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Santa Rooftop Rescue

DUE TO WEATHER, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL DEC. 20.

December 20 | 5:30-7:30 PM
140 West Plaza on the corner of Church and Franklin Street

We’ve heard that Santa might find himself in a tricky situation in downtown Chapel Hill this December – and you’re invited to see how he makes out! Join us at the 140 West Plaza for holiday music, hot cocoa, and treats – and keep your eyes peeled for Santa on a nearby rooftop. We’ll call in the Chapel Hill Fire Department’s brave firefighters to rescue Santa and bring him safely down to earth. Stick around after the rescue while Santa and the firefighters greet children and hand out candy canes. Hot beverages and treats available for purchase from Tenco Coffee truck.

More information available here. 

Elise Alexander

Titled Open Secrets

Media |

Created by Elise Alexander

Maria de Bruyn

Titled Bumble bee gathering pollen on St. John’s wort

Media | Photography

Created by Maria de Bruyn

Sharon Hardin

Titled Sunspots

Media | Watercolor

Created by Sharon Hardin

Jean Kaplan

Titled Crooked Creek

Media | Weaving

Created by Jean Kaplan

Lilly Langer

Titled Red Roof Barn 

Media | Oil

Created by Lilly Langer

Duncan Lewis

Titled Pig

Media | Cast Bronze

Created by Duncan Lewis

Wayne Marcelli

Titled Untitled (martyr)

Media | Oil on canvas

Created by Wayne Marcelli

Miriam Sagasti

Titled Beautiful Peonies

Media | Watercolor

Created by Miriam Sagasti

Farid Sani

Titled Shepherd

Media |

Created by Farid Sani

Eric Serritella

Titled Unfurled

Media | Ceramic

Created by Eric Serritella

Old Well

By Rachel Herrick
Installed March 2017

Located at the intersection of Cameron Avenue and Wilson Street. This crosswalk depicts one of the most iconic symbols of UNC-Chapel Hill, the Old Well.  Herrick chose to portray the Old Well because of its importance to the history of the school and surrounding area.

Barcodes

By Mary Carter Taub
Installed March 2017

Located at the intersection of East Rosemary and Henderson.  The lines are intended to replicate UPC barcodes with pedestrians “scanning” the UPC barcode as they walk across mimicking a real-life barcode.  The UPC barcode has local roots in the surrounding Triangle — it was invented in the 1970’s by IBM in Raleigh’s Research Triangle Park.

Walk

By Lope Max Diaz
Installed March 2017

Located across from Shortbread Lofts on West Rosemary Street. His design incorporates minimalist geometric patterns with colors and symbols of Chapel Hill and the University. If you look closely, the design abstractly spells out “walk.”

Bricks

By Amy Hoppe
Installation currently being installed January 2020

Located at the intersection of Rosemary St. & Church St, this is the newest of the four projects. Hoppe’s design references a historical element in Chapel Hill’s architecture — brick sidewalks and buildings throughout downtown and campus.

Cathylee Mahin

Titled At The Disco

Media | Watercolor

Created by Cathylee Mahin

Willow Grove Motif

Ingrid Erickson, 2018

Located on South Columbia St. at UNC Health Sciences Library

Description

Erickson created stencils that were spraypainted and paired with bendable foam to create the look of willow branches.

Evolving Attitudes

Ross Ford, 2018

Located on Eubanks Road at Park & Ride Lot

What Just Happened?

Ron Liberti, 2018

Previously located at Southern Village Park & Ride Lot

Description

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.

Chapel Hill Monuments

Tarish Pipkins, 2021

Located on M.L.K. Jr. Blvd & Stateside Dr

Description

Chapel Hill Monuments portrays in bright acrylic hues well-known UNC-Chapel Hill landmarks like The Bell tower and The Old Well.

Who We Are

Chloe Strauss, 2019

Located at Franklin Woods Apartments

Description

Strauss’ art is inspired by diversity and helping others “to see aspects of themselves shown as beautiful and important.”

Umbrella

Sarahlaine Calva, 2019

Previously located at Airport Gardens

Description

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

Star Crossed Lovers

Britt Flood, 2019

Previously located at University Place

Description

Star Crossed Lovers is a continuous line piece that depicts two figures connected by line and color, symbolizing connection and fate.

Kindness Matters

Helen Seebold, 2019

Located on Caldwell St by Northside Elementary

Description

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.

The Ooom Pah Band

Joel Sobelson, 2019

Located at Glen Lennox Shopping Center

I Raised My Hand To Volunteer

Photo by Jim Wallace, art installed 2019

Located at Moe’s Southwest Grill on Franklin Street

Description

I Raised My Hand To Volunteer features a quote from Karen Parker, the first African American woman to graduate from UNC- Chapel Hill:

We Were Troublemakers

Photo by Jim Wallace, art installed 2019

Located at The Graduate Hotel on Franklin Street

Description

We Were Troublemakers features a quote from Harold Foster, a leader in the Chapel Hill Civil Rights movement:

A Mouthful of Sand

Photo by Jim Wallace
Installed 2019

Located at the bus shelter at the Rosemary St. & Columbia St. Parking Lot.

The Universe Moves Us

Daniel LeClair, 2018

Located on the Bolin Creek Greenway Tunnel under Pritchard Avenue

Description

Daniel LeClair teamed up with high school students from the Boomerang and Volunteers for Youth Programs to create this vibrant and eye-catching mural.

Florifauns

J Massullo, 2020 (installation), 2025 (updates), 2026 (repairs)

Located on the Bolin Creek Greenway tunnel under M.L.K. Jr. Blvd

Description

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.

Have A Really Good Day

Jermaine Powell, 2020

Located at Shadowood Apartments on M.L.K. Jr. Blvd

Description

In Have A Really Good Day, Powell hopes to remind people to enjoy the ride and make friends along the way.

Distant Futures

Charles Chace, 2021

Located on Pittsboro Street

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Connected

Gabriela Amaya-Baron, 2020

Located at the Harris Teeter in Meadowmont

Description

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.

Pillar

L Jámal Walton, 2020

Located at Brookside Condos on Hillsborough Street

Description

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.

Shakti – The Power Within

Sampada Agarwal, 2020

Located at Que Chula Tacos

Description

Sampada wrote a wonderful blog sharing her intention behind the piece. Read the full story here.

Stronger Together

Loren Pease

Welcome Furriends

Julienne Alexander

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Gina Franco, 2020

Located at Spicy 9

Slay Today America

Charlie Dupee

IYKYK

By Candy Carver
Installed 2020

Located at Lantern

Water’s Perfect Memory

Max Dowdle, 2020

Located on Lower Booker Creek Trail at East Franklin Street

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Elizabeth Cotten Mural

Scott Nurkin, 2020

Located at 111 N. Merritt Mill Road on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro line

Description

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.

