August 30, 2013 UT Downtown Design Studio Kicks Off First Friday Events

Bringing design to downtown Knoxville, the University of Tennessee, College of Architecture and Design will showcase both nationally and locally recognized artists and designers in the windows of the Downtown Studio, 500 South Gay Street. A First Friday event will be held each month. The college kicks off its first reception on Friday, Sept. 6, 5:30-8:30 p.m.

The September exhibit, Design. Build. Evaluate. was envisioned by architecture students Reid Cimala, Haley Allen and Joseph Wessels. It showcases the projects brought to reality by university design students, including one of the nation’s most sustainable projects, the New Norris House, and the Haiti Project, an effort which has produced a school and medical facilities in rural Haiti.

Wessels shares a time-lapse video of the exhibit being assembled and displayed at the recent 2013 American Institute of Architects Tennessee Exposition:

The Downtown Studio will continue to showcase various design works throughout the year. Upcoming fall exhibits include homewares and furniture by Ryann Aoukar, textiles developed through Ashley Pace’s design studio, and an installation from innovative furniture company, Blu Dot. The gallery is led by Diane Fox, director of exhibits, who, under the direction of Dean Scott Poole, is working to transform the Downtown Studio as a communal space that engages the Knoxville community with the activities and inspirations of the college and its affiliated disciplines.