FIRST FRIDAYS

NOVEMBER 6 + DECEMBER 11* | 5-9PM
UT Downtown Gallery | 106 S. Gay Street

As part of Downtown Knoxville’s First Friday Art Walk, the UT Downtown Gallery is open until 9pm on the first Friday of each month. We hope you’ll join us for one or all of our First Friday events. UT Downtown Gallery events are free and open to the public.

*In December, we will be observing “Second Friday” with the Arts Emporium due to the WIVK Christmas Parade.

Jamaal Barber | Preacher Man Reprise

IN CONVERSATION | JAMAAL BARBER + RASHAUN RUCKER

NOVEMBER 4, 2026 | 5:30PM
McCarty Auditorium | UT Art + Architecture Building 1715 Volunteer Boulevard

Join us for a conversation between artists Jamaal Barber and Rashaun Rucker.

Jamaal Barber is a creative imaginative soul who was born in Virginia and raised in Littleton, North Carolina. At a young age he was fascinated by the aesthetic images and vivid illustrations in children’s books and comic books. He soon started creating images of his own on the back of his textbooks in elementary school and on any other material that he could find. He finally answered the call to become an artist after reading about the legacy and life of Romare Bearden in high school. His fine art can be seen on display at the ZuCot Gallery. It has also been included in the Decatur Arts Festival, Atlanta Print Biennial Show and at various art shows around the Metro Atlanta area. Additionally, Jamaal has done print work for Black Art in America, Emory University, The New York Times 1619 Project, and Twitter. He also co-hosts the Studio Noize Podcast, which spotlights artists and creators of the diaspora.

Rashaun Rucker is an accomplished artist and alumnus of North Carolina Central University and Marygrove College. He earned a MFA in Print Media from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Rucker creates a diverse range of works, including photographs, prints, objects, and drawings, and has been honored with over 40 national and state awards for his artistic endeavors. Rucker’s work has been showcased in HBO’s celebrated series “Random Acts of Flyness” and the film “Native Son.” In 2019, he became the inaugural recipient of the Red Bull Arts Detroit micro-grant and was named a Kresge Arts Fellow for his drawing practice. In 2020, he was honored as a Sustainable Arts Foundation awardee. In 2021, Rucker received a prestigious residency with the International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP) and a Mellon residency at the University of Michigan Institute of Humanities. Rucker was awarded a visual artist grant by the Harpo Foundation in 2021. Most recently, in 2022, he was selected as the Elevating Diverse Voices Resident at Good Hart Art Residency. in 2025 rucker was awarded the Alain Locke Recognition Award by the Detroit Institute of arts.

Jamaal Barber | In My Lifetime I