See the new utility box art

November 1, 2023

New art alert! As you ride, walk, scoot, bike, and jog through the district, you will notice the utility boxes have been transformed to showcase the work of local artists, creating a more attractive and unique downtown area. Many thanks to Design Element Durham , UNC Arts Everywhere , and the Town of Chapel Hill for helping bring this project to life!


Meet the Artists

Cornelio Campos

Cornelio Campus is a self-taught artist based in Durham. He was born in Cheran, Michoacan, Mexico and emigrated to the U.S. as a teenager – a journey and process that continues to influence many of his paintings. Vibrant colors, iconic American symbols and intricate geometric patterns are recurring motifs found in his work. As an artist with no formal training, his art exemplifies techniques that he learned through observation and which often defy traditional color schemes. Cornelio’s paintings are inspired by his nostalgia for his home town in Mexico and his family, and the customs that I grew up with. He also sees his paintings as a tool for sharing his indigenous background, offering a look into own experiences in the United States. He uses his artwork as a tool for learning and for sparking discussions that will inspire others to learn more about the themes of his work on their own. Cornelio’s focus is three main themes: political issues, Mexican folklore (Purepechas en Michoacan) and Pre-Columbian symbols of Mexican ethnic groups. His art has been displayed in galleries and exhibitions throughout North Carolina, including Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NCSU. Other exhibitions of been shown in The Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum in Washington D.C., The Museum of the American Indian Art, and internationally in Venice, Italy, and Bogota, Colombia.

Candy Carver

Candy Carver is a North Carolina native who spent her formative years in Elkhart, IN, where she developed her abstract creativity. Working primarily with acrylic and various surfaces from canvas to vinyl, she creates vibrant, textured pieces that touch the soul and excite viewers. Her work can be found throughout the Southeastern US and continues to gain recognition. Carver contributes much of her inspiration to her love for excitement, color, and beauty found in the human form.

Iris Gottlieb

Iris Gottlieb is an author and illustrator who works to make serious, confusing or unapproachable information more engaging and accessible for all audiences. Iris has written five books on topics ranging from death to gender to science as well as helped museums, organizations and authors bring (sometimes serious) content to life with drawing.

Fun fact: Iris has collected over 5,000 shark teeth at Topsail Beach, NC!

Phuong Duyen Nguyen

Phuong Duyen Nguyen is a Vietnamese-American visual artist working primarily with fibers in her adopted hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia.  Born in Vietnam, she moved to the US with her family as a teenager; Nguyen’s experiences and perspective as an immigrant inform and enrich her work. She sews and embroiders threadbare, abstracted structures and forms. To Nguyen, abstraction is a tool to process and articulate  – a formal construct upon which she restructure her stories. It is an act of obscuring the painful details, distilling the most beautiful aspects, and transforming them into tangible objects.  

She received her BA from the University of Virginia in 2015 and her MFA from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2022.

Loren Pease

Loren Pease is an artist, muralist, maker, beekeeper, former high school art teacher, and mom of three boys. She has painted in many public and private facilities around the country; some of her favorite venues were hospitals, such as Duke Childrens Hospitals. Having colorful murals in sterile environments while children sit for hours getting chemotherapy is incredibly transformative! It makes these places so much more welcoming and less intimidating. And that’s what Loren truly believes: art and music are powerfully therapeutic.

As her career has progressed, she has thought deeply about finding my personal motivation in her career. Ultimately, Loren loves creating things but find the most satisfaction in evoking emotion and hopefully bringing others joy. Beginning in 2000 with her career teaching high school art, she always enjoyed spreading creativity throughout her community – or “pollinating kindness with art.” She taught her students all different media, including ceramics, jewelry making, drawing, and murals.

The colors, shapes, and magic of living things all inspire Loren to pour every ounce of her spirit into her work. Her goal is always to delight her customers by creating something that invites the viewer to pause, think, reflect, and connect with the yumminess of nature and life, like the wings in Southern Village or the new butterfly mural at Gray Squirrel Coffee Co. in Carrboro. Loren hopes that bits of kindness are pollinated with each piece of art she shares with the world!


Made possible by:

