Art exhibit showcases talent of Kingsport city employees

By KATE COIL

TT&C Assistant Editor

A special exhibit at the Circle Gallery at Kingsport City Hall is showing a different side of city employees.

Kingsport Cultural Arts, a department within the city, is hosting the exhibit of art works created by some of the 750 talented city employees. Works on display are in a variety of mediums, including pencil sketches, paintings, mixed media, digital art, fiber art, photography, and graphic design.

Kristie Leonard, special events and cultural arts manager with Kingsport Cultural Arts, said submissions were open to all city employees under the same guidelines for any art exhibit at the Circle Gallery.

“We knew there are diverse interests within our workforce, so we opened the show up to all mediums of art,” Leonard said. “Employees featured have come from several different departments including public works, water, the public library, parks, fleet maintenance, and our own arts department. Most do not have a connection between their art and work, and the creations showcase hobbies and talents outside of their profession.”

Works from a total of 10 employees were selected for the show. Leonard said the city did a similar art show in 2024, and found the exhibit is a great way to help citizens connect with municipal employees.

“The city of Kingsport is known as a welcoming and friendly city,” she said. “We have a workforce that takes great pride in their service to the citizens, and we see this on a daily basis as we are always hearing stories of employees going above and beyond. We love for the public to get to know the people who work to make our city a great place to live.”

In addition to showcasing the skills of municipal employees to residents, the exhibit has also built connections among employees. 

“The show has given coworkers something to bond over,” Leonard said. “We see coworkers of the individual artists coming to the gallery to check out their friends’ work, and the artists also have bragging rights for their piece to be featured in an art show. The idea for the show came about as we would visit and chat with our co-workers. We talk about families and hobbies and sometimes they show off a project they’re working on.”

The results unveiled artistic skills in unexpected places.

“We realized we have so many coworkers who have hidden talents and thought it would be a fun way for coworkers to get to know each other better and the public to see a more human side of city workers,” Leonard said. 

Another goal of the exhibit is to emphasize the importance of work-life balance.

“The city of Kingsport is invested in their employee’s wellbeing, whether on the job or in their personal life,” Leonard said. “We love to encourage employees to try something new or learn new skills. We all know that balance is a huge factor in keeping employees happy at their jobs. Encouraging employees to participate has given them an opportunity to make new art or maybe even revisit an old hobby.”

Leonard encourages other municipalities to consider hosting their own art show.

“We’ve had so much fun with this show,” she said. “We are in our second year and plan to make this an annual event. If you have a chance to do something fun and encourage employees, why not do it. You’ll be surprised at what hidden talents you will uncover.”