Listen Now

Going Home

Michael Waller, 2019

Located at the top of Merritt’s Pasture

Joe Herzenberg Memorial Bench

Waller Foushee Studios, 2018

Located on the Bolin Creek Greenway just west of the MLK underpass

Description

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. 

Tanyard Branch Bridge

Leo Gaev, 2018

Located on the Tanyard Branch Trail

Description

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.

Freedom Fighters Gateway

Photos by Jim Wallace & Al Amon, 2017

Located at the corner of W. Rosemary St. and Roberson St.

Description

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.

Chapel Hill Nine Historical Marker

Stephen Hayes, 2020

Located at 452 W Franklin St.

Description

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.

Together

Michael Waller, 2019

Located at the pond in Merritt’s Pasture.

Merritt’s Pasture Bike Racks

Al Frega, 2011

Located at Merritt’s Pasture

Description

Made from recycled brake drums from Chapel Hill Transit buses.

New Voices

Victoria Primicias, 2021

Temporarily located at Peace & Justice Plaza

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

We, Too, Sing America

Antonio Alanis, 2021

Located at 161 E Franklin Street.

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Oasis in the Middle of a Storm

Kiara Sanders, deinstalled 2021

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Infinite

By L Jamal Walton
Installed 2021

Located at the former Blue Spoon Creamery

ARTIST STATEMENT

As penance for their last caper, Captain Evil and Diabla used their community service hours to create a short PSA about love and hope. Find out more at evildiabla.com

Green Way StoryWalks

Chapel Hill’s Green Way StoryWalks® feature diverse, culturally-relevant, environmentally-themed books to inspire learning about the earth and the environment, and to create connections between literacy, nature, exercise, and family time.

Find the Ents on Bolin Creek Trail

During Earth Week, April 18th-24th , be amongst the trees, read a good book series from the Chapel Hill Public Library, and along your journey see and collect images of a few Ents! 

What are Ents? Lord of the Rings fans might already be familiar with these mythical tree creatures. You’ll find them among the trees along Bolin Creek Trail between Umstead Drive and Hillsborough Road.

Send at least one image of an Ent with you and/or your friends and family to be entered to win a prize! Send photo to goch@townofchapelhill.org #ChapelHillEnts 

Elemental Landscapes

Laura Haddad & Tom Drugan, 2009

Located at Southern Community Park

Description

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:

Go Birdwatching

Migration has begun! Grab your binoculars and your camera and head over to the new Bird Blind in Pritchard Park, behind Chapel Hill Public Library. Made possible through the generosity of New Hope Audubon Society.

Kaze4Letters

Kaze4letters is a Durham based Rap artist who has experience in many aspects of the music industry. Kaze was a founding member of UNC student organization Hip-Hop Nation, which promoted local MCs, DJs, poets, and graffiti artists. He is now co-owner of Vibehouse 405 a recording studio and creative space, dedicated to the creation and expression of music, art, media and culture. He is also the director of arts and culture for the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership. He has collaborated with many local organizations and musicians coordinating the Save the Music series which strives to support the local artist community, bring attention to local talent and bring people out to enjoy what’s going on downtown. His latest album ‘A Thousand Shades of Black’ touches on his journeys with creativity, identity and the diversity of Blackness in all forms.

Souls of Joy

Souls of Joy sings current and old school gospel music that will uplift, inspire, and bring joy to the souls of our community.

SunQueen Kelcey

SunQueen Kelcey has two things at the center of her music: body positivity and radical self love. Her musical style is a genre-bending collage of hip-hop, soul, rock, and contemporary R&B, call it soul-rock. She delivers an energetic and passionate performance complete with her live band The Soular Flares. Kelcey grew up in a small North Carolina town called Southern Pines, absorbing a broad range of music from Mary J Blige, Nina Simone, and Jill Scott to Queen and Rage Against the Machine. She has overcome a series of obstacles to get to where she is now, rising above loss and personal setbacks to find her own voice and pursue her artistic dreams. Her commitment to empowerment is what helped Kelcey sign a record deal with indie label, Smart Mouth Records LLC based in Durham, NC. Her new album, “See Attached” explores her interpretation of heartbreak, toxic relationships and mental health.

Lydia Salett Dudley

Lydia Salett Dudley is a jazz and gospel pianist and singer living in the Raleigh-Durham area. Her first exposure to music came from the local Baptist church in Cleveland Ohio which was instrumental in providing experience in playing for various groups of children and adults. Her nonprofit organization The Salett Art Center, Inc. is geared to serve at-risk youth by provide music education that empowers each individual to express their own voice.  She currently sits on board of The Heart of Carolina Jazz organization. She often performs with her band Jazz Xpressions, which consists of music educators and performers.  Her 2020 single  ‘Whatcha Gonna Say’ addresses racism, political issues and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Storytime With Ms. Frances

Ms. Frances from Chapel Hill Public Library will read a couple of stories to celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth.

Pride Booklists

Explore Chapel Hill Public Library’s recommended reads to celebrate Pride Month! Lists include titles and topics for all ages.

A Playlist For Pride

Compiled by local musicians, curators, and staff, Tracks Music Library is featuring a PRIDE playlist celebrating belonging, loving who you love, and giving visibility around the fight for equality.

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Tracks in the Stacks: A.yoni Jeffries

With her soulful, spiritual sound, A.yoni Jeffries takes listeners on a journey through the depths of emotions. With her unconfined range, the afro-indigenous singer/songwriter spans multiple genres adding her own soulful twist. As a talented songwriter, her music is driven by strong melody – featuring upbeat records and ballads that takes listeners to the most beautiful, yet forgotten places internally. Her vocal style stresses love and creativity and provides the listener permission to feel. Soulbounce notes that “A.yoni’s work intersects with her art as she creates accessible spaces, fosters community, and encourages people to hear, see, and feel themselves in her music.”

Tracks in the Stacks: Austin Royale

Austin Royale the rapper, producer, songwriter from Durham, North Carolina constantly recreates himself. As he continues experimenting with various musical styles, and blending genres. Currently he is prepping the upcoming release of his debut album, “PLAN | A”. Previously performing under the name A-10, at the age of 24 Austin has been an ongoing influence in the local music scene for almost a decade. He has performed all over North Carolina as well as nationally, collaborating and sharing stages with numerous national recording artists.

