ART WALK COMMUNITY KIT
This guide provides you recommendations of ways that you can be a part of the Art Walk
THE SOKNO RAIL TRAIL & ART WALK will transform a former rail line into a cultural and recreational destination along Knoxville’s south waterfront. The 3.8-mile pedestrian and bike trail will stretch from Chapman Highway to Ijams Nature Center.
ABOUT THE TRAIL The SoKno Rail Trail will be ideal for walking, running and biking, connecting neighborhoods, businesses, restaurants, breweries and Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness. Trailheads will be located at Kern’s Bakery on Chapman Highway, under the James White Parkway, and at Ijams Meads Quarry. Once complete, the trail will be maintained by the City of Knoxville. The trail will be open dawn to dusk as there will not be lighting throughout. The Art Walk will be a vibrant 1.5-mile segment of the trail, from Chapman Highway to Island Home, celebrating the art, history and natural beauty of our community. Specially commissioned art pieces will showcase works by local, regional and nationally-renowned artists, integrating art, nature and recreation into an accessible experience for all. What makes the Art Walk truly unique is the community’s existing passion for art and beautiful outdoor spaces. This guide provides you recommendations of ways that you can be a part of the Art Walk.
CONCEPTUAL TRAIL RENDERING | LOOK + FEEL
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NEON PINK HEX : f6389c
LEGACY GREEN HEX : 88b138
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ART + IDENTITY ENGAGING ELEMENTS
The Art Walk section of the Rail Trail will have a unique identity - vibrant and bold
CREATIVE MURALS
CELEBRATE BOLD COLORS
COLOR + MATERIAL PALETTE The Art Walk color and material palette draws inspiration from the energy, creativity, and industrial history of South Knoxville. Bright, bold colors are used throughout the corridor to create a vibrant and welcoming identity, reflecting the area’s artistic spirit and active community character. These vivid tones help unify signage, gathering spaces, way finding, and public art elements while creating memorable visual connections along the route. Material selections incorporate durable railinspired elements that reference the site’s historic and industrial context. Weathered steel, metal rail details and components and textured finishes provide a cohesive identity that complements the surrounding landscape and existing infrastructure. Together, the bold color palette and rail materials create a distinctive aesthetic that is both playful and grounded in the history and identity of the corridor.
VIBRANT SCULPTURE
BE A PART OF THE ART WALK! You can be a part of the creativity celebrated on the Art Walk. • Add landscaping to green up the trail. Recommendations are on the following pages. • Offer your building or property as venue for public art - murals or sculpture. • Add art to your property that reflects your personality, business or story. This is what gives the Art Walk its character.
CITY SOUTH APARTMENTS
POCKET PARK
SUTTREE & HAWTHORNE
TUNNEL
KERNS TRAILHEAD
BARBER STREET
POCKET PARK
TUNNEL
POCKET PARK
STREET ART
QUARRY POCKET PARK
JAMES WHITE PARKWAY BRIDGE
POINTS OF INTEREST TRAILHEADS + CROSSINGS SITE OUTLINES SCULPTURE CABOOSE / TRAIN ENGINE MURAL MURALS CROSSWALKS
GREENING UP THE ART WALK Neighbors along the SoKno Trail can help create a vibrant landscape that feels connected, inviting, and uniquely South Knoxville. Adding flowering plants, native grasses, shrubs, or trees, your participation helps improve the experience for everyone! The recommended plants in this guide are both beautiful and hardworking! They can: • • • • •
Support pollinators like butterflies and bees Improve soil health and water absorption Reduce erosion and dust Add shade, texture, and seasonal color Restore areas impacted by years of industrial use
PLANTING ZONES The trail edge is divided into three simple planting zones to help organize plantings and create layers of greenery from the public trail into private property. ZONE 1 (Closest to the Trail) - Public view garden| 5’ This is the most visible area from the trail and helps create a welcoming and visually attractive trail experience. Best Uses: • Colorful native flowers and grasses • Low-maintenance pollinator plant • Decorative edging and seasonal interest • Plants that stay lower in height for visibility and openness ZONE 2 (Shrubs & Screening Layer) | 5’ This middle layer creates texture, separation, and privacy while still feeling open and green. This zone softens fences, buildings, and parking areas while adding habitat and year-round interest. Best Uses: • Flowering shrubs • Evergreen screening plants • Ornamental grasses • Layered plantings with varying heights ZONE 3 (Furthest from the Trail) - Private Garden & Canopy Trees| 5’ This area is intended for larger plantings that create shade, privacy, and long-term tree canopy. Best Uses: • Shade trees and under story trees • Private garden spaces • Seating areas or inward facing landscapes • Larger shrubs ad layered natural plantings
P GA RIV RD ATE EN
3' MAX. 4'-0" MAX.
5' MIN.
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E1 TH PU RE B L SH IC OL D (C RU 12 S H ’ TR ED AI ST L ON
E) TH PU RE B L SH IC OL D ZO N
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MAKING THE CONNECTION
Want to create a trail that connects your property directly to the Trail? Contact Sarah Rump at srump@legacyparks. for guidelines and approval.
NATIVE PLANT GALLERY SIGNATURE PLANT BUTTERFLY WEED As our signature plant along the trail, Butterfly Weed thrives in the dry, disturbed soils of the former rail bed, lighting up the corridor with vivid orange blooms June through August. It is a vital lifeline for Monarchs and native pollinators through South Knoxville.
