Jury Award Winners
$10,000 First Place Jury Winner
"Swimming in an Ocean of Air" by Mike Roig
Stainless Steel | 8' x 8' x 12'
"It is an abstract piece, meaning that no attempt has been made to render recognizable, literal forms from nature, and yet in the forms I’ve rendered there are certainly the suggestion of sinuous movements you might associate with otters, or dolphins, or even whales as they ply the waters through which they move with such grace.”
Located at Town of Carrboro Town Hall Lawn
$500 Jury Runner-up
“Truck Art from India: A Moving Canvas of Culture” by Sampada Kodagali Agarwal
“As an artist steeped in the practice of tribal and folk art styles from India, I bring these rich cultural heritage to modern surfaces, transforming a car into a vibrant storyteller. By bringing folk art to such a moving canvas, I aim to seamlessly blend tradition with modernity, as a way to connect the past with the present. At its core, this project is about inclusion and cultural preservation in new, adaptive ways, proving that art is not just to be seen, but to be brought into our daily life.”
Located on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill
People's Choice Award Winners
$10,000 First Place Winner
"Tiny Houses in the Big Woods" by Damian Hoffman
“Due to my inability to throw away accumulated wood, be it parts of trees or small pieces of lumber, I decided to sculpt these houses to whittle away at my clutter. I mounted the first of these houses on a tree stump in my neighbor’s yard, and it has been enjoyed by passersby, so I made others. Now when walking in the woods with the dog, I pick up interesting pieces of bark, roots, mosses, etc. to give them second life at least for a while. As far as my reduction of scrap, I now have more than ever.”
Located at The Rookery, Hillsborough
$500 1st Runner-up
"Ephemeral Sands" by Eryn Donnalley
“Ephemeral Sands” is a call for global harmony. It’s a sand mandala laid down in stillness, held in hope, spun quietly for the healing of all things. Eryn says: “As a long-time mandala artist, I have been mesmerized by the ancient practice of Tibetan monks and these temporary circular creations.” In alignment with the Buddhist tradition, as a lesson on impermanence, the sand mandala was destroyed upon the closing of Uproar.
Located at C3 Hillsborough
2nd Runner-up
2nd Runner-up
2nd Runner-up
"A Feather in Time" by Stu Beavers
"This piece depicts a barn owl perched atop a giant clock. The clock is functional and the sculpture is made from almost 100% recycled materials. This sculpture represents the patience, perseverance, time, and skills an artist hones throughout the years. Stu’s journey with welding and metal art started about four years ago, with a welding class at Durham Tech."
Located at The Bicycle Chain, Chapel Hill
3rd Runner-up
2nd Runner-up
2nd Runner-up
"Inga, the Positivity Watch Dog" by Elizabeth Laul Healey and Duffy Healey
The artists decided with all the negativity in the news that they wanted to simply make people happy and send messages of hope. This is why most of their large sculptures have messages on them and watches on their collars set to 11:11 – a time of oneness, positivity, and a time to set intentions and make prayers and offer wishes for others.
Located at Paws at the Corner, Hillsborough
4th Runner-up
"Swimming in an Ocean of Air" by Mike Roig
Stainless Steel | 8' x 8' x 12'
"It is an abstract piece, meaning that no attempt has been made to render recognizable, literal forms from nature, and yet in the forms I’ve rendered there are certainly the suggestion of sinuous movements you might associate with otters, or dolphins, or even whales as they ply the waters through which they move with such grace.”
Located at Town of Carrboro Town Hall Lawn
5th Runner-up
"EMPOWERMENT" by nonperishable
This interactive sculpture is made from actual painted doors arranged to form a circle, each inviting the viewer to engage in a personal moment of reflection and discovery. Behind every door lies a hidden painting, paired with a quote or prompt designed to spark introspection. These prompts are drawn from the artist’s own journey with mental health and creativity, and they explore ideas around inspiration, resilience, habit-building, and the intentional design of one’s future, as well as pushing through roadblocks like fear, procrastination, lack of motivation, or rejection and run-on sentences.
Located at the Hillsborough Visitors Center, Hillsborough
Town Awards
Town of Hillsborough Purchase Award
Town of Hillsborough Purchase Award
Town of Hillsborough Purchase Award
"A Feather in Time" by Stu Beavers
"This piece depicts a barn owl perched atop a giant clock. The clock is functional and the sculpture is made from almost 100% recycled materials. This sculpture represents the patience, perseverance, time, and skills an artist hones throughout the years. Stu’s journey with welding and metal art started about four years ago, with a welding class at Durham Tech."
