Murals can enliven a city, set a tone for a city, and simply provide a fun space to explore. Last week I wrote about Strong Alley between Market Square and Gay Street, which has long been a draw for locals and tourists alike. Now a group of local organizations, spearheaded by Dogwood Arts is thinking much bigger. What if there was a very large, enclosed space for murals by local artists as well as nationally known artists? That’s exactly what they have in mind with Knox Walls at Emory Place. I met with Executive Director Sherry Jenkins and Program Manager Emily Curran of Dogwood Arts and Ilana Brodt of Lilienthal Gallery to talk about the plans.
The idea behind the murals is to form a new space to attract interest and draw attention to art in the city. Sherry said she rode by the buildings on Central and noticed the back of one of the buildings was tagged and the back of the newly refurbished buildings owned by Brodt on the other side of the alley had a bright, fresh paint job, perfect for murals.
She called Ilana, who was immediately receptive to the idea, but wanted to build on it. Ilana suggested that the project be similar to Wynwood Walls in Miami. “I said we need to cover everything, top to bottom, with a theme, and it has to be permanent.” She also suggested bringing on the Harb family, who own the building facing Broadway, to form a plaza. Emily pointed out, “We’d added a couple of sculptures up here (Emory Place) and we had a lot of great response to that and wanted to add to the representation of public art north of downtown . . . connecting the corridor and making it more pedestrian friendly . . . We had a one-time opportunity . . . to do some projects we’ve never been able to do on this scale.”
Sherry said that the project in Strong Alley allows them to introduce new artists and to help them gain exposure. This project is different. “The second she mentioned it, we were all on the same page and thought this is an opportunity to do something that’s big and different and Knoxville doesn’t have this, in terms of this collection of large-scale permanent murals . . . The thing for Dogwood Arts is we are eager and ready to commission artists to create work in Knoxville . . . We had funding that we wanted to allocate to murals and then we have a property owner who is every bit as invested as we are.”
Ilana and the Harb Family are providing the surfaces and Ilana is funding the infrastructure (they hope to have the alley re-paved), while Dogwood Arts and Visit Knoxville are paying the artists. Dogwood Arts sent out the call for artists and they have been selected locally and from around the country. The idea is that the local and national artists will work together and make connections. Muralists Curtis Glover and Megan Lingerfelt were involved in the project from the beginning and helped complete the national selection. Over one hundred applied and a dozen were chosen. Curtis and Megan will also have their own work represented.
The artists will begin work next week, with most of them coming in during August. The Lilienthal Gallery will be open to them for lunch and provide restrooms and showers. They hope to build a small community for a brief time with the idea that collaborations might grow from the project. Sherry said, “These artists have been so lovely to work with . . . and they are excited about the opportunity.” In the press release which followed my interview, Sherry said, ““The high caliber of artists who responded to our nationwide call surpassed our expectations and our entire team is brimming with excitement to bring each of the artists selected to Knoxville — it’s an opportunity unlike any other for us to welcome and host internationally-recognized, award-winning artists to leave their mark on our city.”
Sherry said, “I fully believe this is going to be our next tourist destination. People are going to come. The City of Knoxville and Visit Knoxville supports the arts. I think its one thing that makes Knoxville, Knoxville, compared to other cities our size that don’t have the rich arts and cultural scene that we have.” They hope this is the first of several large-scale projects of this type.
In addition to Dogwood Arts and Lilienthal Gallery, the project is supported by funding from Visit Knoxville, ORNL Federal Credit Union, and the TN Arts Commission, as well as property owners, Ilana Brodt and Johnny and Libby Harb. The work should be finished around the end of September. A collection of events will surround the opening at First Friday in October (October 4). The plaza will open, galleries will be open, and street artists from around the country will perform in Emory Place. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate the arts and how they enrich our lives.