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).

Guest Artist Visit: Fredericksburg Academy

April 8, 2011. I paid a visit to the students of Fredericksburg Academy to do a visiting artist workshop with their 4th and 5th graders.  I gave them a brief history lesson on one of my favorite artists, Keith Haring, and gave them a drawing exercise that we did on the campus sidewalks.  Thanks to FA's Art Instructor, Mrs. Mirinda Reynolds, for organizing the Visiting Artists Program.

I spoke to the students about Keith Haring's chalk drawings which proliferated in New York City's Subways in the early 1980s.  Haring's child-like gestural line drawings and use of iconography was the inspiration behind our workshop assignment.

Students were instructed to trace each other's silhouette on the sidewalk - adorning the chalk figures with color, shapes, and lines.

Mary G. Porter Guest Artist Mural

I had the pleasure of being the guest artist at Mary G Porter Traditional School during their "Week of the Arts" event in April, 2011.  Above is a 72"x36" mixed media mural that I used as a demonstration piece throughout the week.  Thanks to Mrs. Wendy Padgett and the faculty and staff of MG Porter for a great teaching experiences.  A special thanks to all the energetic and creative students that I had the pleasure of working with.

The triptych included collage materials from science and nature magazines, handwritten text, and some of PONSHOP's signature stencil designs executed in acrylic paint.

The overall theme of the painting was to celebrate the sciences through the observation on our natural and built environments.

RYS 2011 Painted Violin Project

I  participated in the Rappahannock Youth Symphony Painted Violin Project this past April.  Several local artists were provided with used violins which they can adorn with artwork.  The violins were auctioned off prior to the Spring Concert on May 15 to benefit the RYS.  Contributing artists included: Ruth Ann Loving, Medina Roberts, Milvi Gill, Lori Eggers, and Lisa Cover-Tucci.  Thanks to Megan Belvill, Executive Director of the Rappahannock Youth Symphony for all her efforts in sharing the joy of music with our community.

The theme for my violin contribution came from my experiences living in New York City.  My most memorable experience listening to violin music comes from the New York City Subway.  I recall enjoying a violinist playing on a cold subway platform in January.   The music was beautiful and elegant – a sharp contrast to the rugged and worn subway station.

Thanks to Bill Mason for his generous assistance.  Bill is a profession Luthier (maker of stringed instruments) and helped me by reconstructing the violin once I completed the painting.

Gabriel Pons, The City Consumes Me, Mixed Media on Violin, 2011

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.

April First Friday

On Friday April 1st we held our second juried show with the theme "Public/Private," which was a huge success. The artists captured the theme in their unique works that gave a new perspective to where the line is drawn between our public and private lives.

Juror, Kathleen Walsh, gave an informal gallery talk along with co-owner Gabriel Pons to kick off the night. She had the difficult task of selecting three pieces as Merit Winners ($100 cash) and three pieces for Honorable Mention ($25 gift certificates to the PONSHOP). During this talk the awards were presented to the winners.

Luckily, the whether was beautiful as people navigated between the artwork inside and the live performance that could be seen from outside.

"The Undeniably Adjacent" performers

The performers had a large audience gathered outside

One of the performances

A special thanks to all of the participating artists, Kathleen Walsh, "The Undeniably Adjacent" performers, and all of our patrons for coming out and making this such a fun and exciting event.

"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.

April First Friday: Public/Private Opening Reception

For April's First Friday event we are holding an exhibit juried by Kathleen Walsh. The theme of the event is Public/Private where artists explore the relationship between the public and private realms of our lives and how those associations manifest themselves in in our everyday environment.

On Friday, April 1st from 6pm-10pm we will hold the opening reception. At 7pm there will be a presentation of awards (cash prizes) and an informal gallery talk.

Also, at the opening reception there will be a performance by "The Undeniably Adjacent" improv comedy troupe from the University of Mary Washington. From 7:30-9:30 the actors will perform skits in our storefront window. The storefront window will be transformed into a stage only visible from outside the store. The performances will correspond to the theme of Public/Private and will act as a literal "window" into the actors' private lives.

