I recently sat down with SoKno Sculpt communications manager Allison Roberts to talk about my creative practice, the experiences that have shaped my work, and why I make art. We discuss how my background in sculpture, art handling, and community engagement informs my approach to creating works that connect people with place, ecology, and one another. From large-scale public installations to smaller functional objects, my practice explores the relationship between built environments and living systems, inviting curiosity, participation, and a deeper awareness of the spaces we share. Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/k3HE55ErNJg?feature=shared Tiny Wilds – Prototype 1 Available for…
site-responsive sculpture and collaborative public art projects
By emoorheadwallace
Emily Moorhead-Wallace is an art and artist advocate
Dirt, Roots, and Community: Chagigah Shel Gina Planting Workshop Success
Last Sunday, 60+ community members showed up, dug in, and got their hands dirty — and we couldn’t be more grateful. Together we planted over 70 plants and moved what felt like an entire mountain of mulch and gravel into the garden. Not bad for an afternoon’s work! A huge thank you to the Harris/Pike family for keeping the work stations humming, Tootsie Jablonski and David Dalton for making plant science genuinely fascinating, and Tara Bain with UTK Hillel for bringing serious energy. Knoxville–Oak Ridge Hadassah ran a wonderful plant swap, guests sampled Jewish heritage recipes inspired by the garden,…
Spring Events: Art, Community, and the Garden in Bloom
This April brings two opportunities to connect—through sculpture, shared stories, and hands-on community work in the garden. Sokno Sculpt Member Exhibition: Connections Friday, April 3 | 6–8 PM Mighty Mud Gallery, 1528 Island Home Ave, Knoxville, TN 37920 Join us for the opening of Connections, the Sokno Sculpt Member Show, celebrating the work of regional artists and the relationships that shape our creative community. This exhibition features sculpture by: Scott Angelucci, Jason Brown, Wilson Browning, Bill Cook, Gwendy Kerney, Jennifer Kirkpatrick, Joe Kyte, Marissa Mitchell, Gerry Moll, Lindsay Skvarek, Steven Varga, J Taylor Wallace, and Emily Moorhead-Wallace. The show will…
Finalist for Suttree Landing Park Public Art Commission
I’m honored to share that I am a finalist for the new public sculpture commission at Suttree Landing Park, in collaboration with J Taylor Wallace. Our proposal is a living sculpture — a steel trellis constructed from heavy-gauge plates that dovetail together at the top to form a strong, interlocking crown. Designed to support climbing plants, the piece will evolve seasonally as vines grow through and around the structure. The side walls feature cut silhouettes of dogwood blossoms, referencing East Tennessee’s landscape and casting shifting shadows along the riverfront path. The project, organized by SoKno Sculpt in partnership with the…
Construction Begins on Chagigah Shel Gina This Month!
(Existing site to be modified) We’re excited to share that construction of Chagigah Shel Gina (Celebration Garden) begins at the end of February! Our first steps will include removing the existing swing and carefully harvesting the stone path so the materials can be reused in the new garden. This process of reclamation reflects our commitment to sustainability and honoring the site’s history as we transform it. We’ll then begin building forms and pouring the concrete footers for the new sculpture; laying the literal foundation for this meaningful public artwork. You’ll likely see construction equipment on site the week of February…
Emily Moorhead-Wallace 