The McKinney Center is a town operated facility that employs three full-time staff and through its self-sustaining programs is able to provide contractual employment for 15 – 20 professional art faculty each year. The Center provides over 100 classes and workshops for the public each year with a current enrollment of 200 student registrations each semester. The Center staff also organizes many free public events including the Juried Art Exhibition, Art in the Park, and six additional art exhibitions throughout the year. The Center also participates in local and regional festivals providing free art experiences for the public. In Jonesborough, you may see a McKinney Center booth during events such as Jonesborough Days, Strolling on Main and the Farmer’s Market. You may also see activities sponsored by the McKinney Center at regional events such as the Appalachian Fair, the Blue Plum Festival, UMOJA, or even a Johnson City Cardinals game.
If there are any questions regarding submissions please call Theresa Hammons at 423.753.0562.
Jonesborough Juried Art Show
Masterpiece Mingle is an art fundraising project to benefit the McKinney Center and Jonesborough’s Mary B. Martin Program for the Arts. The name “Masterpiece Mingle” reflects the fact that for your ticket price, you will receive a work of art to take hone after an evening of music, fun and food.
The net proceeds of the Masterpiece Mingle will go to support scholarships for students K-12 and to help our outreach efforts. In 2019 the McKinney Center awarded 43 scholarships with a value of over $6,000. With support from this fundraiser and private donations the McKinney Center can make the arts accessible to everyone!
Art In The Park
Art in the Park is the premier indoor/outdoor art festival in the Tri-Cities and takes place in and around the International Storytelling Center during the spring. This is a rain or shine event and is free and open to the public.
The goal of this show is to highlight the fine art produced in our region. Visitors can look forward to a rich tapestry of mediums, ranging from painting to photography, glass work, mosaics, woodworking, jewelry, knife making, pottery and more. A carefully chosen group of artists, representing many types of art, will showcase their work for sale. Visitors to Art in the Park will also enjoy free music and may purchase food and beverages during the event.
Artists of all mediums are encouraged to apply.
Jonesborough Juried Art Show
An eagerly anticipated exhibition by artists and art appreciators alike happens in the fall of each year at the McKinney Center. Submissions of over 125 works each year from artists from multiple states in the southeast region results in at least 75 works being selected for the exhibit. Each year features a different credentialed and experienced juror. The juror’s artistic background, training, experience, and aesthetics are part of what creates the individual unique nature of each year’s exhibition.
The exhibit features work in all mediums and includes both two and three-dimensional works. The quality of the work at this show is very good, and the type of work is quite varied – from traditional oil painting to watercolor landscapes, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork, photography, glass, and mixed media, collage, and sculpture.
Artwork is for sale with a small percentage going to the McKinney Center’s Scholarship Fund and the rest to the artist.
