Art Hop Magazine

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ART HOP mercedarthop.org

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ENGAGING OUR YOUTH AUSTIN CASTRO // BUILDING YOUNG LEADERS//EDM ARTS & S.T.E.M // UC MERCED // FASHION WITH KIM

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UCM STUDENT & ALUMNI ART EXHIBITION MARCH 31TH-APRIL 30TH | 5:30-7:30PM MAH EPEKEL GALLERY | 1733 CANAL STREET

A special opportunity for the community to see the inner workings and talents of the artists at Merced’s Enrichment Center will be available during the April Art Hop. Located on the third floor of the Merced Multicultural Arts Center, the collection of creatives is continually producing work, to the tune of 700 hours per year. With 35 artists work on display, and with mediums ranging from jewelry, ceramics, and paintings to performance art and theatre pieces, there will be a little bit of something for everyone who attends their Open House and Art Sale event.

Working as a licensed Community Care facility, the Enrichment Center’s serves Merced area adults by providing an opportunity for them explore and learn about the visual and performing arts. Teachers work with their artists with individualized approaches that make use of each person’s strong suits and unique abilities.

“We encourage them to seek out their own style,” said Enrichment Center Director Shannon Essig. “The arts allow them to express themselves in ways that they may otherwise be unable to.” Essig went on to emphasize that this allows program participants the chance to work on a theme that is of interest to them or deal with subject matter that plays a significant role in their life, both of which result in a rare glimpse into how they perceive the world

around them.

During the event, artwork will line the third floor from artists past and present, and projectors will display the many performances that have been cultivated by the Enrichment Center’s Performing Art and Theatre programs. Money raised from the purchase of artwork will be fed back in large part to Enrichment Center’s program funding, which they use to purchase everything from canvases and paint to easels and brushes. But the money that isn’t used to purchase materials serves a much greater purpose. “We don’t operate like most galleries who do a 50-50 split with the artist when a piece is sold,” said Essig. “We actually split it 70-30, in the favor of the artist because whenever they sell a piece, it of course is exciting to them, but it helps validate them in their skill as an artist.”

Those who can’t make it to the Enrichment Center during the Art Hop are invited to contact the Shannon Essig by calling 209.388.1162 or by email at Director@ECArtists.com to discuss additional times to stop by and purchase work or learn more about the program. Hours of operation run Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 2:00pm. For more information log onto ECArtists.com or follow them on Facebook for the most up-to-date information about events.

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Austin Castro

Fresh off of a victory for his acrylic painting “Forty Nights” during the annual Merced County Honors Art Show, Le Grand High School artist Austin Castro is riding pretty high right now.

And He should be. Castro only began painting again shortly after entering high school, in large part because his two first choices for elective courses, self-defense and woodshop, were filled to capacity. So after reaching for gesso and canvas again, he set himself back into the familiar territory of painting and quickly picked up where he left. Shortly thereafter he found himself entering his abstracted work into the Merced County Art Council’s competition and exhibition of Merced County’s best young artists, where he saw his scene of two musicians playing their instruments ranked third 6

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by local professionals. It seems the two filled elective courses may have been for the best.

"The painting that got third place…

One Saturday I was in my room in the dark and I just began. I just was placing color and I didn’t have a clue where it was going, but I had created this very colorful background,” said Castro of the piece.

“When I saw it I began wondering what I could do with it; what I would be able to show others about me.” Music has always been as big of a part of Castro’s life as art has been, and so he saw the happenchance background as a way to put the two on display for the public.

Throughout his body of work, Castro finds himself relaying on a similar level of spontaneity to produce his work. Where many would work out a solid idea in their head before sketching out the work in its totality, Castro relies on the final piece

When I saw it I began wondering what I could do with it;what I would be able to show others about me developing in real time. “I try to pull from certain things I see and think ‘oh hey that looks good like this’ and then I’ll incorporate it into the piece.” While the painting process may be spontaneously

started, once the subject is decided and the first color has reached the canvas, Castro often finds himself working on a single piece for days on end. “It’s hard for me to stop what I’m doing to go do anything else because I find it so intriguing.”

At this point in Castro’s young career, he is striving to become a high school art teacher so that he can share the various techniques and tricks that he hopes to pick up as he increases his skill. “As I drive down Main Street to get to the Merced Arts Center, one of the things I look around and take notice of where I see it is the art,” said Castro. “I think that is one of the things that could bring more people into this area and have them stay here longer on their way to places like Yosemite. So by staying in this area and teaching it I think that, while it would help me, it would also help the community because I believe it would make people want to stay in this area longer.” To that end, Castro has begun

volunteering at the Merced Arts Center where he has begun working with visitors as they view the work that lines its wall. “I love to be around art and I can talk to people about it because I know a lot of what I see and so I can share that with them,” Castro noted. “I do it for the fun, and I love seeing all the happy faces it brings.”

