Call for Artists: "Città Colori" Invitational Art Exhibit

PONSHOP Studio and Gallery is pleased to host “Città Colori” 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. To register as a volunteer artist with Via Colori Fredericksburg, Click Here.

View the Complete Prospectus Below:

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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.

Entry Specifications

The theme of “Citta Colori” (“city colors” in Italian) 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 entry form (above) and deliver with artwork.

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 “Città Colori”: 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)

About the Gallery

PONSHOP is a multifaceted storefront: an artist studio, gallery, retail store, and classroom. The vision of the owners, Scarlett and Gabriel Pons, is to provide a place that embodies what they love: art, design, and creative education. The gallery features a variety of work from artists in the Virginia region. Their studio also doubles as a classroom, providing workshops for students interested in everything from painting, ceramics, and architecture to street art and skateboarding.

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.

"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

"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.

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

PONSHOP in the Local Press

Adam Desio, "Controlled Chaos" (detail) , Acrylic on Panel, 36"x36"

October's Show was featured in a recent write up in the Freelance Star's Weekender Section. Click Here to view the story. PONSHOP is excited to exhibit select work from featured artists: Adam Desio, Rob Landeck, Joshua Barber, Ginger Huebner, Jeremy Gann and many more.

"Square City" Opening Night

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"

“Lonesome Ave” by Robert Landeck, mixed media collage on canvas, 20" x 20"

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"

Below are some selections from "Square City":

"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.

Work in Progress for "Chain Reaction" Show

I've been working on this drawing/painting for a while now. First it was simply going to be a stencil, then an intricate screen print, now it's gonna be what it's gonna be...

This portrait is inspired by the character Ophelia in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". Ophelia met her end by (presumably) drowning and even though many artists have painted her in the past, I've always been interested in portraying her character visually. Below is a pic of the finished piece.

“Ophelia, Daughter of Polonius”, Mixed Media on Wood, 24”x24”

This painting will be part of the "Chain Reaction" show opening up in September at Liberty Town Arts Workshop in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It's a neat format. LibertyTown Founder, Dan Finnegan, selected three artists, those three artists selected three artists, and finally an exponential wave of 27 more artists gets added to the list. "Chain Reaction" hopes to be a great cross section of our creativity in our region. The opening reception is Friday September 3 from 6-9pm.

The Matrix of artists on exhibit next month at LibertyTown: 916 Liberty Street Fredericksburg, Virginia.

(click to enlarge)