Enlivening the transit experience.
Ingrid Erickson, 2018
Located on South Columbia St. at UNC Health Sciences Library
Erickson created stencils that were spraypainted and paired with bendable foam to create the look of willow branches.
Ron Liberti, 2018
Previously located at Southern Village Park & Ride Lot
Ron Liberti’s What Just Happened? features altered stills from the final scene of the 1967 The Graduate where a bride runs out of her own wedding and hops on a city bus another suitor.
Helen Seebold, 2019
Located on Caldwell St by Northside Elementary
In Kindness Matters, Seebold explores how we can make a difference in our community by stopping and taking a moment to be kind. She hopes the mural can help people shift their perspective and invite the viewer to become part of a movement to enlighten our minds and open our hearts.
Sarahlaine Calva, 2019
Previously located at Airport Gardens
Using a signature style and vibrant color palette, Calva weaves in raindrops and flowers to depict how one must face trials and obstacles in order to grow and bloom. Growth is a beautiful thing that requires effort and patience.
“I believe it would be a nice touch to the city while also serving as a reminder to persevere.” – Sarahlaine Calva
Chloe Strauss, 2019
Located at Franklin Woods Apartments
Strauss’ art is inspired by diversity and helping others “to see aspects of themselves shown as beautiful and important.”
Britt Flood, 2019
Previously located at University Place
Star Crossed Lovers is a continuous line piece that depicts two figures connected by line and color, symbolizing connection and fate.
Joel Sobelson, 2019
Located at Glen Lennox Shopping Center
To bring a smile to both young and old how about a circus-like sense of fun, color and enjoyment. I don’t know about you but If you look closely you can actually hear the fun um-pa-pa of the band.
Photo by Jim Wallace, art installed 2019
Located at Moe’s Southwest Grill on Franklin Street
I Raised My Hand To Volunteer features a quote from Karen Parker, the first African American woman to graduate from UNC- Chapel Hill:
“On Saturday, the 14th, I decided to go to jail. It was not fun at all.”
This was in December 1963 during a time when hundreds of people were arrested for protests and when those protests occasionally turned violent.
Photo by Jim Wallace, art installed 2019
Located at The Graduate Hotel on Franklin Street
We Were Troublemakers features a quote from Harold Foster, a leader in the Chapel Hill Civil Rights movement:
“We were troublemakers. We questioned authority and challenged it head on.”
Jermaine Powell, 2020
Located at Shadowood Apartments on M.L.K. Jr. Blvd
In Have A Really Good Day, Powell hopes to remind people to enjoy the ride and make friends along the way.
“I think my paintings are a beautiful example of where I live and the people who make my life worth living.” – Jermaine Powell
Gabriela Amaya-Baron, 2020
Located at the Harris Teeter in Meadowmont
Connected uses network imagery and street map patterns to symbolize ways that humans connect, whether to place, to information and data, to history and culture, or to each other.
L Jámal Walton, 2020
Located at Brookside Condos on Hillsborough Street
Pillar features the Greek Goddess Athena, who is on the Town of Chapel Hill seal. According to history, the Town leaders chose her to symbolize Chapel Hill as she represents civilization, knowledge, reasoning, logic, and wisdom. For this project, Athena is illustrated in a comic book style sharing her stories while watching over the “Southern Part of Heaven” that embraces the shape and colors of the Chapel Hill flag.
Charles Chace, 2021
Located on Pittsboro Street
In this work I’m attempting to create a digital image with a series of analog procedures. Starting by cutting sheets of paper into small triangles. The triangles are then unidirectionally stacked creating a three dimensional surface that allows an interplay of light and shadows. I’m less concerned with developing shapes or predetermined images than I am with developing random and intuitive patterns. These patterns create a digital landscape that approaches an image similar to scrambled television.
Ms. TT & RedApple School students, 2021
Located at Abernethy Hall on UNC Campus
Made by RedApple students ages 5-9, guided and edited by the art teacher Ms. TT, and inspired by New York artist Keith Haring. Because social distancing must be kept, none of the lines in the pictures touch, besides the doctors and nurses working together to save lives. And because masks have to be on faces to protect our mouths and noses, everyone (person or animal) in our pictures have a mask.
This shelter was made possible through a partnership with RedApple.
Jermaine Powell, 2021
Located at Shadowood Apartments on M.L.K. Jr. Blvd
I simply wanted to bring honor to the diversity of people who ride the bus. My goal was also to make both the bus riders and the bus drivers feel appreciated throughout their day. I really got a unique opportunity to engage with my local community while working on this project in realtime. They gave me honest and encouraging feedback along the way. They are the ones that make creating public art so enjoyable.
This shelter pairs with Have a Really Good Day.
Victoria Primicias, 2021
Located at Eastgate Shopping Center
Birds of different feathers flock together on electric wires and light poles. It is a metaphor for inclusion, community, acceptance and diversity. The birds depicted include a cardinal, blue jay, mockingbird, woodpecker and goldfinch. All are common backyard birds found throughout the year in North Carolina. Other North Carolina references include a dogwood tree peeking out from the bottom left, and prominence given to the cardinal, the state bird.
Kiara Chatterjee, 2021
Located on Rogers Road
The four figures on the left are Sam Rogers and his grandsons, who were part of the establishing of Rogers Road and the family who lived there. There is also a woman and child in the middle frame, they were unnamed but part of the Walker family who also had connection to Rogers Road. Then there is Robert Cambell who is on the right and a young girl holding a protest sign regarding environmental justice with the landfill. The background is the Faith Tabernacle church. I intended to superimpose a map of Rogers Rd and lower the opacity in the background.
The idea is the unification of the ancestors to the present day, and the connection of memories to history. Also, an acknowledgement of how a historic Black neighborhood dealt with trauma from the poisoned groundwater.
Charlie Dupee, 2021
Located at Adelaide Apartments on M.L.K. Jr. Blvd
This diptych is an expression of LGBTQ+ pride in Chapel Hill, beyond the month of June. The blue panel on the left reimagines Athena, the goddess on Chapel Hill’s seal, as a genderqueer deity. And the pink panel on the right is in solidarity with our Black Trans community.
Ian Wenstrand, 2021
Located at MLK Jr. Blvd at Chapel View
My goal for this artwork is to create a scene combining all of Chapel Hill’s unique landmarks and buildings. Places such as Morehead Planetarium, Franklin Street, and the Varsity Theater appear together in one street corner representing Chapel Hill. Lastly, I wanted to show people getting out of the house and enjoying the town with each other, something we all haven’t been able to do in the past year.
Antonio Alanis, 2021
Located at Fire Station #3
Plants are Resilient is a plant-themed bus shelter vinyl piece. Antonio placed multiple-color leaves that people can enjoy as they wait for the bus and go on their day. This particular piece will invite the people waiting for the bus to take a moment to meditate, to turn to nature to uplift their spirits, and offer a space for healing and reflection. The different leaves symbolize Antonio’s commitment to fighting for diversity and inviting audience members to think critically about recognizing everyone’s humane interconnectedness regardless of race and ethnicity.
Sampada Agarwal, 2021
Located at Airport Gardens Apartments on M.L.K. Jr. Blvd.
This artwork is quite close to my heart, where I highlight the various facets of womanhood. We come in all shapes and sizes and colors – each one to be celebrated; encouraging all towards forging a gender equal world and building inclusive workplaces so that women thrive! It is rightly said – “Empowered women empower women”. It is quite serendipitous that the style of the art I have used, called Mithila art, is a folk art from the state of Bihar in India and has been practiced primarily by women and passed down generations from mothers to daughters. Its hallmark is colorful, busy, yet esthetically pleasing compositions.
Tarish Pipkins, 2021
Located on M.L.K. Jr. Blvd & Stateside Dr
Chapel Hill Monuments portrays in bright acrylic hues well-known UNC-Chapel Hill landmarks like The Bell tower and The Old Well.
East Chapel Hill High School students, 2022
Previously located at East Chapel Hill High
Students from the ECHHS Art Appreciation Club designed this work inspired by the growth and resilience of a tree, even in some of the most unforgiving environments. The seed panel was made by Selema De Bellis. The sapling panel was designed by Chia Liu (Sapling). The Tree panel was create by Lan (Alice) Gao.
Mayanthi Jayawardena, 2022
Located at Ashley Forest Drive
My goal with this art is to show that home can be anywhere, no matter where you are from or who you are.
