September 9, 2026 [Knoxville, Tennessee]— This week, Dogwood Arts began installing the 2026–2027 Art in Public Places Sculpture Exhibition, bringing 29 new outdoor sculptures to public spaces throughout Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Maryville, and Alcoa. Now in its 20th year, the Dogwood Arts sculpture program continues to create opportunities for communities across East Tennessee to encounter contemporary art in the places they live, work, and play.
Public art has a unique ability to make art part of everyday life. It invites people to pause, explore, question, and see familiar places from a new perspective, often without requiring a trip to a museum or gallery. Through the Art in Public Places program, Dogwood Arts is proud to bring artists and audiences together in shared public spaces, making high-quality contemporary sculpture accessible to everyone.
This year's exhibition features artists from 14 states across the country, offering East Tennessee an opportunity to experience an incredible range of artistic perspectives, materials, and ideas.
“Public art allows us to experience art in unexpected places and to see our community through the eyes of artists with perspectives that may be very different from our own,” said Emily Curran, Visual Arts Program Manager at Dogwood Arts. “We’re incredibly lucky to have artists from across the country bring their work to East Tennessee, and every year, we’re reminded of how much creativity and talent there is to discover when we make space for art in our everyday lives.”
The 2026–2027 exhibition also marks an exciting expansion of the program with two new sculptures installed along the highly anticipated SoKno Rail Trail & Art Walk in South Knoxville as well as an additional new placement in Alcoa. Select members of the City of Knoxville’s Public Art Committee juried this year’s exhibition.
The largest concentration of sculptures, 13 pieces, will be installed in Krutch Park in Downtown Knoxville. Market Street between Clinch and Union Avenues will be closed on Sunday, September 13th, from 8AM-5PM to accommodate sculptures requiring a crane for installation.
The artists represented in this year's exhibition are: Matt Amante, Denice Bizot, Brian Ferriby, Rachel Gardner, Jennifer Rubin Garey, Adam Garey, Beau Lyday, Cecelia Moseley, Aldo Muzzarelli, Matthias Neumann, John Parker, Nathan Pierce, Chris Plaisted, Howard Russo, Kirk Seese, Corrina Sephora, Seth Thibodaux, Durant Thompson, Adam Walls, Jim Weitzel, Russell Whiting, Chris Wubbena, and Joni Younkins-Herzog.
Together, these artists represent Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
The sculptures will remain on display through September 2027, allowing residents and visitors alike to experience new works throughout the year. Sculpture sites include Downtown Knoxville (Krutch Park, Emory Place, Maker Exchange, and UT Gardens); East Knoxville (Knoxville Botanical Gardens & Arboretum, Zoo Knoxville, and The Muse); West Knoxville (ORNL Federal Credit Union–Northshore Branch); Oak Ridge (American Museum of Science & Energy, Jackson Square, ORNL Federal Credit Union–Oak Ridge, and ORNL Federal Credit Union–Oak Ridge West); and Maryville/Alcoa (Clayton Center for the Arts, the Greenway near the Blount County Courthouse, and Alcoa Municipal Building).
The full Art in Public Places collection includes 40 sculptures — 29 new works and 12 works on permanent display.
Art in Public Places
Dogwood Arts’ Art in Public Places program brings art outside, adding creativity, character, and beauty to the streets and public spaces of our region. The program includes an annually rotating outdoor sculpture exhibition and a large-scale mural program, with artworks installed in prominent locations throughout Knoxville, Oak Ridge, and Blount County.
Founded in 2007 by Eddie Mannis and Bart Watkins, the sculpture program has since curated and installed 346 works of art and gained national recognition as a platform for exhibiting world-class sculptors. By placing art in parks, along greenways, in business districts, and throughout community gathering spaces, the program helps make art an integral part of the region's everyday landscape.
The Art in Public Places Program is made possible with support from ORNL Federal Credit Union, Downtown Knoxville Alliance, Zoo Knoxville, UT Gardens, Prestige Cleaners, Legacy Parks, Knoxville Botanical Gardens, Johnson Architecture, Maker Exchange, Blount Foundation, C2RL, Inc., CBBC Bank, Greater Smokies Region, Lea Anne Law, City of Maryville, Tommy & Carol Hunt, John & Sue Clark, and the City of Alcoa.
Dogwood Arts, presented by ORNL Federal Credit Union, is a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to promote and celebrate our region’s art, culture, and natural beauty.