Jewelry Show Announced

PONSHOP Studio and Gallery are pleased to announce that they will be showcasing six local jewelry artists for the month of November.  Please join us on Friday, November 4 from 6-10pm for the opening reception with the artists.

The jewelry show highlights the collections of jewelry artists who conceptualize and create their own unique work. Often described as wearable art, artisan made jewelry carries an intimate connection between the wearer and artist where the wearer becomes a moving canvas for the piece.  Each artist is aware of this relationship, and they strive to create innovative designs to fashionably adorn the body.

In keeping with the gallery format, each piece is handmade, forming an elegant and tangible work of art. These tiny works are formed using a unique pallet of materials from upcycled items, beads, leather, sterling silver, or precious metal clay. The individual artist is able to achieve their own artistic vision through their medium of choice.

The jewelry exhibit features the works of Leslie Brier, Terresa Buelow, Zakk Davis, Lisa Latendress, Jasmine Lee, and Sylvia White.  The exhibit features a wide price range of jewelry starting at twenty dollars.

The opening reception will include a brief gallery talk by owner Scarlett Pons where she will introduce the artists.  The gallery will be giving away door prizes and gifts to guests throughout the evening courtesy of the participating artists.  In addition, Metalsmith jeweler, Jasmine Lee, will be demonstrating her technique throughout the evening.

The gallery walls will include a group exhibition of featured PONSHOP artists including Joshua Barber, Nicholas Candela, Adam Desio, Jeremy Gann, Bill Harris, Ginger Huebner, Rob Landeck, Nathan Webster, Scarlett and Gabriel Pons.

"Force of Habit" Opening Reception: Friday, October 7 2011

Friday, October 7 2011 was the opening reception for the "Force of Habit" show at PONSHOP.  "Force of Habit" features the work of J. Coleman, Rob Landeck, Scarlett and Gabriel Pons.  Thanks to all that came out for an evening of art and music.  Special thanks to DJ Skruff who took to the turntables for the opening.  Below are more pics from the evening as well as some shots of the gallery before the party started.  "Force of Habit" runs through October 30.

2011 Fredericksburg Via Colori Event

September 25, 2011 marked the close of the second annual Via Colori Street Painting Festival. This event included over 50 volunteer artists creating large scale chalk paintings on the streets of Downtown Fredericksburg. The Via Colori Festival showcased master street painter Melanie Stimmell and 2011 signature artist Mirinda Reynolds. With the support of local sponsors, volunteers painted 4'x4', 6'x6', or 10'x10' squares. Congratulations to all participating artists, sponsors, and organizers of the event. View some of the work from the final day below.

"Force of Habit" Exhibit Announced

PONSHOP Studio and Gallery will be hosting “Force of Habit” in October featuring new work from J.Coleman, Rob Landeck, and PONSHOP owners Scarlett and Gabriel Pons.

“Force of Habit” presents four artists whose camaraderie grew from the appreciation of each other’s work over the years.  The exhibit highlights each individual artist’s style while recognizing that the creative act is a collective ritual that continues to bond them together as friends and colleagues.

J.Coleman is a Stafford-based painter whose work has been shown throughout the United States and Europe. Coleman’s work renders the human figure monumental on the canvas, painted with a rich color palette and deliberate formalism.

Rob Landeck pulls his inspiration from music and the natural environment. His mixed-media work portrays the inherent harmonies between musicians and their instruments.

Scarlett Pons’s new work explores clay stencils on slab forms. This process allows her to experiment with pattern and imagery influenced by her love of Moroccan architecture. She executes these designs on serving and dinner plates using bold and geometric forms. She has also created a series of ceramic slab bottles adorned with natural patterns and designs.

Gabriel Pons will be exhibiting his latest mixed media paintings, skateboards and custom-painted vinyl records which incorporate layering found text and imagery with hand cut stencil designs.

Please join us for the opening reception Friday, October 7, from 6-10pm.  "Force of Habit" runs through October 30.

"Miss You, Love You NYC" Installation

The Fredericksburg Area Museum opened Fredericksburg Remembers 9/11 on September 11, 2011.  The exhibit presents the stories of personal accounts from those affected that day.   As a companion to this exhibit in the Fredericksburg Historic Town Hall,  Fredericksburg Area Museum's community artist series presents seven local artists commemorating the memory of that day.  Below are photos of the installation that Scarlett and I collaborated on for the show, titled "Miss You, Love You NYC".

