Impact
The embodiment of California’s Central Valley is captured in Merced’s newest fine dining restaurant Rainbird located within the historic El Capitan Hotel. With a well curated and thought-provoking tasting menu, Executive Chef Quentin Garcia celebrates the very best of the season. The name, Rainbird, pays homage to our rich agricultural region and refers to a bird known to sing before rain signaling a forthcoming bountiful harvest.
The current farms and vendors featured at Rainbird are:
Humble Rice Farmer, Winton CA
Burroughs Family Farms, Denair CA
Vista Ranch, Merced CA
Sweet Arnold Farms, Winton CA
Old Lake Mill, George Pena, Merced CA
Margaret Haden
Ontogenesis
Ceramics
Dimensions: 50” x 96” (on wall)
Bio: Margaret grew up in California's Central Valley, but more recently lived in New York where she received her MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Margaret is now living a relatively nomadic, bicoastal lifestyle. Margaret makes things out of clay, working with her hands to build vessel-oriented objects as well as utilitarian pottery. Her process of cutting and removing clay while simultaneously adding and pushing dictates a degree of imperfection in the form, creating a unique organism each and every time.
Contact: mbhaden@gmail.com
Art Info: The piece represents an aerial view of an almond orchard. There are 4 rows of 8 forms. The forms are all in a grid similar to the way tree orchards are laid out. The 8 forms in each row are representing the germination of a growing almond tree (from flower to seed). The colors are similar but not hyperrealistic to the different stages of almond tree growth. Whites, pinks, greens, browns, and gold are scattered throughout.
Daniel Van Gerpen
Peregrinate
Mixed media on canvas
Dimensions: 48“ x 72” each
Bio: Daniel grew up in the Midwest and began creating art at an early age fostered by a painterly mother and a pastoral father. With continued education and exploration, Daniel has worked to develop a style that reflects the contemplative nature of the natural landscape. On his work, Daniel notes that “the inherent rhythm of the rows of agriculture is juxtaposed by the flowing curves of the river. The ebb and flow of nature create landscapes smoothed, carved, and hewn into shape by the seemingly invisible forces of time.”
Contact: daniel@dvgcreative.com 831 -320 -0944
Dal Henderson
Break Down
Archival rag print with polyurethane on wood Dimensions: 30“ x 72”
Bio: Dal’s work is the result of constant decision-making. He deals with materials as honestly as possible, seeking to develop cohesive surfaces. Dal’s primary goal is to make art that is both closed and open. The art is closed when the surface seems complete. It remains open because it doesn’t necessarily deal with representational imagery. It is its own image, its own idea, and there are questions that haven’t been answered. “The end result of my art making is that I have a fragment of reality. It is a piece of something I can hold onto,” he notes.
Contact: dal@dalhenderson.com; dal5@pacbell.net
Photography Credits
Gary Fx LaMorte
Christopher Stromberg