Tracks in the Stacks: XOXOK

Keenan Jenkins, XOXOK, began his musical career during his Ph.D. studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he played open mics and local showcases at venues such as Jack Sprat, Local 506, and The Station between long days on the third floor of the psychology building. XOXOK crafts atmospheric soul music that is conceived on the fretboard, cultivated at the microphone, and cradled in headphones. The guitar and vocal influences are far-flung, but cohesive—see Jeff Buckley, Moses Sumney, and Anna Calvi, among others. His live performance is a model of intimacy and presence; armed with “sweet, ringing vocals” (Queen City Nerve), XOXOK delivers impassioned songs with unabashed conviction.

BIPOC Elected Officials Read the Juneteenth Proclamation

The BIPOC electeds from Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough are proud to present the Juneteenth Resolution Reading.

Birds of Different Feathers

Victoria Primicias, 2021

Located at Eastgate Shopping Center

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Chill Chapel Hill

Ian Wenstrand, 2021

Located at MLK Jr. Blvd at Chapel View

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Have a Great Day

Jermaine Powell, 2021

Located at Shadowood Apartments on M.L.K. Jr. Blvd

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Plants are Resilient

Antonio Alanis, 2021

Located at Fire Station #3

Description

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.

Random Joys

Ms. TT & RedApple School students, 2021

Located at Abernethy Hall on UNC Campus

Description

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. 

Pride and Power

Charlie Dupee, 2021

Located at Adelaide Apartments on M.L.K. Jr. Blvd

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Ansimit

Sampada Agarwal, 2021

Located at Airport Gardens Apartments on M.L.K. Jr. Blvd.

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

A Space for All of Us

Peri Law, 2021

Located at Lula’s

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

A Tapestry of Rogers Road

Kiara Chatterjee, 2021

Located on Rogers Road

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Rise Above Racial Injustices

By Debi Drew and NAACP Youth Council members  Kennedy Lytle, Sol Ramirez, and Anthony Swann

This project was made possible through partnership with Orange County Arts Commission and and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

ARTIST STATEMENT

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 these sessions. Self Concept, Racist Viewpoints and Unity in Diversity were the themes in our workshops and 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.

Heat Preacher

Listen Now

Jack The Radio

Listen Now

Dreamroot

Listen Now

African American Trailblazers

Kiara Chatterjee, 2021

Located at 111 S. Merritt Mill Road

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Poetry Fox

12 – 5 PM

Durham poet Chris Vitiello writes custom poems on-the-spot on a vintage typewriter. Give him a word, get a poem!

Living Arts Collective

1:30-3:30 PM

The Living Arts Collective will offer a variety of art experiences including live painting, drumming, a winged dancer, and more.

Catchfire Collective

4-6 PM

Catchfire Collective presents innovative, powerful, and inspiring performances that reignite the chamber music experience. Catchfire’s members represent a dynamic background of artistic approaches, offering unique performances that capture the ethos of twenty-first century music. Their innovative programming has been met with audience and critical acclaim, praised as “magical” and featuring “relentless pulse, contrasting textures, and beautiful individual playing.”

Story Charlemagne

4:15 PM

Story Charlemagne is a lover of storytelling through music, using Soul, Indie Rock & Folk to create a unique fusion of styles.

Bring Items for a Food & Supply Drive!

TABLE and Inter-Faith Council for Social Service will be collecting items for donations:

• Non-perishable food items
• Winter accessories
  • Scarves
  • Gloves
  • Hats
  • Socks
  • Sleeping Bags
• Toiletries
  • Bath Towel
  • Wash Clothes
  • Razors
  • Deodorant
  • Toothbrushes
  • Toothpaste

The Power of Persistence

Max Dowdle, 2022

Located at 140 West Franklin Street

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Learn About Our Climate Action Plan

The Town’s Climate Action and Response Plan has 97 actions that are designed to lower the emissions that cause climate change, help us adapt to our changing climate, protect our local environment, and strengthen our community’s resilience.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Did you know the Town has added charging stations across the community? Plug in, free of charge, at one of the following locations:

• Homestead Aquatic Center 
• 140 West Franklin – Located in the public parking level (P-1) of the underground garage. Note: Parking in the garage is $1/hour. 
• Orange County Skills Development Center 
• Robert and Pearl Seymour Senior Center

Compost Crazy

One meaningful action each of us can take is to commit to producing less waste. By reducing what we need, reusing as much as we can, recycling what’s possible, and composting the rest, we help reduce landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Orange County Solid Waste Management offers compost bins for sale and you can download this handy Do’s and Don’ts guide to get you started.

Medication Take Back

Drop your unused and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications in the drop box at Chapel Hill Police Headquarters so they don’t end up in our waterways or in the hands of someone they are not meant for. The drop box is in the Police Headquarters lobby at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., which is open between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Chapel Hill Police will also collect medications at the Wegmans at 1810 Fordham Boulevard on Saturday, April 30, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Storm Drain Murals

This April three area artists will be painting colorful murals around select storm drains in Chapel Hill to highlight the importance of clean stormwater management:

• Nyssa Collins at the Southern Village Park & Ride lot
• Elisabeth Flock at Chapel Hill Public Library
• Mayanthi Jayawardena at Northside Elementary

Refreshing Connections

Holly Felice, 2021

Located at Booker Creek Basin Park

Description

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.

About CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio

CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio, CPA’s immersive arts venue and studio space, opened to the public in February 2018. Located in the Carolina Square mixed-use development on Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill, CURRENT connects campus and community via the arts.

CURRENT’s 7,000-square-foot state-of-the-art space features an adaptable black box-style theater and a multi-purpose studio. In addition to hosting immersive performances and installations by cutting-edge artists, CURRENT serves as the physical and intellectual home for our Fellows and artists-in-residence to collaborate with faculty, students and the community. Visitors can find everything from artist talks to post-performance gatherings, workshops, and other artistic and community events.

Year Of Jubilee: 1865

Candy Carver, 2022

Located at Hargraves Community Center

Artist Statement

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.

BANGZZ

Genre: Punk

Bangzz is garage punk true to the riot grrl era that dishes out loud and fast songs with in your face feminist themes. Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter of BANGZZ, Erika Libero, is also the co-founder of local Chapel Hill music festival Manifest, alongside Sarah Shook of Sarah Shook and the Disarmers.

3:00 PM | Anne-Claire

Genre: Pop

My name is Anne-Claire and I live in Carrboro. I write music about experiences I’ve had growing up in the Triangle. I have been able to collaborate with amazing local musicians such as Phil Cook (Megafaun), Libby Rodenbough (Mipso), and Ari Picker (Lost in the Trees). All of my music is recorded in NC. I feel so lucky to live here.

