors annually, an opportunity for artists to directly meet and engage patrons, collectors, and the public. This juried art show presents traditional and contemporary fine craft, handmade by ~200 individual artists. Eligibility is open to all artists who are residents in the U.S.

Call For Artists: Best of Tennessee Craft: 2026 Biennial
July 31 Deadline. Tennessee Craft invites artists, statewide, to apply to the Best of Tennessee Craft: 2026 Biennial, to encourage and promote a high standard of excellence and design among Tennessee craft artists and to provide public visibility and recognition for the quality and diversity of craft found in Tennessee. The exhibition is open to original works of craft created by artists 18 years or older, who are current residents of Tennessee, including students. Submit Application on CaFE.

Geneva Galleries: Call for Artists
Deadline: Rolling until all exhibition slots are filled
Calling all local emerging and mid-career artists to submit work for a special series of exhibitions curated exclusively for First Friday opportunities in 2026. This will include vital career building information to help build your art portfolio and media presence. Examples of work and bio may be sent to W James Taylor: tip_taylor@hotmail.com

NATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

The 2026 Photo Review 41st Annual International Photography Competition
May 20 Deadline. The Photo Review’s 41st Annual International Photography Competition is now open for entries. This year’s juror is Dr. Sarah Kennel, the inaugural Aaron Siskind Curator of Photography and Director of the Raysor Center for Works on Paper at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts — one of the country’s leading photography scholars. Prize-winning work will be exhibited at the Woodmere Art Museum in Philadelphia, and accepted entries will be reproduced in The Photo Review journal and seen by thousands of photographers, collectors, and curators worldwide.

USA Miniprints for Peace and Justice (Cincinnati, OH)
June 1: Application Deadline. SOS ART would like to invite American artist printmakers and/or artist printmakers living in the United States to participate. Free! Miniprints are limited to only traditional techniques of printmaking (digital prints not accepted) and should relate to themes of peace and justice. Free! https://sosartcincinnati.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miniprints-for-peace-and-justice-2026-call-to-artists.pdf

Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants
Rolling deadline. The Foundation welcomes applications from visual artists who are painters, sculptors, and artists who work on paper, including printmakers. Grants are intended for a one-year period of time. The Foundation will review expenditures relating to an artist’s professional work and personal expenses, and amounts range up to $50,000. Artists must be actively exhibiting their current work in professional artistic venues, such as gallery and museum spaces. Learn more and apply here.

Rolling application deadline: ArtFields Artist in Residence Program (Lake City, SC)
This new initiative expands our commitment to supporting Southern artists by offering dedicated time, space, and resources to create, experiment, and connect with the Lake City community. https://www.artfieldssc.org/news/artfields-launches-artist-residency-program/.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES & CREATIVE WORKSHOPS

Knoxville Creatives & The Creative Kind Spring Speaker Series
May 21: Halee Sprinkle from Czech Yourself Marketing, Location Knox Base Coworking, 8:30AM – 10:00AM
June 19: Shannon Herron from Dogwood Arts at Dogwood Gallery, 123 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville

Creative Photography Workshops with Leanne Trivett
May 6 – June 3, Pop Art Photography: explore repetition, collage, vibrant color & mixed media to transform ordinary images into iconic art.

June 4 – July 2, Emotions and the Ephemeral World of Florals: flowers are an ideal vehicle for expressing personal narrative through imagery. With their vibrant natural beauty, they invite photographers into an evocative realm of emotion and dreams, where relationships are revealed and beauty emerges.

October 5 – 9: The Theatrical Eye: Where Frame, Stage, and Storytelling Meet: infuse your images with theatrical storytelling through the elements of character, emotion, and drama.