Sara Roberts, 2022
Located at South Columbia Street at Westwood Drive
Blooms Over Chapel Hill was inspired by the textures, colors, art, businesses, patterns and murals that are found in and near Chapel Hill. Each petal is created from individual photographs from the area. The historical buildings include the theatre, castle, well, church and graveyard. The print media tells about various aspects of the development and transportation of Chapel Hill. This piece invites the passengers in to connect with and celebrate familiar objects, while enjoying art dedicated to the best parts of Chapel Hill.
Antonio Alanis, 2022
Located at South Columbia Street at Mason Farm Road
My image titled Sun belongs to my “Healing Through the Arts” series, which explores how bold color, Latin-American-inspired graphics inspire happiness, warmth, and optimism. As society grapples with so much destruction, I believe that artists like me can counteract this havoc and help create spaces where people can feel a brief break from everything happening.
Loren Pease, 2022
Located at the Carrboro Post Office
These butterflies represent today’s youth coming together from all parts of the world and cultures to help the environment heal.
Original art: 24″x48″ Acrylic on Wood
Sally Gregoire, 2022
Located at Ridge Road at Eringhaus Hall
Sally Gregoire of Mountain Shadow Designs created the artwork entitled Barning Around In North Carolina as a nod to the agricultural history of North Carolina. Depicted are four local barns that watch over the landscape and tie together our rural and urban existences as we drive by them everyday. Sally uses both traditional and digital art techniques to document these buildings and artistically present them before they disappear from our landscapes.
Taylor Bragg, 2022
Located at 1211 East Franklin Street
The Flowering Dogwood, Honeysuckle and Red Maple tree are all natural staples of North Carolina’s ecosystem. Native plants are such a crucial factor in keeping North Carolina’s landscapes healthy and beautiful. My hope with this piece is to highlight some of the state’s most important plants, even if they aren’t nearby.
Jane Cheek, 2022
Located at Carolina Apartments
As a bisexual woman from the South, creating work that makes Queer Pride more visible and increases representation in our communities is important to me. My transit shelter design is based on the concept that progress needs to be intersectional, and the colors are inspired by the inclusive Progressive Pride Flag. The design is simple and whimsical, with overlapping colorful circles in which the overlapped areas will have blended colors. There are gold accents to add a painterly effect to the work and give it a celebratory vibe.
Photo from the Library of Congress, art installed 2022
Located at the Rosemary St. & Columbia St. Parking Lot
This shelter commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Journey of Reconciliation, also known as the First Freedom Ride. 75 years ago, an interracial group of civil rights activists set out on “The First Freedom Ride” to test a Supreme Court ruling declaring segregation on interstate buses unconstitutional. Chapel Hill was the only stop where the group was met with violence.
The photo from 1947 depicts Journey of Reconciliation riders Worth Randle, Wally Nelson, Ernest Bromley, Jim Peck, Igal Roodenko, Bayard Rustin, Joe Felmet, George Houser, and Andy Johnson holding suitcases and coats outside standing outside the office of Attorney S.W. Robinson in Richmond, Virginia.
The image is part of the group of photos included in the writings of Bayard Rustin.
Janvika Shah, 2023
Located on South Road at County Club Road
Drawing from softness, resilience, strength, and intuitive wisdom, this piece aims to inspire women from all backgrounds to come together to lift each other up in the name of equity.
Installed for Women’s History Month
Britt Flood, 2023
Located at MLK Jr. Blvd. at Timber Hollow (Southbound)
This is a whimsical ode to the backyard birds of my new home since moving to Chapel Hill. I feel lucky to hear the birdsong of cardinals every morning, and this is an ode to how nature positively shapes and takes care of our mental health and wellbeing.
Photo by Fly Squirrel Films
Max Dowdle, 2023
Located at MLK Jr. Blvd. at Homestead Road
Photo by Fly Squirrel Films
Kelly Schrader, 2023
Located at North Greensboro Street at Shelton
This design focuses on “flower power,” how the queer community historically has been tied to certain types of flowers, from Oscar Wilde’s green carnations to Lincoln’s “streak of lavender,” even back to Sappho’s violets. There have been many floral terms used derogatorily towards LGBTQ people, such as “pansy” or “buttercup,” and even sayings like “horticultural lad” and “evening botanist” to refer to same-sex attracted folks. Time and time again, the LGBTQ community reclaims these terms as a form of empowerment, and today the association between queer culture and flowers is a positive one. Flower types included: lavender, violets, green carnations, pansies, buttercups, white lilies (popular reference to lesbianism in Japan), roses, and other flowers that are specifically mentioned in Lord Alfred Douglas’ famously gay poem, “Two Loves” (crocuses, fritillaries, pervenches).
Photo by Fly Squirrel Films
Stella Rosen, 2023
Located at South Columbia Street at Frat Court
Through eight panels connected by a central winding visual element, Secret Psychic Bus Pass depicts, in bright colors and bold linework, a journey from a bus stop in Chapel Hill through several North Carolina landscapes. The connection between panels takes the viewer on an imaginary journey from the bus stop bench to high in the night sky, back down to earth along the back of snakes, along a winding river, through a field of windflowers, through a dark bat cave, and then finally back to the bus stop bench. The last panel is a foil to the first, showing how the character, and viewer, may incorporate fantastical memories of the journey into their daily lives.
Photo by Samuel Cooke
East Art Appreciation Club, 2024
Located at East Chapel Hill High School
This artwork features the Chapel Hill transit bus traversing diverse landscapes, from a golden horizon to a fantastical seascape to an enchanted mountain range. The juxtaposition between the magical elements of the landscape with the natural scenery represents the beauty of finding magic in the ordinary, whether it’s waiting at a bus stop or taking the bus to school.
Created by East Art Appreciation Club members Richia Liu (left panel), Eva Zinn (center panel), and Heidy Flores Linares and Neval Cakmakci (right panel).
Photo by Samuel Cooke
Alison Hawkins, 2024
Located at West Main Street at Carrboro Town Hall
When do we take moments to daydream in our day? This illustration depicts a homey and intimate interior that invites bus riders and pedestrians to rest in a meditative moment. Comfy, worn-in chairs, stories that are ready to explore, and a cup of coffee provide a welcoming refuge for all. Bus riders can rest, observe the world around them, and feel at home in the community.
Tori Celeste, 2024
Located at East Franklin Street at Estes Drive
My piece is an expression of dynamic change and the pathway to hope. I wanted to create something fun with the use of bright vivid colors. The shapes represent an interconnectedness and fluidity of forms and bonds.
Photo by Samuel Cooke
Schrader Art, 2024
Located at Old Fayetteville Road at Autumn Woods
My design features four figural scenes with bright colors and bold outlines, using circles and symmetrical forms within asymmetrical compositions. Each figure is participating in a simple activity while finding joy in the small moments. This piece is about practicing everyday joy as a strength. Working the land, hula-hooping, swimming, eating ice cream – all are broadly accessible forms of leisure and entertainment that can connect us back to the simple things in life.
Suijin Li, 2024
Located at West Franklin Street at Columbia Street
A brighter future awaits us, driven by human ingenuity and resilience. Imagine sustainable cities powered by clean energy, where green spaces thrive and technology enhances our lives. Education becomes a universal right, empowering everyone and fostering empathy across cultures. Health advancements eradicate diseases, and personalized medicine ensures longer, healthier lives. Social justice and equality transform from ideals into realities, with diverse and inclusive societies celebrating our shared humanity. Every act of kindness and innovation brings us closer to this vision. Together, we can illuminate the path to a brighter, more hopeful future.
Photo by Samuel Cooke
Rashmi Krishnappa, 2024
Located at East Franklin Street at Couch Road
Featuring some of Chapel Hill’s beloved monuments this artwork is inspired by Van Gogh’s starry night. Mandala’s and Patterns are used to create the depth and flow in this piece. Hues of “Carolina Blue” are used to depict the starry night. The original art is mixed media including markers and acrylic.
Photo by Samuel Cooke
Audrey Garton, 2024
Located at East Franklin Street at Morehead Planetarium
My paintings and digital art explore aspects of the human condition that we as humans tend to hold back from expressing. There’s a sense of empowerment in acknowledging your current situation and opening yourself up to others – and it opens a door to see ourselves in one another. Within my artistic endeavors, I strive to elicit emotions that motivate individuals to take meaningful actions.
This artwork is inspired by the idea that even when we feel surrounded by darkness, there’s still hope and signs of light that we might miss if we’re not looking for them.
Photo by Samuel Cooke
Sara Beaman, 2024
Located at Umstead Drive at Bolinwood Apartments
This piece is a celebration of the local pollinators that support our food web, and the native plants that support them in turn. Each of the images depict a pollinator creature or plant indigenous to our area arranged in a six-sided array mimicking a snowflake or spiderweb. Our ecosystem is a fragile and unique treasure. What might this web look like in twenty-five years? What can we do to nurture it, as it nurtures us?