4:40 PM | Treee City

Genre: Electronic

Treee City is the electronic music project of Durham-based DJ and producer and Patrick Phelps-McKeown. He has released music on labels Raund Haus and Maison Fauna, is a founding member of club night and DJ collective Party Illegal, and runs a regular internet radio show called the Rainforest Café that focuses on music from North Carolina artists.

Red Salamander

Nyssa Collins, 2022

Located at Southern Village Park & Ride

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

We Are All Connected

Mayanthi Jayawardena, 2022

Located at Northside Elementary

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Stormwater Education

Elisabeth Flock, 2022

Located at Chapel Hill Public Library

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

About Dustin Reams (Natalie Watson)

Dustin Reams, local Durham Drag King, has been performing since 2018.  He loves to perform old school R&B then switch it up and sing rock or country.  He likes high energy songs that make the crowd jump and dance and then will slow it down to share a nice chill moment with the crowd.  From childhood on, Dustin has always loved to read and is always excited to share his craft through song, dance, and books.

Coming Soon: Art + Transit Installations

Community Arts & Culture and Chapel Hill Transit commissioned local LGBTQ+ artists to create two new installations for the Art + Transit program. Be on the lookout for a new art bus and artistic bus shelter — more information coming soon!

Mickey Mills & Steel

With Zion Project

Performance time: 4:00-4:40 PM

Zion Project  was formed in the year 2010 as a praise team at Faith Tabernacle Oasis of Love Church in Chapel Hill. The members are Malika Mills (lead singer), Cheryl Long (back up singer), and Dianne George (back up singer). We the sister’s of Zion are apart of Mickey Mills and Steel. Were excited to give thanks and praise in our unique style of Caribbean Soul, and uplifting message in song.

CJ Suitt

Performance time: 2:00 PM

CJ Suitt (he/him/they/them) is a performance poet, arts educator, and community organizer from Chapel Hill, N.C., whose work is rooted in storytelling and social justice. Suitt was appointed as the Town of Chapel Hill’s first poet laureate in 2019.

Fred Joiner

Performance time: 5:50 PM

Fred Joiner is a poet and curator based in Chapel Hill, NC. He is 2019  Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow and the current Poet Laureate for the Town of Carrboro.  

Finesse

Performance time: 3:00-3:40 PM

Finesse consists of a group of talented musicians who have been performing over a span of twenty years in the triangle area and beyond.  Our goal is to touch and inspire hearts and souls throughout our communities as music has done for generations around the world.

Bouncing Bulldogs

Inside the gym
Performance time: 4:00-6:00 PM

The Bouncing Bulldogs Jump Rope Team is comprised of 160 boys and girls from the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area of North Carolina, ranging in age from 5 to 26. Their innovative jumping style includes fancy footwork, flips, and other acrobatic skills with ropes of various lengths.

A Journey of Reconciliation

Photo from the Library of Congress, art installed 2022

Located at the Rosemary St. & Columbia St. Parking Lot

Description

This shelter commemorates the 75^th 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.

We Knew Intersectionality Was The Way Forward

Jane Cheek, 2022

Located at Carolina Apartments

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Part of Chapel Hill-Carrboro Small Town Pride

Rise Above Racial Injustices

Debi Drew and NAACP Youth Council, 2021

Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Orgullo Latino / Latinx Pride

Georges Le Chevallier, 2020

Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Can’t Stop Pride

Wutang McDougal, 2022

Previously located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Part of Chapel Hill-Carrboro Small Town Pride

Carolina Flora

Taylor Bragg, 2022

Located at 1211 East Franklin Street

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Home Is Where The Hill Is

Mayanthi Jayawardena, 2022

Located at Ashley Forest Drive

ARTIST STATEMENT

My goal with this art is to show that home can be anywhere, no matter where you are from or who you are.

Blooms Over Chapel Hill

Sara Roberts, 2022

Located at South Columbia Street at Westwood Drive

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Barning Around In North Carolina

Sally Gregoire, 2022

Located at Ridge Road at Eringhaus Hall

Description

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.

Sun

Antonio Alanis, 2022

Located at South Columbia Street at Mason Farm Road

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Unity Flight

Loren Pease, 2022

Located at the Carrboro Post Office

ARTIST STATEMENT

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

Roller Rink

Natasja Bresenski, 2022

Located at Chapel Hill Community Center

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Growth Of Life

East Chapel Hill High School students, 2022

Previously located at East Chapel Hill High

Description

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.

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Magic Tuber Stringband

Genre: Experimental folk

Magic Tuber Stringband is an experimental old-time-related duo from Durham, NC comprised of Courtney Werner on fiddle and Evan Morgan on guitar and banjo. The duo forges links between the dialects of traditional tunes and free-folk improvisations. We have three records out currently, with a fourth coming out this year on Feeding Tube Records.

Godric

Genre: Rap

I moved to Raleigh at the end of 2018 to pursue music & writing. I released my first full project last  September coming off nearly losing my life in a car accident. Ever since, my passion’s steeled itself and being native to NC and making it from here is a principle of sorts for me because I know explicitly the talent that’s refined and produced only in places like this.

VSPRTN

Genre: Dance & electronic

VSPRTN is a DJ/Producer from Durham, NC. VSPRTN is known for their eclectic essential DJ style infusing hip-hop, techno,deep house, afrobeats genre bending at an electronic basis. Ves’ unique approach to music is originally profound by new familiar.

Bonies

Genre: Indie rock

Music is our safe haven. Our home. We are explorers in this chaotic place we call earth! Music is our wonderland, it’s our life. When we are not playing music we are going to record stores, eating good food or discovering cool spots. We moved here from Arizona, looking to connect with other musicians. We appreciate every little thing about music entirely. Michael and I met from mutual musicians a few years ago. We have jammed here and there and got serious last summer. We worked on our music almost ten hours a day. We do it because we genuinely love it. We love seeing people’s creative sides! We are excited to see and experience as much as we can before we bite it.

jstory

Genre: Dance & electronic

Josh Story, also known as jstory, is an artist, producer and engineer based out of Durham, NC. His music is a mixture of live electronic improvisation with sound design and beats inspired by the greats of hip hop and electronic music history. He has worked alongside producer No ID to engineer tracks for Common, Vince Staples, Jhene Aiko and the Cocaine 80s. Josh moonlights as a product manager for the music technology company, Output. He releases music under the name jstory and can be found online @jstorymusic.

Marshall Sidbury

4-6 PM

Marshall Sidbury has been writing songs since he left home in the New Mexico desert to work as a cattle hand on the rodeo circuit. One night after the rodeo, he was stabbed by a jealous husband in an Arkansas juke joint and had a spiritual awakening. He quit the rodeo and left the next day to play the piano in a traveling Pentecostal revival, until he was bitten multiple times by a venomous snake and could not travel to the next destination. After he recovered, he took a job in a tobacco warehouse near Durham, North Carolina, where he lives today. Along the way, he’s picked up songs and musical styles. From the corridos of Mexican border towns to the work chants he learned as a prisoner during a brief stint in a Texas penitentiary, Marshall blends them all into his own brand of American music.