Working off of the steam from his most recent exhibition, Castro is currently incorporating the two human figures into a series of paintings. Each piece will feature the duo working through a variety of activities in front of different scenes. Those hoping to see additional renditions of the vibrant background in his “Forty Night” piece may want to take the time to swing by the Merced Arts Center though while the piece is still hanging. “To be honest, I don’t know how I created that background; I didn’t see it myself so it is a one-time thing. I like that though.”

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fashion with kim

be a trend setter this spring for morefashion tips: kimberlyzamora.com << Vintage Escada pleated skirt paired with a casual tee that was redesigned by me & last my heels to add a pop of color

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>> Vintage Leather trousers with a modern day look // paired with a jean jacket

<< Vintage feminine floral + sporty black mesh blouse.

Trending this Spring is mesh, you definitely have to add this to your wardrobe. I pieced mine with a vintage feminine floral cover up

>> I'm obsessed with the cape blazer; it goes with everything [casual <---> dressy] I paired it with a French pattern maxi dress

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by Chris Moreno Big changes are coming to the Central Valley radio airwaves! As of March 16th 2016, Your rock station 92.5 FM "The Bear" is moving up the dial to 105.7 FM & 1660 AM. It will be all the same great rock, contests, personalities & giveaways that you've come to expect from your local rock station. The FM signal will be slightly stronger than

"The Bear" is moving up our previous signal, encompassing many Central Valley cities including Merced, Turlock, Los Banos, Gustine & everywhere in-between. The AM signal is very strong & now will reach the Bay Area, Central Coast & the North & South Valley areas, great for keeping The Bear dialed 10

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in for all your summer road trips.

You can stream us anywhere on our new website at ww.1057thebear. com. We have updated our official social media sites as well (Facebook, Instagram & Twitter) all with @1057thebear, so please follow & like our new pages for contests, updates & more! We will also be continuing with our local in-house specialty show "The Garage", which will still air

every Saturday night from 6pm 7pm. Our Facebook page for The Garage has been updated, so you can check out our weekly playlists, submit for local band episodes, like & follow us now at Facebook. com/TheGarageRockShow. And speaking of local bands, our next local band episode will air during the next Art Hop on April 16th, from 6pm - 7pm. So, if

you want your music heard on the airwaves on April 16th, then send your MP3's (clean & edited) now to our Facebook at Facebook.com/ TheGarageRockShow. Don't forget, your new home for all the rock & giveaways for the Central Valley is on 105.7 FM!

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Leadership and the Arts

As a born and raised Merced native looking to give back to the area that shaped her, Wendy Spencer never questioned whether she should repay the community for the opportunities she found in her hometown. It was just a matter of how. So when the chance arose to build up her own education enrichment facility for local youth, she opened the doors to the Building Young Leaders (BYL) facility and never looked back.

Spencer and a team of instructors present students with a unique mix of subject knowledge interwoven with leadership skills. “We have seen children blossom over and over again, starting out unsure of themselves at first, but performing in front of hundreds of people and feeling great about themselves!” said Spencer’s Administrative Assistant, Aubrey Byerly.

Of the 22 different classes offered by the BYL facility, the Young Leaders Performing Arts Company (YLPAC) stands out in particular. An auditiononly group, it gives top-tier performers the chance to engage in focused training and opportunities such as touring. As with all of BYL’s classes, YLPAC performers are given a blend of leadership skills and subject knowledge through interest-based classes. “We help them take notice of examples around 12

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them and have wonderful discussions about choices,” noted Byerly. “This year, we are teaching the kids to value the wonderful lessons they learn though classic and exciting literature.” Each year’s lessons come to a culmination in a final show at the end of the season, with this year’s occurring on the evening of May 21 inside of the Merced Theatre.

The group can be seen in action during the Spring Merced Art Hop when they perform the high energy dance number Twist That Frown Upside Down In Bob Hart Square. Featuring a powerful message about taking a positive approach to everything in life, the company will strives to ensure that everyone within earshot walks away with a new view of their unique talents and how they can be used to affect change within their community.

“The performances are developed with the goal of inspiring the performers and audiences to think, speak, and act positively in our community,” said Byerly.

To join in on the fun, new students can begin attending classes for $30$50, and student scholarships help ensure that every child interested can participate. For more info stop by the Building Young Leader Education Enrichment Center at 3337 M St., calling staff at 209.723.2533, or logging onto BuildingYoungLeaders.com.

