East Tennessee Regional Art Exhibition

EAST TENNESSEE REGIONAL STUDENT ART EXHIBITION

November 27, 2026 – January 10, 2027

ETRSAE Soft Opening

The 21st Annual East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition is presented by the Knoxville Museum of Art each fall. The ETRSAE showcases the strength and diversity of art education programs in East Tennessee, celebrates talented middle and high school students, and supports arts education. This annual exhibition provides the opportunity for students to participate in a juried exhibition and to have their artworks displayed in a professional art museum environment. We are so delighted by the quality of the artworks, the dedication of the teachers, and the commitment of the museum staff to establish a museum and school tradition for our community.

Teachers at public, private, and home schools across East Tennessee submit artwork by students in grades 6–12. The submissions go through an intensive jury process and are narrowed down to roughly 300 works of art to be displayed at the museum. Categories for the competition include ceramic, drawing, video production, mixed media, painting, computer graphics, sculpture, digital or traditional photography, and printmaking.

The Best-in-Show winner receives a Purchase Award of $500, and the artwork becomes a permanent part of the collection of Mr. James Dodson, on loan to the Knoxville Museum of Art’s Education Collection. The Best-in-Middle School winner receives $250. The “Best” in each of the 9 categories receives a cash award and will be included the TN State Student Art Best of the Best exhibition hosted by the Tennessee Arts Academy each summer. The teachers of winning students are recognized for their dedication and excellence in teaching with the Rosalind Martin Educator Awards.

Awards Reception will be held on Tuesday, December 8, 2026

This exhibition celebrates KMA’s continued dedication to arts education in our museum and in our community.

2026 ETRSAE Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Emerson Automation Solutions

Lead Sponsors

Home Federal Bank

Rotary Club of Knoxville

Ann & Steve Bailey

The Guild of the Knoxville Museum of Art

Community Partners

Aside Project Studio

Becky & Jim Dodson

Coleman’s Printing & Awards, LLC.

Express Frame

Jerry’s Artarama

City of Knoxville

Knox County

Tennessee Arts Commission

Tennessee Art Education Association

National Endowment for the Arts

Image Credit:

Best in Show, 2025

Nayumi Rei Testa, 11th grade

Rose

Drawing

Roane County High School

Natascha Hudson, Art Teacher