The UNC Tarpeggios

3-4 PM

Founded in 2010, The Tarpeggios, affectionately known about campus as the Tarps, are a mixed-voice a cappella group at the UNC-Chapel Hill.  The Tarps pride themselves on creating a space where individuals from all backgrounds can come together and find family, both through music and beyond with many trips, retreats, and socials. They have released two albums, Carolina State of Mind and The Teal Album, which can be found on Apple Music and Spotify. They’ve also released singles such as G Train and Before He Cheats, and plan to release more soon!

Learn More

Tar Heel Voices

3-4 PM

Tar Heel Voices, established in 1988, is UNC’s oldest co-ed a cappella group. Since its founding, THV has played a pivotal role in Carolina’s music scene. From performing at Late Night with Roy as the 2017 National Championship banner was presented to competing in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, THV continues to leave its musical mark on audiences at UNC and the surrounding area. THV records an album every other year and tours the country annually.

Live music provided by Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership

Uniquely Henna

1-6 PM

Shanta Allard of Uniquely Henna will be offering complimentary henna tattoos.

Screen Printing with Robby Poore

1-6 PM

Take home a screen printed Festifall poster. Screen printing is provided by UNC Arts Everywhere.

Learn More

Moonlight Dance Crew

4 & 5 PM

Watch open style choreography from UNC’s premier dance crew. Brought to you by UNC Arts Everywhere.

Carolina Ukulele Ensmeble

1-2 pm

Watch a short performance from the world’s first collegiate ukulele ensemble. Brought to you by UNC Arts Everywhere.

DJ Set with WXYC

UNC-Chapel Hill’s radio station WXYC will be providing the soundtrack for the event.

Electronic Recycling with Kramden Institute

Kramden Institute will be accepting used electronics for recycling at their exhibit booth. Bring old devices like laptops, monitors, cell phones, and tablets. Once in their care, data-bearing devices will be wiped three times with a DOD-approved process.

Still Together We Rise

Janvika Shah, 2023

Located on South Road at County Club Road

ARTIST STATEMENT

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

Goodness Sakes

Alice Holleman, 2023

Located at Chapel Hill Town Hall

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Only Rain Down The Drain

Anna Payne Rogers Previtte, 2023

Located at West Rosemary Street and Mitchell Lane

ARTIST STATEMENT

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!

I’ve Got Pipes On It

Kelly Schrader, 2023

Located at Airport Gardens Housing Complex

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Leeman Smith

Chapel Hill Public Library

My name is Leeman Smith and welcome to my installation called “The Lovers”! I am a Raleigh-based artist and textile designer and I have a passion for all things textiles! I love crafting, and designing, and I am inspired by gorgeous, vibrant colors and organic shapes. My art is a reflection of who I am and what I am trying to explore and I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to look at my Instagram and my digital portfolio to learn more about my process and stay up to date with my current works!

From Asia to Chapel Hill with Love

Gabriel Eng-Goetz, 2023

Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Serendib Creative

Chapel Hill Town Hall | October – November 2023

ARTIST STATEMENT

Mayanthi Jayawardena, the founder of Serendib Creative, is a proud Sri Lankan-American artist of all trades. She channels her passion through murals, digital illustration & design, fine art painting and children’s book illustrations. Mayanthi’s award winning art is internationally recognized and has been featured from North Carolina to Australia. Her art is an expressive blend of her Sri Lankan culture and her life experiences.

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.

Motherland

Dain Kim, 2023

Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Jim Huegerich Memorial Bench

Jim Gallucci, 2023

Located on the Bolin Creek Trail

Description

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.

Asja Milak

Chapel Hill Town Hall | December 2023 – January 2024

ARTIST STATEMENT

My art focuses on the repetitive patterns of geometry. It is a beautiful fusion of wood, nails, and string. The process of creating a piece varies. Some have a repetitive pattern, while others I develop the pattern as I work. Each piece is made with love and is unique and can be interpreted in various ways. It is fascinating to me to come up with patterns and designs. They are so intricate and the process of repetition gives this therapeutic feeling of letting go of all the worries of the day and focusing on what is in front of you. These pieces draw people in and they are great conversation starters. There is this feeling of huge accomplishment when you see your pieces on individual walls. I hope my pieces make you as happy as I was making them.

Mara Johnson

Chapel Hill Public Library | December 2023 – January 2024

ARTIST STATEMENT

I was inspired by all that touches my heart. I enjoy travel, exploring new places, meeting people, and new cultures. I will always have a deep love for my home country and its natural beauties, so I painted fireworks in Brazil and made figure paintings of my indigenous ancestors. I have also shared my visit to the Grand Canyon that marked my soul deeply and the birth of my first child with “Reborn,” a piece that was finished while in labor. There is also the second piece I have created with wood for string art. This piece granted me the opportunity to participate in the Illuminate Art Walk in Downtown Raleigh.

Mara Luisa Carvalho Johnson is a North Carolina-based artist, painter, public artist, and Engineer. She was born in Brazil but has lived in North Carolina for the last 6 years.

BLAC: Work Inspired by Gordon Parks

Chapel Hill Town Hall | February – March 2024

SHOW DESCRIPTION

Gordon Parks is an American icon whose photographs captured the lives of both those seen in the limelight and those who were often overlooked and unseen. Sharing a well-rounded view of his people in black communities was close to his heart. He said, “I saw that the camera could be a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs.” Though drawn to exposing social concerns in his vast body of photographs, he also worked in the fashion industry, film, writing, visual art and more. In BLAC: Work Inspired by Gordon Parks, we have included a sampling of art reminiscent of his dynamic art throughout his long and gifted career.

BLAC stands for Black League of Art Creatives, and the show exhibits work by Ashley Armstrong, Kevin Bell, and Debi Drew. It was curated by Debi Drew.

Chromatic Commute

Max Dowdle, 2023

Located at MLK Jr. Blvd. at Homestead Road

Photo by Fly Squirrel Films

Secret Psychic Bus Pass

Stella Rosen, 2023

Located at South Columbia Street at Frat Court

ARTIST STATEMENT

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

Makala Aayana

Chapel Hill Public Library | Mid-February – Mid-April 2024

ARTIST STATEMENT

Makala Aayana is a Caribbean-American, mixed-media artist from Atlanta, Georgia, now rooted in Durham, North Carolina. Her creative journey centers on promoting well-being and sustainability through art, fostering connections, exploring identities, and sparking conversations. Her work celebrates curiosity and contemplation, it is a reflection of how and what she sees around her. With the pieces in this show, she hopes that viewers are called to question and explore their life experiences and their stories, just as she has when creating each piece.