Artist Statement:

This installation is a reflection on the events of September 11, 2001.  At that time, Scarlett and I were living in Park Slope, Brooklyn and working in architectural firms in Manhattan.  Early on the morning of September 11, while on our way to work, we experienced first hand the attack on the World Trade Center.

The panels flanking each side of the installation are a literal map of our trajectories that day: leaving for work on two separate trains and subsequently finding one another in the city.  After the towers fell, we met at a friend’s apartment before walking back to Brooklyn.  The diptych panels are an analogy for the spatial relationship between the island of Manhattan and the neighboring borough of Brooklyn.  The vulnerability of the city and its residents became evident immediately when all mass transit shut down.  

The composition resonates with the textures of the city walls layered with posters, graffiti, and other miscellaneous writings.  Embedded in the map are names of friends that lived in the immediate vicinity of the five boroughs along with music lyrics from the album I was listening to as I stood in the subway car, stalled on the Manhattan Bridge, gazing at the smoke coming from the North Tower.  I have embedded copies of emails sent from friends and handwritten notes that Scarlett kept with her during the weeks following the attack.

Scarlett’s ceramic plates are a response to the immediate way the landscape of the city changed in the days following September 11: the appearance of the makeshift poster walls that grew along the New York hospital facades.  There, the names and the faces of those that were missing hung with a heavy presence.  After several weeks, when the rescue efforts had transitioned into recovery, the posters remained, untouched, weathered and stained on the city’s walls.  These were the first memorials to materialize after September 11.

The scope of the terrorist attacks is symbolized as three columns of ceramic tiles marking the three sites of incident: The World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon in Washington, DC, and Flight 93 which was downed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Scarlett and I feel an obligation to express our experiences that day.  In the past ten years, we have not dedicated enough time for reflection and healing from that day’s events.  Although we were unwilling bystanders to the events in New York City, we owe it to our community to share our story with the hopes that viewers can have a better understanding of how this tragedy has shaped our people, our nation, and our world since September 11, 2001.

"Miss You, Love You NYC" Progress Pics

Below are some progress pictures from the installation Scarlett and I collaborated on for the "Fredericksburg Remembers 9/11" Exhibit at the Fredericksburg Area Museum. Check more recent Blog Posts for the finished installation pics. [portfolio_slideshow]

"City Colors" Opening Reception: Friday September 2, 2011

Below are some pics from the opening reception for the "City Colors" invitational art exhibit which features eighteen local artists who will be participating in the upcoming Via Colori street painting event in Fredericksburg on September 24 and 25, 2011.  Congratulations to all participating "City Colors" artists.  The exhibit runs until October 2.

Call for Artists: "City Colors" Invitational Art Exhibit

PONSHOP Studio and Gallery is pleased to host “City Colors” an invitational art exhibition featuring artists participating in the 2011 Via Colori Fredericksburg Event in September of 2011.  This exhibit is open to those who have registered as volunteer artists with the 2011 Via Colori Fredericksburg Organization.

Eligibility

This exhibit is open to all artists (professional and emerging) in the Virginia Region who have registered as volunteer artists with the 2011 Via Colori Fredericksburg by August 15, 2011.  “Two dimensional” artwork is inclusive of mediums including but not limited to: painting, drawing, mixed media, photography, digital graphics, textiles, screen print and lithography.  All artwork must be hand delivered to the gallery.  Please note that due to the space restrictions in our gallery, we may edit work to accommodate, however, each participating artist in the exhibit is guaranteed at least one entry in the exhibition.

Submission Requirements

All submitted works are to correspond and conform to the following dimensional restrictions: Frame dimensions ranging in size no smaller than 8” and no larger than 24” in width, no smaller than 10” and no larger than 30” in length (intermediate dimensions are acceptable).  All work must be for sale. All entries must be original creations of the artist – no reproductions of others artwork.  Please review the City Colors 2011Prospectus and Submission Requirements

Entry Specifications

The theme of “City Colors” is to celebrate the diverse styles and talents of the region’s visual artists taking part in this year’s Via Colori event.  There are no thematic requirements in terms of the content of the artwork, although we ask that you submit work that best represents your creative style and vision.  Does the work have to correspond to what you’ll be achieving on the streets of the city during the Via Colori festival? Not necessarily.  As long as you are proud of the work submitted and you’ve achieved it to the best of your abilities – we’ll be happy to exhibit it.

