Join the Arts & Culture Alliance for First Friday, September 5, 2025, in the just renovated Emporium, 100 S. Gay Street. The reception is 5-9 p.m. Celebrate local artists presenting new exhibitions and demonstrations with music by Blount County artist Robinella.
Michael Dickins curates Givin’ the What For
The What For exhibition takes its title from a Southern colloquialism that expresses stern disapproval or a serious reckoning. It’s a phrase rooted in confrontation, calling for accountability and highlighting the weight of one’s actions.
Curated by Michael Dickins, this exhibition showcases the work of six women artists living and working in Southern Appalachia. Although they choose to be rooted in this region, their practices go beyond geographic identity.
Using a mixture of media and materials, these artists tackle urgent global concerns such as social justice, environmental degradation, personal and collective identity and political unrest. Their work challenges, provokes, questions and critiques. The exhibition will end November 1.
The artists included in this iteration are Erika Diamond, J. Leigh Garcia, Katie Hargrave, Stacy Kranitz, Susan Alta Martin and Liz Trader Williams.
The Ethiopian
The Ethiopian: Photography by Cyndy B. Waters
The Ethiopian is a deep look into the country where some of the earliest fossil evidence of early modern humans first appeared.
It is also the second most populated African country, and while I did not find it to be crowded, I did find the most wonderful variety of people and traditions there, says photographer Cyndy B. Waters.
This exhibition includes imagery from the Danakil Depression, wildlife and people in Southern Ethiopia that are part of Omo River Valley tribes. Each tribe is quite different from the others, and photographing these people was a step back in time and a long look into windows of their culture and traditions that are still very much alive today.
“I was privileged to walk in their midst and be allowed to take photographs”
Cyndy B. Waters was born in Sevierville and has worked as a photographer for the state of Tennessee, an Official Photographer for the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, and operated Paine & Waters Photography specializing in political PR on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Info: https://cyndybwaters.smugmug.com or OrbitVillage.org
Appalachian Memories by Matthew Kent Trinkle
This exhibit is inspired by the rich landscapes and diverse wildlife that call the Great Smoky Mountains their home.
Matthew Kent Trinkle is an oil painter from Jacksonville, Florida. A graduate of the University of North Florida’s conservation management program, he is passionate about the outdoors and uses his art to help people envision the more remote places of the world that they may not otherwise see.
Trinkle lives in Knoxville with his wife, Hannah, and their dog, Percy. While he works as a buyer for an outdoor retailer, he hopes to continue growing his art business to pursue painting full time.
The artist is donating 15% of proceeds from this exhibition to Friends of the Smokies, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and preserving the National Park for future generations. His hope is that through this artwork, all may share in the appreciation and stewardship of these treasured hills, ensuring their stories live on for generations to come. Info: artofmatthewkent.com
Thanks to Suzanne Cada who provided information and quotes for this story.
