Illuminate Art Walk

Trish the Triceratops should be shopping for her family and friends but instead, she keeps buying things for herself so she can look amazing at every holiday party she's been invited to. It's okay though, because she deserves it after a long year of entertaining everyone in Downtown Raleigh.

Find Sabrina on Instagram at @sabrinastyled

A face rises from a field of luminous petals, mapping the subtle and unseen healing that unfolds in the dark seasons; where rest becomes renewal and release brings us back to ourselves. This installation expands my gestural drawing practice into large-scale light and motion, inviting you to follow your own glowing trail and notice which wildflowers (your heart’s early blooms in the dark) are calling you forward today.

Find Britt on Instagram at @b.l.flood

Capriole is inspired by the elegant dressage move where a horse springs with all four feet in the air. I wanted to capture a moment of pure flight. It represents that weightless heartbeat between leaping and landing where power meets grace. This piece continues my exploration of horses and steel line work, often using both geometric precision and organic flow. I hope viewers feel the majesty of the horse and the motion that lifts it, as well as our spirits, beyond the ground.

Find Jessica on Instgram at @sculptress.jess.bradsher

A tide of blossoms rises and drifts upward, swarming and dispersing in waves of light. In their ascent, architecture becomes an improbable garden — flowing through matter, time, and air.

Find Robin on Instagram at @xo_immersive_robin_vuchnich

Best viewed after 5:30pm

Pterry the Pterodactyl is ready to find something special for his favorite Downtown Raleigh dinosaurs and to see all of the other illuminate art installations. Bex and Trish left him clues for where to find them, so he has to go on a safari hunt through Downtown Raleigh.

Find Sabrina on Instagram at @sabrinastyled

Light Lane transforms a simple bike ride into an illuminated journey. Riders pedal glowing, futuristic bikes that project shifting shapes and soundscapes, turning movement into art. Celebrating Downtown Raleigh’s bikeability, the piece invites visitors to experience movement, creativity, and the joy of exploring the city on two wheels.

Hop on and pedal away!

Coming from different parts of the South, we have had similar but not identical experiences. We’ve found common ground in appreciating the kitschy homes of our country grandmothers and the way the distinct “grandma” decor transcends region and lets us feel at home no matter where we are. This work serves as a reliquary, inviting viewers to reflect on those who make them feel most at home.

Find Abby and Marty on Instagram at @dirtclod_ and @martyrogers.maker

Recycled aluminum and acrylic from old storefronts now form a glowing display of playful letters, while reclaimed pallets give new life to discarded materials. Old Signs, New Shine - Let It Snow NC reflects SignCraft Solutions’ creativity, craftsmanship, and commitment to sustainability, transforming yesterday’s signs into tomorrow’s art that shines with warmth, wonder, and environmental purpose. Handcrafted by the talented team at SignCraft Solutions, recently voted Best Sign Shop in Raleigh, this installation celebrates innovation, community, and care for the planet.

Find SignCraft Solutions on Instagram @signcraftsolutions

Wake Tech’s Torch signifies a life-changing journey, wherever you want to go, Wake Tech can help get you there. Through our many partnerships we’re lighting the way for education and economic prosperity while providing our region’s top employers the workforce they need to grow and succeed!

Step into an enchanting musical garden where towering Trumpet Flowers invite you to explore a vivid, interactive world of light and sound, inspired by the charm of vintage gramophones.

Created by Amigo & Amigo, brought to life by Wireframe Public Art

Cooperating Raleigh Colleges is the nonprofit consortium promoting collaboration among higher education institutions in Raleigh, NC. Its members are Meredith College, NC State University, William Peace University, Saint Augustine’s University, Shaw University and Wake Technical Community College. CRC connects over 114,000 students and 219,000 jobs. Check out crcraleighcolleges.org to learn more!

Find Britt on Instagram @b.l.flood

In a world where shadows come alive and light reveals the unknown, one mural dares to bring the cosmos crashing into our reality.

This winter, the invasion begins.

From the neon-soaked imagination of Oliver Lewis comes an intergalactic wonder of arcade nostalgia, War of the Worlds, a light-and-shadow mural that transforms downtown Raleigh into a pulse-pounding sci-fi battlefield. Step into a universe where every beam of light tells a story, and every silhouette hints at danger lurking just beyond the glow. Watch as iconic invaders descend from the stars: pixel-perfect nods to Space Invaders, drifting forward in formation like an unstoppable digital army. Their presence looms overhead, glowing with retro menace. But, lurking in the darkness, emerging from the deepest shadows, is a figure no human dares to face alone, a sleek, terrifying Xenomorph, inspired by the cult classic Aliens. Each curve of its silhouette, each razor-edge detail, comes to life through the dance of light and shadow. Across the landscape stretch towering Tripods, their iron limbs rising like cosmic titans surveying a world they are ready to claim. At their feet, clusters of mysterious mechanical eggs project an action-packed alien realm, bursting with suspense, energy, and galactic chaos.

Find Oliver on Instagram at @the_robot_artist

Image coming soon

Guardian Wings was inspired by the concept of having a guardian angel. The open design is ethereal in nature and allows the viewer to consider the presence and absence of the form simultaneously. The piece is a beautiful reminder of those who help guide our lives... the mentors, family members, and sometimes thoughtful strangers who look out for us. I invite viewers to take a photo with the work and imagine how they themselves can also be guardian angels in our world.

Find Jessica on Instagram at @sculptress.jess.bradsher

SONARC is made of 1,000 plexiglass tubes and 600 LED lights hung in a semicircle frame meant to represent open arms welcoming guests to the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts.

Follow Brian Brush on Instagram at @brian.brush

This sparkly adornment to downtown's Performing Arts Center is comprised of 2,460 lights and stands 16 feet tall. 

The Raleigh Christmas Tree is a staple of the city's holiday season, beaming its light across historic Moore Square park for all to see. 

Bex the Tyrannosaurus rex is so excited to see the Raleigh Christmas Tree and Menorah lit up that they decided to join in on the festivities! Not one to be left out, they're happy to be full of holiday spirit, joy, and light.

Find Sabrina on Instagram at @sabrinastyled

The Downtown Menorah, presented in partnership with Chabad Young Professionals, shines brightly in the heart of the city, marking Hanukkah from December 14th through December 22th. Stop by any evening to see the menorah lit, enjoy the glow, and share in this season of light with the community.

Take a boogie break on DRA's color-changing dance floor to warm up along your tour of Illuminate Art Walk!

Disco Alley is a permanent installation of hand-blown, glass neon lights that move and change color.

Find Nate on Instagram at @n8tastic

This sculpture is based on the Sierpinski Triangle, which is the most basic mathematical representation of a fractal pattern. A fractal is a pattern that repeats endlessly, and appears the same at various scales.

Fractals exist all around us in the natural world - in seashells, tree branches, and in galaxies in outer space. When you interact with the sculpture, your own reflection becomes a part of the fractal pattern. As you zoom in and out of the sculpture, and your reflection becomes mirrored and fractured, you have the opportunity to think about how you are a part of the universe and everything within it.

Find Anna on Instagram at @annadeanart

From Little Acorns shines inside the Raleigh Union Bus Station as a glowing landmark for the “City of Oaks.” Standing 10+ ft tall, this stainless-steel acorn with an illuminated core reflects Raleigh’s spirit of growth, potential, and transformation. By day, its polished steel mirrors the bustling hub around it; by night, it glows as a welcoming beacon for travelers and the community.

Find Creative Machines on Instagram at @creativemachines