Mariposa Art Company

The painters of Mariposa Art Company are still making their way around town with brushes and tape in hand. Known for their mural work, the team recently closed the doors of their brick and mortar storefront, but that hasn't stopped them from bringing vibrancy to Merced area neighborhoods. "We didn't really need the building, it just kinda became storage because we're out painting at places so often," said Patricia Pratt. Their most current work is across from McNamara Park in South Merced, and features Mohacchaan textile and painting patterns. The team pulls from their own pocket to complete the projects, which can last anywhere from a day to two weeks, and coordinates with local property owners and business who are looking for a splash. For more information,

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A Greener Future If you walked the 300 block of Main Street during October’s Art Hop, you likely came across a lone sculpture outside of the businesses that house the event’s artists. The found object piece, made of everything from cans and bottles to a car seat, arose from a partnership between UC Merced’s (UCM) Art for Social Change course and the Yosemite Facelift Project, and read “Domestic Water Supply” across the chest, a nod to its origins. Project volunteers combed through the natural resources that make up the national park and removed over seven tons of litter and waste, so saying it took some work for the piece to come to fruition may be an understatement. But hard work that benefits the environment is nothing new to UCM; the concept was literally built into the campus more than a decade ago. Since then, the campus has been hard at work to reduce its carbon-footprint and build links between local towns and UCM faculty, staff, and students, and these projects are now colliding.

With more than a decade of green advancements to their name so far, it 14

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seems that people are beginning to see how large organizations can work to benefit the environment and themselves.

As the campus established itself, perhaps their biggest sustainability achievement was the completion of a 1 megawatt solar farm in 2009. The new addition was able to produce enough power on a daily basis to light 1,250 homes for an entire year, according to online documents from the university. Combined with solar panels on rooftops, this allows for 15% of the campus to receive its power on site, and with plans to continue with additional measures such as a power purchase agreement with a developing solar farm, the campus will soon receive 75% of its power from green sources.

“The campus and its sustainable practices — from purchasing contracts, dining and transportation to its solar array — are setting an example for everyone in the community,” said UCM’s Mark Maxwell, the Leadership in Energy, and Environmental Design (LEED) coordinator in the Design and Construction department Breeana Sylvas, a senior analyst in Strate-

gic Facilities Planning during an interview. “We definitely notice how regional businesses are following suit, because our procurement office always seeks the most sustainable businesses when awarding contracts and bids.” From reusable to-go meal containers and the implementation of hydration stations to cut down on plastics and other waste, to the construction of a campus where recycled materials are used in everything from the carpeting to the insulation and buildings that are 40% more water efficient than state law requires, it seems that the community and business leaders have done just that.

In the surrounding cities, several new community gardens have sprouted up after students from UCM’s Engineers for a Sustainable World first worked out plans for how a minimal space can be used to effectively grow produce using natural resources. Sitting in on Town Hall Meetings, it isn’t as uncommon now to hear residents speaking to city officials about making use of solar panels on rooftops or other structures as UCM has with about half of the campus’ buildings.

We can look to Atwater’s completion of a 1.1 megawatt solar array in 2012 and the plans to continue expanding their renewable power source to see how government organizations can do their part to help offset their carbon footprint and save money on energy at the same time. Local schools seem to be pulling straight from UCM’s green playbook as well with the

installation of hydration stations for their students.

While these changes have certainly benefited from their organization’s extensive resources, every bit from residents adds up. “We’ve shown that even small steps make a big difference,” said Maxwell and Sylvas. “We hope that the community is following our example, and are more than happy to discuss ways people can implement sustainable practices in their own homes and businesses.” After all, every carrot pulled from a garden helps curtail transportation related smog, every solar panel reduces strain on the power grid, and every piece of litter properly disposed of shrinks our landfills and ensures our natural resources remain unspoiled.

EDM: The Culture and Events Near You

Electronic Dance Music (also known as EDM) has been around for quite some time now, but didn’t really get its way into main stream culture until recently, about the last 10 years or so. DJ’s such as Jack Ü, Calvin Harris, Martin Garrix, and many others have dominated in the field and have produced adrenalinepumping songs that people from all over the world listen to at numerous festivals and on numerous radio stations.

The people of the EDM world are mostly about PLUR, which stands for Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect, and definitely show it out on the dancefloor.

No matter what your race, gender, culture, sexuality, or disability is you are shown love. I am here to enlighten you of these raves and festivals happening in the area so you 16

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too can experience the love of the rave culture! It is an experience you will never forget.

