Friday, March 1 2013: PONSHOP hosted the opening reception of Stitched, Altered, and Plush. The evening was a great success, featuring quirky creations by local artists Ashleigh Burbidge and Leslie Brier. Check out our photos from the evening below. Stitched, Altered, and Plush runs through March 31.
In the fall of 2012, Gabriel Pons was commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund to design a t-shirt for the WWF's "Hands Off My Parts" campaign. He collaborated with WWF to generate an original t-shirt graphic that would raise awareness regarding wildlife crime throughout the world and motivate change by mobilizing the public to take action through handsoffmyparts.org.
From the WWF Website:
"Every day, wild elephants, rhinos and tigers are killed for their skins, bones, tusks, horns and other body parts. Wildlife crime is now the most urgent threat to these species—and decades of conservation gains and whole wildlife populations will be lost if we don’t take action today.
Tens of thousands of elephants are killed every year for their ivory tusks.
At least one rhino is killed every day due to the mistaken belief that rhino horn can cure cancer and hangovers.
As few as 3,200 wild tigers remain. Poaching is the greatest immediate threat to their survival.
The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth $7-10 billion annually. Illicit wildlife trafficking is the fifth largest illegal trade after drugs, counterfeiting, human trafficking and oil.
Join 'Hands Off My Parts' to stop wildlife crime along with supporters like Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily VanCamp, Josh Bowman, Stacy Keibler, Alyssa Milano, Ian Somerhalder and Ethan Suplee. Together we can fight for strong laws so that poaching stops and rhinos, elephants and tigers can keep their parts."
Below are images of the 'Hands Off My Parts' t-shirt package. Gabriel created a full-size painting and additional hand-drawn lettering and line work for the final composite screen-printed graphic. The WWF team did a great job designing the informational brochure and hangtags. PONSHOP is honored and proud to be a part of this timely and pertinent initiative. Take Action Now to join the "Hands Off My Parts" campaign and stop wildlife crime.
Coincidentally, during the time Gabe was working on the project, National Geographic Magazine published an investigative report, "Blood Ivory" in October of 2012. As a result of the 'Hands Off My Parts' initiative, in early March, Thailand prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra pledged to end the ivory trade in Thailand during the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Ponshop Studio and Gallery is excited to announce Stitched, Altered, and Plush an art exhibition featuring handcrafted objects by Ashleigh Burbidge, Leslie Brier, and Jodie Rackley. These three women work to break the mold of a traditional art gallery setting – they employ media such as colorful felts and fabrics, clay, and found objects to craft whimsical, three-dimensional art that can only be fully appreciated when held in one’s hands. This month’s artists offer a tactile experience, inviting viewers to interact with their quirky creations from plush toys and hand stitched phone cases to steampunk-styled sculptures. Please join us for the opening reception on Friday, March 1, 6-10pm. Stitched, Altered, and Plush runs through March 31, 2013.
Ashleigh Burbidge is the founder of the “The Burbs,” a self-run business which includes a wide variety of handcrafted items including plush toys, one of a kind dolls, clay sculptures, fiber art, capes, baby blankets, and aprons. “The Burbs” serves as a creative outlet to share her creations with children all around the globe. Ashleigh can be found regionally at several boutiques in Virginia, Rhode Island, and Ohio.
Leslie Brier is a mixed media artist, jewelry designer, and graphic designer. Leslie works with found objects and items that are no longer considered beautiful, and strives to give them a new identity. She has had several articles published in Cloth, Paper, Scissors, Somerset Studio, and Amy Powers’ Inspired Ideas. She teaches locally at the Ponshop and nationally at Art and Soul Retreats.
Jodie Rackley is a self-taught crafter and designer from Fredericksburg, VA. She is inspired by modern design both old and new, everything vintage, art and history, music, love, and everything handmade. Her work, which consists of felt, fabrics, and hand embroidery, has been featured in Mollie Makes, Craftsy.com, ApartmentTherepy.com, and Martha Stewart.com, among several other magazines. Jodie’s first craft book, Happy Stitch: 30 Felt and Fabric Projects for Everyday, was released in July 2012. She is currently working on a run of patterns for Simplicity to be released soon.
Additionally featured fine artists in the gallery for the month of March will be Julie Maida, Nicholas Candela, Crystal Rodrigue, Jeremy Gann and Gabriel Pons (painting), Stephen Graham and Adam Desio (photography), Scarlett Pons and Daniel Christie (ceramics).
Friday, February 8th marked the release of the "Portal to History" children's walking map. The Fredericksburg visitor's center collaborated with PONSHOP studio to facilitate a 6-week long workshop that engaged 8 local scholarship students in documenting some key historic sites in the city's downtown and creating a brochure with their findings. The premiere brought together all the students and their family as well as participating teachers/organizers to celebrate the completion of the project. The visitor center's auditorium walls displayed the student's sketchbook pages. There was also a slideshow of photos taken throughout the workshop. Julie Perry of the Fredericksburg Visitor Center and Kerry Devine of the City Council gave their congratulations to the students.