Located at The Bicycle Chain, Chapel Hill
Town of Hillsborough Purchase Award
Town of Hillsborough Purchase Award
Town of Hillsborough Purchase Award
"The Sound of Tranquility" by Jason Smith
"The Sound of Tranquility" is crafted from reclaimed steel to evoke peace through sight and sound. Its weathered, Japanese brown patina reveals a history of strength and fragility, a duality central to the artist’s vision. When struck, the gong releases a deep, resonant tone – a low, grounding hum that ripples through the air, its vibrations carrying a serene energy that fills the space with tranquility. The sound lingers, a testament to the implied energy that Jason seeks to convey, balancing form and function in a meditative experience.
Located at Brandwein's Bagels, Chapel Hill
Town of Carrboro Purchase Award
Venus Flytrap" by Hamidou Sissoko
"The Venus fly trap is a carnivorous plant that is native to North Carolina. It is vulnerable due to habitat loss. The traps on this piece are made from old plows and rakes. The flies are made from car control arms and spark plugs. The stem is a heavy pipe, car manifold, and an air conditioner motor pulley. This piece of art was installed at @fifthseasongardening during our festival.
Located at Fifth Season Gardening, Carrboro
Town of Chapel Hill Commission Award
"Threads of Light" by Jen Stone
Jen is a textile artist blending sustainability, technology, and fabric. Her work transforms discarded materials into immersive installations and wearable art, challenging perceptions of waste and beauty. “Threads of Light,” crafted from recycled fashion waste and AI-driven LEDs, creates an ethereal, ever-shifting experience. Inspired by underwater worlds, it invites viewers to explore light, texture, and the transformative power of art in a sustainable future.
Located at CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio in Chapel Hill
Sponsor's Choice Awards
Eno River Mill
Triangle Media Partners
Triangle Media Partners
"And Then There Were Seeds to Plant" by Milkweed Mutual Aid
Triangle Media Partners
Triangle Media Partners
Triangle Media Partners
"Family Plot (What We Have Lost) by Jessica Sandford
Tom Struckmeyer, Edward Jones
Tom Struckmeyer, Edward Jones
Tom Struckmeyer, Edward Jones
"A Feather in Time" by Stu Beavers
WUNC
Tom Struckmeyer, Edward Jones
Tom Struckmeyer, Edward Jones
"Inga, the Positivity Watch Dog" by Elizabeth Laul Healey and Duffy Healey
2025 Jurors
Stephen Hayes
Stephen Hayes is a Durham, North Carolina-based sculptor known for his thought-provoking works that explore race, history, and identity. Drawing from his Southern roots, his sculptures often address the legacy of slavery and its ongoing impact on African American experiences.
Hayes’ thesis exhibition Cash Crop has traveled across the country for more than ten years and his piece Voices of Future Past was featured at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. His work is included in the permanent collections of the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, where Stephen is a professor of art.
Elizabeth Brim
Elizabeth Brim is known throughout the craft world for her life-sized, steel replicas of traditionally feminine objects such as hats, dresses, pillows, and flowers; for her expressive and fluid use of the material; and for her facility at inflating steel forms with compressed air.
Her work has been exhibited at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, the North Carolina Museum of Art, The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, and the Metal Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, which named her as their 2009 Master Metalsmith.
Brim has earned several prestigious awards, including the North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship, and has been a teaching artist at Penland School of Crafts since the 1990’s.
Thomas Sayre
Thomas Sayre is an American sculptor and painter. He designs and builds public art projects and private commissions all over the world. His current work includes large paintings made with tar, smoke, gunshots, welding material, earth, and fire. Sayre is a founding principal of the multi-disciplinary design firm Clearscapes, alongside architect Steve Schuster. The team designs numerous civic, educational, and museum buildings.
Thomas sculpts, paints, and produces commissioned work. His art is housed in collections across the globe from Thailand to Tennessee. He has exhibited his work in a number of private galleries and public museums, including Cheryl Hazan Gallery in Manhattan and the Contemporary Art Museum and the North Carolina Museum of Art, both in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1995, Sayre received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. In 2014, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of fine arts from North Carolina State University.