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Boneyard Arts Festival, going on in Champaign April 15th through 18th, is a chance to catch variety of local artists' work displayed in businesses in Champaign and Urbana. Photo by James Kyung (James Kyung)
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With seven successful years under its artistically inclined belt, Boneyard Arts Festival returns once again this year (April 15-18) to color CU with its talent-filled events, shows and displays. Sponsored by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and The News-Gazette and presented by 40 North | 88 West and the Champaign County Arts, Culture and Entertainment Council, Boneyard is a weekend exploding with local art and expression as it spreads itself out over downtown Champaign (Thursday), U of I campus (Friday), downtown Urbana (Saturday) and out and about Champaign County (Sunday).
Talent ranging from dancers and singers, crafters and painters to actors and sculptors provide an endless amount of creativity to be taken in throughout the course of the weekend. Adding even more to Boneyard’s appeal are its unique venues: bars, pizzerias, Krannert, retail stores, restaurants, theaters and outdoor events. With four days and four nights of more than 100 venues and 400 artists, this festival is and has proven in the past to be a whirlwind event for art lovers of all sorts.
Last year, Boneyard expanded by adding a fourth day, Thursday, to its lineup. In doing so, they also designated days to specific centralized locations, making it easier for attendees to plan where and when to be in order to see certain showcases.
This year, a certain tech addition has given even more structure and organization to the event — a Boneyard iPhone application called “Art Lives Here.” By using the keyword “40N” in the application store, iPhone users can download the application that offers a free guide to the weekend-long festival and each of it’s events. With this help of this savvy aide, planning out a personalized schedule of exhibits and events should be equally as easy as Boneyard is packed with talent.
Something that has remained constant over Boneyard’s eight years is its annual selection of a signature image. More than 60 submissions were made this year in hopes of being awarded the title, but a panel of local art professionals met to choose just one lucky winner. Glen C. Davies’ “Grotto of Broken Dreams” was selected among the 60 to be the single featured image on all Boneyard’s promotional materials this year, which can be seen from Boneyard’s advertisement in this issue. Davies winning piece, “a colorful, surreal image of a piper in a landscape,” according to 40 North’s website, “is the epitome of the outstanding local talent that Boneyard is designed to display.”
Eight years ago, Boneyard transformed from a simple community art walk into what it is today — a celebration of the arts through a collaborative effort by local business owners and artists looking to contribute sources of entertainment and enjoyment to the friendly neighborhood that is CU. It has become more than a mere display of art; it’s now a weekend-long festival that allows all of CU to interact and soak up its stunningly explosive talent and pride.
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