DO NOT PLANT Bradford Pear English Ivy Japanese Honeysuckle Kudzu Privet (all spp.) Tree of Heaven Burning Bush Mimosa Japanese Barberry Wintercreeper
SEASONAL INTEREST CALENDAR
J
F
M
A
M
TREES
Flowering Dogwood..................................... Eastern Redbud............................................. ‘LG’ Magnolia................................................. Red Maple...................................................... American Holly..............................................
SHRUBS
Spicebush....................................................... Buttonbush.................................................... Sweetspire..................................................... Red -Twig Dogwood....................................... Blue Wild Indigo............................................ Ninebark......................................................... Dwarf Fothergilla..........................................
GRASSES
Bluestem/Switch...........................................
WILDFLOWERS
Virginia Bluebells.......................................... Wild Blue Phlox............................................. Blue Star Amsonia......................................... Passion Flower............................................... Cardinal Flower.............................................. Butterfly Weed.............................................. Black- Eyed Susan.......................................... Tall Verbena................................................... Ironweed........................................................
White Blooms
Pink Blooms
Yellow Blooms
Purple Blooms
KEY SPECIES ON THE TRAIL
NINEBARK
RED-TWIG DOGWOOD
FLOWERING DOGWOOD
PASSION FLOWER
VIRGINIA BLUEBELLS
J
Red Blooms
‘LITTLE GEM’ MAGNOLIA
SWEETSPIRE
WILD BLUE INDIGO
J
WILD BLUE PHLOX
BUTTONBUSH
A
Fall Color / Fruit / Seeds
CARDINAL FLOWER
S
Green Foliage
BLUE STAR AMSONIA
EASTERN REDBUD
IRONWEED
TALL VERBENA
BLACK-EYED SUSAN
O
N
Evergreen / Winter Interest
D
NATIVE PLANTING RECOMMENDATIONS COMMON NAME
PLANT ATTRIBUTES SCIENTIFIC NAME
SIZE
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
15-30 ft
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
20-30 ft
Little Gem Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora
15-20 ft
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
40-60 ft
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
20-50 ft
American Holly
Ilex opaca
15-30 ft
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
6-12 ft
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
6-12 ft
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
4-8 ft
Virginia Sweetspire
Itea virginica
3-5 ft
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
6-9 ft
Blue Wild Indigo
Baptisia australis
3-4 ft
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
6-10 ft
Dwarf Fothergilla
Fothergilla gardenii
2-4 ft
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
2-4 ft
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
3-6 ft
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
1-2 ft
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
1-3 ft
Ironweed
Vernonia noveboracensis
3-6 ft
Wild Blue Phlox
Phlox divaricata
0.5-1 ft
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
2-4 ft
Tall Verbena
Verbena bonariensis
3-4 ft
Blue Star Amsonia
Amsonia tabernaemontana
2-3 ft
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
1-2 ft
Passion Flower
Passiflora incarnata
Vine
CANOPY + SHADE TREES
EVERGREEN & SCREENING TREES
SHRUBS
GRASSES + GROUNDCOVERS + FERNS
WILDFLOWERS + PERENNIALS
REMEDIATES FRAGRANT
PO
OLLINATOR SCREENING
PROPERTY ATTRIBUTES DRY SOIL
WET SOIL
MOIST
RECOMMENDED SUITABLE NOT RECOMMENDED
FULL/PARTIAL SUN FULL/PARTIAL SHADE SLOPED GRADE
LEGACY PARKS + DOGWOOD ARTS ARTISTS
BUILDING MURALS
ART IN PUBLIC PLACES Legacy Parks is partnering with Dogwood Arts to implement their Art in Public Places program throughout the Art Walk. The program connects talented artists from throughout the country with property owners to transform underutilized spaces into vibrant community landmarks. With an extensive network of artists representing a wide range of styles and specialties, Dogwood Arts helps bring unique creative visions to life and make art accessible to all. Started in 2007, Dogwood Arts Sculpture Program has installed over 300 works of art in the region and gained national recognition as a platform for exhibiting world-class sculptors. Dogwood Arts Mural Program was established in 2019 to advance existing creative efforts in Strong Alley, transform unique public spaces in our community, provide opportunities for local and regional artists to create new artwork, and improve access to the arts for everyone.
INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING? If you’d like to participate in the mural or sculpture programs please contact Legacy Parks Foundation at srump@legacyparks.org
READY TO GET INVOLVED? + WHO TO CONTACT SARAH RUMP srump@legacyparks.org LEGACY PARKS FOUNDATION 900 Volunteer Landing Ln Knoxville, TN 37915 https:legacyparks.org 865.525.2585
PARTNERS ON THE TRAIL
LEGACY PARKS FOUNDATION Legacy Parks Foundation is the lead organization behind the SoKno Rail Trail & Art Walk, bringing together partners, donors, and the community to transform the corridor into a vibrant destination for recreation, art, and nature. Over the past 20 years, Legacy Parks has raised over $32 million for parks, trails and open space, protected over 1,000 acres of land, expanded access to waterways, and inspired people to enjoy the outdoors across East Tennessee. Projects like this are made possible through community support. Scan the QR code to learn more, get involved, or make a donation to help create more parks, trails, and outdoor places.