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Since 2003, the galleries, merchants, restaurants, and bars in and around downtown have hosted one of the city’s most popular regular events: First Friday. Art shows, artists’ receptions, live music, free food, wine tastings, and cash bars draw hundreds of people who wander through the central city on foot to explore everything from paintings and handcrafted jewelry to conceptual performances and installations. Here’s a guide to galleries currently participating in the monthly event.
1010 Gallery
113 S. Gay St., sunsite.utk.edu/gallery1010.
A1ArtSpace
201 Randolph St., a1labarts.org. Mad Members Show and Transhift08 New Media Art Festival. Opening reception: 6-10 p.m.
Art Gallery of Knoxville/COPYSHOP
317 N. Gay S. (595-4401), theartgalleryofknoxville.com.
Art Market Gallery
422 S. Gay St. (525-5265), artmarketgallery.net. Drawings by Kathy Holland and jewelry by Kristine Taylor. Opening reception: 6-9 p.m. with live music by Greg Horne
Arts & Culture Alliance’s Emporium Center
100 S. Gay St. (523-7543), knoxalliance.com. 2008 Members Exhibit. Opening reception: 5-9 p.m.
The Basement Gallery
103-B W. Jackson Ave. (497-9613), thebasementgallery.net. Slow Turn Tight Loop Long Life by Carrie Walker. Opening reception: 6-10 p.m.
bliss
24 Market Square (888-809-2424)
bliss home
29 Market Square (673-6711)
Deka Bakari Gallery
221 W. Cumberland Ave. (582-1741), dekabakarigallery.com. Work by Ali Akhbar, Meghan Beard and Shawn Bungo, Tom McDaniel, and William Woody. Opening reception: 5:30-10 p.m.
Disc Exchange
2615 Chapman Highway (573-5710), Disc Exchange online. Work by Barry McManus. Opening reception: 7 p.m. with live music by Jake Winstrom of the Tenderhooks
Downtown Gallery
106 S. Gay St. (673-0802), ewing-gallery.org. Air Box by Dong-yong Lee. Opening reception: 5-9 p.m.
Fluorescent Gallery
627 N. Central Ave. Transhift08 New Media Art Festival. Reception: 6-10 p.m.
Host Clothing
105a W. Jackson Ave., myspace.com/hostclothing.
Knoxville Visitors Center
301 S. Gay St. (523-7263), knoxville.org. Reception: 5-9 p.m.
Lox Salon
127 S. Central St. (523-5569), myspace.com/loxsalon.
Old City Java
109 S. Central St. (523-9817), oldcityjava.homestead.com. Verdant by Kari Holden and Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Alan Finch. Opening reception: 6-11 p.m.
Pilot Light
106 E. Jackson Ave. (524-8188), thepilotlight.com. Transhift08 New Media Art Festival. Reception: 6-10 p.m.
Three Flights Up Gallery
100 S. Gay St. (256-8361), threeflightsup.com.
Unarmed Merchants
129 S. Gay St. (549-5769), myspace.com/unarmedmerchants. Mission Possible Haiti by students from Greenway Middle School. Opening reception: 5-9 p.m.
Vagabondia
27 Market Square (525-4842), vagabondiaonthesquare.com.
Versus
119 S. Gay St. (246-4960), myspace.com/vsknoxville.
World Grotto
16 Market Square (226-2962), worldgrotto.com. Dollish by Mark Lane. Opening reception: 6 p.m.
Yee-Haw Industries
413 S. Gay St. (522-1812), yeehawindustries.com. Transhift08 New Media Art Festival. Reception: 6-10 p.m.