Artwork by Matthew Trinkle
September 5–27, 2025 @ Knoxville Arts & Culture Alliance
The Arts & Culture Alliance presents five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville opening on Friday, Sept.5, from 5-9p.m. A free gathering with the exhibiting artists also features live music by Robinella.
"Givin’ the What For" curated by Michael Dickinsin the upper gallery
"Givin’ the What For" 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, questionsand critiques.
Women have always been the cultural foundation of Southern Appalachia. In this spirit, the artists in "Givin’ the What For"create not just about the region, but from within it. They approach their work as global citizens while maintaining a distinctly regional perspective – a perspective of women currently living in the American South. Their voices, fierce and unapologetic, demand to be heard.
The artists included in this iteration are Erika Diamond (www.erikadiamond.com), J. Leigh Garcia (www.jleighgarcia.com), Katie Hargrave (www.katiehargrave.com), Stacy Kranitz (www.stacykranitz.com), Susan Alta Martin (www.susanaltamartin.com) and Liz Trader Williams (www.makemesomeart.com).
Givin’ the What Foris on exhibition Sept. 5 — Nov.1.
"The Ethiopian" – A Collection of Photographs from Ethiopia by Cyndy B. Watersin lower gallery
"'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. 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," Waters says.
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. She has photographed five U.S. presidents. While photographing the opening of Dollywood in 1986, Waters met a Los Angeles film crew, Johnson/Klein Productions, who hired her to photograph many of the people from the “Woodstock Generation” such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Whoopie Goldberg and many other celebrities. Waters traveled to Kenya on a spiritual journey in 1995 and was overwhelmed by the lack of education, foodand physical care many women and children faced, inspiring her to develop The Orbit Village Project, Inc.Today, the project feeds, cares for and educates approximately 500 children and youth and focuses on helping hundreds of families survive and rebuild from a broken generation. She has worked between Sevierville and Nairobi, Kenya for much of the past 29 years, photographing her life and work in Africa. She has traveled to Namibia, Uganda and Ethiopia photographing the landscape and people. Her work was published in the Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas Inspiring Women Online Magazine in 2020 as one of 16 American women photographers working around the world. She has adopted three Kenyan children, all now adults, and has her first grandchild while still making her home in both Sevierville and Nairobi, Kenya.
https://cyndybwaters.smugmug.com|www.OrbitVillage.org|www.facebook.com/cyndybwaters| Instagram @CyndyBWatersPhotographer | Instagram @AretEnkeraSafaris
"Appalachian Memories,"Paintings by Matthew Trinklein the Atrium
"'Appalachian Memories' is a body of work inspired by the rich landscapes and diverse wildlife that call the Great Smoky Mountains their home. Through these pieces, I hope to honor the natural beauty, quiet strength and enduring spirit of the Appalachian landscape and its people. I invite viewers to pause and reflect on their own memories in the Smokies. Whether it’s feeling of the cool water of Big Creek on a summer afternoon, the first time seeing a momma bear and her cubs in Cades Cove, or walking up the paved trail to Kuwohi, only to be greeted by dense fog that blocks the 360 degree views of the observation tower, these experiences shape our bond with the land and remind us why this place is so precious," Trinkle says.
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. His realistic wildlife and landscape paintings draw heavy inspiration from Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran, artists of the Hudson River School, as well as modern day painters like Andrew Tischler. 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.
Instagram @artofmatthewkent |www.artofmatthewkent.com|www.facebook.com/artofmatthewkent
Sheila Letitia: Mindscapeson the North Wall
Sheila Letitia is an abstract expressionist painter born in Oak Ridge and residing in Knoxville. Growing up, she spent summers hiking and camping with family in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and her art evolved out of these experiences. She graduated with a fine arts degree from the University of Tennessee, and after raising a family, recently returned to painting and drawing. Letitia creates captivating works of art originating from her fascination with the natural world.
"One of my earliest memories from childhood is standing in a creek behind my house in my black and yellow rain boots searching for daddy long-legs and salamanders, completely captivated by this little world. As I grew up, this tiny world also grew. In the Great Smoky Mountains, the smell of damp moss, the feel of wet sand and mud between my toes, and the incredible, natural beauty everywhere awakened all my senses. The connection of it all; new life, death, and decay. I always return to botanical forms, seeds, flowers, nuts, etc. and how everything is connected psychologically and physically. Even though my current paintings have evolved into a more abstract state, the basis for all my art still originates from natural, organic forms, lines and colors. Presently I experiment with creating ethereal environments. Much like a kaleidoscope distorts an image into intricate pieces of colorful patterns, I use simple shapes derived from nature and “fracture” them into multifaceted compositions of shifting imagery. Through a process of repetitive layering, this broken imagery evolves into a harmonious existence representing the interconnectedness of all things and the beauty in life’s complexitiesm" she says.
Instagram @sjletitia.art
My Flower Garden by Lynn Fisherin the display case
"As an artist, my pottery is an exploration of the joyful and whimsical connections between nature and the human spirit. Inspired by the vibrant energy of plants and flowers, my pieces are a celebration of the beauty found in the smallest details. I approach each creation with a sense of playfulness, allowing the organic forms of nature to guide the process while infusing my work with a sense of lightheartedness and joy. Through my botanical pottery, I hope to evoke a sense of wonder and whimsy, offering pieces that not only beautify a space but also bring a smile and a moment of happiness to those who encounter them," Fisher says.
www.lefish.art
The exhibitions are on display September 5-27, 2025 at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, Tennessee.In September, the Emporium is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.and Friday Sept.12, Thursday Sept. 18, and Friday Sept. 26, from 5-7 p.m. forGallery 1010 openings. Many of the works on exhibition are for sale and may be purchased by visiting in person or the online shop atwww.knoxalliance.store. For more information, seewww.knoxalliance.comor call (865) 523-7543.
Category: Exhibits