Arrowmont Spring Workshops are now OPEN
Immersive workshops provide students of all skill levels the opportunity to work alongside talented instructors in our professionally equipped studios. Our instructors are studio artists, college or university faculty, and lifelong creators who are passionate about sharing their techniques with others. Click to find a workshop!
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Ongoing Creative Opportunities

(NEW) Sightseers: A Drawing Club for People Who Like Plants
Third Thursdays, 6:00PM – 8:00PM: Join the team from Museum of Infinite Outcomes at the Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum for an evening of en plein air drawing — a practice of observing light, form, color, and scale. Each session features a botanical model and guided observation exercises. Bring your own supplies (basic materials available) and enjoy a creative, reflective experience in nature. Suggested donation: $10. No pre-registration required.

Luna Creative: Sketch Club Saturdays
Join fellow artists on Saturday mornings 10am – Noon for a creative refresh in a welcoming, lighthearted environment. You’ll have the option of being inside, in a spacious, light-filled space with access to a full kitchen, or outside under a covered pavilion. You can bring a project you’d like to work on, sketch from provided still life sets, or work plein aire. All levels are welcome and no experience is needed. Join the club here!

PSCC Lifelong Learning Catalog for Spring 2026
Pellissippi State Community College has released its Spring 2026 Lifelong Learning Catalog, featuring professional development courses designed for today’s workplace. Offerings include training in AI for business, leadership development, LinkedIn strategy, and specialized manufacturing and industry programs. These locally delivered courses can provide an affordable way to upskill employees and strengthen leadership pipelines. Learn more

Register now for 2026 Art Classes at the Fountain City Art Center
We offer art classes in oil, acrylic, watercolor, drawing, and three-dimensional art for children and adults, with more classes in the works. Classes are offered at a discounted rate for FCAC members. Join today and enjoy the benefits of membership while supporting our community of arts and music. https://www.fountaincityartcenter.com/art-classes

Creative Capital Self-Paced Learning: Taxes for Artists
Learn essentials for managing taxes as an artist—including filing requirements, income and expense tracking, common deductions, and when to work with an accountant. Taxes for Artists demystifies tax filing—so you can approach tax season with more clarity and less stress. The course breaks down the types of taxes artists may encounter, from federal and state income tax to employment and sales taxes, including how rates work and how they’re calculated. Learn more HERE

Artist Lab Course: Legal Basics For Artists
Learn about contracts regarding who owns art made within different working relationships. These relationships include working in partnerships and collectives, working for an organization as an employee or independent contractor, and working with an organization to exhibit your work. The course also covers when to form a legal entity, and offers questionnaires about how to know if you own a copyright, what to ask before entering a creative collaboration, and how to prepare for your first meeting with a lawyer. https://creative-capital.org/resources/legal-basics-for-artists

Free Dance Advocacy Training for Dance Professionals
On-demand, comprehensive webinars on advocacy in the government and the workplace. Dance/USA believes every dance professional can acquire the skills to create change. Access both trainings immediately, then sign up for companion resources to put your learning into action. https://www.danceusa.org/advocacy-resources/free-dance-advocacy-trainings

JOBS

The WordPlayers Theater Company: Part-Time Development Director
The WordPlayers, Knoxville TN – a mission-driven, faith-based theatre company serving East Tennessee – seeks a part-time Development Director to lead fundraising efforts that support hope-filled, community-centered programming. This role combines strategy and hands-on execution, with a focus on donor relationships, grant writing, and annual giving.

Information and Application process here: Development-Director-Job-Description

The Community School of the Arts Seeks an Executive Director

Ijams Nature Center: Guest Relations Associate

Marble City Opera Seeks Managing Director Part-Time Position | Knoxville, TN Area

Tennessee Nonprofit Network: Job Board

MEMBER NEWS

Announcing the opening of Garden Retrospective, an exhibition by ACA Member Cheri Jorgenson!
May 5 – July 5 at Tomato Head West | Greet the Artist: Tuesday, July 5, 7-8:30pm

Garden Retrospective showcases artwork created over twenty years at The State Botanical Garden of Tennessee in Knoxville and features Jorgenson’s favorite and most recent works from the UT Gardens.

Join us in congratulating the following Artists on their recent sales at the Emporium!

Arthur Hall, The Simultaneity of Glass
Dennis Duchon, Night Fairy
Amanda Mohney, Arrival (Spring)

LOCAL, REGIONAL and NATIONAL NEWS / SUGGESTED READING

Check back!