Photo by Samuel Cooke
Carlye C. Daugird, 2024
Located at South Columbia Street at Purefoy Road
I paint Hope with bold vibrant colors and gutsy strokes.
This piece is about the progress of feminism and the Joy of a little girl who dreams big. There is something really beautiful about how powerful the innocence of a little girl’s daydreams can be. She knows with confidence she can become a Justice seeking (hence the RBG collar) Queen (crowned) of the Mermaids (the belief in the once thought fantastical, has given women rights many wouldn’t have believed possible). The other side, honors and calls us to remember women who have modeled out new possibilities for us all; powerful humanitarian leaders like Tsai Ing-Wen (1st woman president of Taiwan) and Angela Merkel (1st woman German Chancellor) , the Justice seeking leadership of women like Pauli Murray (civil rights advocate, lawyer and activist) and Sonia Sotomayor (1st Hispanic & 1st Woman of color to be a Supreme Court Justice), the courageous leadership of women like Ida B. Wells (journalist activist who led anti-lynching crusade & suffragist) & Malala Yousafzai (Pakistani activist who spoke out against prohibition of education of young girls) .
When I was a little girl, 40 years ago, I was never taught these names. Now, my daughter grows up in a world where she knows their names and so many others. My hope is that the even on those days that it is easy to believe the lies of hate, that positive social change will never really take root, that this bus shelter art will be a reminder of Hope to the unfettered Daydreams of a young girl and to the Wisdom of the still young at heart.
Photo by Samuel Cooke
Sampada Kodagali Agarwal, 2025
Located at Smith Level Road at BPW Club Road
Rooted in the visual language of Warli art, this work reflects the deep bond between nature and human life. Using the traditional monochromatic palette and intricate linework, it reflects the cyclical harmony between the earth, water, flora, fauna, and human presence. The artwork blends age-old tribal symbolism with subtle contemporary elements—such as the airplane—to bridge the wisdom of the past with the realities of the present. Through this piece, I celebrate the timeless tradition of tribal storytelling and invite reflection on our place within the natural world.
Leticia Mendes, 2025
Located at the Seymour Center
Wings of Carolina turns a bus shelter into a moment of pause and wonder. Inspired by the birdlife of North Carolina, the piece features the Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, American Goldfinch, and Carolina Wren—this piece invites viewers to notice what’s always been there. The stained-glass style plays with sunlight, creating quiet magic throughout the day. It’s a visual reminder that moments of peace and joy are always around us—we just have to slow down, look up, and listen.
Joel Tesch, 2025
Located at Westminster Drive at Banks Drive Westbound
Hands. Hands are powerful: They gesture. They express. They threaten. They welcome. They beckon. They give. They take. They plead. They communicate. They feel. In this striking piece, vibrant squares showcase various hand poses against a backdrop of bold, colorful backgrounds. Each section highlights different angles and gestures, creating a dynamic and expressive composition with universal meaning and impact.
Kimberly Caddell, 2025
Located on Raleigh Road at Hamilton Road
Theia embodies the goddess of sight and vision, drawing viewers into the realm of divine insight and intuition. This painting highlights Theia’s symbolic eyes, believed by the ancient Greeks to emit beams of light that bestowed profound understanding upon mortals. Her gaze, both powerful and gentle, captures the essence of feminine wisdom, radiating a sense of deep perception and foresight. Theia’s presence evokes the mystical connection between vision and prophecy, inviting onlookers to explore their own inner truths and intuitive knowledge, offering a reminder of the guiding light that comes from within.
Michelle Durango-Lopez, 2025
Located on Old Fayetteville Road at Autumn Woods North
Mother Nature’s Embrace is a celebration of North Carolina’s rich natural beauty, created to offer a moment of reflection and serenity within the rhythms of daily life. Surrounded by native dogwoods, butterflies, and swallows, the figure of Mother Nature symbolizes harmony and the interconnectedness of all living things. The presence of rain, sun, stars, and moon within the design reflects the passage of time and the cycles of renewal found in nature.
The artwork invites commuters to pause and connect with the environment around them. It transforms a functional space into one of calm and wonder, fostering a deeper appreciation for the region’s native flora and fauna.
Jackie Sanders, 2026
Located on MLK Jr Boulevard at IFC Community House
What Connects Us? explores the visible and invisible networks that shape our experience of place. Drawing inspiration from Chapel Hill’s roadways, transit routes, native landscapes, and patterns of growth, the composition weaves together geometric pathways and organic forms to illustrate the many ways people, nature, and infrastructure are interconnected. Routes intersect, branch, and converge, suggesting that every journey, whether by foot, bus, bicycle, or memory, becomes part of a larger shared system. Rather than offering a single answer, the work invites viewers to reflect on the relationships, places, and experiences that connect us to one another and to the community we call home.
Learn more in this Instagram Reel.
José Manuel Cruz, 2026
Located on East Franklin Street at Elliott Road Eastbound
The artwork depicts cultural dancers that are dancing to the rhythms that their ancestors have passed down to each generation that symbolize unity, equality and keeping the history in their lives from being erased or forgotten. The colors reflect the energy from life and nature.
Learn more in this Instagram Reel.
Kristen Solecki, 2026
Located on East Franklin Street at Eastgate Crossing (Westbound)
Hiking Home features a raccoon departing the city to hike back to their home in the woods. We have so many great trails and wooded areas in Chapel Hill to see and explore and I love that some are integrated within downtown Chapel Hill. I wanted this to be a fun, interactive piece to inspire the community to spend time in nature and also bring a sense of fun and whimsy to their daily commute.
Adrianne Huang, 2026
Located on NC 54 East at West Poplar Avenue
This design highlights native flora and fauna from NC with a focus on the strange and unusual. Vulnerable species including various pitcher plants, Venus flytraps, Brook Trout, Spotfin Chub, Roanoke Logperch, and an Eastern Hellbender meet in an atmospheric scene that defies ecological and physical reality. Which ones are at home in the scene is left playfully ambiguous – when it’s sunny outside the shelter, the aquatic creatures might be swimming through the air, and when it’s raining, the carnivorous plants might be submerged underwater. The installation invites care and curiosity towards nature, and encourages viewers to engage imaginatively with their surroundings.
Learn more in this Instagram Reel.
Amanda Hakanson-Stacy, 2026
Located at University Place
This piece is an intricate, illustrated homage to Chapel Hill—a Where’s Waldo-style panorama filled with the town’s landmarks, hidden gems, and daily life. Designed as an engaging analog activity for bus riders, it invites people to put down their devices and discover the unique character of their community while they wait.
Georges Le Chevallier, 2020
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
As a Latinx Artist, I believe that is extremely important to represent Latinx people in a positive image. Even though the majority of Latinx immigrants are extremely honest and hard-working people, that is not how they are seen by many people. Being born from a Puerto Rican Mother and having lived most of my childhood in Puerto Rico, I can personally understand the great pride we have towards the many Hispanic people making a constructive impact on our society. Today thousands of Hispanics now call the Triangle their home.
Celebrating the great moment that Hispanic culture is having here in North Carolina, I am proposing to create the Orgullo Latino / Latinx Pride bus for Chapel Hill Transit.
In Orgullo Latino / Latinx Pride bus I juxtapose visual patterns of colors with Spanish words that characterize Latinx people living at the beginning of this new millennium. Nothing divides people more than language, so my aim is to bring people together by showing them Spanish and English words coexisting together. The Orgullo Latino / Latinx Pride bus also pays tribute to the many colorful buses in Latin America, from Chiva Buses in the Andean region of South America to the famous “Chicken Buses” in Central American countries like Guatemala.
Debi Drew and NAACP Youth Council, 2021
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
Working with NAACP youth for a bus wrap design against racial injustice was a wonderful opportunity.
The timing was ideal for these youth to have their voices heard as they witnessed in the media (and maybe in person) the constant reminders of negative racist views and acts of hatred against black people and other people of color which filled media reports across the nation. My goal was to provide a comfortable space for them to be heard and be motivated to create visual art productions inspired by our discussions in workshop planning sessions.
Self Concept, Racist Viewpoints and Unity in Diversity were the themes in our workshops. A work of art created by each of the youth is displayed on their apparel of their images on the bus. Important and meaningful statements they communicated encircle their images, as well. The design that fills the background of the bus is symbolic of an African mud cloth design. The diversity of the artwork and size of the youth images of the youth artists, Kennedy Lytle, Sol Ramirez and Anthony Swann help spotlight their young voices and I am so proud that they contributed such sound advice against racial injustice.
