KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Whether it's the Sunsphere or the Henley State Bridge, there's plenty of beauty in Knoxville. On Tuesday, Keep Knoxville Beautiful presented awards to those who work to keep it that way.
The Orchids Beautification Awards recognizes properties and artwork that contribute to the city's overall beauty. There are seven awards, including awards for redesigning an existing property, building new architecture and protecting the environment.
The Press Room and the Embassy Suites on Gay Street won the awards for redesigning and reusing a property. The Birdhouse and the Marble City Community Garden, also located downtown, both won an award for the best community space.
The Agusta Quarry at Fort Dickerson won for the best outdoor space category, while the new KUB Engineering Building won an award for its environmental stewardship.
The Market Square Garage mural, Cassiopeia, won the public art award.
The University of Tennessee Student Union and The Crozier won in the new architecture category. Lastly, the Oak Room by Abridged and Chesapeake's West won in the restaurant/café/brewery category.
Besides highlighting properties and artwork, the orchid awards also recognized Knox County Community Development Director, Dwight Van de Vate, with the Felicia Award.
During the event, Keep Knoxville Beautiful also announced its plan to build an environmental education mobile-classroom, The Earth Explorer. The organization hopes to raise $75,000 to build it and teach students about environmental stewardship.
Over 300 people attended the event. Mandi McKay, sustainability manager for Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, gave a talk as the guest speaker.