Visual artist Madeline Claire (@maddieful ) took @art to the hidden gardens at Coachella, where Jim Denevan (@jimdenevan ) hosts a dinner unlike anything else on the grounds. Outstanding in the Field (@out_inthefield ) is a traveling open-air dining experience Denevan founded in 1999 — bringing restaurant-style meals directly to farms, vineyards, beaches, and beyond, across all 50 U.S. states and 24 countries. The idea is simple: go to the source, honor the people who feed us, and gather around one long communal table to share a meal. No walls. Just food, place, and human connection.
ART in NATURE
Pic of the week
Jim Denevan
@jimdenevan
“Self Similar”
Originating as a circle drawn in the sands of Abu Dhabi, artist Jim Denevan used a simple stick before Self Similar” evolved into one of the largest land art installations ever created. Sculpted as a central part of a city-wide light art exhibition, Manar Abu Dhabi, it spans nearly one square kilometer and reaches a towering height of twenty-seven meters.
Visitors are invited to engage with the installation. E.g. they are invited to climb two observation mounds to enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding natural landscape.
@beopenfuture
#landart #abudahbi #sandart #pyramids #artinstallation
A few thoughts from our founder, Jim Denevan, as we mark our 25th season of events…
Our task at Outstanding in the Field is to appreciate the people whose hard work brings good food to the table. Outstanding in the Field began as an appreciation of my oldest brother, organic farmer Bill Denevan (pictured left). He’s been an inspiration to me since my teen years, when he roped me into helping out at his fledgling farm in Santa Cruz. Farmers are always growing, always learning, and Bill is no exception. A recent visit to his orchard in Happy Valley revealed new things to see and taste: avocados, wine grapes, and new varieties of apples, pears, and apricots.
As we embark upon our 25th season of feeding people in the fields (and in vineyards, at ranches, on sandy beaches, and seaside piers), we appreciate the power of food to bring us together. When we gather for a meal, our common humanity becomes stronger. What divides us is softened when we swap the virtual world for in-person, in-the-moment connections at a communal table. Listening and having conversations comes naturally as we fill our plates and serve each other. As the saying goes, it’s not all a bowl of cherries, but at the table some sweet things might be passed your way.🍎
Read more at the link in our bio.
We return to Bill Denevan’s Happy Valley Farm in Santa Cruz, CA on Sat, June 6 with Jim Denevan and friends in the field kitchen, including chef Brad Briske of @homesoquel .
Photos by @emmyhagen & @katiekatzphotography
At Robert Lower’s Flying Disc Ranch, a tropical desert oasis in Palm Springs, California, a long table was set, lined by towering date palms Robert planted himself over 40 years ago. Robert cultivates the land with a permaculture approach that values biodiversity as the organizing principle. His Barhi, Medjool, Dayri, Zahidi, and Deglet Noor trees were heavy with fruit when we arrived.
Where nature leads, flavor follows.
Enjoy this illustrated story created by @jegayo_ , pulled from the archives for an earlier iteration of this event in 2023. #outinthefield #outstandinginthefield #jimdenevan
The Life and Art of Jim Denevan profiles Outstanding in the Field founder Jim Denevan, his trials of growing up in a turbulent family dynamic, and the artwork that came of it — both in his geometric land drawings and table-to-farm dinners in this graceful study of the balance between solitude and community, artist and chef Jim Denevan roams across the US, transforming landscapes into breathtaking, sustainable dining experiences framed by ephemeral installation art. World Premiere @SSIFF@sxsw@foodtank@hotdocs_ Man in the Field was included in the 2022 Oscars long list of nominations for Best Documentary
Directed by Patrick Trefz.
Editor / co-producer @jesse_carfield Link in bio
A Note From Our Founder:
Winter Tour has arrived—a season that invites us outside to gather at the table in some of the most agreeable weather of the year. For those who live in these places, it’s a welcome shift from hot and sticky to just about right. For those traveling from farther north, it’s a chance to thaw out.
For more than a decade, our Winter Tour has followed the harvest, chasing the best weather and the most generous moments of the season. We’ve even crossed hemispheres to find summer during the Northern Hemisphere winter.
This time of year offers a slower rhythm for many of our northern farmers, and we’re often lucky enough to have them join us not as hosts, but as guests—recharging, celebrating, and savoring someone else’s hard work at the table.
This winter also marks the return of our beloved 1953 FLXible bus for a number of events. The last time it joined Winter Tour was 2016, when its journey from Florida to the West Coast included a surprise snowstorm in New Mexico. We’ll see what stories it gathers this time around!
We’re glad you’re here to begin the season with us.
- @jimdenevan
Drawing freehand circles w a found stick on a wild beach north of Santa Cruz. Temperatures have been around 70 degrees w beautiful sand conditions. Come down to the beach at low tide this coming week and say hello.
A piece of art displayed by talented @jimdenevan of Fahid Island in Abu Dhabi as part of Manar Exhibition showcasing the power of light through these stellar artworks.
