Throughout February, Keep Knoxville Beautiful hosted the annual Orchids Beautification Awards online through Facebook.

The event honored Knoxville’s most beautiful properties by presenting Orchid Awards in six different categories: Redesign/Reuse, Outdoor Space, Community Space, New Architecture, Public Art, and Creative Reinvention. These awards are given to properties and artwork that are beautifying our dynamic city. Additionally, the Mary Lou Horner Beautification Award was presented, as well as the Felicia Harris Hoehne Award.

The winner for Redesign/Reuse was Loghaven Artist Residencies. The winners for Outdoor Space were Baker Creek Bike Park and Gateway Connector Trail, as well Lakeshore Park’s HGTV Overlook.  The winner for Community Space was Oakwood Lincoln Park’s Burwell Gardens. The winner for New Architecture was Knoxville Community Development’s Five Points Phase 3. The winners for Public Art were Cal Johnson Park’s Outdoor Basketball Court and the Mount Olive Tunnel Mural. 

Keep Knoxville Beautiful presented the Creative Reinvention award to The Peppermint Grove in Market Square, an initiative of the Downtown Knoxville Alliance in partnership with the City of Knoxville and Dogwood Arts. This award was given in 2021 only for creatively adjusting to social distance guidelines

The Mary Lou Horner Beautification award was given to Krutch Park for its prominence in downtown as an outdoor space destination. This award is given to a previous Orchids winner that has maintained or enhanced their orchid-worthy status. 

The Felicia Award was presented to Robert Graves of Carex Design Group.  This award is given to an individual that has exemplified the mission of Keep Knoxville Beautiful. Robert served for over six years on the Keep Knoxville Beautiful board. He has been a key player in Keep Knoxville Beautiful’s beautification efforts, creating the “Beautification Mob” program. Robert spearhead the planting mass planting of 60,000 daffodil bulbs and 100 crepe myrtles on three I-275 exits in 2015 and 2016. 

For more information on the Orchids Awards and full list of past winners visit keepknoxvillebeautiful.org/past-orchid-winners. 

The nominees were:

Redesign/Reuse

• First Presbyterian Church, Loghaven Artist Residency, St. George Greek Orthodox Church, St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, SmartBank Corporate Headquarters, South High Senior Center, and West Knox Senior Center.

Outdoor Space

• Baker Creek Bike Park and Gateway Connector Trails, Cal Johnson Park, Everly Brothers Park, IC King Park Expansion, Ladies of Charity Parking Lot Renovation, Lakeshore Park HGTV Overlook, Mayor Ralph McGill Plaza at Campbell Station Inn, Randy Tyree Performance Lawn at World’s Fair Park, and Volunteer Boulevard Beautification.

Public Art

• Cal Johnson Park Outdoor Basketball Court and Mount Olive Elementary Tunnel Mural

New Architecture

• Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart Jesus, Hardin Valley Middle School, KCDC’s Five Point Phase 3, Regions Bank- Northshore, Summit Corporate Headquarters Office Building, Tate’s School Multipurpose Building- “The Barn”, The Crozier Condominiums, The University of Tennessee Golf Facility, The University of Tennessee Student Union, and the Volunteer Boulevard Parking Garage.

Community Space

• The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Five Thirty Lounge, and KCDC’s Five Points 3.