CONFERENCES

Check back!

ONGOING CALLS

Rolling deadline: Express Grants from South Arts
www.southarts.org/community-organization-grants/express-grants

Rolling deadline: Ford Foundation Grants Available for Independent Film and Media Projects
www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/justfilms/

New York Foundation for the Arts: COVID-19 Related Resources for Artists of All Disciplines
www.nyfa.org/Content/Show/Emergency%20Grants

National Endowment for the Arts – COVID-19 Resources for Artists and Arts Organizations
www.arts.gov/covid-19-resources-for-artists-and-arts-organizations

Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund
https://www.adobe.com/about-adobe/creative-residency/community-fund.html

The Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant
www.gottliebfoundation.org/emergency-grant/

Americans for the Arts’ Public Art Opportunities
https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/networks-and-councils/public-art-network/opportunities.

Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts: Scholarships (Gatlinburg)
https://arrowmont.org/financial-aid/

Arts and Craft Show Listings in Tennessee
www.artscraftsshowbusiness.com/eventlistings_1.aspx

Art Gallery Submissions for The Bijou Theatre (Knoxville)
https://knoxbijou.org/galleryform.html

Art Gallery at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church: Exhibitions (Oak Ridge)
www.oruuc.org/the-art-gallery-at-oruuc

ArtWalk Connect for First Fridays in Knoxville
https://www.downtownknoxville.org/firstfriday-artwalk/connect/

The Awesome Foundation: $1,000 Grants
www.awesomefoundation.org/en

The Bascom’s Residency and Internship Program (Highlands, NC)
https://www.thebascom.org/professional-development/residencies-fellowships-internships

BoldBrush Competitions (online)
https://faso.com/boldbrush/

Bristol Public Library Seeks Exhibition Proposals (Bristol, VA)
https://bristol-library.org/art-in-the-library/

Broadway Studios & Gallery: Guest Artist Gallery (Knoxville)
Call 865-556-8676. www.broadwaystudiosandgallery.com

John C. Campbell Folk School – 9-Week Work Studies (Brasstown, NC)
www.folkschool.org/index.php?section=articles&article_cat_id=24&article_id=97

Community TV Program – Artisan Features
www.youtube.com/channel/UCsUVy7O4lv98uXd6KiU6APQ. If you have ideas for a show or know an artist who might be interested in being profiled, please contact Greg Downs, 865-399-3907 or gregorydowns55@gmail.com

Wilma W. Daniels Gallery Call for Exhibition Proposals (Wilmington, NC)
https://cfcc.ungerboeck.com/prod/app/embedded-oar.html?CC=2#&ui4nvh!eyJuYXYiOiJ2aWV3QWRkQWNjb3VudCJ9!ui4nvh; zpluer@cfcc.edu or 910-362-7896.

Dogwood Arts: First Friday Artist/Curator Applications
https://www.dogwoodarts.com/applications

Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation: Artist Grants
https://www.elizabethgreenshieldsfoundation.org/

The Emporium Center
www.knoxalliance.com/emporium-exhibition-policies

Foundation for Contemporary Arts: Emergency Grants
www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/emergency-grants

Knoxville Entrepreneur Center: Free One-On-One Mentor Session Sign-Ups
https://kecmentoring.as.me/schedule.php

The Maker City Directory
https://themakercity.org/news/join-the-maker-city-directory

LOCATE Arts Artist Registry
http://locatearts.org/artists/submit

National Park Service Artist-in-Residence Programs
www.nps.gov/subjects/arts/air.htm

National Parks Arts Foundation Residencies
www.nationalparksartsfoundation.org/#!apply-/c1as3

Oak Ridge Art Center: Exhibition Proposals (Oak Ridge)
Info: oakridgeartcenter@comcast.net

O’Brien Art Gallery at Roane State Community College: Exhibition Proposals (Harriman)
865-354-3000 x4748 or wilkersonbs@roanestate.edu

Old Furnace Artist Residency (Harrisonburg, VA)
http://oldfurnace.tumblr.com

Be a Presenter at PechaKucha Night Knoxville (various dates)
http://form.jotform.com/60598746827170

Public Art Kingsport Seeks Exhibit Proposals (Kingsport)
To apply, submit brief bio, artist statement and up to five images of work: bethestep@kingsporttn.gov

Rothrock Used Bookstore (at Lawson McGhee Library) Call to Artists (Knoxville)
Call or email Susan Bernard: Tanbryn@me.com or 865-805-9349 (leave a message).

