About Boneyard Arts Festival
Presented annually every spring by 40 North | 88 West, the Boneyard Arts Festival is a four-day event showcasing the broad range of creative activity flourishing in our community. Its goal is to bring together local artists, businesses and organizations for a special event showcasing the art of Champaign County.
More than a traditional arts walk, the Boneyard is a unique countywide celebration that takes place in a wide variety of venues (over 90!) — both traditional (theaters, cafes, galleries & museums) and non-traditional (salons & retail stores) — and features the work of literally hundreds of artists. Sculptors, weavers, painters, photographers and other visual artists join musicians, actors, dancers, poets and performers of all kinds in sharing their creativity throughout Champaign, Urbana, U of I Campus, Rantoul, Homer, Mahomet, St. Joseph and Sidney.
The festival stimulates cultural, economic, social and educational growth by providing an opportunity for people of every age, background and interest to participate.
Goals:
- provide opportunities for artists of all disciplines, media and levels of expertise to share and sell their work with the greater community and its visitors
- demonstrate the value of collaboration among individuals, organizations and businesses
- illuminate the economic impact of the arts on local business
- demonstrate the effectiveness of utilizing art to increase foot traffic in and around participating venues, as well as to enhance the environment in public and private spaces
- promote the cultural vibrancy of our community — a great place to live and visit
- bring students, residents and visitors together through the arts
- provide an occasion, through the arts, to both express and reflect upon who and what we are as individuals and as a community
- celebrate the many unique cultural traditions within Champaign County
