Motion and Pictures Juried Exhibition

PONSHOP Studio is pleased to announce “Motion and Pictures: Fredericksburg’s Film Fest”, a month long juried exhibition featuring art from local and regional artists in downtown Fredericksburg.

“Motion and Pictures” is a celebration of the city’s Film Festival event slated for May 2024 and showcases art that is representational of the love of film and the inspiration it gives artists. The Fredericksburg Film Festival (FFF) celebrates the creation of independent cinema, from short films to documentary. This exhibit is a special event that brings filmmakers of the region together. The exhibit and its opening reception provides the opportunity for locals and artists to appreciate the connections between cinema and material artworks.

“Motion and Pictures” artists include Sarah Brooks, Brooke DiGiovanni, Mary Hodil, Carrie McCormack, Jordan Pickens, Anna Polanco, and Samantha Rivera.

Opening Reception: Friday, April 5th (5pm-9pm)

Exhibition Dates: Friday, April 5th - Sunday, April 28th

Mural at Hartwood Elementary: "Hartwood Passages"

Gabriel Pons was commissioned by Hartwood Elementary to paint a mural as part of the partnership between the Stafford Museum and Cultural Center , Stafford County Public Schools and the Stafford Education Foundation. The goal of the mural initiative is to highlight the unique history and culture of Stafford County in creative and innovative ways.

Titled Hartwood Passages, the mural artwork is a bird’s eye view encompassing South Stafford County, Falmouth and Fredericksburg. Pons’s intention was to depict the region as an abstracted visual text, highlighting historic architectural landmarks in Hartwood as well as encouraging the viewer to explore and ask questions about other key geographic elements. Roads are interpreted both literally and metaphorically. The intersection of Interstate 95 and Route 17 creates an “X” through the center of the mural and other major throughways including route 1 and the railways, depicted as vertical stripes cutting through the landscape. The Rappahannock River, so critical to the region’s history and development, is rendered as a bold sinuous ribbon stretching from end to end, alluding to its prominence in the region. The artwork rounds out to a smooth curve at the base, referring to the global community that students participate in. The composition aims to ordinate the viewer, encouraging them to inquire about the cardinal directions, the landscape’s topography, and their own location relative to Hartwood Elementary.

Concept Sketch - Hartwood Elementary Mural

This mural was a real personal challenge for me. We’ve been living in Hartwood now since moving here from New York in 2005 and it has been home for both our sons. It becomes a “tug of war” when there are so many ideas and concepts to incorporate in an artwork. In fact, one theme I felt compelled to embed in the design is this sense of optimism and unbridled curiosity that a child feels at Hartwood Elementary. Despite the school’s location in a relatively rural setting, we are adjacent to one of the major highway systems on the eastern seaboard. It’s important to impress upon students the idea that the paths they are taking now as elementary students will soon take them well beyond the horizon.

While working on site, I became nostalgic for our school days at Hartwood Elementary. Looking back, the faculty acclimated us to being responsible parents as much as they instilled leadership values in our children. In some ways I feel that this project has brought me full circle back to those years when my boys attended Hartwood Elementary and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the school’s future.

See the key below to learn more about Hartwood Virginia’s history.

Call For Artists: "Motion and Pictures" Juried Exhibit

PONSHOP Studio is pleased to announce “Motion and Pictures”, a month-long juried exhibition celebrating the impact and inspiration that cinema has in our contemporary culture. PONSHOP invites artists working in all two-dimensional media to participate.

The “Motion and Pictures” exhibition preempts the Fredericksburg Film Festival (FFF) slated for May 2024. The Fredericksburg Film Festival will highlight independent cinema, from short films to documentary and will include filmmakers from across the country.  The “Motion and Pictures” exhibit and its opening reception will provide the opportunity for the public and artists to appreciate the connections between the history of movies and their impact on visual art.

Calendar

Deadline for Submissions: Digital Submissions due before midnight, Monday, March 18 2024. Email no more than (2) JPEG Submissions Here. Include Artist Name, Title, Medium, Dimensions (Length x Width).

Notification of Accepted Artwork: Artists will be notified via email of artwork accepted into the exhibition by Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

Deadline for Delivery of Accepted Artwork: Thursday, March 28 – Saturday, March 30, 5pm

April First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, April 5th (5pm-9pm)

Exhibition Dates: Friday, April 5th - Sunday, April 28th

Artwork Retrieval: Monday, April 29th - Wednesday, May 1st

"Embreyone" Mural at Embrey Mill

PONSHOP Co-owner, Gabriel Pons, completed an 800 square-foot mural at the Embrey Mill Town Center in November 2023. He was one of three muralists contracted to add artwork to the newly built shopping center in Stafford, Virginia.