Makala is also a host and curator for A Concept: You (ACY), a podcast and community that focuses on encouraging people to be the best version of themselves. Through ACY, Makala highlights holistic wellness, uniting generations through shared wisdom and experiences, and encouraging an understanding of who you are and how you want to show up in the world.

Suijin Li

Chapel Hill Town Hall | April – May 2024

ARTIST STATEMENT

In recent years, I’ve discovered the captivating world of painting—an art form that allows me to express intricate designs through the interplay of colors and shapes. Drawing inspiration from Josef Albers’ pioneering studies on color, I’ve found myself delving deep into the realm of hues and their dynamic relationships. Many of my compositions pay homage to the breathtaking beauty of my native Venezuela, capturing the vivid colors found in its landscapes and the graceful allure of its native birds. This exhibit serves as a testament to my passion for color and the boundless creativity it allows me to explore.

Gina Harrison

Chapel Hill Public Library | April 16 – June 17, 2024

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT: Jaunts, Journeys, and Flights of Fancy

Journey has likely been used as a metaphor for as long as people have told stories. Whether describing youth to age, innocence to enlightenment (or less optimistically, disillusion), or simply the path down a road less traveled, journey shines a light on the things we learn and see and do along the way.

Similarly, these works document a variety of personal journeys, big and small. Some reference musical works. Some are inspired by a memory, a morning walk, or a trip to the other side of the world. At least one is a journey interrupted, a musing on what might have been. They are primarily in a square format, of which the majority are abstracts. Even when working with no particular end in mind, if the brain can identify a line or mark as a horizon, I inevitably find myself in a landscape of sorts. I can’t tell you how to get there, except perhaps in dreams. Enjoy your journey.

Destiny

Renzo Ortega, 2024

Located at Umstead Park

ARTIST STATEMENT

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

Where The Water Goes

Luke Vandergriff, 2024

Located at Chapel Hill High School

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Basketball Bike Racks

Freddie Bell, 2023

Located at Southern Community Park

ARTIST STATEMENT

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!

help flowers blossom, not algae bloom

~buffy, 2024

Located at Eubanks Park & Ride

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Queer Leaders of Chapel Hill

Iris Gottlieb, 2024

Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Umstead Park Bike Racks

Al Frega, 2024

Located at Umstead Park

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Rubbish the Raccoon

Nyssa Collins, 2024

Located at Chapel Hill Public Library

Description

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.

Journeys of the Daily Transit

East Art Appreciation Club, 2024

Located at East Chapel Hill High School

ARTIST STATEMENT

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

Watershed

JR Butler, 2024

Located at Hargraves Community Center

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

B3 Coffee

$5,000 Award

Project summary: A series of 10 artist-led workshops for people with disabilities and their allies. Workshops will be followed by at least one disability–themed art showcase featuring the art created by workshop participants.  

Bridging the Gap

$7,500 Award

Project summary: A series of workshops with High School Students exploring how to build youth coalitions and creatively, powerfully, and visually communicate their message. Participants will brainstorm, select materials, and learn fabric dying and printing skills to create banners and build giant puppets that amplify their message. “Chapel Hill Children’s March” will participate in upcoming Town events.

Chinese School at Chapel Hill

$3,500 Award

Project summary: Free community festival for everyone to experience traditional Chinese arts and culture, including Peking Opera, paper-cutting, calligraphy, painting, and music. The Spring Festival will take place in Chapel Hill at a location TBD. 

Keep Our Waterways Clean and the Earth Evergreen

Molly Chopin, 2024

Located at 136 E Rosemary St

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Hannah Ruth Foundation

$5,000 Award

Project summary: Conduct Living Legends 4.0, a 6–8-week oral history preservation project for local Black youth and elders. Youth will learn about oral history techniques, conduct research, and create video recordings. Community celebration will showcase the video and participants, and recordings will be made available online afterwards.

Orange County Rape Crisis Center

$5,000 Award

Project summary: A series of (4) Zentangle workshops for participants to experience empowerment, grounding, and mindfulness with community in a safe and inclusive space. The artist-facilitator will construct a collaborative art piece assembled from participants’ work and display it publicly as a symbol of the triumph of spirit over hardship and the bonds of community. 

Prism Design Lab, Inc.

$10,000 Award

Project summary: Organizers will work with local artist Tarish Pipkins, aka Jeghetto, to bring his puppetry performance of 5P1N0K10 (Spinokio) to the students of all Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) Middle Schools. 

Keiko Genka

Chapel Hill Town Hall | August 6 – October 3, 2024

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT: ORDINARY BEAUTY

Just as we tend to overlook our simple daily routines in favor of the grand plans we dream about, life is full of wonder and intrigue that we pass off as insignificant and mundane. If we can find the beauty so abundant in every moment, we will not need to search for happiness and contentment.

Unfamiliar places reveal everyday life on each street corner. From the faces of people engaged in daily activities to the signage directing folks to local offerings, I feel a connection to the realities so easily missed by residents and visitors alike. What is offered in my paintings, however, is totally controlled by the viewer.

Make Yourself at Home

Alison Hawkins, 2024

Located at West Main Street at Carrboro Town Hall

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Bare Necessities

Schrader Art, 2024

Located at Old Fayetteville Road at Autumn Woods

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Pollinator Mandala

Sara Beaman, 2024

Located at Umstead Drive at Bolinwood Apartments

ARTIST STATEMENT

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

O Lófos

Gabriel Eng-Goetz, 2024

Located at 900 Willow

ARTIST STATEMENT

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

Andrew Kasab

4 – 5 PM

Andrew Kasab is a guitarist, harp guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is known for energetic performances, using traditional and contemporary techniques, arrangements of modern and older works across a wide spectrum of styles for the guitar and harp guitar and has been performing for over 30 years.

Danza Azteca Olin de Sanford

12 – 12:45 PM

Baila Beats Academy

3 – 3:45 PM

Join Baila Beats Academy for a free interactive dance class!

Mariachi los Galleros de Mexico

4 – 5 PM

Panaderia Copan Morelos

12 – 5 PM

Grab some free Pan de Muerto! Available while supplies last.

Emma Jane

2 – 2:45 PM

Oscar Garcia

1 – 1:45 PM

Join Oscar Garcia for a free interactive dance class!

