Dogwood blossoms; image by Jeaneane Payne |
Since 1955, Dogwood Arts has hosted Knoxville’s favorite springtime celebration. What started as a neighborhood beautification project has blossomed into a year-round celebration of our region’s art, culture, and natural beauty.
Knoxville’s historic Dogwood Trails date back to 1955 and today cover more than 85 miles in 12 neighborhoods throughout the city. Visitors are invited to walk, drive, or bike the Trails as they take in the natural scenic beauty of East Tennessee in the springtime. The Dogwood Trails, Open Gardens, and Camera Sites are open April 1-30, 2021. Open Gardens and Camera Sites are open 10AM-5PM daily.
Holston Hills is the 2021 Featured Dogwood Trail. Established in 1956, the Holston Hills Dogwood Trail is located in an architecturally diverse neighborhood that offers sweeping views of the Holston River alongside panoramic vistas of the rolling East Tennessee hills. Beautiful lots in this neighborhood tend to be situated on big, rolling hills with old-growth trees and an abundance of spring-flowering dogwoods.
Everyone is invited to participate in Chalk (Your) Walk, a community-wide event that encourages artists of all ages to create one-of-a-kind chalk artworks on neighborhood sidewalks, driveways, and public spaces! This virtual competition runs April 3-12th and is open to individual artists and families throughout Knoxville and the surrounding counties.
Next, visitors can experience two spectacular private gardens that will be open to the public for one weekend only for our Featured Gardens event on April 17th and 18th. The Anderson Estate and GATOP (God’s Answer to our Prayers) will be open this year. This event is free to attend though a $5 on-site donation to the Trails & Gardens Program is encouraged.
From April 23-25th, the well-loved Dogwood Arts Festival will move to the beautifully redesigned Performance Lawn at World’s Fair Park. The event will feature the work of 75 art vendors working in mixed media, pottery, painting, photography, glass, jewelry, sculpture, and more. The move to World’s Fair Park will allow visitors to mask-up and support these talented artists with plenty of room to safely distance.
And the fun doesn’t stop after April! Another round of world-class sculptures and bold, bright new murals will be popping up all across Knoxville, Oak Ridge, and Blount County this summer as a part of the Art in Public Places Program. It’s time again to welcome another blooming East Tennessee spring! Follow Dogwood Arts on Facebook or visit dogwoodarts.com to discover more about the events, programs, and exhibits featured this season. See the next page for a full list of events.
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.
Spring 2021 Events at Dogwood Arts
Visit dogwoodarts.com for event details, COVID-19 safety measures, and more!
Trails & Gardens Maps
Dogwood Trails, Open Gardens, Camera Sites
April 1-30, 2021
• Knoxville’s iconic dogwood trails date back to 1955 and today cover more than 85 miles in 12 neighborhoods throughout the city. Take a drive, a walk, or a bike ride and enjoy the scenic natural beauty of our region! Holston Hills will be our 2021 Featured Dogwood Trails. Established in 1956, the Holston Hills Dogwood Trail is located in an architecturally diverse neighborhood that offers sweeping views of the Holston River alongside panoramic vistas of the rolling East Tennessee hills.
Dogwood Arts Chalk Walk; image by Neyla Photos |
Chalk (Your) Walk
April 3-12, 2021
• This virtual, community-wide event encourages artists of all ages to create one-of-a-kind chalk artworks on neighborhood sidewalks, driveways, and community spaces! The competition is open to individual artists and families throughout Knoxville and the surrounding counties. A panel of judges including civic leaders, professional artists, and art educators will review the submissions and award cash prizes and free art supplies to select artists in each age division.
Featured Gardens
Saturday, April 17, 10AM-5PM | Sunday, April 18, 12PM-5PM
*$5 suggested donation per garden
• Select properties with distinguished and remarkable gardens open their grounds to the public for one weekend only. This year we will feature two gardens –– the Anderson Estate and GATOP in East Knoxville.
Dogwood Arts Festival
April 23-25th, World’s Fair Park
• Established in 1961, the Dogwood Arts Festival is one of the most celebrated cultural events in Knoxville! This year’s event will be held at World’s Fair Park in Downtown Knoxville and will feature over 70 art vendors working in mixed media, pottery, painting, photography, glass, jewelry, sculpture, and more. This Dogwood Arts Festival is free to attend, although you will have to reserve a ticket online prior to the event.
Bikes and blooms on Dogwood Arts trail; image by Loch & Key Video Productions |
Bikes & Blooms / Hikes & Blooms
April - May 2021
• Experience the outdoors the lean, green way – on a bicycle by way of an organized ride or on one of our expert-led group hikes. Pre-registration is required.
Art in Public Places: Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition
June 2021 - May 2022
• This world-class exhibition of large-scale outdoor sculptures enlivens downtown Knoxville, the McGhee Tyson Airport, Zoo Knoxville, The Muse Children’s Museum, ORNL Federal Credit Union branches, and Jackson Square in Oak Ridge. The 2020-2021 exhibition will be replaced in mid-June with an exciting new selection of public art.
