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My Wild Murals

@mywildmurals

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𝙈𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙨 • 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙩 • 𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚
𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘓𝘶𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘵
𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘹𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦, 𝘛𝘕
𝘮𝘺𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘴@𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

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And that’s a wrap for @paint_memphis 2026! I’m reflecting so much on this magical weekend 🥲 It’s my first out of state mural and larger mural festival with 50 artists in total! It was so special to be set up next to everyone and connect with the other artists.

Thank you so much to @mywildmurals and @veroverorivera for your constant encouragement and for teaching me so much. And thank you to @motleyart for giving me a 10 minute one-on-one spray paint lesson! I’m more of a brush painter so your lesson really came through for the fingers and highlights of the hands and light orb 🥹 Wow I have so much more to say. I want to say thank you TO EVERYONE this weekend for being so sweet and kind and welcoming. I’ll have to share all of the BEAUTIFUL work made this weekend on my stories and highlight the amazing artists I had the honor to paint next to during this festival. Thank you so much @paint_memphis for having me.

Definitely cried from gratefulness on my drive back home
(˶ ◡‿◡ ˶ ) 💖

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Some of my favorite artwork at Paint Memphis 2026.

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Meet @mywildmurals, one of our featured artists for Paint Memphis 2026!✨ Read on to learn more about this artist! ⬇️

"Gared Luquet is a Knoxville-based muralist, the owner of My Wild Murals, and has been making art professionally for more than 20 years. Originally from Walnut Creek, California, his artistic career began at Pepperdine University, where he earned a scholarship to study painting. After graduating, he returned to the Bay Area and joined The Hive studio, where he developed a diverse body of abstract work that was displayed at several solo exhibitions.

Focused on expanding his portfolio and experience, Luquet moved to Los Angeles and joined Keystone Art Space. Over the following decade, Luquet’s style evolved from abstract pieces to large-scale, realistic wildlife paintings with playful nods to traditional portraiture, blending surreal elements with classical compositions and often incorporating a subtle touch of irony. These large-scale acrylic works move beyond conventional wildlife art, using an anthropomorphic lens to highlight the emotional parallels shared between humans and animals in the modern world.

In 2023, when his spouse began a faculty position at the University of Tennessee, Luquet moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. The city’s rich history and strong emphasis on the arts and the region’s beautiful wildlife have since become a new source of inspiration. The move reignited his passion for creating large-scale murals and helped shape the vision behind My Wild Murals, where he now focuses on transforming local spaces into vibrant, nature-filled experiences for the community."

Make plans to come out to our paint festival on October 3rd to see them and 50 other artists bring amazing art to the walls at Summer Ave. and Broad Ave.!🎉

#PaintFestival #Artist #PublicArt #Choose901 #PaintMemphis

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We’re one step closer to opening the ORNL FCU storefront at Junior Achievement of East Tennessee Biztown (@ja_easttn)! 👏

Here’s a sneak peek at the incredible mural taking shape by artist Gared Luquet (@mywildmurals) and the exterior signage created by @highresolutions. We can’t wait to welcome young learners and give them a hands-on look at the credit union difference! 💙

#JuniorAchievement #FinancialEducation #EastTennessee #CreditUnion #PeopleHelpingPeople

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Our mural is officially complete, and we couldn’t be more proud of how it turned out! 🎨✨

A huge thank you to Gared at @mywildmurals for bringing our vision to life with this incredible rendering, and to @scruffyweddings for capturing it so beautifully!

📸 Stop by, snap a photo with the mural, and be sure to tag us @eurotechknoxville. And please share it with your friends—we’d love for everyone to see it!

#EuropeanAutoSpecialists #EurotechKnoxville #KarnsTN #WelcometoKarns

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Photos from the Knoxville Zoo
@zooknoxville

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Snapshots from @dogwoodarts’ inaugural Murals & Music Festival at Emory Place! 🫟

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When I was invited to this one-day mural festival/competition, my first thought was honestly that I probably shouldn’t do it. I’m one of the slowest painters I know, and I told my partner I was afraid I would blow it. He just said, “So what if you do? You should still try.”