Home Grown

Mayanthi Jayawardena of Serendib Creative, 2024

Located at Bolin Creek Trail

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Echoes of the Heart: Dreams, Melodies, and Time

Chapel Hill Town Hall | December 12, 2024 – February 6, 2025

ARTIST: Vladimir Vitkovsky

“Echoes of the Heart: Dreams, Melodies, and Time” showcases a rich tapestry of reflections that transcend mediums through timeless themes of nostalgia and connection. Using ink on paper and oil on canvas, each piece invites viewers into a contemplative space, drawing them into intricate details that evoke wonder. The artworks create a dialogue between the past and present, inviting exploration of dreams and the rhythm of life. This exhibit celebrates the universal experiences that resonate across time, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the artist’s emotional landscapes.

Photo courtesy of Vladimir Vitkovsky

Bytes of Knowledge

Zachary Bender, 2024

Located at Chapel Hill Public Library’s Tech Lab

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Legacy of the Cloth

Chapel Hill Town Hall | February 11 – April 7, 2025

ARTIST: Andrea Carter

Legacy of the Cloth is an exhibition that offers a celebration of my sartorial practice. It is a showcase of learning with one-of-a-kind, contemporary wearable art and quilted wall hangings using, for the most part, Ankara and other African textiles. Quilting, in particular allows me to intentionally embrace the legacy of those, including my own family, who created wearable art and textile pieces with the least likely of materials, rejecting notions of lack, and instead embracing a spirit of sustainability and flare. Many of my pieces are designed and made with remnants and notions from my personal collection. Cloth lives our whole lives with us and is an important medium that offers warmth, style and modesty. Cloth also maps diasporic histories, decorates our spaces, and is yet a soft and sometimes unexpected landing for subjects hiding in plain sight or consigned to abstraction but meant to provoke thought and conversation.

Native Perennials

Sarah Lasater, 2024-2025

Located at Bolin Creek Trail

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

In the treetops

Alison Hawkins, 2025

Located on a Chapel Hill Transit bus

ARTIST STATEMENT

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!

LB The Poet (he/him)

7X Award Winning Poet/Spoken Word Artist
Host, Author, Educator, Husband, Father, Creative
Founder of WORD Society & Lyrics By The Lake

Things Behind Things Behind Things

Chapel Hill Town Hall | April 11 – June 9, 2025

ARTIST: William Parker

My art draws inspiration from anywhere or anything. I could simply be making espresso and want to paint it differently than what I see. Or hear a song lyric and want to paint what I hear. I love to explore the illusions that life throws our way, blending reality with a touch of surreal fun. I hope to evoke a sense of wonder, encouraging viewers to find joy in the unexpected and the mundane.

Kaeru the Frog King

nonperishable, 2025

Located at Chapel Hill Public Library

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

The Essence of Life

Sam Greene, 2025

Located at Homestead Aquatic Center

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Water Dawg

Void Vicious, 2025

Located at South Estes Community

ARTIST STATEMENT

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!

Serenity

Chapel Hill Town Hall | June 13 – August 12, 2025

ARTIST: Gina Savage

I grew up watching Bob Ross and he inspired me to paint landscapes. I love to paint mountains, which is why most of my paintings have a mountain in it. I love using the wet-on-wet technique with oil paints. I find painting calming and relaxing. I hope my paintings bring people joy and peace when they see them.

Community Empowerment Fund

$9,666 Award

Project summary: On Saturday, October 18th, 2025, the talents of low-income, no-income, and fixed-income people in Chapel Hill will be celebrated in the “Don’t Believe Me? Just Watch!” Fashion & Arts Show. Held at Hargraves Community Center from 1-5pm, the show will feature designers, models, painters, jewelers, a DJ, and other artists, creating a space for community to gather in joy and empowerment. This will showcase the artistic gifts that low-income, no-income, and fixed-income people offer our community and highlight their role as cultural leaders. Come for the eye-catching thrifted runway fashions, stay for the lovingly crafted artwork and jewelry! The event is free and open to the public.

The Marian Cheek Jackson Center for Saving and Making History

$9,666 Award

Project summary: The 14th annual Northside Festival is on the last Saturday in April. Hundreds of community leaders, partners, and residents of the Northside neighborhoods will gather in celebration of the past and future. The Northside Festival is an adaptation of and tribute to the joyful ritual and rite of passage that was the May Day Festival of Orange County Training School: the segregated Black school during the time of Jim Crow. This neighborhood event is free to the community, with live local talent, home-cooked and donated meals from neighbors and local restaurants, and crafts for all ages that share and honor local history through an artful form of neighboring. Support from the Town helps compensate performers and strips away barriers, symbolically taking back the land that has always been “ours” through movement, dance, song, food, laughter, and celebration.

Prism Design Lab, Inc.

$9,666 Award

Project summary: Prism Design Lab is partnering with poet and educator Cortland Gilliam to bring Rising Voice Poetry Workshops to five elementary schools in Chapel Hill during the 2025–26 school year. Centered on the theme of belonging, the workshops will create space for 5th graders to explore language, identity, and imagination while building confidence in their own voices. Each session blends poetry writing with group dialogue, encouraging students to connect their lived experiences with creative expression. In addition to the workshops, the project will culminate in a school-wide poetry showcase and an anthology highlighting the voices of the 5th grade students.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Durham and Orange Counties

$4,836 Award

Project summary: A public-facing mural on the exterior of the 505 Craig Street building will reflect the altruism and beauty of our youth development mission. The artist will co-lead educational activities to teach members about the mural, show them why representation matters, and discuss the unifying power of public art. This will beautify the building and show our children they are seen, celebrated, and worthy of a mural they can see themselves in when they come to the Club. It will illustrate to our children – and to Northside neighborhood residents – that their diverse views, family histories, and futures are celebrated and welcome.

Now and Then

Chapel Hill Town Hall | August 15 – October 9, 2025

ARTIST: Carl Wilson

This is my autumn. There are more days behind me than ahead. I’m at peace with that. I’m grateful for all the people and things that have made a difference in my life. Much of this work tells stories about my mother’s life. What’s good in me was put there by her. Today I’m having adventures and misadventures. I’m optimistic about my autumn, but now and then, I look back and smile.

Dreamland – Creatures and Curiosities

Chapel Hill Town Hall | October 10 – December 11, 2025

ARTIST: Adam Cooley

Adam Cooley is an American artist based in Durham, North Carolina, whose multidisciplinary practice spans painting, sculpture, design, and performance. Influenced by his years in Japan, his work blends cross-cultural symbolism with surreal imagery to explore themes of transformation, mythology, and the passage of time. Dreamland is an internationally traveling exhibition of Cooley’s whimsical paintings, where hybrid creatures and dreamlike landscapes offer a visual escape into the subconscious. Drawing from folklore, dreams, and personal mythologies, each piece invites the viewer into a world where storytelling, imagination, and wonder take center stage. Through color, texture, and symbolic detail, Dreamland becomes a space where reality softens and the fantastic unfolds.

