ARt Walk on Franklin is a cutting-edge augmented reality experience to highlight local art and generate more foot traffic for downtown businesses.
Visit these businesses along Franklin St.to view 10 pieces of local original artwork: Imbibe (on Henderson St.), Johnny T-Shirt, Cosmic Cantina, Epilogue, The Yogurt Pump, Pizza Press, Purple Bowl, Lantern, Franklin St. Yoga, and Rumors.
Find an Art Walk on Franklin poster on a business window in downtown Chapel Hill and use your phone to scan the black and white logo to reveal a hidden piece of art!
Tag UNC Arts Everywhere and/or the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership on Instagram or Twitter using #ARtWalkonFranklin and tag/show off the business where you see the art! Post to enter to win 1 of 10 prize packs worth ~$100 each of gifts/gift cards from local spots!
Prize packs will include gifts and gift cards from these 45 downtown businesses selected by Arts Everywhere.
This interactive digital art exhibit in downtown Chapel Hill is live from December 12th until January 24th.
So how does it work?
1. Find an Art Walk on Franklin poster (there are posters posted on the windows of 10 businesses).
2. Use your phone camera to scan the small QR code on the poster or manually go to artonfranklin.com in your browser
3. Point your phone at the black and white logo marker on the center of the poster to reveal the hidden piece of art. Touch, swipe, or pinch to rotate, flip, or zoom in on the art on your phone!
Featured artists in this exhibit include Kevin Duong, Peri Law, Nique Lomax, Jason Lord, and AhDream Smith.
The Artists
Kevin Duong
“Photography was an outlet that allowed me to cope with the sadness and loneliness I experienced during the social isolation that was mandated on all of us to keep each other safe. I’m currently working on self-portraits due to the social limitations of the pandemic but also in an act of finding my self-worth: that I am worthy of being in front of the lens and from my creativity and two hands I can create something beautiful and cause an emotional response in people when they look at my art. Being only 20 years old and experimenting with photography for only a year I will continue to tirelessly develop my own style and find my voice to ultimately help others find their own.”
- “Bath Tub” at Rumors
- “Table” at Lantern
- “Second Glances” at Yogurt Pump
Peri Law
Peri Law is a printmaker and mixed media artist from Charlotte, North Carolina. Her art explores the idea of a visual atmosphere as a liminal space. Atmosphere surrounds everything but remains out of reach, and intangible abstraction that remains in a transitional state. Liminality and memory are created through her physical process of layered and repetitive printmaking. The physical labor of creating each work is a meditative practice that grounds the self in the process of production.
She is a recent graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she received a BFA in studio art and art history. Her work has been exhibited throughout North Carolina, including the Levine Museum, McColl Center, Durham Art Guild, and UNC Chapel Hill.
- “If There Is A Future” at The Pizza Press
- “Almost Gone : Almost Home” at Johnny T-Shirt
Nique Lomax
“My name is Nique Lomax, and I’m currently working towards a B.S. in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence at The University of Chapel Hill. I am a self-taught artist that uses programs such as Cinema4D, Adobe Photoshop, and World Machine to create artistic photos. I draw inspiration from several different styles of art but mostly enjoy creating “Sci-Fi” style artwork as I think it allows for a way to have more freedom with being creative. My goal is to continue exploring different art techniques for creating better art on a daily basis and showcase that process.”
- “Overhead” at The Purple Bowl
- “Mouth’s Cradle” at Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews
- “Path of Repentance” at Imbibe
Jason Lord
Jason Lord has been making art, performing, and teaching the arts to elementary, middle, and high school students in Durham and Orange counties since 1996, moving from music and theater in his early career into arts integration and visual art more recently. Currently, he’s taking a hiatus from teaching to pursue a Studio Art degree at UNC.
- “Downtown’s Dead” at Cosmic Cantina
Downtown’s Dead is made of cyanotype prints of street images and papers found on daily walks during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a reflection on legacy and how we pass knowledge, policy, infrastructure, and the natural world on to next generations.
AhDream Smith
AhDream is a multi-disciplinary artist who is always exploring new ways and mediums to express herself. Previously, a New York-based actor, she is currently training to receive her Masters of Fine Arts at the University of North Carolina -Chapel Hill’s Professional Actor Training Program and is also a resident actor at Playmakers Repertory Company.
- “In Communion” at Franklin St Yoga
“In Communion” is about remembering that we are never alone. We are a physical manifestation of those who have gone before us and those who will come after us. By being in communion and in community, we can overcome any moment in time.
Development Team
Special thanks to the CARVR and UNC Summer of Code team who helped bring this alternate reality experience to life!
- Husam Shaik (Project Manager)
- Jiayi Xu (Project Manager)
- Micah Haycraft (Lead Developer)
- Brandon Clark (Mentor)
- Christian Cambizaca (Developer)
- Caroline Flman (Developer)
- Tianyi Peng (Developer)
- Evan Revis (Developer)
- Lesli Villa-Solorzano (Developer)
Special thanks to the Carolina AR/VR Club and UNC Arts Everywhere for collaborating with us on this project!