The Uproar Festival of Public Art takes place around Orange County, July 14 – August 12. This new arts venture will showcase sixty high-impact works of art in the downtown areas of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough. We’re proud to serve as a community partner for this event.
Did we mention the FREE air-conditioned Saturday Trolley Service, circling Chapel Hill and Carrboro for Uproar guests and all downtown visitors? Check out this map of stops; black stars denote the 12 stops.
Scroll down to learn more about the artists and pieces on display in downtown Chapel Hill!
Tripp Jarvis
Tripp Jarvis is a sculptor with schizoaffective order. His art is a continual search for stability, peace, and wholeness. He feels that behind all the brokenness and suffering that we experience in life lies an indestructible foundation of wholeness. The great gift for humanity is that we have the freedom to respond to these voids of strife in any manner we wish. We can view it as some type of bottomless abyss- that in the end swallows us whole for all eternity, or we can see it as a constructive and affirming force that enables us to emerge out of said abyss into to an ever transforming widening realm of peace; where art is a crucial element to the path of our healing as individuals and as a society. This can never be taken away from us.
Beyond the Sun at Hargraves Community Center
Nyssa Collins
Nyssa Collins makes art that, like herself, is often quite chipper and a little subversive. She creates art hoping that a surprising interaction with a street performance or piece of public art can restore the brilliance and immediacy of life for a passerby, even just for a moment. Most often her art reaches a conclusion of joy, but not in ignorance of the inequities in our society, or the pain and absurdity of being. Instead, through mirthful imagery and mythic themes, it gently asks us to remember why anything matters at all. Nyssa’s work frequently lives at the intersection of art and science. She feels a paradoxical solace and unmooring when considering the proportions of our universe and existence. She is elated in science museums, and feel a kinship with scientists, who believe that creative inquiry into the natural world can inspire advocacy and deepen our fervor. The charismatic megafauna she depicts in my public art is intended to elicit a curiosity about creatures too small, slippery, or far away to see. Animals typically regarded with fear or indifference are instead reemployed as friendly ambassadors into the biosphere.
Ambassador of the Eons Mammoth at Hargraves Community Center
Paris Alexander
Paris Alexander works in a variety of materials from clay and bronze to stone. With stone, he is primarily a direct carver, meaning that any planning he does for a carving is minimal, typically not much more than a thumbnail sketch. Even that simple drawing can quickly fade from the design as he begins carving. The material and a fresh idea can swing the work into the unexpected. Different stone also can influence a carving. Swirls of color in a marble can call for layers of polishing and chisel marks, and limestone can call for the use of a variety of textures. It’s about filing and rasping away his chisel marks and then using abrasive bits of emery paper, running water, and time.
Alpha and Omega at 140 West Plaza
Timothy S. Werrell
Over the past forty five years, Timothy S Werrell has worked as a full-time metal sculptor in Cincinnati, Ohio, in Durham, NC and now in Hillsborough, NC. His work has been sought after by individuals, corporations, and public entities, nationally and in Canada. Examples are the Morse Johnson Memorial at Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park, the Charles Taft Memorial in downtown Cincinnati, the Vietnam War Memorial in Charleston, SC, and more recently three public pieces in Statesville, NC and one in Rock Hill, SC.
What’s Up? Homage to Verne at 140 West Plaza
Jim Arendt
Persistence in difficult times is the art that Jim Arendt is most interested in. He continues to be inspired by the ways in which people make do for themselves. Whether it was a trip to the scrapyard or the back of the pantry, there was usually a way to work around material deficits. Jim uses the shared memories and skills that those around him do out of a need for function, beauty, or survival to honor them, mixing memory and materials to create something of value from nothing.
Signals and Warnings at Porthole Alley
Susan Moffatt
The inspiration for Susan Moffatt, like so many artists, comes from nature and science. All around we can find so many exquisite forms that are part of nature’s rhythm. These may be a seed pod about to spring open, the geometric structure of cactus plants, the sine waves formed by rippling water, or the recesses of a flower calyx revealing the mysteries of pollination. Quite often these forms that strike her eye are short-lived, lasting only an instant or a week. She feels compelled to try to capture these lyrical moments, to freeze them in time. Her medium of choice for almost 20 years was white marble, and she worked to convey the essence of the forms in stone, usually much larger than life. Recently, she has branched out into aluminum and perforated stainless steel, enjoying the lightness and expansiveness that those materials afford. Rather than attempt an exact representation, she strives for abstraction to focus on the purity of the forms. Susan’s work is classical in that she is using the time-honored materials of stone and metal to attempt to create beauty. Her work is contemporary in that she values simplicity and minimalism. Overall, the work is a reminder of the impermanence of beauty and of the value of slowing down to pay attention to nature’s complexity.
