The Art of Community Entry Information
The Art of Community at UT Medical Center
Entries due by midnight on Sunday, July 5, 2026
On display July 28, 2026 through January 2027 (end date TBA) at UT Medical Center
1924 Alcoa Hwy, Knoxville, TN
Please find the online entry form at the bottom of the page.
Statement of Purpose
UT Medical and The Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville are delighted to announce a call for artists for our next “The Art of Healing” exhibit. “The Art of Healing” is a biannual, juried exhibition of works by regional artists. Artwork is displayed in highly visited sites at UT Medical Center, providing benefits to patients, community members, and UT Medical team members.
Theme: The Art of Community
Artwork for this new exhibit is intended to uplift patients and inspire healing while brightening and beautifying UT Medical Center. This new exhibit will be unveiled in August 2026 to help celebrate UT Medical’s 70th anniversary in our community. This exhibition seeks to feature artwork that provides:
- An overall theme of community, togetherness, connection, history and/or heritage of Knoxville and the regions throughout East Tennessee
- A creative theme of vibrant transformation, restoration, peace, emotional expression, creative journeys, catharsis, nature and/or the healing power of art;
- A connection between art and mental or physical well-being.
“What a beautiful initiative! Bringing art into healing spaces has such a powerful impact on patients, families and care teams.” – UT Medical Patient
About the Exhibition Space
Approximately 25-40 works will comprise this 70th Anniversary Exhibition. Work is exhibited on 5 walls (approximately 72 linear feet) in two main thoroughfares between the Heart Hospital entrance off fountain circle and the Boling Pavilion off flag circle. It is available for viewing 24/7 by patients, visitors and team members of the Region’s Academic Health System. The centrally-located, high traffic areas are located near registration, the information desk, Garden View Eatery cafeteria, the Health Information Center, Wood Auditorium and the team member respite garden area.
Juror
Robert Felker was born in Knoxville and grew up in Nashville. He has a BFA in Media Arts from the School of Visual Arts, NYC where he studied painting and illustration. After several years as a freelance illustrator, he transitioned to graphic design while continuing to paint and make collages. His Patron Saints of Rock® series began as a labor of love and debuted at the Bijou Theatre in 2019, then again in 2022 and 2026 at The Emporium Center. He also paints land/cityscapes en plein air and in studio and has completed several public art projects: the Cormac McCarthy Firefly Mural on Clinch Avenue; the Bijou Theatre’s 111th Anniversary Commemorative Mural; and East Tennessee Sunrise, a collaboration with R.B. Morris, inspired by the poetry of President Jimmy Carter and located at the Knoxville Habitat for Humanity headquarters on Washington Avenue. Learn more at Robert Felker Art
Sales & Commission
Every effort is made to promote sales, including via an online shop at www.knoxalliance.store. WORK MUST BE FOR SALE and will remain on exhibition if it sells. All sales are handled by the Arts & Culture Alliance, who retains a 25% commission (20% for cash and check sales). To operate in accordance with the Tennessee Department of Revenue guidelines, the Alliance will add sales tax to the price of each work that sells from UT Medical Center and for which it collects payment. UT Medical Center will not receive any proceeds from the sale of artwork.
Eligibility and Size Requirements
This exhibition is open to all artists 18 years and older residing in these 34 counties of East Tennessee: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Cumberland, Fentress, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Loudon, McMinn, Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Polk, Rhea, Roane, Scott, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, and Washington.
Artists must be individual members of the Arts & Culture Alliance (there is a pay what you can option) by the entry deadline. Anyone may join! Join or renew here!
Entries must be 2-D original works in the following categories: Painting (oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, alcohol ink, digital, and mixed media); Graphic Arts (pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, conte, colored pencil, and printmaking); and Photography (color, black and white, digital). Giclees are ineligible. Electricity is not available. Artwork created in whole or in part using any artificial intelligence system is not eligible.
+ The maximum allowed size of framed artwork is 36” x 36”.
+ Weight is not to exceed 40 lbs.
+ At this time, diptychs and triptychs are not allowed.
