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 Opens April 15 / Grand Opening in May

We'll be opening our doors at the new location (712 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA) on Thursday April 15. The "Grand Opening" of PONSHOP will be on "First Friday" May 7th.

Scarlett took some heat from the municipality about building permit issues last week, but all that's been resolved and we're moving forward...

"Where's the pictures of the new space?" Well you'll just have to wait until we open the doors. (and I think I left the camera down at the shop too). In the meantime, we still have a lot of work to do: complete the kiln shed, finish the reception desk, arrange furniture, augment the lighting, and arrange all the inventory and artwork.

"Reunion" Series (detail), 9"x9", mixed media on paper

I'll be happy to finally put down the power tools and get to business on the biz-ness of the shop. Until then we shall double our efforts to ensure that we have our act together. See you there. -G

End of an Era / New Beginnings

Diego stands in the studio formerly known as PONSHOP at LibertyTown Arts Workshop.

March 15, 2010. We've officially moved from our space at LibertyTown Arts Workshop and will be opening the doors to our new storefront on Thursday, April 15. Scarlett and I would like to thank all our colleagues at LibertyTown for their support and friendship over the past five years. I couldn't help but get a bit nostalgic as I was taking work off the walls. When we set up shop in 2005, we were new to town and full of aspirations to make a difference as artists in the community and today I realized that we've surpassed our expectations by taking our studio to this next step.

Will we still be teaching classes? Yes. Will we continue to pursue our respective crafts? Yes. Now we're going to have a retail dimension to our space which hopefully will engage a whole new audience in Fredericksburg.

PONSHOP is now at 712 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Special Shout out to those that have helped us over the past two weeks of our renovation/move/installation: Andy P., Chris A., Jeff G., Jessica G., James H., Joshua J., and the many more students/fans of PONSHOP that I'll wrangle in before all is said and done. Muchas Gracias to the Pons and Suhy Families - my brother(s) Chris and Didier, Scarlett's sister Grissell (whose visage graces the left storefront window in the pic above), and our parents who continue to encourage and help us achieve this dream.

Scarlett shot a photo of her sister in 1994(?) which became the inspiration behind the "Baila Baila" painting and this paper post up.

PONSHOP is on the Move

Scarlett and I are excited to announce that we’ve acquired a storefront in Downtown Fredericksburg (712 Caroline Street), and will be moving from our studio at LibertyTown this month to have our doors open in our new space in April. The PONSHOP mission remains the same – creating and educating through our respective arts, however we’re expanding to accommodate a retail dimension which will offer up artisan made and eco-friendly items for all. This has been an aspiration of ours since living in New York and we’re happy to be taking such a big step. On behalf of Scarlett and I, we’d like to thank all of the people that we’ve worked with and supported us over the past five years and look forward to strengthening the arts community in Fredericksburg. The new PONSHOP location opens April 2010.

We're Still Working...

The recent snow has not turned down the heat at the studio - The PONSHOP is open until Christmas and there's still work to be done.
Hours: 10-6pm on the 23rd, 10-3pm on Christmas Eve, 10-5 on the 26th.

PONSHOP Pagoda Hoodies Have Dropped...

Finally! The First PONSHOP Hooded sweatshirt is on the racks now at our studio. $55 and you own an original piece of artwork and stay snuggly warm...The Hooded Fleece Zip-up is made by American Apparel and comes in unisex sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large.

MONO Pagoda Decks: Summer 2009

I'm cooking up new decks for this summer's skate sessions. The MONO Pagoda decks come in 7.5", 7.75" and 8.0" widths. Each deck is individually sprayed, signed and numbered and comes with griptape. Want one? hit me back with an email and $55 plus shipping or get on down to Fred Skates (604 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia). Of course, decks will soon be at the PONSHOP (916 LibertyStreet, Fredericksburg,Virginia) too...

PONSHOP Summer Tees: MONO Octopus

The latest PONSHOP tees are for sale in the studio and at Fred Skates. The MONO Octo design is derived from the skateboard and canvas paintings that I did and we've finally brought them to the t-shirt! All shirts are professionally screened on American Apparel Tees. Check 'em out...

Girl's Octo Tees: Small, Medium, Large

Boy's Octo Tees: Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large

Get original artwork on a new summer t-shirt. Visit PONSHOP (916 Liberty Street) and pick one up for $20. Also avaible at Virginia's finest skateshop: Fred Skates (604 Caroline Street).

Want to buy them online? Hit me up with an email with quantity, style, and size and I'll mail them out to you. (Payment thru Paypal).

Latest Painting: "My Baby Wants to Rock and Roll #3"

Below is the most recent painting completed: "My Baby Wants to Rock and Roll #3." Many have seen and/or worn this graphic over the years, and I've always wanted to keep pushing it and explore some new aspects. I did this by building a wood panel and using collage (made from newspaper and magazine scraps as well as printed song lyrics). This led to some interesting conditions between the pattern and text in the background and the stenciled figure on top.