All pieces are to be framed appropriately for gallery display: no gallery clips or saw tooth hangers (see attachment).  Canvas pieces, unless “gallery wrapped” must include a frame.  All work must be equipped with hanging wire adequate to support the painting.  Textiles intended for wall hanging must include hanging system.  Wet or unprofessionally presented artwork will not be accepted.

PONSHOP retains 40% of all sales on works exhibited throughout the duration of the exhibit.  Artists will be reimbursed within 30 days of the exhibition closing.  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.

Entry Procedure

Entry fee: $25 for up to two submissions. Please complete City Colors 2011Prospectus and Submission Requirements

Delivery: Artists are responsible for transporting their work to and from the gallery. Artwork not retrieved after show closing will incur a storage fee of $10 per day

Calendar

Deadline for Registering as a volunteer artist with Via Colori® Fredericksburg for eligibility in “City Colors”: Monday, August 15

Deadline for Submissions: Saturday, August 27 (10-6pm) Sunday, August 28 (noon-5pm).

Pick Up of Unincluded Work: Tuesday, August 30 (10-6pm)

Opening Reception: Friday, September 2 (6-10pm) includes brief gallery talk at 7pm.

Exhibition Dates: September 2- October 2

Pick up of Work: Sunday, October 2 (noon-5pm)

Awards

People’s Choice Award – Best in Show (Cash Prize) awarded to one artist

People’s Choice Award – Honorable Mentions (PONSHOP Gifts) awarded to two artists

Voting for artwork will commence on the First Friday opening and will continue until the third week of September.

Awards will be announced during the weekend of the Via Colori Festival (September 24-25)

If you have any questions regarding this show or would like to be included on the mailing list for notice of future exhibition opportunities, please contact us at event@ponshopstudio.com.

"Tailor-Made: T-Shirt Showcase" Opening Night

Below are some pics from the "Tailor-Made: T-Shirt Showcase" Opening Reception on Friday August 5, 2011.  PONSHOP released our fall line of art tees and featured new clothing from Virginia-based brands Icy Grape Incident and Nightmare Inc.  Thanks to all the friends and fans that made it out for the evening.  "Tailor-Made" will be on exhibit through August 28.

Tailor-Made: T-Shirt Showcase

PONSHOP will be hosting the opening reception for “Tailor-Made: T-shirt Showcase” as August’s “First Friday” event. This exhibition will feature new screen-printed shirt designs from PONSHOP, Nightmare Inc., and Icy Grape Incident Clothing. The gallery will also exhibit the original artwork used to produce the clothing graphics.

PONSHOP’s latest art tees for men, women and children feature owner Gabriel Pons’s signature graphics derived from his original paintings. Nightmare Inc. is a local clothing brand started in 2008 by Massaponax high school senior Ryan Payne. With inspiration from horror films, Nightmare Inc. incorporates iconic imagery into their unique clothing graphics. Nightmare Inc.’s artist Austin Collins has collaborated with PONSHOP on a special T-shirt graphic to be sold exclusively at PONSHOP.

August marks the one-year anniversary of Icy Grape Incident Clothing Company. Founded by seven-cities artist/designer Tony Sementelli, Icy Grape Incident’s goal is to produce high quality clothing with original graffiti inspired artwork. They will be releasing a new colorway at the show, designed exclusively for the August event and sold only at the PONSHOP.

The evening’s event will include music, refreshments and t-shirt giveaways. Music will be provided by DJ Speed on the turntables spinning classic Hip-Hop.

August’s exhibit also includes works by a collection of many local fine artists including Rob Landeck, Adam Desio, Nathan Webster and Nicholas Candela. In addition, the gallery will include works from featured PONSHOP artists Katy Wiedemann (Providence, RI), Joshua Barber (Richmond,VA) and Ginger Huebner (Asheville, NC).

July 2011 Gallery Photos

[portfolio_slideshow] Snapshots of the shop for our "First Friday" Art Reception on July 1, 2011.

2011 G40 2011 - Part 3

httpv://youtu.be/0sA_ed9UYlc Below are more pics from the 2011 G40 Uncapped Live Show organized by Art Whino, Brightest Young Things, and Vitamin Water.  We took the whole family up to the exhibit to take a look.  Thanks to microWave Project for inviting me to participate in this event and big ups to girlsrockdc.org for hosting a great music workshop that afternoon (see above video of Diego on the mic).

