When people think of Knoxville, it’s easy to picture The University of Tennessee’s mascot, Smokey, or to think about 100,000+ raucous fans singing Rocky Top all night long on a football Saturday. But the truth is that there’s a lot more to Knoxville and East Tennessee than just its rich sports history. The Knoxville Museum of Art does a great job of reminding us of the wealth of experience in East Tennessee through visual representation of our people, places, and surroundings.
Take Me to Higher Ground
The Higher Ground project is a permanent, ongoing exhibit that features artists native to East Tennessee and their achievements as well as other artists who came to the area and settled down here. These artists left a legacy that documents not only their own creative ambition but also the region’s natural beauty. Objects in this collection are provided by a combination of KMA and works on loan from a variety of public and private collections. This is the kind of collection that shows us the area that we call home, and does it in a new and different way. The exhibit features work from James Cameron, Lloyd Branson, Catherine Wiley, and others.
Passages to Different Viewpoints
Atlanta-born artist Radcliffe Bailey’s exhibit, Passages, uses 30 pieces of mixed media — including installations, sculpture, photography and more — to explore his viewpoint of the history of Africa and the effects of the slave trade on that continent and the southern United States. Bailey focuses on the tale of his own ancestors as they traversed the Middle Passage, the Great Migration, and other key stages in African-American history. The result is a powerful exhibit that leaves us thinking long after we’ve left the museum. And isn’t that the point of art — to provoke and inspire thought among the people who witness it?
You might also like: Snack Recipes To Satisfy Your Cravings
When You Go
The Knoxville Museum of Art is located at 1050 Worlds Fair Park Drive in — you may have guessed this — Knoxville, Tennessee. The museum is closed on Mondays, and otherwise open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. On Sundays, visitors are welcome from 1-5 p.m. Admission is free.
Disclaimer: The stock image is being used for illustrative purposes only, and it is not a direct representation of the business, recipe, or activity listed. Any person depicted in the stock image is a model.