PONSHOP would like to thank the following for their contribution to the "Portal to History" project:
Julie Perry (Fredericksburg Visitor Center), The University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, The Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, The George Washington Foundation, Washington Heritage Museums. All participating students and their parents.
The walking map is available at the Fredericksburg Visitor Center as well as PONSHOP. You can also download it as a PDF. Click Here for more about the "Portal to History" Project.
Here are some pics from the opening night of the "On Deck" show at Foundation Gallery and Live Room in Kensington, Maryland on January 11. Gabe contributed two decks to the show which included over fifty entries. Thanks to Matt Corrado of Foundation for putting this event together!
PONSHOP Studio and the Fredericksburg Visitor Center are pleased to announce the release of their collaborative children’s walking map titled, “A Portal to History.” This walking map is the product of an eight-week series of art workshops and historic tours held by PONSHOP Studio including the work of eight scholarship students. The evening will include an exhibit of the student work, a photo slideshow, and a brief presentation from the students and workshop organizers.
The students visited seven Fredericksburg historic landmarks including: Hugh Mercer Apothecary, Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, The Fredericksburg Museum and Cultural Center, Mary Washington House, Kenmore Plantation, and the Rising Sun Tavern. Students were responsible for collecting materials (historic information, photographic documentation, and architectural illustrations) pertinent to each site. In the following sessions, PONSHOP instructors Scarlett and Gabriel Pons assisted them in creating a walking map incorporating their findings and illustrations from their visits.
The map provides young tourists with an interactive means of exploring the city’s historic sites and also becomes a self-made souvenir, including a stamp collecting activity for six of the historic landmarks. The map also provides a link with additional information about and pictures from the students’ workshop process.
As a means to give closure to the workshop and share the walking map with the public, students will present the “Portal to History” project at a formal reception on Friday, February 8 from 6-7pm. All are welcome to attend.
On behalf of PONSHOP Studio, we would like to thank the following for their assistance in this project: The City of Fredericksburg, The University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, The Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, The George Washington Foundation, and Washington Heritage Museums. We would also like to thank the participating students: Maggie Carmody, Caroline Connors, Jordan DeBoise, Madelyn Descutner, Matt Dinehart, Zoë Kovacs, David Pearcy, and Marielle White.
Rebecca Thomas, owner of kybecca Wine Bar, and Scarlett Pons of PONSHOP Studio are hosting a release party celebrating their recent collaboration of custom ceramics at kybecca Wine Bar on Wednesday night, January 30th from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. The evening will include a special menu presented on the new dinnerware, an opportunity to meet the restaurant owner and ceramic artist, and a chance to custom order and purchase similar dinner and serving sets.
To highlight the hand-made nature of kybecca’s food offerings, Kybecca’s chef Wade Troung is creating a special menu to compliment Scarlett’s hand-made ceramics. The menu includes:
Braised rabbit springrolls, red cabbage, daikon, cilantro and nuoc mam.
Japanese Scotch Eggs, tamari seasoned beef and pork, free range organic egg, ancho chili hollandaise
Vegetable pot stickers, ginger ponzu and pickled daikon
Background
Rebecca was seeking a ceramic artist to create new dinnerware for her restaurant. She was looking for original ceramic pieces that would highlight kybecca’s food that is handmade from fresh, local ingredients and compliment the contemporary interior of the restaurant designed with exposed brick, stainless steel and reclaimed wood details.
Ceramic artist Scarlett Pons met with Rebecca and designed three new dinnerware pieces for the restaurant. Each piece is contemporary in design and glazed with rich, natural colors that would emphasize the colors and texture of the food. The first plate is a large square 12” x 12” platter designed to serve an entrée for two or more. This piece is glazed in an Eggshell glaze of rich ambers and soft beiges and lightly speckled with a dark brown pattern reminiscent of a desert scene. The second plate is 9” x 9” square plate for single or shared fares finished in a glossy, dark Orb Green glaze. There is variegated pattern of black spots balanced with a darker green line across the top of each plate. The third piece is an asymmetric 9” shallow bowl sitting slight raised from the table. These bowls are glazed in a Sesame Black matte glaze giving the piece a volcanic rock appearance with tones of silver and blue.
Both business owners are pleased to share their collaboration with the public and excited to celebrate their passion for hand-crafted, contemporary food and design - where the qualities of the material, whether ceramic and or culinary, are experienced in their most genuine light, highlighting their richest properties. Join us for an evening of artisan food, wine and art.
kybecca wine bar 400 William Street, Fredericksburg Virginia
Gabe is exhibiting a cross section of his mixed media artwork at the Hill Center Galleries in Washington, DC from January 11 through February 24, 2013. The opening reception for his show, titled "Then, Here, and Now" is Thursday, January 24 from 6-8pm. For more information, visit the Hill Center website.
Below is Gabe's artist statement for the exhibit:
Although a formal education in Architecture was the starting point of my pursuits in painting and collage,my interests are rooted in creating artwork that speaks to both the past and present tense of our global culture. Inspiration is pulled from a cross-generational appreciation for the arts – from classical literature and world architecture to youth culture, primarily skateboarding and hip-hop. These pieces reflect my intention of informing and engaging an audience on cultural and historical issues that affect our world today.