Call for Artists: 2nd Annual "Art for Park" Skateboard Show

PONSHOP Studiois pleased to announce the return of “Art for Park”, a community art exhibition, whose goal is to raise funds for building a new skateboard park in the Fredericksburg region. Artists are charged with adorning a standard street skateboard provided by PONSHOP and we encourage all participating artists to join us for the opening reception on April 5.

“Art for Park” will be a celebration of skateboard art and culture with a portion of sales going to support the Fredericksburg Skate Park Project. Initiated in 2013, this organization has been dedicated to improving the existing skate spot at St. Claire Brooks Memorial Park and promoting a safe and friendly public park for the entire community. We have a soft spot for Brooks Park, but the existing wood and steel ramps are outdated, weathered, and in desperate need of a renovation. With this exhibition, we hope to raise awareness of the importance of skateboarding as both art form and recreation and promote the Fredericksburg Skate Park Project’s mission.

Deadline for Submissions: Thursday, March 28 – Sunday, March 31 

First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, April 5 (6pm-9pm)

Exhibition Dates: Friday, April 5- Sunday, April 28

Artwork Retrieval: Sunday, April 28 – Monday, April 29

Submission Requirements

All artists must use the blank skateboard decks that PONSHOP provides at registration and all work must be for sale. Submit your best work! The gallery reserves the right to reject artwork based on quality, uniqueness and creativity, craftsmanship, and execution. Entries must be original creations of the artist – no reproductions of others artwork.  Upon receipt of completed artwork, PONSHOP will equip each deck with a fishing line through the truck holes for wall hanging. The “underside” (or convex side) of the skateboard deck is typically the side to be adorned.  All submissions must be intended to hang on the gallery walls (please refer to additional illustrations).

Entry Conditions

All artwork must be for sale. Artwork cannot have a retail price exceeding $300; artwork listed above $300 will automatically be decreased to $300. PONSHOP retains 40% of all sales, with an additional 20% going to the Fredericksburg Skate Park Project. Should your skateboard sell, artists will retain 40% of the total retail price, which will be paid within 30 days of the exhibition closing (April 28). This exhibit is limited to 40 artist entries.

Artists are responsible for acquiring insurance on their own artwork. Although PONSHOP will take great care in the hanging and display of artwork, the gallery will not be held responsible for items on exhibit. Artwork delivered that is not dry, of poor assembly, or is incomplete will NOT be accepted. 

Entry Procedure

The entry fee is $40 (plus tax), which includes one blank skateboard and a $5 donation to the Fredericksburg Skate Park Project. Entries are limited to one skateboard per artist. Artists can register and pay the entry fee either in store or on our website and choose whether you’d like your blank board to be shipped to you or to leave it at PONSHOP’s storefront for free pick-up. Keep in mind that shipping to and from the gallery is the responsibility of the artist; if you ship your art to us, you must include a return shipping label or we will contact you after the exhibition to collect the cost of shipping from you. 

Delivery

Artwork must be delivered between Thursday, March 28- Sunday, March 31. Work delivered outside of these time windows will not be accepted, unless shipping is delayed or you are given permission to deliver late (or early) by gallery staff. Artwork must include a label with the title, medium, artist’s name as you’d like it to be displayed, and the retail price for the art. Retail Priceis the price the art will be listed for sale, not the 40% consignment that you will receive after the conclusion of the exhibition. 

Artwork Pick-Up

Hand-delivered unsold artwork must be picked up between Sunday, April 28 and Monday, April 29. Skateboards shipped to the gallery must include a return shipping label or you will be contacted for shipping reimbursement. Artwork picked up after Saturday, May 5will incur a storage fee of $10 per day. This willbe enforced. All Artists will be notified via email by April 29 regarding artwork sales. 

Art Party at Sunken Well Tavern: Paintings by Gabriel Pons

Kick off the Memorial Day Weekend early on Thursday, May 22 (7-9pm) to join Gabriel Pons at The Sunken Well Tavern for a drink and to enjoy new artwork on canvas and skateboards.  The art show is on display through June 26, 2014.

PONSHOP 2012 Fall Class Schedule Announced

It is "Back to School" for the PONSHOP as well.  We are excited to announce our Fall Schedule of classes.  Our schedule runs from September through December and includes twelve different art workshops ranging from painting and ceramics to photography and jewelry design.  To view our class schedule, simply visit our Classes Page and download the printable schedule and registration form.

