Help vote Knoxville as USA Today’s “Top Art District”
Last year, the Maker City took second place in the national rankings. This year, the artist community is united in moving up the leaderboard.
Knoxville’s Arts District showcases the work of local and international artists, and it’s a lively place to find undiscovered artists in galleries and studios. The city actively encourages artist engagement through the first Friday Art Walk in downtown Knoxville, which highlights local artists. Many of the galleries and studios are concentrated around the 100 Block of Gay Street.
In 2023, USA Today named Knoxville Arts District the #4 Best Arts District in its 10 Best Readers’ Choice awards, and in 2024, that ranking moved up to #2. Knoxville has been nominated again this year by a panel of industry experts and editors at the publication.
Annually, this list highlights the best destinations for business, travel recommendations, and exploration of the arts.
The nomination is largely due to the Maker City community, the Mayor’s Maker Council, and the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center. The Knoxville-area community of makers, artists, creatives, and small-scale manufacturers supports one another and receives support from local leaders. 2016 marked the creation of the Mayor’s Maker Council, which advocates for programming, partnerships, and opportunities for local artists. According to the Maker City, just short of a thousand makers belong to the community group and it continues to grow each year. Those makers are participating in regularly scheduled maker meetups, and learning new business skills from one another.
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