WORKS MUST BE:
1) WIRED FOR SECURE INSTALLATION (UNWIRED WORKS WILL NOT BE HUNG), and
2) METAL FRAMES ARE PREFERRED
These requirements are included because work is hanging in an area of high traffic for several months.
Handling, Theft, Damage or Loss
No insurance is available on exhibited artwork. The Alliance agrees to handle all artwork with proper care so that artwork will not be damaged, excepting ordinary wear and tear. The Alliance/UT Medical Center shall not be liable for damage or loss to the artwork. The Alliance agrees to notify an artist within 36 hours by telephone, e-mail, and/or by written notification upon the event of any theft, damage or loss that occurs while artwork is on display at UT Medical Center. In the event of loss or damage to artwork at fault of the Alliance, the Alliance agrees to compensate up to reasonable market value on each artwork as agreed upon by Artist and the Alliance’s Executive Director.
Liability
Receipt of the completed form constitutes your agreement with all conditions established in the prospectus. Unclaimed hand-delivered work is not insured after the posted pick-up date. Artists whose works are accepted for exhibition will be requested to submit a photograph and resume/biography upon notification of acceptance. The Alliance and UT Medical Center reserve the right to use artist information and images for exhibition, publicizing the event, and/or online (websites, social media channels, etc.). Consent to reproduce works photographically is assumed to be granted unless stated otherwise.
Entry Procedure
There is no entry fee for individual members of the Arts & Culture Alliance. If you are not a member, please visit our membership page to join for one year. If you are unsure of your membership status, please call 865-523-7543.
Works are juried by digital image only. Each 2-D work should be represented by one digital image with an additional detail image if appropriate (texture, surface embellishment, mixed media, etc.).
Upload digital images as files identified with entry form number (A & B) and title of work (example: A.Title.jpg, B.Title.jpg). Image size should be 1600 pixels on the longest side. Uploaded images must be JPEG, JPG, or PNG files and may not exceed 5 MB in size.
2026 Schedule
Entry forms, images, and fees received by: midnight on Sunday, July 5, 2026
Acceptance notification sent: Friday, July 17, 2026
Hand delivery date to the Emporium: Monday, July 20 – 24, between 9 AM – 4 PM
Exhibition installed: Tuesday July 28
Exhibition opens to the public: Wednesday July 29
Last day of exhibition: Anticipated to be the end of January 2027, TBA
Pick-up work from the Emporium: TBA
**No work is released before the end of the show.
Deliver accepted artwork to: The Emporium Center*, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902
*Detailed directions will be given prior to delivery date.
About the Arts & Culture Alliance
The Arts & Culture Alliance serves and supports a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Alliance receives financial support from the Tennessee Arts Commission. https://tnartscommission.org/
About UT Medical
UT Medical is East Tennessee’s academic health system with a mission to serve through healing, education and discovery. As one of the region’s largest employers, UT Medical is committed to improving access across its 21-county service area. The system continues to grow, supported by a network of primary and specialty care practices, outpatient centers and urgent care locations. Its 710-bed, not-for-profit hospital, UT Medical Center, in Knoxville is nationally recognized as a Magnet®-recognized organization, a Joint Commission–certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, the region’s only ACS-verified Level I Trauma Center and a state-designated perinatal referral center with a Level III private-room NICU. UT Medical plays a vital role in delivering advanced, comprehensive care to East Tennessee. Learn more at UTMedical.org.
HOW TO ENTER – 2 EASY STEPS
These two steps must be done separately – please make the payment, THEN fill out the form, OR VICE VERSA. Thank you!
1) Please make a secure card payment at our Membership Page for the $78 membership fee* if you are not currently a member. Membership is for one year.
*If you do not have the funds to pay for membership there is a Pay What You Can option.
Accepted payment types include debit and credit cards.
2) Return to this page to complete the entry form below and upload your images. Be sure to click the submit button at the end of the form.
Uploaded images must be JPEG, JPG, or PNG files and may not exceed 5 MB in size. After you successfully upload an image, the file name will appear on the form. If you need to replace the image, click on the “Delete” link next to the file name.
Upon successful submission of the entry form, you will receive a copy to the e-mail address you provided (and this page will refresh).
For assistance of any kind, please call (865) 523-7543 or email info@knoxalliance.com.