"The Undeniably Adjacent"

Participating actors in the event will be:

Rachael Wonderlin

Kyle Dratwa

Mattson Fields

Annie Blaine

Elsa Lee

Come out on April 1st to see this exciting new exhibit and enjoy a collaboration of art work and live performances.

Opening Reception: First Annual PONSHOP Student Show

February 4, 2011 marked the first annual PONSHOP Student Show. This group show featured students of PONSHOP Classes over the past year. The gallery featured work completed in PONSHOP classes: ceramics, mixed media, street art and skateboard graphics.

We would like to thank our students (and their parents) for their participation. Below are more snapshots from the opening night. The artists with their piece...Good Work Folks!

PONSHOP offers classes in Ceramics, Mixed Media, Street Art, Architecture, and Skateboard Design for children as well as adults. Our classes are available each and every month of the year. For a current schedule, Click Here.

Call For Artists: Public/Private Juried Exhibit

PONSHOP Studio and Gallery will be hosting its second juried art exhibition in April of 2011. Juried by Kathleen Walsh, “Public/Private” will challenge participating artists to explore the relationship between the public and private realms of our lives and how those associations manifest themselves in our everyday environment. PONSHOP invites artists working in all two-dimensional media to participate in this month-long regional juried exhibition.

Eligibility This exhibit is open to all artists (professional and emerging) in the Virginia Region. “Two dimensional” artwork is inclusive of mediums including but not limited to: painting, drawing, mixed media, photography, digital graphics, textiles, ceramics, screen printing and lithography.

Deadline for Submissions Hand Deliver to PONSHOP Saturday, March 26 (10-6pm) and Sunday, March 27 (noon-5pm)

View the Complete Prospectus Below:

Page 1 of 2 (click the image above and "save as" the image to print)

Page 2 of 2 (click the image above and "save as" the image to print)

Gallery Hanging Requirements (click the image above and "save as" the image to print)

Theme: Our Public and Private Lives

What delineates the public domain from our personal space? Is it the manifestation of a physical threshold such as a wall, door, or curtain? Or can it be something much less tangible or even invisible? This exhibit seeks to examine how cultures around the globe acknowledge publicity and privacy in their environment and how the two worlds can be blurred. One example of this can be found “online”. Today more than ever, our world is getting more connected and we are able to share (or not share) our daily lives through digital social networks, cell phones, and other media. How does this hyper connectivity affect our personal relationships? Where is the boundary between intimacy and the public stage?

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[at]ponshopstudio.com

More Commissioned Work

Admittedly, I've been a behind schedule on all the Blog Posts. My New Year's Resolution is to stay on top of it - but first I have to catch up. Below are some snapshots of a residential commission I completed in October. The client owns a traditional single-family home and wanted to juxtapose her half bathroom with the rest of the house's decor.

Her only criteria for the mural was that it includes imagery related to our fair city of Fredericksburg, and that it incorporates technology (she's a web designer by profession). Finally, she has a love for street art which is how this whole project got started.

I drew my inspiration from all the public restrooms I've visited throughout the years - where the walls are covered in writing. Most of the text incorporated in this mural came from some of my favorite hip hop lyrics.

Scarlett and I are happy to work with clients to create original artwork in both ceramics and painting. If interested commissioning work, contact us via the PONSHOP Website.

World Water Day: Saturday March 19, 2011

I'm excited to have contributed to Fredericksburg's first annual World Water Day event coming up this weekend. Our amigos, Friends of the Rappahannock, asked if PONSHOP would pitch in to promote water conservation within local communities. I did up a barrel with spray paint one fine morning and called it "Agua".

Check out Hurkamp Park in Fredericksburg, VA this Saturday, March 19 (9am-noon) to see more artist-painted barrels contributed by community as well as a "build your own rain barrel" workshop, and more.

Click Here for the Friends of the Rappahannock Facebook page.

Fredericksburg's World Water Day is a Family Friendly Free Event.