October 2014

mercedarthop.org l This Inspiration

Artist of the Quarter

10.18.2014

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Arbor walk Artists

Inside : Body Postive with Randi Sin | Creep-Chic: Amy Bianchini | Gronk

About Us Dear Reader and Art Enthusiasist,

PUBLISHER Kevin Hammon

Thank you for celebrating our 6 Year Anniversary with us 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. We do our best to make each Art Hop better than the last, because it is so rewarding to see so many people having a good time in their community and surrounded by art. It's not easy, but we will keep pushing ourselves to improve every quarter. If you feel motivated to help out, please 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

MARKETING Kevin Hammon DESIGN Kimberly Zamora Creative Director Chloe Peterson

Graphic Designer

PHOTOGRAPHY John Miller PRINT Brightdart Print & Design 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.

Empty Bowls page 5

the map page 8

Amy Bianchini Page 12

Artists of the quarter

Contents

page 6

Body Positive Page 10

GRONK Page 14

More than an Empty Bowl...

It's a Promise to End Hunger The Merced County Community Action Agency (MCCAA) will be bringing their Fourth Annual Empty Bowl Project to the patrons Merced Art Hop. Started in 2011 after viewing the Empty Bowl Event in Los Banos, the fundraiser aims to create awareness about those within the local community who are forced to go hungry. Additionally the annual event raises funding for food to be provided to those at the Merced Homeless Shelter of D Street.

The Empty Bowl Project brings community members together to remind everyone that while their bowl may be full, that is not the case for everyone in Merced. It presents residents with this message by asking that they join them during the Art Hop and sitting down with them and joining them in their event that combines art, food, fun, and purpose. “By allowing individuals the opportunity to paint a bowl they are being reminded that there are individuals in our community who go hungry,” said Jacqueline Martinez Juarez of MCCAA. “In exchange for a cash donation individuals will keep a bowl as a reminder of all the people who go hungry in our community.” Currently the project helps fill the 20,000 meals per year that 550 people in the Merced area need.

On average, Martinez says that they provide meals and services to 60 men and women on

a nightly basis, an projects such as the Empty Bowl Project are a direct reason why her organization is able to help so many.

Individuals looking to participate in the Empty Bowl Project can look forward to painting a bowl with all the necessary tools, including the various paints and brushed needed to express their creativity. Volunteers will be available to provide guidance, but the project aims to have community members embrace their own creativity. All glazing and firing of the painted bowls will be done by professionals. In exchange for a cash donation of $20.00 individuals will be able to attend our Annual Empty Bowl dinner, which will take place on Thursday, February 5, 2015, 5:00 – 7:30 pm at the Christian Life Center located at 650 East Olive Avenue in Merced.

Individuals will then select from hundreds of bowls and receive a meal of gourmet soup and warm bread. The bowl is for individuals to keep as a reminder of all the people who go hungry in our community every day.

Those who wish to participate in the Empty Bowl Project can do so from 5:00 – 9:00 pm during the Art Hop and for a small donation of $5.00 they will be able to paint a bowl. The project will be located on Main Street near M Street, between the District Attorney’s Office and Second Time Around Bookstore.

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Art Mall Artists

Showing their True Colors on Arbor Walk From painting at the base of the waterfalls across Yosemite National Park to restoring vintage ads on the roof of a barn from a by-gone era on Highway 140, the collective of artists that make up the Art Mall have brought together a diverse and masterful set of artistic talents for art lovers to revel in.

Located adjacent to Arbor Way between M Street and Canal Street, the group of artists came together last year in January as a way to help promote art in the community and support the Merced Multicultural Chamber of Commerce. Now in their second year of participating in the Merced Art Hop, the members of the Art Mall have over half a dozen artists and are always on the lookout for new talent.

We sat down with two of their artists, Deanna Schmitz who founded the group and CheriAnn Carlson Ewing who joined shortly thereafter as a founding member, to see how to group came it to existence, their experiences while creating as part of a tight knit group, and their beliefs about what it takes to continuously create for the community.

As a result of their dedication to expanding their abilities in their respective mediums, the group quickly found themselves working together outside of Art Hop after the formation of the initial group. “Some of the

artists begun meeting up at the Christian Life Center from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. where they get together to paint” explained Schmitz, who noted that the time was spent as a way to gain inspiration from one another. In addition to regular meetings outside of the Art Hop, it’s also common for the group to take classes together to push their knowledge forward, go on excursions to various locations together to work with different subjects and scenery and hold fellowship dinners to instill a sense of unity and bond with each other as a way maintain a peaceful atmosphere when working together.