Urban Decay 2: Opening Night

Outdoor Demo panel by Gregg Deal

June 4, 2011. It's been a "one-two" punch over the past two months working for these back to back shows (G40 & Urban Decay 2) and Saturday Night's Opening Reception for Urban Decay 2 was just the right thing to celebrate all that hard work. Below are some pics from the show. Thanks to Deb Yarrington of The Workhouse Arts Center for organizing a great exhibit. Urban Decay 2 runs through June 26.

Outdoor Demo Panel by Jorge Guillen

Spaghetti Project had a nice spread of vinyl toys for the collectors

The Osedax kicked the night off...

Scissor List came on second and rocked the crowd

Fredericksburg's own Jeremy Gann

Bellflur wrapped up the night with their performance.

Gregg Deal

These were my demo pieces from the evening: marker spray paint and stencils on 12" vinyl albums.

My most recent work at Urban Decay 2

Herberth Oneeightyone

Sylvia Ortiz rock the house

"Art of Recovery" Opening Reception: May 2011

May 6 2011 was the opening night for the seventh annual "Art of Recovery" Exhibit at PONSHOP. Below are pics from the evening. Scarlett and I would like to thank the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board, The Kenmore Club, and all participating organizations for their hard work. A special thanks to all of the fifty artists that have participated - congratulations. PONSHOP is proud to host such a worthwhile cause and effort for our community.

The exhibit features over sixty pieces of art from fifty adults in the Virginia region. (From the RACSB) : "The Art of Recovery provides a forum for artists living with mental illness to gain confidence in their abilities, challenge mental health stigma, and experience community support."

Tracy Ringquist "For One, Many" textile 36"x48"

"The Art of Recovery" exhibit runs through May 30.

Scarlett with Doris Buffet of the Sunshine Lady Foundation.

The Kenmore Club Murals

G40 2011 - Part 2 "Ai Wei Wei: 21st Century Revolutionary"

"Ai Wei Wei: 21st Century Revolutionary" installation by Gabriel Pons at 2011 G40 show in Washington DC

I'm excited to finally post some photos of the installation I completed for the 2011 G40 show. I was invited by microWave project, a collective of site-specific installation artists. Below is some more info about my piece:

The installation piece, "Ai Weiwei: 21st Century Revolutionary" is intended to inform viewers of the contemporary Chinese artist/activist Ai Weiwei, who has been detained by Chinese Authorities since April 3, 2011. The work brings to question “what is criminal?” considering the fact that Ai has been the target of camera surveillance, physical abuse and the demolition of his artist studio in Shanghai by the hands of Chinese officials. In late April, the website change.org, which has been petitioning for Ai’s release came under a cyber attack from within China. Ai Weiwei’s vehement criticism of the Chinese government has resulted in his detention, which has led many human rights activists around the world to ask “Who’s afraid of Ai Wiewei?

The four panels are mixed media (collage, wheat paste, spray paint/stencil) paintings which comprise an 8-foot by 4-foot composition. I incorporated printed material from websites that published articles on Ai Weiwei's situation. As of today, May 24 2011 - the latest news is the Chinese government is accusing Mr. Ai of tax evasion. Four associates of Ai Weiwei are also reported missing.

The background text is a mix of news reporting on the missing artists as well as some relevant lyrics from Public Enemy's "Hazy Shade of Criminal" and "Public Enemy #1" songs.

Scarlett had contributed to the effort by making over 50 ceramic forms which I hand painted with either chinese characters (like "Justice" and "Civillity") and other text corresponding to Ai's circumstances.

The 2011 G40 Show runs until June 17. It is located at 2213 14th Street NW (corner of 14th & Florida)

G40 2011 Uncapped Live Opening Party - Part 1

Below are some photos from the 2011 G40 Show Opening night Thursday May 19. Thanks again to microWave project, Art Whino, and the folks at Vitamin Water for organizing such a fun event. A big Thank You to all my family and friends for their help. Sorry about the lack of captions folks - I just wanna get these up...

(Above) This got buffed after the Vitamin Water Opening on Thursday Night...

Standing in front of "Ai Weiwei: 21st Century Revolutionary" installation piece.

James Walker

Lisa Schumaier

Pam Rogers

Space and Flow

Thanks to Allison Nance and Mary Cook of microWave project.

Ben Graham-Putter

Herberth and Dan with friends...

Imani K Brown

Aniekan Udofia

Working Harder Than Ever...

May 10, 2011: I'm so excited to be part of the 2011 G40 Art Show in Washington DC. Here are some progress pics of the work. (Big shout out to Jeff who assisted me this week). Opening Party is Friday May 20. Be There! I'm on the third floor...Check the Info Below for more...

