Wednesday, June 21, 2017 (4:45 pm)

Kiel Johnson is on a mission: build the world’s largest garden out of construction paper during the 2017 OC Fair.

But he doesn’t want to do it alone. Johnson needs the help of Fairgoers.

“I want this to be a collaborative project where people come in and add pieces to it to make a beautiful thing,” Johnson said.

As a featured artist at this year’s OC Fair, Johnson’s exhibit, Garden Variety: A Collaborative Paper Garden, will be on display in the Visual Arts Gallery throughout the run of the Fair, July 14 – Aug. 13.

A full-time artist based out of Los Angeles, Johnson started his artistic journey about a decade ago and uses everything from metal and plastic to cardboard.

From Dubai to Orange Coast College, Johnson has spread his artistic vision around the world. He’s created everything from a life-like cardboard airplane to a laser made out of plywood, pine, plastic tubing and a bicycle wheel.

“I just want to have a creative life,” Johnson said. “I really love being a Johnny Appleseed and working with the community.”

His garden project had a trial run during Imaginology at OC Fair & Event Center in April, where some pieces were created, but Johnson is aiming even bigger for the Fair’s exhibit.

Johnson will lay a foundation by creating the base of the garden, a couple of wooden trees, and a veggie cart. He wants the garden to look like it’s on a rooftop in Brooklyn, but Avatar-style. He will include a couple of his own pieces, like a plane and a yacht that he made for two separate projects, to add to the beautiful chaos.

Once the basics are in place, it will be up to OC Fairgoers to create flowers, cars, and anything else their heart desires using only construction paper, scissors and glue.

“I know some people will want to take their creations home, and I will set aside a few days toward the end of the Fair to pick up their stuff,” Johnson said. “But I want to encourage people to leave their stuff behind so that everyone can see what a beautiful piece of art everyone helped make.”

Using your imagination for the creations is also encouraged.

“There are templates there if you really need them, but I want to emphasize that there are no rules,” Johnson said.

The garden will be open all 23 days of the Fair. Fairgoers can come in and create pieces even when Johnson is not present.

Johnson began creating pieces for the garden project on June 12. Follow his progress on Instagram @kieljohnson.

The 2017 OC Fair is July 14 through Aug. 13 and will offer 23 days and nights of entertainment, food, rides, shopping, exhibits and more. The Fair is open Wednesdays through Fridays from noon to midnight, and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to midnight. 
2017 OC Fair promo photos: bit.ly/2OCFair17photos

Press credential requests: bit.ly/ocfairpress

Friday, June 16, 2017 (4:44 pm)

The 2017 OC Fair won’t just be a fried food frenzy. Award-winning pastry chef and master chocolatier Stephané Tréand will showcase his talents in the OC Promenade during the Fair’s run from July 14 through Aug. 13.

Tréand, a Tustin resident, is the owner of The Pastry School and St. Pâtisserie Chocolat in Costa Mesa. His next adventure will be a booth at the 2017 OC Fair.

From chocolate to croissants, macarons to meringues, Tréand will have a large variety of French treats at his booth. The big item will be a macaron gelato sandwich, which is a first for the OC Fair. He will also have a chocolate orange tarte to represent Orange County and the OC Fair.

Tréand’s demonstrations will feature tartlets, chocolate bonbons, truffles, caramels, macarons, cookies, marshmallows, profiteroles and more.

On Sunday, July 30, he’ll be on the Main Stage creating a highly technical sugar art sculpture right before your eyes! Keeping with the OC Fair’s Farm Fresh Fun theme, Tréand will use the power of a fire torch to glue large pieces of the sugar together to create one magnificent piece of art.

“My piece has to be unique for the Fair,” Tréand said. “I don’t recycle ideas.”

Tréand will also hold cookie decorating classes for kids and teens on July 27 and August 6. Although the cookies will be baked a head of time, it will be up to the kids to create their designs using the variety of colors of royal icing, edible pearls and more.

“They won’t have to follow a recipe or anything, they will have total freedom to be creative,” Tréand said. “The creative freedom allows kids to create something they can feel proud of, so I think it will be really great for them.”

Originally from Paris, Tréand got his start as an apprentice at a local pastry shop in Northern France, all while taking pastry courses one week per month in Vincennes, Paris. Tréand opened his first patisserie tearoom, Pâtisserie Tréand, in Brignoles in Provence in 1989. A few years later, he decided to share his passion of pastries with others and became a teacher at the CFA of St. Maximin.

Tréand’s knack for sweets isn’t the only special thing about him. In 2004, he won the coveted Meilleur Ouvrier de France (M.O.F.), which is the most prestigious award given by the President of France to a professional in a certain trade.

Tréand led a stage demo at the 2016 OC Fair and was a huge success. This year he’ll have his own booth in OC Promenade.

“People are very curious about the art of patisseries here,” Tréand said. “I’m looking forward to educating people and making people aware of working from scratch, artistry and French pastries.”