Life + Culture

Suffrage Champion Wanda Sobieski

Women’s Suffrage Museum Honors One East Tennessee Son’s Vote and the 72-Year Campaign by American Women to Secure Theirs Article by Patricia Storm Broyles | Photography by Laura Casner When Wanda Sobieski was in high school, the entire section on women’s history in her textbook consisted of one sentence: In 1920, Congress gave women the right to vote.  “Which was not true! It came as a result of a 72-year battle,” Sobieski explains. “Years later, I was horrified to realize we had no idea...

Life + Culture

Primo Passo Coffee

Elevated Coffee Science Meets Community in a Warm, Thoughtfully Crafted Neighborhood Gathering Space Article by Knoxville City Lifestyle Staff | Photography by Laura Casner and Shawn Poynter When Laura Casner and Drew Aicklen moved to Knoxville in 2023, they weren’t just looking for a change of scenery; they were looking for a community to call home. Settling into a neighborhood just a few miles from what would become their storefront, the couple quickly noticed a void in the local landscape...

Finance + Legal Services

April Showers and May Flowers

Article by Melissa Ballard, CFP | Photography by Ben Finch Years ago, when I was still early in my career, a seasoned financial planner showed me a photo of a beautiful garden in bloom and asked what it had to do with an investment portfolio.  For folks who are avid gardeners, this will sound obvious. But for someone who is a novice gardener and, at the time, did not yet own a home, her question was “a lightbulb moment” for me. Different types of flowers bloom in different seasons. No flower...

Style + Beauty

HUNLEY Leisurewear Rooted in Purpose

Holly Martinez Honors Her Grandmothers’ Appalachian Heritage with HUNLEY–an Elevated Clothing Line That Looks Back and Gives Back Article by Patricia Storm Broyles | Photography by Holly Martinez After raising twins who left for college at the same time, Holly Martinez turned her energy, organizational experience and entrepreneurial skills that stay-at-home moms develop running 24/7 hectic households to a new venture. “Our twins, Walker and Willow, had been incredibly active in Anderson County...

Arts + Culture

Ossoli Circle of Knoxville

Over a Century of Civic Service and Advocacy for Women’s Access to Opportunity Article by Patricia Storm Broyles | Photography by Laura Casner Founded by Lizzie Crozier French in 1885, Ossoli Circle of Knoxville started as a reading circle. It was referred to as a “circle” because women at that time were not allowed to form clubs, according to Ossoli Circle President Jan Coley. The term “circle” emphasized equality among members without hierarchy, where each voice carried equal weight. Ossoli...

Arts + Culture

Lawson McGhee Library: More than 140 Years as Knoxville’s Public Library

Article by Paul James and Jack Neely | Photography by Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, Knoxville History Project, John Kelley and Shawn Poynter The Lawson McGhee Library, on the corner of W. Church Avenue and Walnut Street, has stood there for more than 50 years. Crammed full of books, DVDs, vinyl records and other media, serves the community, just like its numerous branches, almost every day of the week. The library has been a downtown fixture, albeit not always in the same place, for...

Arts + Culture

“Wayne White: Revenge of the Knoxville Girl” Opens at Knoxville Museum of Art

Article and Photography by Leslie Wylie Bateman, Inside of Knoxville The 2026 Big Ears Festival kicked off with a reception for the new exhibition “Wayne White: Revenge of the Knoxville Girl” at Knoxville Museum of Art. White is a Chattanooga native and Emmy-winning artist known for his irreverent word paintings and puppetry work on Pee-wee’s Playhouse . The exhibition is on view through July 12. Museum admission is free. Photo ID: Artist/musician Wayne White White’s band Username...

Local Services

Knoxville Museum of Art’s Collectors Circle

Behind the Scenes With Curator Stephen Wicks: Investment Insights on the Art and Science of Collecting Article by Patricia Storm Broyles | Photography by Shawn Poynter Stephen Wicks, the Barbara W. and Bernard E. Bernstein Curator for the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA), joined the museum right out of graduate school in 1990, shortly after the KMA opened its doors. During his career, he has taken lead roles on game-changing exhibitions, such as Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in...

Education

The Bijou's Second Balcony:

A New Book Highlights the African American Experience at Knoxville’s Historic Theater Article by Paul James and Jack Neely | Photography by Shawn Poynter, Eli Johnson, Andy Vinson, McClung Historical Collection Late last year, the nonprofit Knoxville History Project published a new book for the Bijou Theatre, The Second Balcony: The African American Experience at the Bijou Theatre. Researched and written by Jack Neely with the assistance of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, this project is...

Life + Culture

Pellissippi State Community College, Blount County Campus, Hosts International Lunch

Future Chefs and Hospitality Professionals Curated a Global Luncheon, Blending Culinary Artistry With Polished Service Article by Knoxville City Lifestyle Staff | Photography by Amy Campbell 1. Pellissippi State Community College, Blount County Campus, offers professional degrees in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Programs in a state-of-the-art facility in the Ruth & Steve West Workforce Development Center. Culinary professionals and community members enjoyed an International lunch on Feb. 12...