This project was made possible through partnership with Orange County Arts Commission and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Wutang McDougal, 2022
Previously located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
My first Pride was in 2018, and also the year I really explored my queerness. I created this design from what I saw and the feelings I had at Pride. Surrounded by collective love from my community. I love 80’s glam and I feel the palette I chose will be interesting and eye-catching. I also wanted to show representation of pride in Black queerness, Trans community and queer love. I feel really good about what I’ve created and hope to spread the feeling of Pride wherever the bus goes.
Gabriel Eng-Goetz, 2023
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
My design celebrates the growing Asian American community here in the Triangle. My ancestors immigrated to America in the late 1800s, just prior to the Chinese Exclusion Act, leaving Southern China to start a Chinese vegetable farm here in the South and sell their exotic produce at markets in NYC. There are countless stories of change and sacrifice that all of our ancestors made to set us up for the opportunities we have today. The cultural identity of Asian Americans in the Southern United States continues to evolve in new and beautiful ways.
This piece visually fuses ancient symbols with modern aesthetics and materials to recognize the amazing contributions Asian communities bring to the area. The left side of the bus features a leaping dog, which in Chinese culture symbolizes loyalty, honesty and friendship. The right side of the bus features an eagle to symbolize strength, freedom and vision. The back of the bus reads “From Asia to Chapel Hill with Love,” while Cantonese characters reading with “With Love” are featured on the back and front of the bus.
Iris Gottlieb, 2024
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
This bus represents some of Chapel Hill’s queer activists and artists who shaped the community and its politics and enriched the creativity and culture of the area. Some are nationally known, such as writer and civil rights activist, Rev Pauli Murray, and writer, Randall Kenan. Others are locally famous for their impact such as UNC professor, Gerald Unks, gay activist, Lightning Brown, and Joe Herzenberg, the first openly gay elected politician in North Carolina. The legacy of their work and lives all hold significance to the triangle and beyond and their memory will be riding around their old stomping grounds for a few years.
Zachary Bender, 2025
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
The idea behind the bus wrap was to honor the past and celebrate the future. The design starts off with the creation of Chapel Hill Transit by the first Black mayor of Chapel Hill, Howard Lee, which is shown as a monochromatic portrait of him in 1969 and a full color illustration of a modern depiction. In between those portraits features one of the first buses ever in Chapel Hill. There is also a recreation of a bus route map from 1976 in the background. The other side is looking towards an electric future, so I created a ram (inspired by UNC) with lightning coming from its eyes morphing into a bus route along the main streets of Carrboro and Chapel Hill. All through this side I have added dogwood flowers to help soften the image. All in all, I am very proud of what we were able to create together!
Created in celebration of Chapel Hill Transit’s 50th anniversary
Alison Hawkins, 2026
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
This Bus (W)RAP design is inspired by the Talk of the Town community mixtape project. Local poets were prompted to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Chapel Hill. I drew from common themes and chose to highlight the landscape of pine trees and the people within it as a backdrop to lettering that represents the rhythm, lyricism, and flow of the mixtape project.
Learn more in this Instagram Reel.
Victoria Primicias, 2021
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
Fires, floods, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, drought, and high temperatures. It can’t be denied. Climate change is here, and it affects everyone. I hope to increase awareness about global warming while giving hoping that it’s not too late to change our ways and be a part of the solution.
Dain Kim, 2023
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
When I imagined what I would like to see on a bus ceiling, my thoughts turned to nature. On passengers’ daily commute, this image might provide a short trip to a peaceful place, with perhaps a splash of fantasy and daydream. This landscape is inspired by Korean folk art, with the cranes being symbols of long life, and the sun and moon as symbols of balance. By sharing this work, I wish for well-being and vitality to all bus passengers in Chapel Hill.
Mayanthi Jayawardena (Serendib Creative LLC), 2023
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
I created Water Your Garden to bring awareness to how important taking care of our mental health is. I wanted to visualize how important it is to practice self-care and be kind to yourself. As someone who is a mental health advocate with a background in public health, and who has struggled with anxiety and PTSD in my life, I wanted to create artwork that is beautiful, positive and encouraging to destigmatize such an important subject. One side of the illustration shows the power of healthy thoughts (written in the persons long hair) through affirmations and the other side of the illustration is about ways that you can practice self-care and seek support within your community symbolized through the words and multiple watering cans collectively watering the garden growing from the other person’s head. In the center is a brain with one side illustrated in the same design as the positive thoughts side and the other is illustrated as a garden. I believe that artwork has the power to change the way people think and I believe that imagery and messaging like this in the Chapel Hill buses could have a positive impact on its riders.
Christopher Williams, 2023
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
For my design, I am attempting to evoke a sense of dreaming and fantasy, a portal of sorts that looks beyond the confines of the bus and into another world. Toys and overgrown flowers tower above, with a watercolor sky full of stars peeking through. The idea is not to convey a certain message to the passengers of the bus, but to give them a few minutes to let their imaginations wander. Between our daily responsibilities and the events of the past years that weigh on us and guide us through our everyday life, the sense of childlike wonder and imagination can get lost or shut down. I hope that, through this image, passengers can take a moment to reconnect to that.
Rich Gurnsey, 2024
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
My colorful, birds-eye view designs celebrate the vital role public transportation plays in a flourishing Chapel Hill. Whether riders are heading to work, a park, the doctor’s office, school, or a friend’s house, Chapel Hill Transit provides a reliable and equitable way for people to connect with places and people. The three designs depict vibrant, letter-shaped buildings that spell out “Chapel Hill,” “UNC Chapel Hill” and “Carrboro” surrounded by interconnected streets adorned with inspirational messages (oriented so they can be read from all seat perspectives) and traversed by a small fleet of buses. Leafy, mature trees dot the landscape, and puffy clouds hang in the air above it all. I’m hoping my art will add more vibrancy and whimsy to riders’ commutes, while offering a reminder of how public transit not only provides mobility, but reduces traffic and pollution, helps to create a sustainable local economy, and brings people together.
L Jámal Walton, 2024
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
Comic Awareness is the celebration of Jamal’s many years of creating original comic book characters. It follows his comic characters in order of creation as they share their outlook with us. The characters are Mike and Rick (from the Miami Mice), Nate and Leroy, Glacier (from Madness), Axon, Rasta (from ungoodwise), Captain Evil & Diabla, and Ninjareen (with Cthulhu). More of Jamal’s comics can be read online at ljamal.com/comics
Elemental Choice, 2024
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
Scientifically, the natural world is built of shapes and patterns on both micro and macro levels. Spiritually, many cultures over time have translated their beliefs through symbolism and storytelling. I create intricate patterns in pen and ink that reflect how I view the layers of interconnectivity within our human experience.
Each epicenter represents an individual with patterns outstretched that depict their choices, beliefs, and experiences within their own lives. Each person then comes into contact with those around them creating a patchwork of unique interactions impacting their collective story and personal evolution.
Sarahlaine Calva (aka sarahsface), 2025
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
This illustration depicts a vibrant community with the scenes of everyday life, from bustling city streets to peaceful parks, blending urban and natural elements. Designed with bold lines and bright colors, it aims to create a comforting and entertaining visual experience for commuters, offering moments of connection and relaxation as they journey through their commute.
Rodley Sungrifter, 2025
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
As I started this piece I got to thinking about the promise of public transportation: to connect communities, and provide equal access to social, cultural and recreational activities. Sounds simple, but I’d imagine it’s much more complicated to pull that off.
So, in this design, I’ve explored this idea of access and the complicated effort that it must be to make this idea real in public transportation by creating a sort of not-so-simple ode to the bus handle.
To me, the handle is not just a symbol but also an invitation for anyone to participate, to grab a handle, a rail, or anything that works and just go.
The ridiculous number and complexity of the intermingled handles and railings are representative of the amount of opportunities public transit seeks to create for the community and the difficulty of what I imagine it takes to actually making something like that happen.
Alison Hawkins, 2025
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
In the treetops is a colorful mural that features native trees, plants, and wildlife along with a few hidden fantastical characters. This design aims to inspire and soothe bus riders, just like the forests and parks of Chapel Hill!