Tennessee Arts Commission: Student Ticket Subsidy Information
https://tnartscommission.org/grants/student-ticket-subsidy-sts/

Tennessee Arts Commission: Various Grants
https://tnartscommission.org/grant-opportunities/

Thin Air (online publication)
https://thinair.submittable.com/submit

Todd Art Gallery (TAG) Exhibition Proposals (Murfreesboro)
https://mtsutoddartgallery.submittable.com/submit/37329/todd-art-gallery-tag-exhibition-proposal-guidelines

Women’s Studio Workshop Grants, Residencies, Internships (Rosendale, NY)
www.wsworkshop.org/opportunity-calendar/

ONGOING WORKSHOPS

Mon, Tue & Thu: Free Movement Classes (Zoom)
Contact Don Parsley for more info or to be added to his zoom listing at spiritofthedragon01@gmail.com

Wednesdays, 10:15 AM – 1 PM: Bead Weaving for Beginners (Norris)
With Sharon Wilcox. https://app-arts-craft-center.square.site/product/bead-weaving-for-beginners/1213

Wednesdays, 6-8 PM: Life Drawing Sessions (Knoxville)
www.knoxdraw.com/sessions

Thursdays, 9:30 AM: Plein Air Group near Tellico Village
Info: maryladner2011@gmail.com

Sundays, Circle Modern Dance Classes
865-309-5309, www.circlemoderndance.com

Sundays, 4 PM: Knoxville Argentine Tango Classes
http://www.knoxvilletango.org/home.html

Appalachian Center for Craft
www.tntech.edu/fine-arts/craftcenter/workshops/

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (Gatlinburg)
865-436-5860 or https://arrowmont.org/about-workshops/

Art Guild at Fairfield Glade (Fairfield Glade)
931-707-7249; www.artguildfairfieldglade.net

Art Guild of Tellico Village
423-884-3191, www.tellicoartguild.org

John C. Campbell Folk School (Brasstown, NC)
www.folkschool.org/

Dragonfly Aerial & Circus Arts Studio Classes
www.dragonflyaerialartsstudio.com

Knox Makers Upcoming Events/Workshops
https://knoxmakers.org/events/

Knox Music Studios
865-330-9730 or www.knoxmusicstudios.com

Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center Art Classes
www.knoxvilletn.gov/kafcc or 865-523-1401

Knoxville Children’s Theatre Classes
https://knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com/classes/

The Maker City: Maker Meet-ins
http://themakercity.org/meet-in

Mighty Mud: Programs, Classes & Workshops
https://classes.mightymud.com/

Momentum Dance Lab: Classes
www.momentumdancelab.org/classes

Museum of Infinite Outcomes: Workshops
http://museumofinfiniteoutcomes.com/school

Oak Ridge Art Center Classes & Workshops
865-482-1441 or www.oakridgeartcenter.org

Pellissippi State Community College: Lifelong Learning Classes
www.pstcc.edu/

Relay Ridge: Workshops
https://relayridge.org/workshops/

Rose Center Community Education Spotlight: Current Classes
https://www.rosecenter.org/take-a-class

Social Dance Knoxville
https://socialdanceknoxville.com/

Studio Arts for Dancers
http://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=540749 and https://studioartsfordancers.net

Free Webinars using WordPress
Topics include Getting Started: Website Building 101, Making Money, Quick Start: Blogging , WooCommerce 101, and more. https://wordpress.com/webinars/

This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by the City of Knoxville and Knox County.