Local creatives gather each month to show, sell and celebrate their work
By SAVANNAH ANNO — arts@theaggie.org
On April 27, local and regional artists gathered together to create a show, but not in a museum. Instead, they filled the space of a large backyard, hanging artwork onto the fences and setting up table displays for vendors.
This backyard show is known as The Boneyard. Organized and led by local artist Cassidy Ruiz, The Boneyard is a Do-It-Yourself (DIY), mobile art show that officially began on Jan. 5. Being mobile, the show has been hosted at locations like Turtle House and the local Rocknasium rock climbing gym.
The Boneyard at this month’s location, the Dizzy Cottage, featured live music, snacks and drinks. The show offered community painting where guests were encouraged to work together and paint designs onto a single, large tapestry. Towards the end of the night, the tapestry was a kaleidoscope of color: animals, abstract shapes, short messages and more littered the canvas cloth.
Ruiz created the mobile show to provide more opportunities for local artists to display and sell their work, aiming to make gallery space more accessible. The Boneyard acts as a celebration of and space for Davis’ creativity.
“I’ve really struggled with getting into the bigger art spaces in Davis,” Ruiz said. “There’s a lot of requirements and there’s a lot of really difficult loopholes you have to go through. With something like this [The Boneyard], you don’t need a business license, you just show up and get to do it.”
Similar to Davis spaces like The Secret Spot and Third Space Art Collective, The Boneyard provides a platform for artists of all kinds, encouraging and welcoming diversity.
Hosting monthly events, The Boneyard is able to showcase a variety of artists and vendors. The Boneyard at Dizzy Cottage featured more than 15 makers; visitors could find jewelry, press-on nails, crocheted sweaters, keychains, stickers and more.
One local vendor, Lydia Chang, discussed the importance of events like The Boneyard in her career as an artist.
“I love connecting with people over art,” Chang said. “Having local events and getting to meet other artists and people in the community is really amazing. I love talking about my art and learning how people can relate to it.”
Chang — also known as artfulyds on Etsy — creates stickers, keychains, rugs and even zines. Chang’s zines have been able to further connect her with visitors, relating to their messages on mental health, racial identity and more.
With a variety of artists, themes and mediums, The Boneyard has something for every visitor to enjoy.
“Everybody is so cool and unique in their own way,” Ruiz said. “Everybody brings something new to the table. What I love is that it’s all so different, we’re breaking barriers and doing something that people don’t always see”
Ruiz hopes to expand the range of The Boneyard even further, aiming to eventually plan shows in both Sacramento and San Francisco. In the future, they aim to travel across the country — spotlighting communities of artists everywhere.
In the upcoming months, be sure to look out for where The Boneyard is traveling next. You can catch the show next month at the Rocknasium on May 5, or at The Growing Groves’ Pride Party on June 8.
If you’re interested in showing off your own work or being a vendor for one of The Boneyard’s events, you can visit their website and fill out a vendor application form. The show is currently accepting applications for the Pride Party at The Growing Groves until May 24, specifically looking to uplift and feature queer creators.
Written by: Savannah Anno — arts@theaggie.org