Cirrus Veil on UNC campus off Cameron Ave. near Memorial Hall
Theresa Arico
Theresa Arico is currently a production mosaic artist of large-scale mosaic mural installations and outdoor garden/public sculptures. She has been teaching project-focused mosaic classes for students to become familiar with this art-form of antiquity. She often creates pieces as altars or portals that combine aspects of the seen and unseen realms together as a means of tribute and homage. Additionally, she uses mirrors or mirrored outlines in her work, which gives viewers the opportunity to see a part of themselves reflected in the assembled mosaic. In this way, the work is not stagnant but ever changing and enlivened. Recently, she has also been creating her own hand-stamped tiles and ceramic mosaic critters which are incorporated into larger works. She is currently on the board of the Orange County Artists Guild and shows her work in galleries and shows throughout North Carolina.
Blue Lotus Goddess at The Carolina Inn
Onicas
Onicas is an American visionary painter, and calls his style Spiritual Expressionism. Painting for over twenty years, he has had the privilege to study under master abstract expressionist painter Sarah Carlisle Towery, namesake of the Alabama Art Colony. He discovered his talents at drawing after an artist visited one of many group homes he had lived in as a child. He knew he had found a purpose for living; art literally saved his life. While living in Florida, he was inspired to tap into his Florida Highwayman heritage (his uncle was one of the original traveling landscape artists of the 1950s). But it was the time spent at the Alabama Art Colony that truly taught Onicas how to put the paint to the canvas, give up on any idea of a finished piece, and simply allow the spirit of the painting to flow through him. Onicas works on canvas, paper, and wood, using primarily acrylics. His brilliantly-colored abstracts are characterized by somewhat haunting images of faces and figures, restless, gestural lines and layers plus semi-hidden landscapes, perhaps a synthesis of his explorations with portraiture, landscape, and abstract studies. When looking at any of his paintings overtime, the viewer will discover forms and figures that seem to remain in an ever-changing process of moving and settling and coming into definition.
Ode to the Occoneechee Mountain at 140 West Franklin Plaza
Mia Alexander Nguyen
Mia Alexander Nguyen, from Charlotte, NC, is an installation/mixed media artist intent on creating interactive spaces. Their work often employs the surreal and uncanny to challenge audiences’ initial perceptions and elicit critical examination. Capturing and reflecting on discomfort through bold, immersive forms is Nguyen’s current focus, resulting in an art practice that prioritizes multi-sensory engagement. Nguyen is pursuing a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in 3D Interdisciplinary Studies at UNC Charlotte in the hopes to push this exploration further.
Honey Crash at Blues on Franklin
Angel Boer
Angel Boer creates metal sculpture by bending, cutting, welding, grinding, polishing and painting metals to form shapes which are experienced by the viewer as soft, smooth, round and curved. These techniques are important to her work in order to evoke a sense that the steel is lithe, the angular is soft, and that flat is curved. The inspiration for Angel’s work comes from her first and most beloved teachers…the people of Appalachia. Growing up there has given her an incredible appreciation for our ability to create something meaningful out of very little, to enhance the beauty of something worn, and to express oneself culturally and artistically using materials on hand. Angel’s work comes from a desire to honor that grit, resourcefulness and creativity all while telling her own story.
Lipstick Effect at Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe
Ash Lorusso
The work of Ash Lorusso explores abstraction as a representation of personal identity. Investigating the psychology of day-to-day life, finding balance between who we are, and how we present ourselves to the world. Self-identity and self-perception are abstract ideas, informed by our communities, environment and experiences. Her paintings start with intuition, what colors to use (influenced by emotional state), how much to paint and where (trying to achieve balance in composition). She tries to rely on her senses rather than thoughts; a gut instinct. From there, she begins to separate elements. Some are left in their original state, and others are defined more rigidly, imbued with expectation. Her paintings are intentionally open-ended, as we all are, waiting for input from the viewer, and from their surroundings.
Moment of Meeting at Imbibe
Yelitza Diaz
As a sculptor, Yelitza Diaz uses the image of the universal man to convey the idea of being in connection with the spiritual and in harmony with its environment. For this reason, she eliminates distractions, such as the face and genitals (for that reason only) and allow the body to express itself, presenting a simple image but with a lot of movement on minimalist spaces. Yelitza’s main purpose is to transmit to the viewer the sensation of peace, balance, and connection with the universe, even in proposals that criticize the System in which she usually make them stronger. Because she was born in Venezuela, South America (1973), she had to live the transition from a country extremely rich and abundant in resources of all kinds, to one that was extremely finished because of the “Narco-Communist Tyranny” of Chavez and Maduro. This marked her deeply. Her work reflects that search for peace and emotional balance that we all seek in life.
Small Beings Helping Each Other at 140 West Franklin Plaza
Ann Brownlee Hobgood
Ann Brownlee Hobgood creates figurative assemblages from found objects with a particular interest in using materials from historic sites. She formerly lived in a restored 1880 cotton mill village called Glencoe, near Burlington, NC. It was a treasure trove of industrial waste and castoffs from history! She has collected barrels and boxes full of scrap metal, wood, ceramic, paper, glass, and plastic from the ground, from under old houses, from the river, and from deserted mill buildings. Now her friends and neighbors contribute toward cleaning up the environment by donating their discards to her in piles on her studio front porch, and she gathers oddments from metal recyclers, junk car yards, thrift shops, flea markets, and roadside discard piles. Many of Ann’s works are focused on “save-the-earth” or “celebrating earth” themes and often include globes or maps. Ideas often spring from song lyrics or titles or from the various found objects themselves. Using wood, metal, plastic, glass shards, and LOTS of screws, bolts, Apoxy Sculpt, and industrial glue, she mainly designs human and animal figures but also creates some larger pieces as outdoor garden sculptures.