Kelly Schrader, 2025
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
The puzzle pieces in my design are representing both collaboration and accessibility. When learning about the history of Chapel Hill Transit — from Mayor Lee garnering support from his neighbors, members of his church, and friends to launch his campaign, to the firemen driving the buses back from Atlanta, and the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro working together with UNC to manage the transit system — a common thread was that of collaboration. Each piece of the puzzle is coming together, playing their part, and collectively building the transit system we have today. Having accessible buses, increasing the number of lines and frequency of stops, and of course the conversion to a fare free system have all been amazing steps towards making sure every puzzle piece of the community has a place to fit in and belong. The puzzle is also not quite complete, which is a nod to the future of the transit system — as the bus moves forward, more pieces join the puzzle. For 50 years, the community has worked together to build the Chapel Hill Transit system, and it will continue to thrive and grow to better serve the people that need it for many years to come.
Learn more in this Instagram Reel.
Sarahlaine Calva (aka sarahsface), 2025
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
This piece commemorates 50 years of Chapel Hill Transit, honoring both the commuters and the dedicated individuals who keep it running. From drivers to mechanics and everyone in between, it highlights the often unseen work that ensures the buses remain a vital and reliable part of the community.
Learn more in this Instagram Reel.
Anna True, 2025
Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus
For 3 years I lived in an attic that was converted into an apartment. Lloyd would come visit me every morning on the adjacent roof. He is and was a goofball. His visits brought me a lot of joy and I hope they bring you some happiness as well.
Learn more in this Instagram Reel.
Victoria Primicias, 2021
Temporarily located at Peace & Justice Plaza
My design is a graphic montage using familiar, contemporaneous motifs of peace and justice. I incorporated local elements such as the Chapel Hill postmark – a nod to the old post office building – and dogwood, the state flower. A bright color palette energizes the Peace & Justice Plaza and reinforces the Chapel Hill brand by complementing the Town seal. The intent of my design is to provide a welcoming space for those who enter the Plaza and to lift their spirits while enjoying the venue.
Charlie Dupee, 2022
Temporarily located at Peace & Justice Plaza
The Vera Institute of Justice found that as of 2017, “In North Carolina, Black people constituted 23% of state residents, but 48% of people in jail and 52% of people in prison.”
Once we accept justice as a racialized struggle, the question becomes what is the role of the visual artist? In the book On Decoloniality: Concepts, Analytics, Praxis, Walsh and Anzaldúa put forth the question, “how [do we] write (produce) without being inscribed (reproduced) in the dominant white structure and how [do we] write (produce) without reinscribing and reproducing what we rebel against.” Of course, there is no single or simple answer, but I do believe there is an approach in imagining an untethered, future solidary. The raised fist, a global symbol instantly recognized as call for collective liberation, adopted and propagated by people in times of struggle, strife, and resistance. What is the future of this symbol? My piece, radical futures, is an attempt to visualize a future for this symbol and continue its lineage as an emblem of abolition.
Sadie Rose, 2024
Temporarily located at Peace & Justice Plaza
In a vibrant tapestry of symbolism, this design intertwines the bold red poppy flowers, dogwood flowers, synonymous with remembrance and resilience. Featuring illustration of local activist James “TT” Foushee, a beacon of light and advocacy for his community. During Easter Week of 1964, Foushee, along with three others, started a fast on the post office lawn on Franklin Street. The Ku Klux Klan later responded with a rally in town. These elements converge with the image of a graduate, adorned in their blue cap and gown, defiantly protesting, embodying the spirit of courage and determination we’ve witnessed from some community members. Together, they evoke the essence of the ongoing struggle for racial justice, each element a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who dare to challenge the status quo. Through their collective presence, they echo the timeless words of the late John Lewis, urging us to stir up “Good Trouble” in pursuit of a more equitable world.
Waller Foushee Studios, 2018
Located on the Bolin Creek Greenway just west of the MLK underpass
This art bench is dedicated to Joe Herzenberg, the first openly gay elected official in North Carolina. Listen to the Re/Collecting Chapel Hill podcast to hear more about the bench and the person who inspired it.
Jim Gallucci, 2023
Located on the Bolin Creek Trail
This bench honors the late Jim Huegerich, a dedicated public servant who made significant contributions to the community. Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation, Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture, the Friends of Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation, and artist Jim Gallucci collaborated with the Huegerich family to bring this unique bench and lasting tribute to the Bolin Creek Trail.
Sampada Agarwal, 2020
Located at Que Chula Tacos
Sampada wrote a wonderful blog sharing her intention behind the piece. Read the full story here.
Peri Law, 2021
Located at Lula’s
This piece is about creating a space that celebrates Asian American existence. It acts as an altar for the community, inspired by Chinese traditions with oranges symbolizing good fortune, a chrysanthemum to represent longevity, and plum blossoms as a sign of perseverance and hope.
Renzo Ortega, 2021
Previously located at TOPO Distillery
“Successions” mural is about the different cycles and transitions that families go through over the years. They are experiencing departures, absences, breaks, and reconciliations that are part of the family bond dynamics. This artwork tribute the relatives who left and did not return and the hope of a reunion.
Luis Franco, 2021
Located at 501 W Franklin Street.
The art displays a woman wearing a face mask, with a message. This message is the word “Hope” to inspire everyone who is persevering through this pandemic. Right now we can use some hope as the world has experienced loss and quarantine.
Antonio Alanis, 2021
Located at 161 E Franklin Street.
The piece titled “We, Too, Sing America” pays homage to Langston Hughes’ poem “I, too.” I dedicate this piece to all the essential workers and people of color who continue to keep the United States afloat before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Kiara Sanders, deinstalled 2021
This artwork is based off of a real life scene that I caught in downtown Durham. It was November 7th, and the election results had everyone anxious. It was then announced who the projected winner was, and everyone flooded the streets. The pandemic had been an entirely joyless experience, from unrest to protests, but to see dancing people, waving arms out cars, and to remember what hoped looked like will always live in my memory.
Julienne Alexander
Photos by Jim Wallace & Al Amon, 2017
Located at the corner of W. Rosemary St. and Roberson St.
The Freedom Fighters Gateway shares a glimpse into the Civil Rights movement with photos and oral histories, marking the entrance to the Northside Neighborhood. Built of Chatham stone and features eight black, granite slabs.
Stephen Hayes, 2020
Located at 452 W Franklin St.
After community engagement and a series of design workshops, the marker was envisioned as a fusion of public art and historical monument. Designed by Durham artist Stephen Hayes, with project management by Alicia Hylton-Daniel, it features documentary photography from the era, the names and ages of the Chapel Hill Nine, and a base that evokes the rock walls of the Northside neighborhood where this and many other demonstrations and actions were planned.
Telling the story of our community
Scott Nurkin, 2013
Located at He’s Not Here in Downtown Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill artist and UNC-CH graduate Scott Nurkin painted this mural in the style of Curt Teich who was famous for his series of postcards from various American cities
Scott Nurkin, 2020
Located at 111 N. Merritt Mill Road on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro line
As part of the North Carolina Musicians Mural Project, the Elizabeth Cotten Mural honors the local blues legend and her lasting impact on the community. Ms. Cotten is renowned for her distinctive musical style, created by playing left-handed on a right-handed guitar. Many of her songs reference her early life in North Carolina, including her most iconic song, “Freight Train.” This mural is a collaboration between the towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership.
Chapel Hill Public Library staff tell Elizabeth Cotten’s story on Episode 8 of the Re/Collecting Chapel Hill podcast.
Kiara Chatterjee, 2021
Located at 111 S. Merritt Mill Road
The composition that I had in mind was strongly influenced by the artworks of Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas. His figures often had auras that seemed to radiate from them, giving them a powerful presence that I feel would be fitting for the trail-blazing African-American people this mural is dedicated to.
Max Dowdle, 2022
Located at 140 West Franklin Street
The natural, enduring surroundings of Chapel Hill help make it the special place that it is. The mural takes inspiration from the four rivers (the Eno, Haw, Deep and Rocky Rivers) in the immediate environs, overlaid in colorful, dynamic harmony to create an abstract symphony of form and movement. It’s my intention that this painting brings the life and beauty of land and water into the 140 West courtyard, reminding visitors and viewers of the natural treasures found all around us. Like the immutable, persistent rivers, the power of these people and this place can overcome any obstacle.
Artie Barksdale, 2022
Located at 108 Henderson Street
“The South Got Something to Say” is a quote from rapper/musician Andre 3000 of “OutKast” which is the theme for the mural project. The elements of the mural include:
Molly Rose Freeman, 2022
Located at South Estes Housing Community
I named the mural Community Garden, which is a simple phrase that can mean so much. It refers to the literal gardens that are tended by a community: sources of food, healing and beauty. It alludes to a community as a place to put down roots. It represents the networks that hold a community together—family, friends, neighbors—like the network of mycelium that connects everything underground, providing what is essential and sustaining. And it describes two ecosystems—the community and the garden—that are made strong and fruitful through inter-dependence, reciprocity and care.