"My Baby Wants To Rock and Roll #3", Mixed Media on Wood Panel, 30"x30" SOLD (click image to enlarge)

"My Baby Wants To Rock and Roll #3" detail

PONSHOP Skateboards featured in "Northern Virginia Magazine"

I'm pleased to announce that the PONSHOP is featured in Northern Virginia Magazine (January '09)

(Click Image to Enlarge)

Career Night: Salem Church Library

We paid a visit to the Salem Church Library last month for a "Career Night" presentation to local students participating in the "Our Space" afterschool program. We had a chance to share with students our experiences as professionals and how we made decisions that informed our career choices. The goal of Career Night is to encourage young people to think about all the opportunities that their future can offer.
Participating professionals (left to right): Dr. Jacinta Topps- Pediatrician, Sandi Holland -Teacher, Gabriel Pons - Artist, Scarlett Suhy-Pons - Artist, Lena Gonzales-Berios - Librarian, and Sgt. Turner - Recruiter US Marine Corps. not pictured: Kori Terrel - Ballet Instructor.Special Thanks to Francis Fourie (above)- coordinator of the "Our Space" after school program at Salem Church Library.

MONO Octo Decks in Effect...

I'm busy kicking out the latest deck series for this fall. The MONO "Octo" decks come in 7.5", 7.75" and 8.0" widths. Each deck is individually sprayed, signed and numbered and comes with griptape. Want one? hit me back with an email and $50 plus shipping or get on down to Fred Skates (604 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia). Of course, decks will be at the PONSHOP (916 LibertyStreet, Fredericksburg,Virginia) too...

(Click the image below to enlarge)

Intro to Street Art: August 2008

Below are some snapshots from the August "Intro to Street Art" workshop. Grace paid homage to her favorite pet by making a stencil and spray paint composition. Throughout the three-session workshop she drew, painted, and sprayed until the piece was complete. (Click Images to Enlarge)

For a current PONSHOP Class schedule, click here.

Summer Workshops: Skate to Create (June 2008)

June ushered in a new batch of students eager to get their summer skateboards painted and ready to ride. Our Skate to Create Workshop challenged kids to generate their own custom skateboard design and execute it using spray paint and stencils. Within the span of three 2-hour classes, they sketched, cut, and painted their own creations on a deck. Good job guys! Below are some snapshots from the final class...(click to enlarge).

Andrew was inspired by the mid-1990s Alien Workshop skateboard graphics...Noah created his own superhero character for his deck.Warner's deck took the "smiley face" and "mr. yuck" symbol to the next level. Paul and Ross took a "Skate to Create" workshop in the beginning of the month. Their hard work and serious attitude (see above) turned out some great designs. Good work!

Thanks to all students and parents for their participation in the PONSHOP workshops. To learn more about the classes we offer, click here. For a full class schedule from LibertyTown Arts Workshop, click here.

March 2008 Exhibit Announcement

I am excited to announce my upcoming show with fellow Art First member Carol Iglesias. "Destinations: Places Traveled, Places Dreamed" will feature new work which is inspired by sites both visited and imagined.

Carol Iglesias’s paintings are comprised of scenes from various Italian hillside towns throughout Tuscany that she had visited last October. Her travel itinerary included fifteen days of “plein air” (outdoor) painting and sketching in scenic towns like Volterra, San Gimignano, San Casciano, as well as Florence. The locations alone pushed her artistic skill while providing an abundance of inspiration at the same time. The result is a cohesive set of compositions, executed in pastel, which resonate with color, texture, and life.

My work references historic art and architecture yet is executed in a contemporary style. My latest mixed media compositions explore abstract architectural spaces where cityscapes and structures are constructed from scraps of magazines, acrylic paint, stencils and ink. My recent series of paintings experiments with figurative forms and their placement in a surreal and imaginary landscape.

When: March 5th-30th 2008 Opening Party on Friday March 7th 6-9pm
Where: Art First Gallery 824 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia USA

New PONSHOP Tees have arrived!

Ever since I did the MONO Lion Skateboard Deck series this summer, people have been asking me if there was ever going to be a t-shirt too. Well the time has finally come. All pre-orders for shirts are now available and shirts are up in our shop and at the best skate shop south of the Mason Dixon Line - Fred Skates. (604 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg).
Of course, all shirts are professionally silk screened on American Apparel Tees and come in a variety of sizes for men and women.
Shirts are $16 plus tax at the PONSHOP and prices vary elsewhere. To order online, hit me with an email at gpons@ponshopstudio.com. Web orders are $20 per shirt (shipping included). PayPal payments are gladly accepted.

PONSHOP Class: Street Art (October 2007)

Rob and Tristan are PONSHOP veterans and we've been through a lot together at my studio. Below are some pics of their most recent workshop. Instead of doing spray paint on wood boards - they opted for a more "public" and personal canvas. Good Work guys.

Tristan adorns a black tee with paint markers.Robert cuts out his stencil layers.
1) Lay down stencil 2) Mask with paper 3) Hit it with paint Tristan and his "Fat Chick" graphicRobert finishes his "Street Can" Tee

For more about PONSHOP Workshops, click here