Totem at the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitor’s Bureau
TJ Christiansen
TJ Christiansen enjoys the process of creating sculptures that capture the true beauty of the wild animals that make up planet earth. These animals depend on clean water and plentiful food sources for their survival. Some of these animals are so mystical and some of them are close to becoming endangered or even extinct. The relationship between man and nature is a growing concern for the future of all wildlife. TJ chooses animals from all over the world and try to create a life size sculpture that shows their true beauty. Without their natural habitats, these living creatures would not survive. Over the years he has created several types of artwork, but his true passion is creating life size animal sculptures and sharing them with the world. Even if a particular piece he creates only raises the awareness of one person, that is one more person who knows about the plight of our global environmental changes, whether caused by man or Mother Nature.
Perpetual Bond at Carolina Square
Britt Clark
Britt Clark was born and raised in Conway, South Carolina. Always interested in the arts, she received a dual degree Bachelor of the Arts in Art Studio and Art History from Coastal Carolina University in 2020. Her inspiration comes from her southern heritage and how it conflicts with her own ideals and understanding of the world. Her work uses metal fabrication and casting to search for permanence and reconciliation within the past, ancestry, and tradition. Clark is currently lead production fabricator at Cricket Forge in Durham, NC and co-owner and operator of FeNix Iron Casting LLC.
Taking the Trade at Fifth Third Bank
Ryan Lutz
Ryan Lutz is a long-time skateboarder who is passionate about giving used skateboard decks a second life through his work. He is the owner of Dusted Woodworking, which is a multi-faceted woodworking studio that specializes in the use of recycled skateboards. Much of his work is inspired by skateboarding, especially in the materials that he uses. Broken, battered, used skateboards that are destined for the dump are transformed into colorful wooden creations to go on and live a second life. The unique medium of recycled skateboards allows for each piece to be just as distinct as the next. Similar to skateboarding, his work is meant to be appreciated by all walks of life and seeks to find the beauty in the imperfection.
Boardom at Brandwein’s Bagels
Doug McAbee
Doug McAbee was taught the power of laughter and humor by his father and he seeks to channel that power into his creative work. Knowing that art has the power to change how people think, he has chosen to communicate positive and hopeful messages to his audience through his work. Often using imaginative creatures as stand-ins for the characters in his narratives, Doug’s work focuses on the challenges that face all humans regardless of race, gender, or class. These issues are communicated through narratives and while the problems and dualities are acknowledged, there is always a sense of hope that we will overcome these challenges with kindness and community. The drawings on wood, steel sculptures, and murals he is currently producing are approachable by viewers of all ages. As viewers engage with the works of art they will connect with the absurdity, the liveliness, and the humor in the work. Whether for a few seconds or perhaps longer, his hope is that connection will create change.
Ethel’s Ghost at Innovate Carolina
Sampada Kodagali Agarwal
Sampada enjoys teaching and learning art forms from modern to traditional and folk-art styles from India. She is a Certified Zentangle® Teacher (CZT) since 2012 as well, and loves to blend her varied art experiences. Sampada finds great joy in creativity and thrives on constantly learning and evolving as an artist. She loves to think out of the box to push boundaries and explore varied mediums. She also enjoys collaborative works of art that help bridge cultures and celebrate the commonality among humankind, while bringing out the best in everyone.
Saree Stories – the warp and weft of life at Carolina Square
Eliza Redmann
Eliza Redmann is a sculptor, architect, and founder of Folded Poetry design studio based in Durham, North Carolina. When a car accident upended her health, personal life, and career as an architect, she was forced to reinvent herself. She found a way to utilize my creative potential for healing by creating art. Eliza’s passion to create is now driven by her changed experience of life after her traumatic brain injury. The geometries she designs are inspired by persistent visual disturbances resulting from her injury. She creates framed pieces of paper sculpture, as well as free-mounted large scale geometric sculptures. While her work is indeed impactful as art itself, more importantly it has been the primary driver behind the recreation of her health and the reimagining of her life’s purpose.
Rainbow Cloud at Graduate Chapel Hill
Bonnie Walker
Bonnie Walker is originally from rural North Carolina, and growing up, she was obsessed with making or fixing things; this kept her busy and out of trouble. She also broke plenty of stuff, so this inspired her to “Do something else with it.” She now enjoys welding unexpected art from trashed, rusty, and worn-out metal materials. Often, Bonnie leaves the materials with all the rust, dents, and scratches adding a unique character to the artwork. she is passionate about not wasting things–so she re-purposes and recycles as much as she can, and she takes pride in that. She call her creations “B”-Cycled meaning it has been “Bonnie Recycled.” She only uses recycled materials, and this drives the inspiration and guides her to each one-of-a-kind piece. She lets the “junk” show her something fun or inspirational to make for her next creation.
Spirit Pod Cast at Mama Dip’s