Mayanthi Jayawardena, 2023
Located at 423 West Franklin Street
Mayanthi has blended her art and her advocacy to continue to impact the communities she serves. Many of her pieces celebrate the beauty and power of being a woman, while others express her Sri Lankan pride and pain, her latest draws awareness to the importance of mental health and self-love, and others share a world of beauty, color, and life through her eyes. Mayanthi is forever grateful for the opportunities and support that she has received and will continue to appreciate the serendipity of her journey.
Mayanthi Jayawardena (Serendib Creative), 2023
Located at Hargraves Community Center
This mural was created to celebrate the importance of the vibrant history, present, and future of Hargraves, the centerpiece of this community and a place of recreation, joy, and gathering, and play for all.
Zachary Bender, 2024
Located at Chapel Hill Public Library’s Tech Lab
In my work, I focus on creating thought provoking, contextual murals that tell the story of the places I paint. This mural specifically is about the transfer of knowledge in the modern era, exemplifying the intent of the tech lab. The apple being a symbol of that knowledge and the lines denoting the streams of data and the contents of that data. Anyone who uses the lab becomes like the woman at the far right of the mural being illuminated with knowledge.
Renzo Ortega, 2024
Located at Umstead Park
This mural is about whatever directions people take, going north, south, west, or east. There will always be something unexpected on the horizon that will give a new meaning to their lives.
Photo by Samuel Cooke
Gabriel Eng-Goetz, 2024
Located at 900 Willow
My design celebrates Chapel Hill as a historic town steeped in world-class education and multiculturalism. Gathering inspiration from the Town’s official seal/logo and from traditional textile patterns from around the world, the artwork dives deep into history to tell a story of global teachings, learnings and wisdom. Adopted in the 1930s, the town seal depicts the Greek goddess Athena. The Town of Chapel Hill states “Perhaps it was the wisdom of an earlier age, steeped in the classics, that led early town leaders to pick the Goddess of Wisdom to symbolize Chapel Hill. Athena remains a symbol of civilization, useful knowledge, noble reasoning, logic and wisdom. And she is mentioned often as a civic god. Recognized as a unique college community shaped by youth, intellect and idealism, Chapel Hill likened itself to the Acropolis hill in Athens.” Combining Greek mythology with ancient patterns from across the globe, my hope is to inspire visitors, residents and patrons to experience the many cultural perspectives that Chapel Hill has to offer and reflect on how they have shaped society today.
Created in partnership with Ram Realty Advisors
Loren Pease/Sweetpease Art, 2024
Located at Rosemary Parking Deck
Columns of Rosemary explores the vibrant resilience of nature within the urban landscape of Chapel Hill, particularly along Rosemary Street. Depicting the rosemary herb climbing the columns of the new parking deck, the mural symbolizes growth and renewal, echoing the spirit of Chapel Hill. Interwoven with bees and butterflies, the artwork underscores the crucial role of pollinators in our ecosystem. As these natural elements flourish against the modern backdrop of the parking deck, they reflect a revitalized community, breathing new life into the heart of downtown.
Daniel LeClair, 2018
Located on the Bolin Creek Greenway Tunnel under Pritchard Avenue
Daniel LeClair teamed up with high school students from the Boomerang and Volunteers for Youth Programs to create this vibrant and eye-catching mural.
Max Dowdle, 2020
Located on Lower Booker Creek Trail at East Franklin Street
The water of Booker Creek runs day and night, trickling along with sunrise and sunset. While deer feed, raccoons scavenge, squirrels nibble, foxes sneak, coyotes hunt, birds watch from above, and humans enjoy their walks, the water continues to travel its well-worn cut in the earth, remembering all that occurs around it.
J Massullo, 2020 (installation), 2025 (updates), 2026 (repairs)
Located on the Bolin Creek Greenway tunnel under M.L.K. Jr. Blvd
Inspired by traditional graffiti spray paint techniques, artist J Massullo incorporated elements from the natural world including stylized insects, animals, flora, and fauna.
In 2021, we commissioned J Massullo to work with Chapel Hill High School students to paint the OWASA pipes near the Florifauns mural. The result was a collaborative creative experience.
J Massullo updated the western tunnel face on both sides of the stream in 2025.
Sampada Kodagali Agarwal, 2023
Located on Booker Creek Trail
Immersed in the rich tapestry of tribal art, this earthy composition is broken down in three different parts, yet comes together cohesively as a whole. It beautifully intertwines the harmonious connection between mankind, the life-sustaining element of water, and the captivating allure of the verdant, green North Carolina trails.
These monochromatic, simplistic, yet expressive paintings are made using a basic set of geometric shapes – a circle, a triangle, and a square. Jivya Soma Mashe, a highly accomplished Warli artist, who introduced Warli to the world as an art form and inspired many tribal youths to practice Warli as commercial art, summed up the deep feeling which animates the Warli people, saying “There are human beings, birds, animals, insects, and so on. Everything moves, day and night. Life is movement.”
Calvin Ulrich, 2023
Located on Booker Creek Trail
The Trail Mural depicts four separate scenes, each located on a different pipe along the trail. The idea for this work revolves around showing the different biomes and fauna that inhabit the area and depicting them in a classic, scientific-illustration style. Each pipe has a specific scene, such as Treetops and Upper Branches, Forest Floor, Creek Bed and Banks, and The Forest at Night. Within each scene, the animals depicted correspond to their environment.
Eli Flo Art & Stephanie of Sparkle Body Arts, 2024
Located at Bolin Creek Trail
A trio of faeries now reside at Bolin Creek Trail as a result of the collaboration between Elisabeth Flock and Stephanie Hallmark. Each faerie represents a native flowering tree and corresponding butterfly. Their combined traits symbolize the influence that species have on each other and remind us of our connection with nature.
Mayanthi Jayawardena of Serendib Creative, 2024
Located at Bolin Creek Trail
For my five pipes, I have created a larger-than-life world of North Carolina native plants and animals. I hope that these images will remind passerbys of the beauty that our state has to offer. Some of the friendly faces that you will see on my pipes include a box turtle, gray fox, cardinal, and a tree frog.
Molly Chopin, 2024 (installation), 2026 (repairs)
Located at Bolin Creek Trail
Wanting to draw viewers’ attention to the life that’s happening at and below their feet in this natural setting, my mural designs are semi-abstract celebrations of underground mycorrhizal and mycelial networks. These root networks play a vital role in ecosystems by breaking down decomposed plant materials, and by increasing the efficiency of water and nutrient absorption of surrounding trees and plants.
We humans have much in common with our natural environments, and there’s a parallel between these networks and the unseen-but-essential bonds that grow between families and friends. Though on the surface, we appear to be separate from each other, our underground “root” systems are intertwined, and the love we exchange reflects a mycelial system of life sustenance.
Jesse White, 2024
Located at Bolin Creek Trail
My mural work is deeply informed by my work as an author-illustrator; I’m always looking for opportunities to tell a story at a larger scale. The contiguous pipes along Bolin Creek Trail lend themselves to a narrative-based piece that opens opportunities for interaction and discovery, which is what I aimed to create with this project. Among the many stories found in nature, the ever-present cycle of life and death is one of the most important. It’s an inspiring story that defines our human connection to the natural world: we see it told in different ways each time we look within or step outside. Using three pipes as a framework, my mural tells this story through the life cycles of the barred owl and beech tree, selected for their majestic appearance as well as the layered meaning they offer the design. Barred owls nest in the cavities of mature or dead trees–and beech trees are one of their favorites. When viewed in parallel to each other, the lives of these two local species serve as a conceptually powerful and visually compelling metaphor for the interdependent, cyclical relationships found in nature.
Kiara Chatterjee, 2024
Located at Bolin Creek Trail
I wanted to make pieces that represent how we as humans can sow ourselves into our local environments instead of seeing ourselves as completely separate, how moving forward we should be more mindful in taking care of our native plants, wetlands, and taking time to put a name to the other living organisms that share a habitat, even if we are just cozy inside of our homes. One of the pipes also is a nod to Occaneechi land, depicting the profiles of a Native American person, so I also believe in preserving the history of former stewards of land.
Sarah Lasater, 2024-2025
Located at Bolin Creek Trail
Growing up in North Carolina, I became enamored with the native ecosystem that I was a part of. This mural celebrates a few of our most colorful and beneficial native perennials.
