Calendar of Events

The Emporium Center: The Fountain City Art Guild

Category: Exhibitions, visual art and Free event

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at The Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from October 1-31, 2021. A free reception with the artists will take place on Friday, October 1, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features an outdoor concert by Knoxville Opera musicians. All visitors to the Emporium are required to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing guidelines. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

The Fountain City Art Guild will feature original art by nearly 30 local artists including oils, watercolors, woodworking, and more. The mission of the Guild is to create an atmosphere that promotes, encourages, guides, supports, and informs artists in our guild, which currently has about 50 members.

The Fountain City Art Guild began in 1979 as a group of women who met in the “Art Cellar,” the basement of Chloe Harrington’s home. Most of the Guild members were watercolor artists. For several decades, they were known as the Fountain City Watercolor Guild, and they met in various churches and homes in the community, holding exhibitions in local businesses. In 2000, the Guild voted to allow other 2-D media in their exhibits, and in 2015 members voted to allow nonfunctional 3-D work as well.

In 2004, the Guild was instrumental in helping open the Fountain City Art Center at 213 Hotel Avenue, the location of the old Fountain City Library. Guild membership is a juried process occurring in late fall and early spring. In addition to monthly meetings, the Guild also hosts exhibitions at the Center and occasionally in the community. Guild members bring a wide variety of skills and interests.

The exhibitions are on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Saturday, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (closed Saturday, October 30 and open Sunday, October 31, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM). For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.