This level of involvement with other artists can seem overwhelming, particularly to those who are used to creating in solitude, but both Schmitz and Ewing agree. The benefits from group collaboration far outweigh any nervous energy one may have about venturing into any arts group. “I think it nice to have a studio at your home so that you have a lot of space, don’t have to move things around, and can work on something large without having to lug it here and there,” said Ewing. “But it’s wonderful to be able to go to other artists with what you’re working on at any time and have them come to you.” Schmitz continued this thought, saying that “Painting in a group is just so much fun, we are all very supportive of one another and we all feed off of each other. “ Part of this support for one another manifests itself as the sincere desire to see every artist in their group bring continuously strive to improve and reach a higher level. While many who create see this commonly take

the form of a critique, another nerveracking experience for many new artists, it doesn’t seem that in necessarily has to. “I wouldn’t really call it a critique, but we wander around and take a look at one another’s work, give each other ideas, and ask other members to use their set of fresh eyes to take a look at what’s being worked on at the moment,” said Ewing. “When you start in on your own work your eyes start to settle in on what you’re doing, and your hand will just keep going without necessarily realizing what it’s doing.” Ewing continued, saying that it is at this point when whoever is providing the fresh look at another’s artwork that they may decide to offer a type of informal critique if it is needed.

Ewing went on to recount the type of comments her work has previously garnered, noting that, “It will be done really softly, and will be something along the lines of ‘oh you should try this color’ or ‘are you going to use this technique?’” and will never carry an abrasive tone or overly-harsh wording.

Those looking to step into the Art Mall are encouraged to stop by their location during the Merced Art Hop and engage any of the members while they produce their work together. With a truly expansive array of subject matter and styles, those who simply love art and would like to take a look at their work and process are sure to find something that will catch their eye. While primarily painters, a variety of mediums, styles, and subjects brings depth to the group’s work, such as Bob Smith who completes

his painted works by layering a glass mosaic on top of each finished painting to create a stunning and unique look to each piece of art work.

Those interested in joining the group can work within any medium or a mixture thereof. In fact, there is only one small set of requirements that both Ewing and Schmitz mentioned, and they said that it really applies to any artist who is looking to build and better their body of work.

“Never give up, work hard, and follow your heart,” they both echoed. “That advice has always been incredibly true for artists and is important to follow.”

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Body Positive Campaign and Photography Exhibit Comes to Merced Art Hop Merced beautician, photographer and owner of Vanity Rose Salon Randi Sin has been hard at work to show the community the many types of beauty that are present within each and every person.

Having worked in the beauty industry for the past six years, Sin has seen the ebbs and flows of the changing trends in beauty, and has set out to dispel the fallacy that in order to be considered beautiful, one must look and dress in a certain manner. Housed within the walls of her salon located at 1632 Canal Street in Bob Hart Square, Sin’s “I Am Relevant” campaign takes a closer look at the many types of beauty present within each and every individual. The campaign will be on display for the public to see 10

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on the day of the Art Hop from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

The series of photographs the make up the campaign began to take shape after Sin found herself drawn to the camera as a way to share stories with the public.

“I’ve started branching out into producing photographs that tell a story such as this campaign,” said Sin. “Art evokes emotions whether we realize it or not, and I feel that when individuals come into the salon and see the photos of all these wonderful women

Art evokes emotions whether we realize it or not

showing that they love their bodies it will spark an emotion within themselves.” Sin went on to say that because she set out to show how everyone is beautiful, she will have consider the endeavor a success if her effort is able to change the way someone views themselves and others. And by that mark, it seems that the project has already been a success with the waves it caused among those she worked with to produce the photographs When asked by Sin as to why they had chosen to participate in the project, she found that each subject had their own personal reasons.

“Some said to show their children or grandchildren that they should always love themselves, some said they have made it through tough times such as cancer and had to relearn to love their bodies.

Others simply just wanted to prove to themselves that they could be sexy,” noted Sin. “This project is about expressing the beauty in people of all shapes and sizes.

Media and society tell us that in order to be considered beautiful you have to look a certain way, which isn't the case," said Sin of her project. To put the project together Sin pulled together local photographer and willing subjects sourced from the salon’s social media accounts.

After bringing everyone together, they headed to an upstairs studio above the salon where Sin worked alongside of the photographers to tell a story through their photographs. “I wanted our community to come together and help get this positive message out there that each person is beautiful and relevant. If I could be in any way apart of changing someone's views of themselves or others then I feel that I would have accomplished what I set out to do,” said Sin of the process. “It was a freeing experience for everyone involved.”

Creep-Chic Fashion with

Amy Bianchini What can you tell me about your upcoming show? How did it get started? How were any themes that are present developed?

I'm definitely staying true to my love of creepy couture and pairing runway with a choreographed performance. my idea for this line is inspired by Julien Fourniés 2010 fall haute couture collection. But instead of gruesome gowns I will be creating a line of creepy but comfortable wearable designs since I normally do gowns and formal wear myself I wanted to expand my collections.

Is the purpose or message behind this upcoming show, or is there a message you’re hoping viewers take away from the experience?

Aside from the creepy fun of the show that you don't get to see everyday I just want people to see fashion is fun and you don't need to stick to any specific style.Wear what you love.

Fashion is an art and your body is the canvas. You can be a Picasso one day bright, and bold, and a Rembrandt

the next, classic and literal.

If there is amessage, why do you think art is able to convey this message effectively or get the community thinking about it?

