Artist lineup announced for 2025 UPROAR | Arts & Entertainment

From Aug. 1 to Aug. 23, the Uproar Festival of Public Art will showcase 60 large-scale, bold works of art throughout the downtown areas of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough. The full list of participating artists, along with their bios, can be viewed on the festival’s website.

Festival organizers reviewed 140 applications (a 40% increase compared to the festival’s inaugural year of 2023) to evaluate artistic excellence, visual impact, creativity, and feasibility. Artists represent six Southeastern states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, and Georgia – and 22 artists will make their Uproar return.

Uproar will feature two-dimensional pieces, sculptures, and installations. Participating artists will vie for $21,000 in cash prizes to be determined by both public scoring and a jury panel of experts that includes Stephen Hayes, Thomas Sayre, and Elizabeth Brim. 

“Uproar’s 2023 artists set such a high bar – their works activated our communities and brought a vibrancy to our beloved downtowns,” says Katie Murray, director of the Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC). “This year’s outstanding applications defied our already monumental expectations. We can’t wait for festival goers to see what’s in store.” 

Accessibility is central to Uproar’s mission. The non-ticketed festival is free, the outdoor locations are easy to navigate, and audio descriptions are offered for individuals with low vision. Uproar’s Google Map of art locations in 2023 garnered more than 50,000 visits during the festival. Since summer can be a slow time, Uproar will also boost the small business community. 

The OCAC, an agency of Orange County government, is the primary coordinator of the festival. Key Uproar partners include the towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough; the Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro; the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership; UNC-Chapel Hill; Visit Chapel Hill-Orange County, the Hillsborough Arts Council, and the Orange County Arts Alliance.

Uproar will launch with a kick-off party at Eno Arts Mill in Hillsborough on Aug. 1, featuring music by Liquid Pleasure, an artists’ parade, art making, and more. The party is free and open to the public. 

Uproar will provide a $1,000 honorarium for each selected applicant (artist or team). Artists are encouraged to sell their work during Uproar; however, the work must remain on-site for the duration of the festival.

Look for updates about Uproar on Instagram and Facebook. Find more information at uproarfestnc.com.  

LINEUP OF UPROAR ARTISTS:

Duane Abbott – Chapel Hill, NC 

Sampada Kodagali Agarwal – Morrisville, NC 

Nico Amortegui – Charlotte, NC 

Viktoria Banovic – Greensboro, NC 

Stu Beavers – Durham, NC 

Sara Bordner – Louisburg, NC 

Jessica Bradsher – Greenville, NC 

Jane Cheek – Raleigh, NC 

TJ Christiansen – Durham, NC 

Joe Coates – Durham, NC 

Nyssa Collins – Knoxville, TN

Lisa Crane – Raleigh, NC 

Cricket Forge – Durham, NC 

Pat Ray Day – Carrboro, NC 

Yelitza Diaz – Mauldin, SC

DIBKORMA – Hillsborough, NC

Eryn Donnalley – Hillsborough, NC 

Mark Elliott – Siler City, NC 

Lawrence Feir – Greensboro, NC 

Yvonne Ferguson – Richmond, VA

Britt Flood – Chapel Hill, NC 

Belinda Gabryl – Chapel Hill, NC 

Julia Gartrell – Durham, NC 

Heather Hall – Hillsborough, NC 

Scott Robert Harris – Madison, NC 

Elizabeth Laul Healey & Duffy Healey – Wilson, NC

Vandorn Hinnant – Durham, NC 

Damian Hoffman – Carrboro, NC 

Catherine Kaleel & Lance Turner – Black Mountain, NC

Eric Knoche – Asheville, NC 

Kia Love – Fayetteville, NC 

Doug McAbee – Laurens, SC

Harry McDaniel – Asheville, NC 

Milkweed Mutual Aid – Hillsborough, NC 

Aldo Muzzarelli – Mauldin, SC 

Felix Obelix – Pittsboro, NC 

Richard Nickel – Norfolk, VA

nonperishable – Mebane, NC 

José Pereira – Durham, NC 

Ila Sahai Prouty – Boone, NC 

Ryan Rakouskas – Hillsborough, NC 

Liza Jane Richey – Huntsville, AL 

Mike Roig – Carrboro, NC 

Jessica Sandford – Hillsborough, NC 

Hamidou Sissoko – Pittsboro, NC 

Julie Slattery – Asheville, NC 

Jason Smith – Hillsborough, NC 

Samuel Spiczka – Apex, NC 

Sean Stockton – Atlanta, GA 

Jen Stone Design – Durham, NC 

Erin Tapley – Cullowhee, NC 

Kara Tew – Hillsborough, NC 

Tonya Solley Thornton – Raleigh, NC 

Jason Torchinsky – Greensboro, NC 

A.J. Trivet & Tracey Cockrell – Richmond, VA

TuxedoKat – Concord, NC 

Wayne Vaughn – Graham, NC 

Jan-Ru Wan – Chapel Hill, NC 

Carson Whitmore – Durham, NC 

Joni Younkins-Herzog – Athens, GA