May 1, 2024
Veterans and current members of the US military are eligible for discounts at the following Downtown Chapel Hill restaurants: Bandido’s: 15% Ben & Jerry’s: 15% Bonchon: 10% Brandweins Bagels: 10% Bul Box: 15% Carolina Brewery: 10% Carolina Coffee Shop: 10% Cholanad: 12% Cosmic Cantina: 10% Crumbl: 10% Might As Well: 10% Raising Cane’s: 10% Vegan Flava: 13% *Be prepared to show your veteran/military ID
March 1, 2024
By Weller Maret, Sean Doyle, and Kee Griffith
January 1, 2024
Following our 2020 Action Plan, we’ve researched and developed recommendations for a social host ordinance alongside community partners. We’re sharing this with the Town of Chapel Hill Town Council in the form of a petition. Town petition status can be checked here. CCC-Social-Host-Ordinance-Petition-FAQ-2024.01.17Download
July 1, 2023
The 2023 FC Series is coming to Chapel Hill! Chelsea and Wrexham will square off on Wednesday, July 19 at 7:30 pm. The match quickly sold out, so we expect over 60,000 fans, players, coaches, and staff to fill up Kenan Stadium. For those who could not purchase tickets, we’ve got you covered! Catch the game at one of our downtown bars or restaurants. Here are some local spots hosting watch parties and offering specials:
June 5, 2023
By Mae Golden
June 1, 2023
The results are in! Many of our Downtown Chapel Hill businesses received top honors in this year’s “Best Of Chapel Hill” issue by Chapel Hill Magazine , including Downtown Chapel Hill as one of the best Overall Shopping Experiences! The publication asks readers to vote for their favorite restaurants, bars, retail shops, movie theaters, fitness centers, and more. More than 60,000 votes came in this year for over 400 categories. Some of our merchants were also feature stories! Take a look at spreads covering Karen Cunningham of Simply Audrey , Katy Poitras and Ilene Speizer of Cat Tales Cat Cafe , and a story on Morehead Planetarium’s 75th anniversary . Keep scrolling to see the Downtown winners!
June 1, 2023
This summer, go off the beaten path and explore the west end of downtown Chapel Hill. West Franklin and Rosemary contain world-class dining options and unique retail shops. Moreover, town-operated downtown parking is free on weekends in June and July!
June 1, 2023
Summer is the time to get outside and embark on exciting adventures. Join us this summer and experience downtown Chapel Hill to the fullest – from the popular places you love on East Franklin to the hidden gems on the West end. Don’t worry when the temperature gets too high; “C’hill Out” and download your free pass to earn points as you explore and experience classic spots in downtown Chapel Hill!  See Participating Businesses FAQs What is C’Hill Out?C’Hill Out is the third in a series of mobile passes designed by Bandwango and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership. The program encourages downtown visitors and residents to explore the area and rewards them for checking in and visiting various businesses. When do I start earning points?Once you have registered for an account, you can start checking in at various locations and earning points immediately. How can I earn points?Check-ins are worth 100 points; discount offers are also worth 100 points. Once you reach a certain amount of point totals, you’re eligible for the following prizes:
May 1, 2023
We want to build a visual identity for Chapel Hill that captures our community’s unique feel. Franklin Street has served as a social, economic, and cultural center for Chapel Hill since the 1790s. Downtown has grown to include Rosemary Street and several side streets. By carving out an identity, we seek to set the town apart from our neighbors and create a sense of community pride. We worked with Clean Agency to create the images below. All of the files are free to use. Stickers, patches, posters, anything! Be creative! We took inspiration from the official seal of the Town of Chapel Hill. Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, symbolizes civilization, helpful knowledge, noble reasoning, and logic. She graces the Town logo to show the similarities between Chapel Hill, a community shaped by reason, research, and the arts, to ancient Athens. Another aspect of our community is the relaxed vibe! Chapel Hill is one of the three cities anchoring Research Triangle Park, each one with its own unique feel. Our area is thriving yet off the beaten path of the hustle and bustle of the Triangle region, so we tend to be more…chill. One thing we love in Chapel Hill: nostalgia. The retro feel evokes memories of live shows at Cat’s Cradle, slices of pizza from Pepper’s, hot dogs at Sutton’s, and cool treats from The Yogurt Pump. We love watching UNC alums and former residents return downtown and reminisce. Our community is growing in many ways, and there are fears that this growth will change who we are. This is understandable. But we’re confident we can keep these classic vibes as we enter a new era. We want everyone to feel welcome to these images. To receive image files, please contact Stephanie Cobert, Director of Marketing.
February 1, 2023
It’s a new era for classic businesses in downtown Chapel Hill! A strong downtown creates opportunities, culture, and innovation, which enhance the fabric of the community. Downtown Chapel Hill has experienced significant growth and the last year was a busy one! New retail shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants have opened their doors, while others are prepping their spaces to open soon. The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for our small business community. The Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership helped merchants directly meet some of these challenges. As a result, we believe that we are creating a downtown that locals can be proud of.
February 1, 2023
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas; college basketball season! While a great season for the Tar Heel men’s and women’s basketball teams can be exciting, there are also some things to remember in order to stay safe while celebrating in Downtown Chapel Hill. Here are some tips for staying safe and having fun from your friends at the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, the Campus & Community Coalition , the Town of Chapel Hill , and UNC Student Wellness .
November 9, 2022
Excessive drinking leads to harm that often impacts the wider community, not just the drinker. This cost-of-illness analysis of excessive drinking in Orange County (OC), North Carolina uncovers just how much the community is paying, both literally and figuratively, for these behaviors. Excessive drinking cost OC $111.8 million in 2017 and is a leading cause of death in OC. The cost breakdown includes healthcare costs ($8.2 million), miscellaneous costs ($11.5 million), and productivity losses ($92.2 million). There were 234 alcohol-attributable emergency department visits and 237 alcohol-attributable hospitalizations involving both chronic and acute conditions. 15.9% of deaths in 2017 were due to excessive drinking, and those due to suicide and homicide largely impacted younger populations. While impactful, these analyses do not account for intangible losses like pain and suffering; excessive drinking impacts numerous aspects of society, and overall, the harms are preventable and can be mitigated.  CCC-The-Burden-of-Excessive-Drinking-in-Orange-County-NC-Final-ReportDownload
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