Art is able to convey this because it is your outward expression of what you feel on the inside. Just as you don't feel the same every day, no person feels exactly the same as you.

Art is a way to see how people view the world and their self in it. And it's not limited to sad or mad. It can be happy, sarcastic or in my case with this line I am showing a bit of my dark side and my love of the horror movie genre.

How did you get involved in fashion and art? How long have you been practicing?

I've always been creative, been drawing ever since I can remember. But when the show Project Runway came out when I was 11 or 12 after the first episode I ran upstairs to my mom's sewing machine and taughtmyself how to use it.

As corny as it is it was kind of my calling. I knew that's

what I wanted to do when I grew up. I've been sewing and designing ever since What is your creative process like when you’re coming up with new designs?

Usually I get inspiration from a show like American Horror Story is my favorite, or an old movie. I will take that idea or garment that I liked whether it be from a specific time period like the Hollywood Glam of the 1930s or a theme like Witchcraft and Voodoo, I research my subject a lot.

Do some sketches and create a line based on my findings and what I liked.

Do you have any knowledge or stories about how you feel fashion can impact a person’s life?

The story would have to be my own. There have been times that I have lost myself and drifted away from my dreams in order to conform to others ideas of success or normalcy but I feel best when I am designing and creating. All of the doubt from others just fuels my flame and passion for what I do and to make it a career.

Is this the end of the project, or is it something that you plan on continuing? If so, is there anything you are looking for from the community?

This line I am creating specifically for Art Hop and I thought what better time to do a zombie themed line than at their Halloween themed event. I would like feedback from the community, whether it's positive or negative. I want to know what you think. Do you want to see more? Do you dig the creepy factor?

Is there another way the people can see your work or otherwise show support if they want to after the Art Hop? Absolutely, I have a Facebook where I post all of my designs: facebook. com/amy.bianchini1.

Also I show bianually at FAME: Fashion and Art the Merced Experience. A local hybrid art and fashion show. The next show is November 8th at the Multicultural Art Center.

Was there anything else about the event, or the purpose behind the activity that you would like to add?

I hope everyone has an amazing night and be prepared for some scares ;) Lastly, where will you be showing during this Art Hop? I'll be showing in Bob Hart square at 6:30 and 7:30 PM following a performance by Dance Saute.

GRONK Urban artist Gronk Nicandro found himself taken in by the world of art at the young age of after watching the movie “Devil Girl from Mars.”

Taken in by the films work, Gronk realized that he wanted to be a creator, just like the man who had created the movie his eyes were transfixed by. It was at that point Gronk knew what he wanted to make “things” for the rest of his life.

True to his words as a 7 year old, Gronk continues to create using a multitude of mediums. “Sometimes [I use] whatever is at hand at the time I am making something. The more important thing is the doing, not the outcome,” said Gronk of his process. And for those looking for insight into the process of an artist who has exhibited internationally, Gronk's planned show is sure catch their eye. Slated to happen during the hours of the Art Hop 14

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and housed inside of the Merced Multicultural Arts Center, Gronk is planning a spontaneous painting where art lovers are invited to watch as the piece unfolds. For inspiration, Gronk says that he draws from the events and details of his everyday life, often finding himself drawn to those that many others often overlook or have deemed unimportant.

In addition to the spontaneous painting event during the Art Hop, residents are invited to take in the many other pieces of work on display inside of the Art Center where Gronk is currently serving as a resident artist. His work consists of his observations that show the noise and movement of an ever-expanding city. Full of “whirling shapes and gestural marks” his work pulls elements from film, music and performance

art together as he creates. While discussing his work, Gronk notes that although many call him a painter, there is a lot more to his work and process than just painting.

“There are other aspects of what I do perhaps that lead to the paintings,” said Gronk. “That's what I enjoy the most, the assembling of things, putting bits and pieces together, although I also enjoy taking things apart."

Currently based out of downtown Los Angeles, he has worked as a set designer, painter, draftsman as well as an artist. A founding member of ASCO, a multi-media arts collective in the 1970s, Gronk has designed sets for organizations such as the Los Angeles Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Theatro Real in Madrid Spain and Perm Opera House & Ballet Theatre in Perm, Russia. His work has placed him in shows and collections hosted by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Williams College Museum of Art and in Mexico City. He has been featured in solo exhibition at

LACMA, and has been included in exhibitions at The Fowler Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo in Mexico City, The Smithsonian Museum of Art in D. C., and The Pompidou in Paris France.

Gronk’s residency at the Arts Center will include the creation of an original 12 foot by 8 foot piece of art, currently displayed on the first floor of the Arts Center at 645 West Main Street. Those wishing to view his work but unable to do so during the Art Hop will have the chance to stop by and see the artists work until mid-November.

Additionally the UC Merced Art Gallery will feature work from artist Luis Roberto Vasquez who has been studying Gronk.

A painter, draftsman, and artist based in downtown Los Angeles, Vasquez’s public murals can be seen throughout the Woodland Hills, Los Angeles as well as Russia.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!