KMA reopens its doors to the public with immersive digital art exhibition
Published July 14, 2023

KNOXVILLE – The Knoxville Museum of Art proudly presents Eco Tone: Courtney Egan Featuring Collaborations with Natori Green, on view June 16-August 27, 2023. An opening reception will take place on Friday, June 16, from 5:30-7:30 pm. The artists will be in attendance.

This free event is open to the public with a cash bar. In addition to the exhibition opening that evening, the museum will host its monthly Alive After Five concert series beginning at 6:30 pm.

Alive After Five Coordinator Brian Clay will be performing a tribute concert to the music of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. Tickets are $20 for KMA members and $25 for non-members.

Courtney Egan and Natori Green, Care and Cultivation, 2021-23, HD video, projection, knits; Knoxville Museum of Art

Courtney Egan is a New Orleans-based digital media artist, photographer, and naturalist who blends botanical art with sculpture and digital technologies. Eco Tone is a show of Egan's botanically-themed, projected artworks, including new pieces in collaboration with artist Natori Green. The ethereal projections–converging on walls, floors, and sculptural elements and occasionally interactive–are inspired by the growing frequency of human exposure to nature via computers or television. Egan explains the fundamental irony of the experience, stating, “We get closer and farther away from the natural world simultaneously when we experience it through a technological lens.” Native Plant Rescue Squad (NPRS) also collaborated with the artists to select botanical elements for the latest artworks to highlight the rich diversity of the native flora in East Tennessee.

Egan’s installations deliver an experience that is both pleasing and disconcerting. She creates stunning yet “subtly impossible, hybrid tableaus” that envelop the viewer in a conversation between memory of the natural world and a new experience with a plant or flower. KMA Executive Director David Butler says, “You’ll never look at a plant or flower quite the same after seeing Courtney Egan’s magical imagery, which employs sophisticated technology to unlock a deeper and more meaningful way to experience nature.”

Additional Eco Tone: Courtney Egan Featuring Collaborations with Natori Green, events include:

• Cocktails & Conversation: Courtney Egan; date and time to be determined.
• Free admission to everyone. Registration requested. Cash bar and light refreshments.
• Family Fun Day: Eco Tone - Saturday, August 12, 2023, 11am-3pm

The Knoxville Museum of Art gratefully acknowledges the generous support of The Guild of the Knoxville Museum of Art and The Knoxville Garden Club. The Tennessee Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Arts & Culture Alliance provided additional support. Also supported in part by Knox County and the U.S. Department of the Treasury and by the federal award number SLFRP5534 awarded to the State of Tennessee by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

The Knoxville Museum of Art celebrates East Tennessee’s rich, diverse visual culture and its connections to the wider currents of world art. The museum is located in downtown Knoxville at 1050 World's Fair Park. Regular hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10am-5pm, and Sunday, 1pm-5pm. Admission and parking are free.