Did you miss it? Here’s your recap.
Knoxville Makers at the Dogwood Arts Festival
Over the weekend of April 25–27, The Maker City brought its vibrant energy and collaborative spirit to the Dogwood Arts Festival with a pop-up experience in partnership with Knox Makers. Together, they transformed a corner of World’s Fair Park into an immersive space where creativity, craft, and community came to life—rain or shine.
Makers Doing What They Do Best!
Each day featured a packed schedule of workshops led by talented local artists and craftspeople. From block printing to bookbinding, soldering to sewing, there was truly something for everyone.
Friday kicked off with Linoleum Block Printmaking led by Roshani Trivedi of RoshaniDesigns, inviting participants to carve their own designs and transfer them to paper. The day continued with a beautiful Cyanotype Printing session by Anna Lawrence of The Big Camera—so popular it sold out early. Attendees then stitched their own handmade booklets with Pamphlet Stitch Bookbinding by Bailey Earith, and sewed monsters at Sewing with a Self-Love Twist by Laurie Kay of Monsters Made with Love. The evening closed with a Sashiko Basics & Application class taught by Spencer Siefke of Wabi Wear Repair, giving participants a taste of this traditional Japanese embroidery technique. Free demonstrations were going on all day long long with Jewelry Making from Susan Armstrong of Hunny Hush, Wet Felting by Laurie Kay of Monsters Made with Love, a Blacksmithing demonstration from Mars Fabrications, Linoleum Block Printmaking from RoshaniDesigns, and finally Weaving on Found Objects from Bailey Fiber Art Studio.
Saturday brought sunshine and even more creativity. The day started with more blacksmithing from Daryl Houston of Knox Makers early that morning and Joe Hall of InsPYRE was metal working all day long. Workshops began with Needle Felting taught by Kelly Sullivan of the Knoxville Arts and Fine Crafts Center, followed by a family favorite: Making Wooden Whistles with Brian Greenhoe of Knox Makers. One of the most popular sessions was Learn to Solder, where Ray Crampton guided attendees through the basics of electronics in a fun, approachable way.
That afternoon, Cartoonists held a discussion and did a 45 minute Live Drawing demonstration that drew a large and curious crowd. Afternoon demonstrations included Zentangle Drawings from Amy Broady of Pen & Path and Oil Painting from Betty Bullen Art. The day wrapped up with Cross-Stitching a Dogwood Flower with Sue Joslin and Zentangle Drawing led by Amy Broady—both sessions offering therapeutic, hands-on ways to wind down after a packed day.
Sunday morning started with Mixing Herbal Teas led by Bethany Stahl of Happy Little Herbs, followed by a vibrant Watercolor Flower Painting session with Kim Green. Attendees then turned recycled materials into thoughtful keepsakes during DIY Journal Making with Tina Steffen. The final workshop of the weekend, Calligraphy for Beginners with Emily Groth of Signed Cricket, gave participants the chance to take home a new skill—and perhaps a new passion.
Sunday was PACKED with demonstrations starting with Woodworking from Heather Ashworth of Able Trade and Creating Assemblages at 10am with Jim Aderson of Sculpture on the Circle. Blacksmithing continued on the last day with Joe Hall and Kelly Sullivan joined us again to lead a Screen Printing demonstration. The afternoon held the last three demos of Elderberry Syrup Making from Bethany Stahl of Happy Little Herbs, Intuitive Painting from Kim Green Designs, and a Journal Making demonstration from Tina Steffen of Creatively Tina.
Knoxville is the Maker City and you can tell by the diversity of art making that happened during the Maker Experience! The weekend held workshops and demonstrations covering 24 different crafts and highlighting more than 20 Makers from Knoxville.
While workshops and demos were the heart of the pop-up, The Maker Experience was designed to engage all senses and ages. Kids especially loved the interactive “MAKE” letters—wrapping string, adding fabric, and writing down dreams to tuck inside, making their mark in a shared community art piece.
A Living Mission
With thousands of attendees passing through the Dogwood Arts Festival, this event was a powerful reminder of what makes Knoxville special. It wasn’t just about showing finished products—it was about celebrating the process of making, and the people behind it.
At its core, The Maker City exists to help makers make a living doing what they love. This weekend not only introduced local creatives to a broader audience—it gave festivalgoers a new appreciation for the skill, patience, and passion it takes to build something by hand.
All photos are provided by Holly Rainey