PONSHOP Owner Gabriel Pons is excited to announce that he is particpating in the 2011 G40 Art Show in Washington DC this month. He's been invited as part of the art installation group microWave project.

National Harbor's premiere contemporary gallery Art Whino returns in 2011 for the second edition of G40. The G40 uncapped LIVE event is an unprecedented experience in the art world with its scale and caliber of artists from around the world. This year the summit comes to DC next to the U street corridor taking over an entire building and showcasing art on all of its floors.

Where: 2213 14th Street, NW, Washington DC 20009

G40 Exhibit Schedule:

May 20th - June 17th, 2011

Opening Party: Friday May 20th, 6pm

Open Hours:

Tuesday & Thursdays: 5 - 10pm

Fridays & Saturdays: noon - 11pm

Sundays: noon - 6pm

Mondays: Closed

May First Friday: The Art of Recovery

For May's First Friday Opening Reception we will be hosting the Rappahannock Area Community Service Board's (RACSB) Seventh Annual "The Art of Recovery" exhibit. The opening reception is on May 6 from 5pm-9pm, though the exhibit will remain up until May 29.

"The Art of Recovery" is organized by members of the Kenmore Club, a psychosocial rehabilitation program operated by the RASCB. The show will feature original artwork of adults with mental illness. There will be approximately 35 pieces in the show in a variety of mediums including drawings, paintings, sculpture, textiles, and mixed media.

May is National Mental Health Month so come show your support and enjoy the great artwork.

Artwork from "Public/Private"

Here is some of the artwork from the "Public/Private" exhibit that is up on the walls of the PONSHOP until April 30.

Long Night's Work Chris Schumacher Glicee on Canvas $250

Aeri - Creekside #1 Chris Schumacher Glicee on Archiva; Paper $250

Atlantis Schematic Thom White Ink, Wash, & Pencil on Ink Jet Print $150

Behind an Ancient Austrian Door Sandy Leigh Skipper Photograph $100

Designs on You Mirinda Reynolds Mixed Media on Wood $75 (Artist Proceeds go to RCDV)

Mi Barrio Ana Rendich Collage $200

Hope Rob Landeck Mixed Media $75

Self Portrait with Shades Ed King Oil $500

The Homeless Man is Ever Present, but Rarely Seen Sidney Mullis & Jeff Gulick Mixed Media $160

Paperazzi Greg Crawford Papercut $325

Personas Jams Bauguess Acrylic on Canvas $222

Just Makin' Out at Steak and Ale Joshua Barber Mixed Media $515

Come in to see these pieces of work along with others on exhibit now.

"Public/Private" Exhibit: Award Winners Announced

Scarlett and I are genuinely excited to host the opening reception of "Public/Private" this Friday, April 1. We wanted to cordially invite you to the opening since it promises to be a fun event: We'll have a brief gallery talk and presentatin of awards, and at 7:30pm, a local improv troupe "The Undeniably Adjacent" will be privately performing in our public storefront. As a means of kicking off the month-long exhibit, these live performances will be based on the theme of the the "Public/Private" Exhibition – exploring the delineation between the public domain and our private space.

We are pleased to announce the results of the "Public/Private" Juried Exhibit at PONSHOP. We've received 33 submissions from 20 artists. Juror Kathleen Walsh selected 25 works for exhibit.

Below are the award winners:

3 Merit Awards ($100 each) will be presented to:

Joshua Barber, “Just Makin' Out at Steak and Ale”

Steve Jeter, “Sacred Heart #1 and #2”

Ed King, “Self Portrait With Shades”

3 Honorable Mentions ($25 PONSHOP Gift Certificates) will be presented to:

Rob Landeck, “Hope”

Ana Rendich, “Mi Barrio”

Sandy Leigh Skipper, “Behind an Ancient Austrian Door”

Congratulations to all the artists that have participated in this month-long exhibit. "Public/Private" features work from:

Laura Allen, Chris Austin, Jams Baugess, Joshua Barber, Jurgen Brat, Greg Crawford, Jeff Gulick, Barbara Taylor Hall, Steve Jeter, Derek Kirkland, Ed King, Rob Landeck, Sidney Mullis, J. Fred Perrine, Ana Rendich, Mirinda Reynolds, Chris Schumacher, Sandy Leigh Skipper, Reuben Strangelove, and Thom White.