MLK Student Art Show 2024

The Town of Jonesborough is proud to partner with Johnson City and Washington County Schools on their fourth annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day of Service Exhibition. The theme for this year’s regional celebration is, The Beloved Community: It Starts With Me. “The McKinney Center is a perfect place for such an event,” states McKinney Center Director, Theresa Hammons. “This building was built and opened in 1940 as the Booker T. Washington School and served African American students K-8th grade. It was a building that divided our community’s children and now it is a safe space to bring everyone together. We couldn’t be prouder to host this exhibition for a fourth year.”
The regional MLK Day of Service Committee chose the theme, It Starts With Me, in hopes that the students will create and express in their or own or group art, how they can make a difference in the world.
Students of all grade levels and abilities are encouraged to make artwork for the exhibit and will work directly with their art teachers at their respective schools to create the artwork for display.
Elementary School – Elementary students are encouraged to draw, paint or color artwork using any medium they’d like that we are able to display.
Middle School – Middle School students can also submit their artwork, or they can complete a group project or essay.
High School – High School students can submit artwork, an essay, group project, or they are encouraged to use video and photography as a way to express their art.
Students will be notified about this project by their school’s related art teachers. Students may also turn in their projects to their related art teachers for submission into the exhibition.
The exhibition will be on public display January 19 – 23, 8am – 5pm with a closing reception on Thursday, January 22, 6-8pm. Culinary Art students will be providing light refreshments for the reception and the event is free and open to the public.
This event is one of many events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the Day of Service on January 19, 2026. The MLK Planning Committee consists of the following partners:
Town of Jonesborough/McKinney Center
ETSU
Johnson City Schools
Ministerial Alliance of Johnson City
Washington County Schools
Langston Education and Arts Development
Carver Recreation Center
Langston Centre
International Storytelling Center
Four 13
For more information about your student submitting artwork, please contact your school