Student Work: Skate to Create, July 2012

July ushered in another "Skate to Create" workshop as part of our Summer Art Camp series.  Students designed and painted their own skateboard deck using spray paint and stencils.  Congratulations to our students who worked hard and managed to pull off great designs during a 100-degree heatwave.  Below are progress pics from the studio as well as the finished boards.

PONSHOP is on the Move

Scarlett and I are excited to announce that we’ve acquired a storefront in Downtown Fredericksburg (712 Caroline Street), and will be moving from our studio at LibertyTown this month to have our doors open in our new space in April. The PONSHOP mission remains the same – creating and educating through our respective arts, however we’re expanding to accommodate a retail dimension which will offer up artisan made and eco-friendly items for all. This has been an aspiration of ours since living in New York and we’re happy to be taking such a big step. On behalf of Scarlett and I, we’d like to thank all of the people that we’ve worked with and supported us over the past five years and look forward to strengthening the arts community in Fredericksburg. The new PONSHOP location opens April 2010.

Skate to Create: July 2009

Usually a kid's first skateboard is some water-logged Nash handed down by an older brother - this is not the case here. Chris's first deck features his own signature character as well as my classic "Maiden Mono" lettering for his griptape art. Chris picked up the rules for stencils quickly and proceeded to make a 4-stencil composition ready to ride. Good Work - Now Go Shred!

Details (click image to enlarge)

For a current PONSHOP Class Schedule, Click Here

MONO Pagoda Decks: Summer 2009

I'm cooking up new decks for this summer's skate sessions. The MONO Pagoda decks come in 7.5", 7.75" and 8.0" widths. Each deck is individually sprayed, signed and numbered and comes with griptape. Want one? hit me back with an email and $55 plus shipping or get on down to Fred Skates (604 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia). Of course, decks will soon be at the PONSHOP (916 LibertyStreet, Fredericksburg,Virginia) too...

PONSHOP Skateboards featured in "Northern Virginia Magazine"

I'm pleased to announce that the PONSHOP is featured in Northern Virginia Magazine (January '09)

(Click Image to Enlarge)

Skate to Create: October / November 2008

Below are photos from this Fall's "Skate to Create" workshops. I was fortunate to have some really great kids who were excited about designing their own skateboard graphic. It was interesting to see that the students seemed to lean heavily towards the Halloween theme this time around...(click images to enlarge).

Alec and Jakob are hard at work cutting stencils...The finished decks ready for the street.Ty and Jon incorporated some text into their graphics.

For a current PONSHOP Class schedule, click here.

MONO Octo Decks in Effect...

I'm busy kicking out the latest deck series for this fall. The MONO "Octo" decks come in 7.5", 7.75" and 8.0" widths. Each deck is individually sprayed, signed and numbered and comes with griptape. Want one? hit me back with an email and $50 plus shipping or get on down to Fred Skates (604 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia). Of course, decks will be at the PONSHOP (916 LibertyStreet, Fredericksburg,Virginia) too...

(Click the image below to enlarge)

Skate To Create: August 2008

I had a fresh crop of students for the "Skate to Create" Workshop in August. Nick and Jason put in three sessions of hard work and the results were really great. Scroll down to see their process...(click pics to enlarge)

Drawing and cutting takes up about 3/4 of the class time - but it's where all the design happens.Jason (aka J-Dogg) does an "X-Ray self portrait" for his deck graphic.Nick took one of his sketches from home and transposed it into this camouflage-like design.
Congratulations guys on a job well done...
For a current PONSHOP Class schedule, click here.

July Art Workshops: Adult Drawing /Skate to Create

July was by far the fastest moving month to date. One minute, we're celebrating the fourth of July, and in the blink of an eye, we're re-hanging our studio in preparation for the August First Friday. I did have the pleasure of working with two of the most intelligent and hard-working students last month in my "Adult Drawing" and "Skate to Create" workshops. Below are some samples of their work:

Full scale self-portrait (Leah on the left, Gabe on the right)

Leah will be a senior in high school this year and to keep her drawing skills sharp for the upcoming year, she took the "Adult Drawing" workshop. We did a number of exercises including a full-scale self portrait (above) as well as classic sketch studies such as hand sketches and still life drawing. The major focus of this workshop is to encourage students to maintain a 'habit' of working in their sketchbooks. Creativity, like athletics, can only be sustained if it is exercised often and the sketchbook is the vehicle which allows one to continue to explore and hone their techniques.

