Despite early April’s somewhat soggy and drizzly setback, Boneyard Arts Festival 2025 still managed to bring color, creativity, and community spirit to venues across Champaign-Urbana. From tiny canvases and intricate fiber arts to live demonstrations and kid-made masterpieces, this year’s festival reminded us that art finds a way — even through the rain.
The weekend kicked-off at Krannert Uncorked where both Boneyard 2025 and this year’s CU Tango Music Festival delighted audiences in Krannert Center for the Performing Arts’ beautiful lobby, punctuated by Stage 5. I spoke with several patrons enjoying a glass of wine and the stunning music of Bandoneon Massacre.
Boneyard routinely leaves us a little awestruck — not just by the range of talent on display but by the sheer joy artists and audiences alike bring to every venue, medium, and unexpected encounter. Even when April skies are gray, this festival lights things up. From tiny frogs to massive spinning wheels, Boneyard 2025 reminded us how vibrant and welcoming the C-U arts scene truly is.
Our team of Smile Politely editors and writers fanned out to capture a handful of standout moments from the weekend. Here’s what we saw, loved, and haven’t stopped talking about.
— Amy Penne, Arts Editor
Tiny Art at The Literary
The Tiny Art Show — which features book-inspired artwork no larger than 6×6” — was one of my favorite exhibits at Boneyard back in 2023. This year’s show was so popular, they actually closed submissions early after reaching capacity.
The tiny art is displayed at The Literary on the wall opposite the bar. Since 2023, when the walls were solid white, the bookstore has added a mural of its own, which made for an interesting backdrop for the art pieces. They became a 3-D addition alongside the black and white framed “art” that makes up the mural, effortlessly becoming part of the painted scene.
This year’s works featured different media: wood blocks, many mini canvases painted with acrylic, and even a multimedia piece featuring a crocheted frog. From a beautifully photographed early morning spider web (Charlotte’s Web, of course) to a multimedia floral piece with cut-outs from The Dictionary of Lost Words, this show is a beautiful showcase of the many ways artists take inspiration from literature. (Serenity Stanton Orengo)
Avionics Flying Machine Coffee
Though Avionics regularly hosts art by local artists, this year was the first time the cozy coffee shop hosted an official show for Boneyard — and what a cool show.
The Ray Glass paintings throughout the café drew me in. The metallic sparkly strokes and irregular edges gave each piece a lot of movement and visual adventure to experience. I especially loved the green-orange-yellow-white painting on the bottom row because of the painting’s cool distinct diagonal direction.
Avionics was packed with even more visual treats. They showcased stunning photography by Carol Corning and a fantastic itty bitty gallery wall of tiny landscapes by Crystal Alexander. I could not get over the detail in these miniature paintings; they were totally incredible. Look at the full moon! The pretty pinks and purples of the wintry mountains! The teeny tiny flowers in that pasture painting were just so good.
I was mesmerized by the orange and blue sunset over amber grains and thought it was a great show at a great local coffee shop. (Alyssa Buckley)
Fleurish & Craft League Collab at the Orpheum
My first stop for Boneyard was Fleurish to view Kris Fisher’s sign language art. I met Kris (and her lovable pooch Basil) and talked about her inspiration. Fisher began painting hands after studying at the Chicago Institute of Art and was inspired to pursue sign language art after receiving a book about it. Her work is painted on recyclable materials like cardboard using acrylics and oils. Many pieces featured famous figures, like Dolly Parton with Fisher’s unique flair.
My favorite piece was a daisy painting with “daisy” spelled out in sign language at the bottom. The flower sat in the middle, and raindrops painted on the surface gave the effect of rain falling within the scene.
Later, I visited The Orpheum for the Craft League Collab show, which featured a variety of local artists: comic artists, crocheters, photographers, and more. I spoke with artist Phil Strang, who shared his gender-swapped Phantom of the Opera painting and the story he crafted around it.
I also met artist Nick Cragoe, who specializes in Celtic art. He walked me through his piece Class Consciousness Illumination, which incorporates Marxist philosophy in a style inspired by Irish monks — created with ink, gouache, and gold leaf. It was a fascinating and thought-provoking exhibit. (Mary Cornell)
Gallery M2 Breezeway
As usual, for the 23rd annual Boneyard Arts Festival, I tried to visit as many artists and venues as possible. This year at Gallery M2 Breezeway, I was drawn in by the local school children’s art competition, “Spring Fling.” One of the co-organizers, Wanli Zhang noted that “this competition encourages local kids to get creative and to participate in the Boneyard Arts Festival.” I also spoke with Zhaochang Andrew Sun, a second-grader at Barkstall Elementary about his work. He told me, “I started painting when I was three because my dad bought me paint. I painted with my sister. I got interested in drawing during art class in kindergarten. I like that I can do what I want with colors. Spring is in my painting through blue flowers, green leaves, and a ladybug.” Michelle Trautman, co-organizer and artist explained that she’s “been an artist for nine years. I love creating everything from large dimensional and reflective art to watercolor florals and beaded earrings. I started when I was disabled by a spinal injury. Art was therapeutic during my recovery. Now that I’m more mobile, I enjoy making big, unusual pieces.”
Finally, artist Rebecca Lynn Herschberger declared, “I’m a self-taught artist. I love creating art!” Each of these artists, and so many others, made this year’s Boneyard a special event. (Ian Wang)
Fresh Press & Champaign-Urbana Spinners and Weavers Guild
Tucked at the end of gravel roads and industrial warehouses is the interdisciplinary research and paper lab, Fresh Press. I made my way over to their home base on Saturday morning, abandoning fear of the frosty wind in favor of witnessing live papermaking. (Who could turn down that cool of an opportunity?!)
Co-founder Eric Benson greeted visitors and encouraged us to explore while visiting artists Gina Burri and Martine Whitehead worked on-site. I watched as they pulled and strained raw materials into sheets of paper. Studio manager e. ainsley also shared updates on past and future programming. Between their artistic passion, friendly team, and focus on sustainability, Fresh Press is one of the most unique and inspiring spaces in Champaign-Urbana.
At the Champaign Public Library, I followed a crowd down the hall toward the unmistakable hum of a massive spinning wheel in use. The Champaign-Urbana Spinners & Weavers Guild was in action, showing off their craft. I was captivated by the skill and rhythm of their work, as members spun wool and cotton with practiced ease. One member smiled while telling me about her sheep, Chai Tea Latte, and the beautiful yarn she spins from its fleece. These fiber artists were eager to answer questions and offer hands-on demonstrations. They brought raw materials and finished pieces to illustrate the entire creative process. I left wanting to join — if only to make a scarf as beautiful as the ones they displayed. (Harrison Price)
