time. place. curated by Ashley Layendecker

February 6 – March 29, 2026
time. place. curated by Ashley Layendecker
Opening reception: Friday, February 6, 5:00-9:00 PM
Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM with additional hours on Fridays (Feb 13, 20 & 27), 5:00-7:00 PM for Gallery 1010 openings. Additional hours in March (including Big Ears Festival) TBA.
The Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN 37902

time. place. examines how geographic and temporal contexts shape artistic practice, how creative relationships influence the ways we work, and how shared consciousness emerges within artistic communities. The exhibition considers how artists are formed not only by where and when they work, but by the people who surround, challenge, and support them.

time. place. features artists who are all Tennessee-based, Tennessee-born, or deeply influenced by this region with strong ties to Knoxville and Nashville. Curated by Ashley Layendecker, each featured artist has had a personal impact on her journey as an artist and curator working within these communities. The proverb “iron sharpens iron” serves as a guiding framework for this exhibition: when two pieces of iron are rubbed together, both are refined and sharpened, and the saying speaks to mutually beneficial relationships grounded in accountability, encouragement, and constructive feedback.

Featured artists will respond to a prompt addressing the significance of time and place within their practice as well as the work presented. These reflections will be shared throughout the exhibition’s run and discussed further during an artist panel on the closing weekend during Big Ears Festival (date and time forthcoming).

Artists exhibited include: Asafe Pereira, Benjy Russell, Brandon Donahue-Shipp, Brianna Bass, Daniel Bruce Hughes, Eric Cagley, Josh Bienko, Joshua Shorey, Katarina Riesing, Kayla Rumpp, Lynne Marinelli Ghenov, Megan White, Nathan Sulfaro, Rubens Ghenov, and Thomas Wharton

Ashley Layendecker (B. 1993) is an Independent Curator and the Director at Red Arrow Gallery in Nashville. A former practicing artist, she discovered her passion for curating shortly after receiving her BFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2016. Her time at UTK deeply inspired her as classmates, graduate students and professors formed her critical eye and influenced her on a profound level. Many of these artists are included in this exhibition. Layendecker gained significant experience while volunteering at Fluorescent Gallery (2016-2018); she learned her true passion didn’t lie in promoting her own art but the art of others. Since joining Red Arrow in 2018, she has curated over 60 exhibitions in Nashville, New York, Mexico City, Chicago, and Miami. As the Director at Red Arrow, Layendecker oversees daily operations, curates exhibitions, and drives the gallery’s strategic direction. She represents the careers of six artists: Annie Brito Hodgin, Ashanté Kindle, Julian Rogers, Karen Seapker, Margaret R. Thompson, and Emily Weiner. Her curatorial work for Red Arrow has been most notably featured in The Wall Street Journal, Galerie Magazine, and W Magazine. As a proud member and fierce contributor of the Tennessee Art Scene, her mission is to make Southern-based artists more well-known outside of the region and to share the importance of the art made here. Layendecker sits on the board of The Warhol Society at The Frist Museum of Art in Nashville. She is the Co-Founder of Nashville Pantheon, housed in The Nashville Downtown Presbyterian Church, which hosts experimental and experiential pop-up exhibitions.