Digital Art by Travess Smalley Now Featured in Minecraft
Art by URI professor Travess Smalley integrated into Minecraft, enhancing game landscapes. Supports creativity research. Announced 2025-11-03.
Travess Smalley, a print media professor at the University of Rhode Island, has integrated his digital creations into Minecraft, the world’s best-selling video game. His art now enhances the game's landscapes, expanding research into creativity during gameplay.
Key facts
- Travess Smalley's artwork featured in Minecraft as of 2025-11-03.
- Minecraft has sold over 350 million copies globally.
- Smalley's "chance flower" program generates unique digital landscapes.
- During COVID-19, Smalley modded Minecraft to include poetic text landscapes.
- His students create art in Minecraft, embracing experimental platforms.
Impact / What’s next
Smalley's integration of art within Minecraft reflects his approach to using games as creative platforms. His work encourages players and students to explore digital spaces artfully, without traditional limitations. The "chance flower" project, alongside his pixel rugs, exemplifies unique procedural creativity aligned with Minecraft's own world generation system. Anticipating a 2026 release, Smalley plans to publish a book featuring digital versions of his pixel rugs, further bridging the gap between digital art and traditional craftsmanship.