So, I said yes and started designing "It’s Okay to Blow It" — a twist on the subject matter, but also a reminder to myself.

When the full lineup was announced, I almost backed out again. I saw artists with more experience, speed, and skill than me — including a friend I have always looked up to. When I told him I was nervous about this, he said: “Nah, it's an evolution. Take the next step. You got it.”

So I went.

And honestly, I did blow it in a few ways. I didn’t finish on time, and was still painting (in the dark) while others were wrapped up. It was far from my finest or neatest piece. But every co-artist, every Dogwood Arts staff and volunteer was so supportive and kind.

And somehow, by the end of the weekend, I was one of the two artists with @mywildmurals who were chosen by the public vote.

There’s really no reason I should have been. Every artist there created an amazing piece deserving of the win, and I learned something from each and every one of them.

But the real lesson I learned is that sometimes the thing you’re afraid of doing is exactly the thing you need to try.

So thank you to everyone who stopped by, talked, voted, or supported the festival and the art and music scene in Knoxville. And to the other artists who made it what it was — Bryan, Curtis, Gared, Ivann, Joseph, Megan, Paris, Robert, and Whitney — It was an honor to paint with you! As far as I am concerned, working with you guys and now calling you friends was the real prize.

Thank you for the amazing weekend @dogwoodarts and all your amazing volunteers!

And also all that sponsored the festival, fed us, housed us (@crowneknox), and gave us amazing swag bags of love (@sugarlandsshine). Thank you!

📸: @curtisglovercreative and Emily Curran

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🎨🏆 The votes are in!

Congratulations to Kirsten Sandlin and Gared Luquet, our 2026 KnoxWalls Murals & Music People’s Choice Award winners! After receiving the most votes from festival attendees, both artists will receive a permanent mural commission in Knoxville over the next year 🎉

A huge thank you to every artist who participated in this year’s event. Your creativity, talent, and hard work transformed blank walls into vibrant works of art and made this year’s #MuMuFest an unforgettable experience for our community.

Thank you to everyone who came out, watched the murals come to life, cast a vote, and celebrated public art with us. We can’t wait to see what Kirsten and Gared create next for Knoxville! ✨

@rogue.murals @mywildmurals

📸 @holly__rainey @lochkeyvideo

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Good vibes, great music, and murals around every corner 🎨☀️🎶

It’s been an amazing day at MuMu Fest, but we’re not done yet! There’s still plenty of time to get to Emory Place, catch some live music, and check out the incredible artists bringing these walls to life.

Come join us! ✨ #KnoxWalls

📸 @holly__rainey @lochkeyvideo

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KBYG: KnoxWalls Murals & Music Festival Edition 🫟

1️⃣0️⃣ muralists go head-to-head in a one-day painting competition alongside live music, food & drink vendors, community murals, and more!

📍 Location: Emory Place, North Knoxville
⏰ Festival Hours: 12-8PM
☔️ Rain or Shine
🎸 Entertainment sponsored by @axlelogistics
👗 MuuMuu Contest at 2PM. Register online!
💧 Stay hydrated + bring your water bottle — take advantage of the FREE refillable water station provided by @alternativebottleproject
🫟 Participate in a Community Mural, sponsored by @posca_usa
🌸 Bring the kids to create their own mural with @ornlfcu
🍻🍸 Enjoy craft beer & cocktails from @sugarlandsshine and @cherokeedistributing
🍔 Come hungry! We’ve got an amazing lineup of food vendors, including @captainmuchachos @rasta_pasta_tn @soulpatrol.lactosefree @howlin_hotdogs @sprinklesandspokes @irveysicecream @frog_juice_kombucha
🚗 Parking: Free parking in the I-40 East Lot (510 Williams St, Knoxville, TN 37917) or street parking on Tyson & Lamar St.
🗳️ Public Vote: YOU decide which 2 artists will win permanent mural commissions here in Knoxville!
🖼️ Mural Auction: Bid on your favorite murals for a chance to take home a part of the magic!

See you Saturday 🎨✨

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