Community Garden

Molly Rose Freeman, 2022

Located at South Estes Housing Community

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

1941 Curt Teich Postcard

Scott Nurkin, 2013

Located at He’s Not Here in Downtown Chapel Hill

Description

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

Creating Vibrancy Through Community

Mayanthi Jayawardena (Serendib Creative), 2023

Located at Hargraves Community Center

Artist Statement

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.

Arts & Letters

Chapel Hill Public Library | January 9 – March 12, 2026

ARTIST: Leah Palmer Preiss

These paintings celebrate words, letters, ideas, images and the way they work and play together.

Each piece begins with texts scanned from my collection of old books, most from the late 19th century. The images are playful in concept, but I paint in obsessive detail, using tiny brushes and many layers of fluid acrylic.

I enjoy playing hide-and-seek with the viewer, letting certain words emerge clearly and obscuring others, bringing some imagery forward to meet the eye and letting other elements lurk in the background, patiently waiting to reward the curious.

Faces of the Forest

Levi Yakubu, 2026

Located at Pritchard Park at Chapel Hill Public Library

DESCRIPTION

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.

Beyond the Surface

Chapel Hill Town Hall | February 13 – April 6, 2026

ARTIST: Brook Ramsey

This series is a story about how our lives are transformed by what we choose to take away from our experiences. It is also about the transformative power that honoring our emotions has in our lives.

Watercolor by Voon Wong

Chapel Hill Public Library | March 13 – May 7, 2026

ARTIST: Voon Wong

Voon discovered his passion for art in high school and went on to study at an art college in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before earning a master’s degree from the Academy of Art University. His early watercolor paintings featured serene landscapes and local fishing boats, reflecting his connection to coastal life. Today, he focuses on capturing everyday human experiences. In 2025, he was honored with Signature Member status in both the National Watercolor Society and the Watercolor Society of North Carolina.

Familiar Faces

In March 2026, we unveiled Faces of the Forest, a collection of ceramic art pieces by Levi Yakubu at Pritchard Park. At the kickoff event celebrating the new installation, Donovan shared an original poem inspired by the artwork, called Familiar Faces.

Joey Lew, MD (she/her)

Joey Lew is the author of Insensible Losses (Nymeria Publishing, 2024). She holds an MFA in poetry from UNCG and an MD from UCSF and is currently a surgical resident at Duke. Her work can be seen in a number of literary magazines and medical journals including most recently Four Tulips, The American Journal of Surgery, and JAMA.

Creekside

Alison Hawkins, 2026

Located at Bolin Creek Trail

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

James Daniels//james solomon (he/him)

James Daniels // james solomon is a Black Southern creative, educator, and community peacebuilder. He is Greensboro’s second Poet Laureate and has poetry publications under Southern Cultures, Greensboro Review, SoftSavagePress, and others, as well as Bull City Press who published his first chapbook God-Damned Eden. He’s been teaching writing and hip-hop for 15 years, and he is currently a professor and the coordinator of Creative Writing at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

Where Water Connects

Jackie Sanders, 2026

Located at Lower Booker Creek Trail

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Reuse Art Station

1 – 3 PM

Join The Scrap Exchange to create unique reuse art creations using everyday household recyclables.

The Scrap Exchange is a Creative Reuse Center and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote creativity, environmental awareness, and community through reuse.

Moon Riot

1 PM

Moon Riot is a four-piece, all-girl punk band out of Carrboro, North Carolina. Raw energy, bold attitude, and a serious stage presence, Moon Riot has rocked venues across the Triangle including Cat’s Cradle, Local 506, and KINGS. We’re the kind of band you don’t just watch — you feel.

Community Mural

1 – 3 PM

Paint with pride! Join local artist Mayanthi Jayawardena (Serendib Creative) and add to our collaborative community mural.

Mayanthi Jayawardena is a multidisciplinary muralist and founder of Serendib Creative LLC whose vibrant, community-centered artwork explores storytelling, cultural identity, and connection. Rooted in her Sri Lankan heritage and background in public health, her murals transform shared spaces into bold celebrations of resilience, belonging, and collective care.

Pride Photo Booth

1 – 3 PM

New this year, we’re setting up a photo booth station in front of our Pride art bus at the 140 West Franklin Plaza! Grab some props, gather with friends, and snap a few pics to remember your time celebrating Pride.

Promenade with Batalá Durham

12:45 PM

Don’t miss the promenade! Around 12:45pm, Batalá Durham, Inc. will lead us on our promenade from Peace & Justice Plaza to 140 West Franklin Plaza (0.3 miles). Dance to the beat, wave your flag, and show your pride!

Batalá is an international samba reggae music project based in Salvador de Bahia in northeastern Brazil. Batalá Durham was formed in December of 2015 and is one of 52 percussion bands around the world, one of eight in the United States and is proud to be part of the Batalá Mundo mission of equality for all and aims to bring the culture, music, and history of Brazil to the Triangle and beyond.

Where to Meet

12 PM

Meet us at Peace & Justice Plaza at 12pm to hear a few featured speakers before we promenade together.

Speaker info coming soon!

Drag Storytime & Performances

Storytime: 1:45 PM / Performances: 2:45 PM

Join KiKi Diamond and friends for dazzling drag performances that light up the plaza with glamour, creativity, and community pride. Plus, back by popular demand this year is drag storytime, a joyful and inclusive reading experience for all ages.

KiKi Diamond is a local North Carolina drag entertainer, who is always bringing the energy and spreading love with every performance.

Vendor Market

1 – 3 PM

Stroll through our street market of more than 30 booths filled with handcrafted goods, local art, and nonprofit organizations. Find something to take home and make connections within our incredible community.

Mike’s Icys

Beat the heat! Mike’s Icys will be onsite with vibrant Pride‑themed flavors. Treats will be available at Peace & Justice Plaza from 12-12:45pm and then at 140 West Franklin Plaza from 1-3pm.

Shelter for the Coming Out

Morrow & Max Dowdle, 2026 (coming this June!)

Temporarily located at 140 West Franklin Plaza during Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s Small Town Pride

ARTIST STATEMENT

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.

Exhale

Mikyoung Kim, an environmental artist, designer, and sculptor, created a phenomenon that attracts crowds of people. The Exhale sculpture is an event-based experience that considers the scarcity of water in the region. The mist is a welcome refreshment for passersby and people who want to linger in the square.