Full scale self-portrait (detail)

Sketchbook exercise: hand poses

Studio Still Life: matryoshka dolls (above, below)

The "Skate to Create" workshop is the most popular among teens this year. I've seen a lot of great designs and met some great kids so far. July's workshop was no exception. Michael gave 110% the entire time and he managed to finish his work with some spare time for us to skate in front of the shop. Below is a sequence from his classes. He chose to use his nickname "Travis" for his deck graphic.

Stencil Sequence: (top to bottom: drawing, cutting, layers 1-3)

Applying the final layer of colors - gradient from red to brown.
One happy camper - the completed deck, ready to rip!
For a current schedule of classes offered at the PONSHOP, click here. I'll be offering another series of art workshops for children, teens, and adults through August and September.

Summer Workshops: Skate to Create (June 2008)

June ushered in a new batch of students eager to get their summer skateboards painted and ready to ride. Our Skate to Create Workshop challenged kids to generate their own custom skateboard design and execute it using spray paint and stencils. Within the span of three 2-hour classes, they sketched, cut, and painted their own creations on a deck. Good job guys! Below are some snapshots from the final class...(click to enlarge).

Andrew was inspired by the mid-1990s Alien Workshop skateboard graphics...Noah created his own superhero character for his deck.Warner's deck took the "smiley face" and "mr. yuck" symbol to the next level. Paul and Ross took a "Skate to Create" workshop in the beginning of the month. Their hard work and serious attitude (see above) turned out some great designs. Good work!

Thanks to all students and parents for their participation in the PONSHOP workshops. To learn more about the classes we offer, click here. For a full class schedule from LibertyTown Arts Workshop, click here.

"Skate To Create": March 2008

Spring Break ushered in a new group of students in March eager to draw, cut, and spray paint. Below are some photos of my "Skate to Create" students from last month. They've all worked well together, stretched their creative muscles and, most importantly, had fun. Enjoy...

David merged his two favorite past times: Music and Skating...Josie's design took the classic Skull and Crossbones to whole new level.

Drew used red and black patterns for his "Star" logo deck.

Simon's deck graphic was part inspired by heavy metal music and old school Powell graphics.

Our studio offers classes for children and adults every month. For a current PONSHOP class schedule, click here.

Skate To Create: Winter 2008

The New Year was ushered in with three new "Skate To Create" workshop students.
Below are some pics of the student work:

Conor drew his inspiration from the "concrete jungle"- juxtaposing city skyline with a jungle landscape.

Tyler brought his own character "Mohawk Man" to life for his deck graphic.

Don't let her smile fool you - Winnie was all about skulls and flames for her design.

As always, these PONSHOP students worked rigorously throughout the 3 two hour session classes and I can only hope that they are as proud of their work as I am. For more information about PONSHOP classes, click here.

New PONSHOP Tees have arrived!

Ever since I did the MONO Lion Skateboard Deck series this summer, people have been asking me if there was ever going to be a t-shirt too. Well the time has finally come. All pre-orders for shirts are now available and shirts are up in our shop and at the best skate shop south of the Mason Dixon Line - Fred Skates. (604 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg).
Of course, all shirts are professionally silk screened on American Apparel Tees and come in a variety of sizes for men and women.
Shirts are $16 plus tax at the PONSHOP and prices vary elsewhere. To order online, hit me with an email at gpons@ponshopstudio.com. Web orders are $20 per shirt (shipping included). PayPal payments are gladly accepted.

Summer 2007: New MONO Lion Decks

Summer is officially here and what better way to usher it in than with a new line of shop decks ready to skate. The MONO Lions are actually a second generation of a painting titled "King of Concrete Jungle" (below).
A lot of people ask me where the ideas come from for the skateboard deck graphics. Long story short is that the graphics are a result of hours and hours of generative studies including drawing and painting. The deck graphics are an extension of my painting explorations, with subject matter inspired from mythology, architectural monuments, and classic figure drawing.

MONO Lion Decks come in 3 different widths (7.5",7.75", and 8.0") and are $45 with griptape. Decks are available at the PONSHOP Studio (916 Liberty Street, Fredericksburg, VA) and Fred Skates (604 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA). Decks may also be purchased via mail-order, simply email me at shop@ponshopstudio.com.

"New History" Art Show Announced

Scarlett and I are working harder than ever for our upcoming show in Portland, Oregon this June.
Our show titled "New History" will feature new ceramics by Scarlett and a whole new series of canvases, skateboard decks, and prints by me. The show opens Thursday, June 7th at TheLife Gallery in the Everett Station Lofts: 625 NW Everett Street #107.

Below are some progress pics from our studio over the last couple of days: