April 2015 mag small

mercedarthop.org l This Inspiration

Artist of the Quarter

04.18.2015

MAH

amy bianchini

Inside : Fashion Goes Green | Bernie Estrada | Art+Garden

About Us Dear Reader and Art Enthusiasist,

PUBLISHER Kevin Hammon

Thank you for continuing to celebrate our 7th year at the Art Hop! We hope that this quarter's event will be fun and inspiring to each of you, espcially with all of the exciting things happening this time around. This quarter we wanted to celebrate Earth Day and everything it stands for, so many of the activities will have themes centered around nature, recycling, upcycling, and gardening. It's our hope that in doing so the community will feel a renewed inspiration to take care of our planet. And as always, if you feel motivated to help out, don't hesitate to contact us! We are always looking for volunteers and donations to keep the Merced Art Hop free and open to the public.

EDITORIAL

We hope to see all of you at the next Art Hop!

Kevin Hammon & Kimberly Zamora Art Hop Co-Founders

Find Us WEBSITE : www.MercedArtHop.org FACEBOOK : www.Facebook.com/DowntownMAH TWITTER : www.Twitter.com/MercedArtHop EMAIL : Kimberly@MercedArtHop.org ADVERTISING : 209-560-MAH1 MAILING ADDRESS : Post Office Box 3351 Merced, CA 95344

John Miller

Artist of the quarter page 6

the map page 8

MARKETING Kevin Hammon DESIGN Kimberly Zamora Creative Director Chloe Peterson

Graphic Designer

PHOTOGRAPHY John Miller PRINT Brightdart Print & Design

Contents

Bernie Estrada Page 10

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kimberly Zamora PRESIDENT/CEO Kevin Hammon BOARD MEMBERS Jared Covert Desiree Flores Herrera Kimberly Zamora Kevin Hammon Notice of CopyrightŠ All materials contained within the Merced Art Hop Quarterly publication are protected by copyright unless otherwise stated, or in the case of any provided materials, the owner of that content retains the copyright. You may not alter, reproduce, distribute, publish, transmit or broadcast any material contained within the Merced Art Hop Quarterly publication without prior consent from the Merced Art Hop Board or othercopyright owner.

Merced Art Hop Quarterly takes care to ensure that all information is correct at the time of printing; however the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for the accuracy of any information contained within the publication or advertisements. Views expressed are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher or editorial staff.

johnathan mondragon Page 12

fashion show Page 14

Art + Garden Project

In celebration of Earth Day, Merced Art Hop will be inviting to community to discover their green thumb by infusing gardening projects into the mix of art activities. Organizers hope that by doing so the community will not only learn about the importance of caring for the planet, but will also discover that nature can serve as an inspiration for a variety of projects, artistic or otherwise. Activities planned for the Merced Art Hop will focus on recycling, caring and working with the land, and finding beauty in everyday sights in nature.

Those looking to learn additional ways they can recycle their used materials and reduce landfill waste will find their perfect activity inside of Bob Hart Square. Community members will be invited to learn about ways to take what some see as trash and convert it into an artistic treasure reusing old materials, finding new and creative ways to use objects for new purposes, and upcycling materials to give them a new purpose all together.

Those who would rather sink their hands into dirt and develop their green thumb will find the most enjoyment in the 600 block of Main Street. Here

they will be able to pick from seeds or succulents and plant their choice.

Once properly covered, the growth process will begin. For those who have never worked in a garden before, this activity will jump start their love for soil as they watch their creation grow and prosper.

The final project will invite Art Hop patrons to take sharpies to bottles, cans, and other containers to create original art. Once finished, their masterpieces will be left behind for Art Hop artists to craft an original sculpture with over the next few months.

Once completed, the sculpture will be placed into a display that will be shown during the Summer Art Hop. Those who would like to participate in the process will find this activity back at Bob Hart Square.

As part of the Art + Garden Installation a display with a wide variety of plant material will be on display as well as an installation of tee-pees and grid branches for burgeoning artists to find their creative strengths. All activities scheduled for the Merced Art Hop will run at their assigned locations from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

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"perhaps it will inspire people to see beauty in the unexpected and respect our beautiful Earth it all comes from."

Amy Bianchini : How did you get into fashion design and art? How long have you been at it? : I’ve been drawing and doing art ever since I was a little kid, but I got into fashion when the show Project Runway first started when I was about 11. After I saw the first episode I was inspired. I busted out the manual to my mom’s sewing machine and taught myself how to sew. I’ve been designing and sewing ever since.

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: What mediums do you create with? Is there a particular style or look you repeat in your body of work? : I paint with both oils and acrylics.

I’ve worked with all kinds of fabrics but this will be my first show using repurposed materials only! As I get older I find my taste becoming more modern but my passion has always been old Hollywood, both stars and its style. I would say my work always displays a vintage inspiration with a modern twist, both in my paintings and my designs.

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fashion from the streets Q A

: What was the idea behind the upcoming fashion show? Where did it come from? : Kimberly Zamora approached me with the idea to create outfits using recycled materials in honor of Earth Day this month. I think it’s such a great idea and gives me the chance to work with materials I had never considered before. : Where did you draw inspiration from for this fashion show? : In this show I’m not trying to make the materials look like they are anything but what they are, a garbage bag still looks like a garbage bag, toilet paper looks like toilet paper.

I’m just trying to use these materials in a different way other than what they were designed for.

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: What challenges did you have to overcome to create these pieces? : It’s not like creating a garment made out of fabric. I couldn’t construct them in the same way and most of the materials are too fragile to be sewn together so they have to be held together by less conventional means as well.

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: I think it’s the outcome. As stressful as the process can be, seems like nothing ever runs smoothly, but that’s life. But seeing what I was able to create with my own two hands when some time before it was nothing but a thought in my head. The finished product makes it all worth it and gives you such a sense of pride in yourself.

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: Did you learn anything from the process that you think you will use in the future? : I think I will use some of the methods I used when constructing these outfits. I had to basically drape and build the garments on my models and I liked the shapes it created.

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: Is there a particular piece that you are proud of? : I think all of them have aspects that I am particularly proud of and pretty much amazed myself I was able to construct them the way I imagined it and achieve certain looks.

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: What do you hope those viewing your work take away from the show? : Hopefully everyone will not only enjoy mine and Kim’s creations but perhaps it will inspire people to see beauty in the unexpected and respect our beautiful Earth it all comes from.

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: Why do you continue to create? Is there something you get out of the process?

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: Why do you think fashion and art are important? : I think fashion and art are so important because they are an outward expression of how we see our world and ourselves in it. It’s how we can put our own thoughts and feelings, our likes and our dislikes on a canvas, in a song, a dance or even wear it on our bodies. Everything in our world takes creativity. Everyone has their own way of expressing.

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Eat. Shop. Watch. Listen. Stay.

Downtown Merced

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A Living Portrait From the time he was able to pick up his first crayon and begin coloring, Bernie Estrada was immediately hooked on the idea of creating with his own two hands. As his pursuit of the arts picked up speed, he would trade his crayons in for acrylic paints and charcoal, drawing his inspiration from greats such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Frida Kahlo. Working primarily in portraiture and realism, Estrada pulls inspiration from pop culture and celebrities, as well as various dancers, singers, and musicians for his work, saying, “I love to capture the features of people in paintings or drawings.”

While Estrada’s art work varies widely from commissions to labors of love, he uses each piece as its own unique form of communication. “Usually they’re of a mood or feeling I’m trying to get across,” said Estrada. “As I’ve got older, I’ve become highly sensitive to peoples’ feelings and emotions.” He went on to say that some of his most inspired work has been created in times of familial strife.

“I always get requests for paintings and drawings of family members who have passed away,” said Estrada. By taking in various photographs of the recently deceased from members of his family, he will work to capture the memory and association they had with the loved one.

“I take a lot of pride in what I do, and I get an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment once I’m done with any of my art pieces.”

As Estrada has continued to expand his artistic horizons, he has found that 10

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there are a variety of fringe benefits to artistic expression. “Art is important to the community because it’s a form of communication and expression. I feel everyone has an inner-artist,” said Estrada. By nurturing his own inner-artist, Estrada would eventually shift gears from drawing or painting others to taking on different identities as performance art.

After countless hours experimenting with costumes, make-up, and accessories, he soon realized he had a knack for celebrity impersonations in particular. Specifically, Michael Jackson.

“Everyone was amazed on how much I resembled the King of Pop and how close I captured the essence of him on stage,” said Estrada. As Estrada continued to pull inspiration from a performer he admired and combined this with his skills as a visual artist and his new found passion of the performing arts, he developed a tribute to the King of Pop that regularly struck a chord with all who watched.

Currently Estrada is slated to perform his Michael Jackson “Remember the Time” performance in Bob Hart Square, starting at 6:30 and again at 7:30. In addition to his performance, Estrada’s body of artwork will also be on display during the

Merced Art Hop. While anxious about any upcoming performance, Estrada gets past his nervous energy by falling back on his love of the stage and skills as a visual and performing artist.

Estrada is planning to continue pushing his technique and has plans to begin producing larger pieces. While he notes that he will always find inspiration for these larger pieces of work from friends, family, and others who support his artistic side, he always finds the most inspiration from thinking about how his artwork will be meaningful to others. That’s why he will be developing these larger pieces and using them as a way to inspire those new to the creative process. “I want to keep inspiring others to find their inner-artist,” said Estrada.

“Younger artists or newbies who want to explore the art world will always learn from every piece they create and the more they do it they will eventually achieve it. If you can visualize it in your mind, it’s just as easy to transfer it to paper.” Those interested in following Estrada’s work and his development as an artist can do so online by following him on Facebook.

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A Decade of Creation

To say that John Mondragon began creating his first pieces of art work at a young age may be a bit of an understatement. He began using crayons to draw images just before he was able to form sentences. Once he gained a command of sentences, he began illustrating stories he had imagined. Four short years later he had created a book complete with his own stories and illustrations that went to print entitled Mikey the Mouse, the Mouse without a House, after his elementary school hosted an author. Nearly a decade after those projects, still at a relatively young age, he has shown no signs of slowing down according to friends and family.

Currently Mondragon is 12 years old, and is the youngest artist to show his work at the Merced Art Hop. He has been displaying his work inside of Main Street business since 2013, and for the last year he has held a spot for his painting inside of the Merced County Courthouse’s Jury Room. For the last 12

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two years his work has grown from his initial illustrations and accompanying stories to work with pen and ink, pencil and colored pencil drawings, and acrylic and watercolor paintings. With a very respectable resume to his name at such a young age, it’s no surprise that Mondragon comes from an artistic family.

“John would tell me what he wanted to paint, and then we would talk about it, what colors we would need, what we should use, and then I would point out any missing pieces he had overlooked,” noted Darlene Adams, Mondragon’s grandmother and arts mentor. Involved in drawing and painting herself since high school, Adams began really digging her heels into the arts during her time at college. Once she had started creating in a variety of mediums, she was hooked, and so naturally when Mondragon showed his artistic inclinations, she was ecstatic.

“After he picked out or thought of

a subject that he wanted to create, we would draw in out, and the set in on filling it in with the medium of choice,” Adams recalled. As they worked on various pieces over the years, Adams has encouraged Mondragon to continue his self-direction and decide what subjects and techniques he would like to work on next, offering advice and critique when needed on the his work. Additionally the two would sit down in front of the television set with canvas and palette in hand and work together as they watched Bob Ross style programming.

This kicked off a new phase when Mondragon really began to push his artistic abilities, and began painting subject imagined by others, including the fish and turtle pieces present at his display in previous Merced Art Hops.

“He’s progressed so much at this point, that when people stop by and look at our two paintings of the same fish, they’ll commonly attribute his work to me, as I am the older artist,” said Adams. Currently Mondragon is pushing his talents in the direction of mastering sunsets, and a large land-

scape of Yosemite National Park’s Halfdome. And while it’s likely that the traditional arts he has grown up with will stick with him, Adams sees sculpture and digital arts in Mondragon’s future. “I think once he gets a digital camera for one of his birthdays, he will really start having a lot of fun with photography.”

Mondragon and Adams will be showing their work together during the Merced Art Hop. Their display will be located inside of The Cue Spot, where community members will be encouraged to try their hand at attributing their similar art work to the correct artist.

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n o i h s a F n Whe n e e r G s e Go Art Hop Co-Founder and visual artist Kimberly Zamora and Artist of the Quarter and fashion designer Amy Bianchini will be taking over Bob Hart Square with their Recycled Material Meets the Fashion World runway show during the Merced Art Hop. Held in advance of Earth Day to draw attention to the day’s message, the fashion show will play on recent trends of upcycling material as a way to reduce landfill waste while bringing new life to found objects.

Working exclusively with materials such as plastic bags, toilet paper, bubble wrap, butcher paper, and corrugated paper, the two artists have strived for the past few months with what Zamora noted were “not your traditional fashion fabrics.” While that description of the materials the two have agreed to restrict themselves to is certainly an understated one, Zamora and Bianchini have a noble cause behind their current line of clothing.

“Amy and I are visual artists so we thought we could add a twist of art in our designs by adding paint and mix media,” said Zamora. “We hope it can bring awareness to our Community why recycling and taking care of mother earth is important and hopefully our designs can inspire and educate people to design from recycle material.” Bianchini echoed these sentiments, noting that after she was approached by Zamora with the idea of using recycled materials in honor of Earth Day, she felt it was both a great idea and a wonderful chance to make use of materials she had never considered before.

Working with less conventional materials however proved to be quite the challenge to work with despite the noble goal. Without the characteristics of normal fabrics, and oftentimes too fragile to be sewn at all, many pieces required more creative means to be held together. “I am particularly proud of and pretty much amazed myself I was able to construct them the way I imagined it and achieve certain looks,” said Bianchini. She went on to say that while the materials still look exactly as they would coming out of one’s home, she is mostly hoping that the fashion show will inspire people to see beauty in unexpected places and think about how they can reduce the footprint they leave behind them on Earth.

The Recycled Material Meets the Fashion World runway show will kick off during the Merced Art Hop at 7:00 p.m. and run until 8:00 p.m. Each designer will show off five original designs and make use of a total of ten different models. Those interested in seeing the original fashion designs are encouraged to show up early to grab their spot next to the runway, as the space typically fills up quickly shortly after the show kicks off.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!