So here is a little bit about myself: My name is Sam, I live here in Merced and have been raving since 2013, I have loved the music since my high school years and have been to quite a few festivals such as EDC LV (Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas), Lightning in a Bottle, and Escape From Psycho Circus. I also regularly attend local raves that occur anywhere from Fresno to Sacramento. Now that you know a little bit about me let me tell you about local and big events that are coming soon, I may not get them all but I will let you know what I can!

photo: avarty photos

By Sam Fuerte

Emerald Dream

Type: Local Rave When: April 23rd Where: Fresno, CA at the Fresno County Fairgrounds Price: $

Lightning In A Bottle

Type: Festival When: May 25th – May 30th Where: Bradley, CA at San Antonio Recreation Area Price: $$$

Electric Daisy Carnival

Type: Festival When: June 17th – June 19th Where: Las Vegas, NV at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Price: $$$

Earphoria

Type: Campout Local Rave When: May 20th – May 21st Where: Fresno, CA – More Details on Earphoria Facebook Event Price: $

Sun Kissed Summer Festival 2016

Type: Local Rave When: May 21st Where: Fresno, CA at Fresno Fairgrounds Price: $-$$

The Untz Festival

Type: Local Festival When: June 2nd – June 5th Where: Mariposa, CA at Mariposa County Fairgrounds Price: $$

Life In Color Kingdom San Diego

Type: Massive When: April 30th Where: San Diego, CA at Valley View Casino Center Price: $$

Audio On The Bay

Type: Massive When: May 28th – May 30th Where: Richmond, CA at The Craneway Pavilion Price: $$ M A H

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the arts and S.T.E.M. You may have heard about the recent implementation of S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs and their aim to create an economic boost by filling related jobs with American workers. A developing school of thought has put forth the idea of S.T.E.A.M., adding arts into the mix in a mutually beneficial relationship. Critics from the science and art world are quick to point out that comingling the precision of science with the ambiguity of the fine arts in concerning, questioning if future scientists and tech workers can truly find anything useful within the arts and if art that is not “art for art’s sake” loses its meaning, therefore risking the important but different benefits that the two fields offer to society. Proponents from both fields are known to make mention of acclaimed scientists and mathematicians who are renowned as artists, such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Albert Einstein, and that Nobel Laureates in the sciences are 22 times as likely to be involved in the arts over their scientist counterparts, suggesting that those with knowledge from both areas seem to be the ones pushing their fields. So which is it, and should we risk “watering down S.T.E.M.’s primary purpose” when its goal is so important?

Sarah Abbound, who is now in pursuit of her second Masters Degree from UC Merced, has some unique insight into the S.T.E.A.M. vs. S.T.E.M. debate. Having studied marine organisms since 2006 18

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when she began as an undergraduate at Northeastern University, Abbound began her education as a major in biology and minored in environmental studies, secondary education, and studio art. After receiving her Professional Masters Degree from NU, she has begun using her unique blend of knowledge in Merced to conduct education research that looks into which learner-centered activities help solidify scientific knowledge. “Commonly I will incorporate some type of drawing or storywriting in the classroom to help engage and help students relate the material to their everyday lives,” said Abbound. Having used her studio art classes to clear her mind as an undergraduate herself, the integration of the arts into a biology course allowed her to gain formal insight into what she had experienced years earlier; a clearer focus on science courses after studio art and clearer communication of different biological concepts through art. “Many students initially are under the impression that biology doesn’t really relate to their lives, but with more exposure and practice using creative outlets while studying they learn to appreciate the material much more.”

Diving further into this premise, Abbound leapt at the chance to attend the Ocean Science Meeting conference that brings thousands of ocean scientists under one roof to discuss pressing issues. While in attendance, she made her way to an education talk where the Massachusetts

"...Art can serve as a way to both communicate science as well as generate outside the box thinking."

Institute of Technology shared their experience coupling the work of scientists and artists inside of the Boston Science Museum. If this concept sounds familiar, it may be because something similar was headed by Abbound that paired 20 local artists with 20 UC Merced researchers for the “Enlightened Perspectives: Interdisciplinary Art” show. Visitors were asked to complete surveys, which showed that 97% of visitors learned something new about UCM research, 83% understood the research better due to the art, and

97% wanted a similar event in the future.

“There were a little less than 200 visitors in attendance,” Abbound noted. Other similar events have happened as far away as the University of Pennsylvania and as close as Fresno State and everywhere between.

So it seems that student or otherwise, fine arts are certainly effective at both assisting instructors in building a solid S.T.E.M. knowledge base as well as spurring interest in the various fields. By incorporating the arts into S.T.E.M. lessons where they fit through projects, like learning ratios and fractions through figure drawing or math concepts with rhythm and dance, it seems that a strong base in S.T.E.M. fields can be provided to students through a more rounded approach. “Using art as a way to get people interested in the sciences is an interesting and established idea in other communities,” noted Abbound.

She went on to say that preliminary results highlight that students do best when they are taught using a wide variety of learner-centered activities, including arts, and that anecdotally she has found that art can serve as a way to both communicate science as well as generate outside the box thinking.

So while there is still much work to be done, the inclusion of the arts into S.T.E.M. programs looks like it will be a worthwhile endeavor.

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CONTACT US:

kimberly@mercedarthop.org | 209.658.0661 mercedarthop.org

January 16 | April 16 July 16 | October 15

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