PONSHOP Studio and Gallery premiered its first juried art exhibition on Friday night, September 3, 2010. The “Square City” show invited artists to submit work inspired by the city within the restrictions of a two-dimensional 12”x12” to 24”x24” square. By limiting the artists to these dimensions, owners Scarlett Suhy-Pons and Gabriel Pons were able to arrange the artwork to imitate the pattern of city blocks in the gallery, so that not only the artwork, but also its presentation reflected the theme.
The juror, Bob Worthy, selected 32 pieces by 28 different artists that he felt captured and showed new ways of looking at “the city.” The pieces selected ranged over a variety of media to reflect the diversity and richness of an urban environment. During the opening, an informal gallery talk was given where the PONSHOP owners thanked the artists and patrons and introduced Bob Worthy. Worthy congratulated the artists for their work, praised their creativity, and spoke on what “Square City” meant to him. He admitted how hard it was to choose three pieces for the Merit Awards and three pieces for Honorable Mentions because of the impressive level of work that was submitted.
There were three Merit Award Winners. Each received an $80 cash prize. Below are the Merit Award Winners:
"Alley" by Crystal Rodrigue, image collage on copper leaf, 20" x 20"
“City Lights” by Reuben Strangelove, fiberboard and LED illumination, 12" x 12"
Three artists received Honorable Mentions and were each awarded $25 PONSHOP gift certificates. Below are the Honorable Mention Winners:
“Where I Came From” by Ana Rendich, oil, 15" x 15"
“Stairway to Heaven” by Michelle Pierson, photography, 15" x 15"
“Shellshock, Livestock, This is No Oasis” by Nicholas A. Candela, mixed media, 13" x 13"
"City" by Patte Ormsby, mixed media, 24" x 24"
"Downtown City Square" by Becky Hubbard, textile, 16" x 16"
"Night Light" by Bill Firestone, acrylic on canvas, 22" x 22"
"What Lies Beneath" by Leslie Brier, mixed media,12" x 12" In addition to these works, other featured artists include: John Earl, Bonnie Butler, Mary Mogee, Mirinda Reynolds, N.D. Jones, David Chance, Itty Bitty Press, Karen Julihn, Shannon Chance, J. Fred Perrine, Jennie Thomas, Linda Keefer, Milvi Gill, Joyce Leatherwood, Erin Kidd, Cathy Herndon, Pat Knock, and Jeff Gulick.
The opening night was a great success with a large turnout of both artists and fans. DJ Bredren rocked out on his turn tables, setting the mood for the exhibit with funky reggae music. In addition, Karma Fire performed fire eating and fire dancing in front of the shop throughout the night. She attracted huge interest with her flaming torches, something never before seen on the streets of Fredericksburg.
We would like to thank the following for their hard work in making Square City such a success: guest juror Bob Worthy, PONSHOP summer intern Kelly Penick (graphics and promotion), DJ Bredren, all of the artists that submitted work, as well as all participating artists. For more information about upcoming PONSHOP events, please email event@ponshopstudio.com. "Square City" runs until September 26.