Candy Carver, 2022
Located at Hargraves Community Center
I create electric and brightly colored contemporary artwork that encompasses bold colors and utilizes abstract design, alongside figurative subjects. My work is intuitive and begins with a specified feeling as the goal. The colors I choose are therapeutic and enliven me as I create. Often, the themes broaden as I work through each piece. Creating allows for me to refill my reservoir of joy and impact others in a similar way. I leave every canvas feeling full in a way that I can only compare to meditation.
Bike racks and benches designed after the iconic rockwall in the historic Northside neighborhood.
Natasja Bresenski, 2022
Located at Chapel Hill Community Center
As an abstract artist who is inspired by bold, vibrant colors, I am thrilled to be able to share my work with the Chapel Hill community. I love the idea of “beautifying” public spaces and objects that are often overlooked by the everyday public. I like to explore the ways color can interact to create playful compositions and evoke different moods.
Jane Cheek, 2022
Located at Homestead Aquatics Center
My work memorializes personal moments and memories in immersive formats. I offer these glimpses into my daily life as a queer Southern woman to help create connections. I use simple geometric forms and familiar imagery to create universally accessible artwork that challenges the perception that our differences have to be larger than life, and I hope to create spaces and conversations that help bridge those differences. The bike rack design at Homestead Aquatic Center was inspired by my love of water, swimming, and the joy those spaces bring.
Freddie Bell, 2023
Located at Southern Community Park
I looked to the nearby basketball courts to inspire the abstracted pattern on these bike racks. I love using color, pattern, and repetition to reflect on the human experience. I wanted these bike racks to speak to what people are in the park for – gathering together to play!
Elisabeth Flock, 2022
Located at Chapel Hill Public Library
These larger-than-life critters are designed to draw your attention towards storm drains and how they are connected to natural waterways and wildlife. A river otter points to the drain while holding a book called “Hydrosphere,” and a very fancy crayfish clasps “Creek Critters” in his claws. Both of these books are on the library’s “Clean Water is Precious!” reading list. The catfish reads a page (from the Nc-Clearwater.org website) that clearly states how stormwater is not treated.
Mayanthi Jayawardena, 2022
Located at Northside Elementary
My design is based on the connection that clean storm drains have with a clean and flourishing environment. I thought this would be a great design to celebrate Earth day and show clean water entering the storm drain. I created the whimsical landscape for the students at Northside to share the magic in nature.
Nyssa Collins, 2022
Located at Southern Village Park & Ride
The most fascinating creatures are our neighbors in wooded areas, creeks, and meadows across the piedmont of North Carolina. The brilliantly colored Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) looks like it belongs in the Amazon Rainforest, but is actually native to wooded streams of the eastern United States. North Carolina is home to more salamander species than any other place in the world due to the huge variety of agreeable ecosystems from the coast to the mountains. Salamanders are considered a bioindicator species, which means that their presence in a watershed indicates a clean and healthy creek. Water from city storm drains flows directly into the watershed without filtration (this storm drain flows to Wilson Creek and Morgan Creek before reaching Jordan Lake), so it is crucial to monitor non-permeable surfaces like driveways and roads to prevent pollution flowing to delicate habitats.
Jesse White, 2023
Located at Chapel Hill Town Hall at North Columbia Street
It’s easy to forget that our community is part of a dynamic ecosystem that includes both the natural and built environment. Our actions have a direct impact on the plants and animals around us: we are like pieces of a living, breathing puzzle. Instead of allowing that knowledge to guide and enrich our daily lives, we often operate as if we are totally separate from nature. As soon as water disappears down the drain, we stop thinking about where it will end up. This mural uses color, shape, and visual movement to remind viewers of our interdependence, as well as the responsibility that comes with it. The design features a large semi-circle shape, filled with flora and fauna of North Carolina that are impacted by creek pollution. The images are carefully arranged in a radiating pattern to represent the ripple effect of even the smallest change within our environment, and the arrow shapes symbolize water as a connective tissue within that environment.
Alice Holleman, 2023
Located at Chapel Hill Town Hall
My concept for the mural on the storm drain depicts the native wildlife that are directly affected by what we put in North Carolina waters. Having grown up in North Carolina, our state’s natural beauty is endangered by the disregard of our resources. The catchy rhyme I wrote “For all our sake, take care of our creeks and lakes!” is meant to be a helpful reminder of what is at stake when we do not take care of our world. Being mindful of the environment is beneficial for the animals and humans alike.
Anna Payne Rogers Previtte, 2023
Located at West Rosemary Street and Mitchell Lane
For years I have responded to themes of nature, environmentalism and climate change in my work. This piece of public art was particularly exciting for me to create as part of a clear effort to change one of our more damaging habits that directly effects our local surroundings. The composition of the mural consists of four projecting planes that represent the layers of our experience on Earth from cloud to creek. As a celebration of natural beauty this is a colorful illustration of the most fundamental purpose of these storm drains; to redirect rainfall and runoff. Anything that goes down these drains goes directly into our local creeks and natural habitats. Making sure the public is aware of this is important and designing these storm drain murals with this in mind is a tangible way to enact change, bringing a call to action into people’s daily lives and neighborhoods. Initiatives like these are exciting for artists to participate in where they can help actualize a shared vision that is inline with the communities existing goals. I sincerely hope this piece is a bright, enjoyable addition to the street and helps people to remember, only rain down the drain!
Kelly Schrader, 2023
Located at Airport Gardens Housing Complex
Prior to drawing out a concept, I researched past examples of storm drain murals as well as the storm drain system and waterways of Chapel Hill. I noticed every previous design I found was a direct representation of local wildlife, water, fish, etc. I decided to try to go a different route while maintaining a connection to the environmental theme in the call. My design showcases a system of pipes, tubes, and other transport methods for water, with bright colors that are eye-catching and in a cartoonish style. I hope people walking by will stop to consider the network of water delivery systems rushing right below their feet. What goes down the storm drain travels through these systems to our waterways.
Luke Vandergriff, 2024
Located at Chapel Hill High School
Where does the water go? This piece is an attempt to answer that question. It’s not enough to say it goes to a creek. Rather, it goes to places of peace, serenity, and natural beauty that are enjoyed by those living in the forest.
~buffy, 2024
Located at Eubanks Park & Ride
My concept is inspired from reading “Algae in Stormwater ponds and wetlands” from the Town of Chapel Hill’s website. While the visual concept is presented as a vibrant and whimsical scene, featuring flora and fauna interacting with the storm drain, it draws upon the importance of stormwater ponds and wetlands in water pollution treatment. The concept style, particularly the water and a water slicked tunnel (drain) is in direct correlation to what I learned of the algae and algae blooms. Of course, “blooms” leads me to think of flowers especially since it is spring and flowers are blooming all around.
JR Butler, 2024
Located at Hargraves Community Center
For this design I wanted to relate visually that the creek and storm drains are connected. I did this by creating a fun, environmental scene where the central painting of the creek connects directly to the physical storm drain. I then used red lettering to contrast and stand out from the environmental scene. The wording I chose is “This supplies our watershed. Let’s keep it clean.” I think the word “watershed” helps to emphasize that not only does it connect to the creek but it’s also a source of water for the community.
Molly Chopin, 2024
Located at 136 E Rosemary St
Considering how evergreen North Carolina is and the symbiotic relationship between waterways and forestlands, I was drawn to create a landscape inspired by the slogan “keep rivers clean and the earth evergreen.” Depicted is a forest of evergreen long leaf pines, a very common species of trees found in NC, next to a body of water that’s sparkling with a beauty that can only exist without pollution. The design around the sun is the Seed of Life, a geometric symbol comprised of seven overlapping circles, that represents the interconnection that exists between systems of the earth, sky, and cosmos. A rainbow frames the scene to catch eyes and celebrate the beauty of sunlight and water coalescing, and an eastern box turtle, the state reptile of NC, represents the spectrum of species (besides us humans) that depend upon clean and consciously cared for waterways. Sparkles in the forest, on the water, and spilling out onto the sidewalk are designed to draw viewers in and reinforce a reminder – that from a grand perspective, it’s all starlight, and we are all connected.
nonperishable, 2025
Located at Chapel Hill Public Library
This is a 3-D optical illusion painting (designed to appear three-dimensional from a specific vantage point) focusing on the fragile lives downstream that are too often overlooked. As a child, I spent nearly all of my free time exploring the woods and creek behind our house, collecting creatures for my many observation tanks, naming them, studying them, and eventually releasing them. I think I would have loved to see a mural like this when I was a kid. Through my artwork, I hope to contribute to the overall happiness in the world, inspire wonder and raise awareness about environmental issues local and global, such as pollution and its impact on wildlife.
Sam Greene, 2025
Located at Homestead Aquatic Center
My mural is inspired by the notion that water is the essence of life. The artwork features a vibrant spring bursting from the drain cover, and in the midst of it are several animals that frequent our beloved creeks. These animals appear to be sculpted from the water itself, yet they glow with a life of their own that is distinct from the wave behind them. My goal with this image is to draw awareness to the fact that any water flowing through this drain will have a direct impact on the lives of countless creatures that rely on it. We are all connected to water, and keeping our creeks clean is essential to maintain the magic of our natural world.
Void Vicious, 2025
Located at South Estes Community
Amphibian population health is a key indicator for water quality. I chose to highlight a hyperlocal species of water dog (or mudpuppy) that exclusively lives in the Neuse and Tar River systems in NC. I painted in a cartoonish cutesy style as kids play nearby and I want them to be intrigued by the artwork and stay curious about nature! These harmless little salamander-like creatures are rare and you would be lucky to see one! Lets all do our part to preserve our water quality and protect the creatures that share this precious resource with us!
Jackie Sanders, 2026
Located at Lower Booker Creek Trail
This mural presents a bold, geometric interpretation of how water moves through our environment, transforming an often-overlooked storm drain into a visual story about connection and flow. Using layered color blocks, directional linework, and simplified environmental forms, the design illustrates key moments in the water cycle: rainfall, absorption, movement through soil, and eventual return to local waterways.
The composition is intentionally structured to guide the viewer’s eye toward the drain itself, reinforcing the idea that everything entering this point continues beyond it. By combining an engaging visual language with clear messaging, the mural makes hidden infrastructure visible and encourages everyday awareness of how small actions contribute to the health of our shared waterways.
Alison Hawkins, 2026
Located at Bolin Creek Trail
Hiking around the area is one of my favorite pastimes. Creekside is inspired by some of the animals I’ve spotted on my walks. From frogs and Great Blue Herons to beavers and Belted Kingfishers, this mural is a colorful reminder of the friends that we might see along the trail. Hopefully people will be interested to learn about the animals that share our neighborhoods.
Zachary Bender, 2026
Located at North Columbia Street & Caldwell Street
This piece shows how our actions directly impact the fragile ecosystem. It features the spotted salamander, which is native to this area and it shows a couple stages of its life cycle. All in all I just hope this gives people a chance to reflect how they are affecting our critters.
Julia Stout, 2000
Located at Southern Community Park
Tadasana embodies the artist Julia Stout’s mission to create works of art that reflect herself through simple natural poses. This pose – the mountain pose – is a pose used in yoga as a foundational starting pose for all poses.
This piece was relocated from the Chapel Hill Community Center to Southern Community Park in fall 2025.
Carl Regutti, 2007
Located at Homestead Park
Inspired by the many colors of a peacock, Magnolia Exotica is made of an innovative type of stainless steel that produces different hues in the light.
Laura Haddad & Tom Drugan, 2009
Located at Southern Community Park
A series of landscape art installations created from natural materials found at the space. Made from salvaged boulders and trees, the installations reveal and surround different elements of earth, air, water, and flora. Installations include:
Al Frega, 2011
Located at Merritt’s Pasture
Made from recycled brake drums from Chapel Hill Transit buses.
Leo Gaev, 2018
Located on the Tanyard Branch Trail
In 2018, metalsmith Leo Gaev was commissioned to create art for the bridge on the Tanyard Branch Trail connecting Umstead Park to the Northside neighborhood. Lining the bridge are 43 steel silhouettes inspired by folks going about their daily lives.
Holly Felice, 2021
Located at Booker Creek Basin Park
Large iridescent stainless steel sculptures towering about 12 feet above the trail. Each piece resembles a different inspect species that can be found in the space – butterfly, dragonfly, and ladybug.
Al Frega, 2024
Located at Umstead Park
These bike racks are a continuation of two other sets I did for the trail system in Chapel Hill. The foundations are Chapel Hill bus brake drums sunk into the ground with concrete. The uprights are heavy-gauge recycled stainless steel industrial material. These differ from the previous racks by being slightly wider at the request of the cycling community. The sculptural components on the tops were constructed to reference five branches of the military as requested. The symbols are simplifications and abstractions of branch emblems.
This project was a collaboration with Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation, Chapel Hill Transit, and Go Chapel Hill.
Nyssa Collins, 2024
Located at Chapel Hill Public Library
This piece was originally installed in Downtown Chapel Hill in March 2024 at the 140 West Franklin Plaza. Created in celebration of Earth Day, the piece focuses on environmental sustainability. It’s a raccoon with skin and fur made from recycled materials, such as plastic bottles and aluminum cans, sourced from the Haw River Assembly’s trash traps. The raccoon quickly became popular during its stay downtown and is now located at Chapel Hill Public Library. Learn more.
This piece was a commission award from the 2023 Uproar Festival of Public Art.
Jen Stone (Jen Stone Design), 2025
Located at Homestead Aquatic Center
Woven Currents transforms recycled textiles into a constellation of illuminated forms that seem to drift. The suspended installation evokes the rhythm of water and light, symbolizing the flow of connection within the community and giving new life to discarded materials. Suspended above the Homestead Aquatic Center entryway, the piece plays with transparency, movement, and reflection, inviting viewers to pause and look upward as light shifts across its surface.
This piece was a commission award from the 2025 Uproar Festival of Public Art. Thanks to Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation for collaborating on this piece.
Julia Gartrell, 2023
Temporarily located at 140 West Franklin Plaza during Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s Small Town Pride
As queer people, now is not a time to be quiet or subtle. The Queeramid is a piece celebrating LGBTQIA+ identities that also reminds us that our rights are still threatened. Each side is connected to the history, politics, and challenges of being queer at this moment in time.
Adam Cooley, 2024
Temporarily located at 140 West Franklin Plaza during Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s Small Town Pride
“Think Outside the Box” is a very large, awe inspiring, fun sculpture that embraces the importance of being proud of who you are, in particular the LGBTQIA+ community. It challenges you to look past the labels that both society and that we ourselves attach to ourselves. “Think Outside the Box” is for everyone and depicts scenes of diverse communities coming together in unity and joy, symbolizing inclusivity and the beauty of human connection. We are all bound together sharing the same planet, all of us with different perspectives and experiences. It is unfortunate, but research shows that LGBTQIA+ youth are at much higher risk of suicide. “You Belong, You Matter” is present because it is important for all people to feel like they have a place and they matter. “Think Outside the Box” encourages all people to become part of the artwork’s ever-evolving narrative of positivity.
TJ Mundy, 2025
Temporarily located at 140 West Franklin Plaza during Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s Small Town Pride
This piece at first glance is very much pride-coded, but the thought behind it was to have it be a tangible representation of the “likes” via hearts that are commonly done on social media. Viewers will be prompted to write loving, hopeful, radical, personal comments/thoughts in the hearts painted on the panels. The title, “Love Quiets Fear” is from an excerpt in Octavia Butler’s afrofuturist novel Parable of the Talents. I wanted to include something personal to me as a black queer trans person, and Butler’s work and ideas are a constant inspiration to my artistic practice and how I want to use my art to build worlds for myself and folks that share my identities. The other quote on the piece is “everybody say love,” which to me is a call to love and respect others, but most of all yourself; and I think this is achievable through sharing and exchanging knowledge and stories.
Morrow & Max Dowdle, 2026
Temporarily located at 140 West Franklin Plaza during Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s Small Town Pride
Shelter for the Coming Out speaks to the experience of finally coming out about one’s queer identity, whether it is to a friend, family member, or community. For queer folk, coming out signifies the moment in which we have decided the pain of keeping our identity secret is so great that it becomes worth the risks of revealing that identity to others. My poem, “I Come Out to My Daughter,” embodies my own experience in this realm. I think it is particularly important because we hear so many stories about coming out to our peers and elders, and more rarely about coming out to the younger people in our lives, particularly our children.
Levi Yakubu, 2026
Located at Pritchard Park at Chapel Hill Public Library
Twelve trees in Pritchard Park are home to clay masks and faces, created by artist Levi Yakubu and inspired by his Nigerian background.
Levi Yakubu is a graduate of Dordt University in Fine Arts Studio with an emphasis in ceramics. He is a 5th generation potter who grew up in Nigeria surrounded by mentors like his father who have influenced his work today. Yakubu draws upon his rich cultural background, the Tiv ethnic group of West Africa, to create artwork that speaks to his cultural identity and encourages dialogue around difficult issues. He currently resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where he is an art teacher.
When we unveiled this installation in March 2026, Chapel Hill Poet Laureate Donovan Livingston shared an original poem inspired by the work, called Familiar Faces.
