Dogwood Arts Announces Call to Artists for Transformational SoKno Art Walk
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Dogwood Arts is excited to announce a call to artists for the highly anticipated SoKno Rail Trail and Art Walk, a dynamic new cultural corridor set to open in Fall 2026 near Knoxville’s south waterfront. Legacy Parks Foundation is leading the effort on the transformation of the 3.8-mile rail corridor stretching from Chapman Highway to Ijams Nature Center, in partnership with the City of Knoxville and Gulf & Ohio Railways. The trail will be a soft-surface multi-use trail that includes a 1.5-mile Art Walk, blending outdoor recreation with public art. The Art Walk is funded through a generous donation from the Lawson Family Foundation.
As part of this landmark project, Dogwood Arts is managing the artist selection, coordination, and art installations along the Art Walk.
Dogwood is now seeking accomplished muralists to design and execute new large-scale murals across multiple walls along the trail. In addition, the organization’s nationally recognized Art in Public Places Sculpture Exhibition will expand to include four new installations along the corridor, with sculptures slated for installation in mid-September 2026.
Application Details:
Open: Friday, March 27th
Deadline: Monday, April 27th
Submissions are open to local, regional, and national artists.
The SoKno Rail Trail and Art Walk will transform a former rail line into a vibrant, multi-use destination that blends art, recreation, and connectivity—creating a 3.8-mile pedestrian and bike path stretching from Chapman Highway to Ijams Nature Center.
Designed to serve both commuters and recreational users, the trail will become a vital link within Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness, seamlessly connecting neighborhoods, local businesses, public art, and natural landscapes.
The SoKno Art Walk is envisioned as an immersive, open-air gallery—celebrating the rich artistic, cultural, and ecological identity of the region. Specially commissioned works will highlight exceptional artists from Knoxville and beyond, while integrating art into the everyday experience of the trail.
The anchor piece of public art has already been installed along the Trail — on a caboose next to Kern’s Bakery. The installation celebrates the rail heritage of the trail with artwork by world-famous muralist Emannuel Jarus, whose work is inspired by the visual human experience and reimagines how art can exist in public spaces. Over the past decade, Jarus has collaborated with communities around the world to create large-scale portraits and figures on walls and other surfaces. His artwork on the caboose is especially fitting, as his first foray into art at age 19 was painting graffiti on the side of railroad cars. See more of his work at https://www.instagram.com/youngjarus.
The caboose originally belonged to B. Ray Thompson, owner of Shamrock Coal Company, and for whom UT’s Thompson-Boling Arena is named. The caboose and mural were donated by Pete Claussen and his family. The corridor will feature a diverse range of artistic expression, including murals, sculpture, and youth-created works.
SoKno Rail Trail & Art Walk
The project is led by Legacy Parks and made possible through a broad collaboration of community and design partners. MHM is serving as project architect, and Lose Design is leading landscape architecture. Dogwood Arts is managing artist selection, coordination, and art installations of a majority of the art along the corridor. Johnson Architecture, Kern’s Bakery, Visit Knoxville, and the Old Sevier District are key community partners, helping enhance the trail and make key connections within South Knoxville’s vibrant cultural and business district.
About Art in Public Places
Dogwood Arts’ Art in Public Places program brings art beyond traditional gallery walls—adding character, vibrancy, and accessibility to public spaces throughout the region. The program includes an annually rotating outdoor sculpture exhibition and a large-scale mural initiative. To date, the Art in Public Places program has showcased 360 sculptures and commissioned more than 60 murals. Currently, sculpture and mural sites can be found in Knox, Anderson, and Blount Counties.
The Art in Public Places program is made possible through the generous support of ORNL Federal Credit Union, the City of Knoxville, Prestige Cleaners, Legacy Parks, Zoo Knoxville, Tennessee Arts Commission, Downtown Knoxville Alliance, Arts & Culture Alliance, Maker Exchange, Blount Partnership, the City of Maryville, Johnson Architecture, and UT Gardens.