Call For Artists: The Art Attack Show


PONSHOP Studio is pleased to announce “The Art Attack Show”, a two-month juried exhibition featuring select artists that participated in the 2023 Art Attack event in downtown Fredericksburg.

“The Art Attack Show” will be a celebration of the city’s most popular annual art event and will showcase those artists that gave their “creative service” on that day.  The exhibit and its opening receptions will provide the opportunity for artists to reconvene, network, and share stories from that day.

Calendar

Deadline for Submissions: Digital Submissions due before midnight, Friday, October 20 2023. Email no more than (2) JPEG submissions to: shop[at]ponshopstudio.com. Include Title, Medium, Dimension (Length x Width).

Deadline for Delivery for Accepted Artwork: Saturday, October 28, 5pm

November First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, November 3 (5pm-9pm)

December First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, December 1 (5pm-9pm)

Exhibition Dates: Friday, November 3 - Sunday, December 24

Artwork Retrieval: Tuesday, January 2- Thursday, January 4 2024

Submission Requirements: This exhibit is open exclusively to Art Attack 2023 participants and is limited to wall-hung (two-dimensional) artwork.  Artwork does not have to be the work that was done during the Art Attack event.  This is a “small works” show and we want to feature a good cross section of artists. Therefore, artwork submissions cannot exceed 18” width or 24” in height.

Entry Conditions: All artwork must be for sale. PONSHOP retains 45% of all sales, with an additional 5% going to the Art Attack Project. Should your artwork sell, artists will retain 50% of the total retail price, which will be paid within 15 days after the end of the sale month. All artwork must be equipped with a metal hanging wire secured to the back of the piece (no saw-tooth hangers).  Please refer to our submission guidelines sheet.

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. Artwork delivered that is not dry, of poor assembly, or is incomplete will NOT be accepted.

Entry Procedure: The entry fee is $20 which includes a $5 donation to Art Attack.  Artists may submit up to (2) pieces for consideration.

Keep in mind that shipping to and from the gallery is the responsibility of the artist; if you ship your art to us, you must include a return shipping label or we will contact you after the exhibition to collect the cost of shipping.

Delivery: Artists are to complete the Entry Form and deliver work no later than Saturday, October 28. Work delivered past of this deadline will not be accepted.  Artwork must include a label with the title, medium, artist’s name as you’d like it to be displayed, and the retail price for the art. Retail Price is the price the art will be listed to the public for sale, not the 50% consignment the artist receives if sold.

Artwork Pick-Up: Hand-delivered unsold artwork must be picked up between Tuesday, January 2 and Thursday, January 4. Artwork picked up after Saturday, January 6 will incur a storage fee of $10 per day. This will be enforced. All Artists will be notified via email regarding artwork sales.

Mural at HiveX Basement Finishing Co.

PONSHOP Co-owner Gabriel Pons recently completed a 642 square foot mural at HiveX Basement Finishing Company in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The mural, titled “Generations” is a visual timeline of the history of the business, from the company’s inception through today, highlighting its growth as a family-owned business.

Remixed Vinyl Record Show and PONSHOP 13-Year Anniversary Party

Opening Receptions: First Friday, June 2 (5-9pm) and July 7 (5-9pm)

Exhibition Dates: June 2-July 29, 2023

PONSHOP Studio and Gallery is planning for a milestone month in June.  We are celebrating our “Lucky” Thirteenth year as a brick and mortar shop on Caroline Street.  To celebrate, we’ll be hosting a garden party at the shop during June’s First Friday. Our garden will be open from 6:00 to 8:00 pm with live music and local fare. We will have our backyard set up picnic style with food offerings by local restaurant Alpine Chef and local baker Bri Bakes with live music by guitarist, tendersong, and harpist Elizabeth Owens.

PONSHOP also returns with our most popular community art exhibition for June and July of 2023. “Remixed 8” features original artwork using 12” vinyl record albums. The exhibit includes over fifty participating artists working with this unconventional canvas. Featured artists include Sarah Brooks, Heather Evans, Julie Maida, Destiney Lynn, Morgan Buenos, Anne Yannutz and Dan Craddock.

This is the eighth year of the “Remixed” vinyl-themed show and PONSHOP has received an overwhelming response from artists. As of this blog post, the gallery has issued over fifty albums to be adorned by local and regional artists. This community art show has proven to be a great addition to the gallery’s exhibition schedule, involving artists of all backgrounds and boasting affordable artworks for the home or office ranging from $25-$250.

2023 Fredericksburg National Cemetery Luminaria Print

‘Taps at Dusk’ by Gabriel Pons - limited edition print

Gabriel Pons was recently commissioned to produce the 2023 Fredericksburg National Cemetery Memorial Luminaria commemorative print. This art print release coincides with the annual Luminaria event taking place at the cemetery on Saturday May 27, 2023.

The inspiration for the illustration came from Pons’s experience at the Luminaria event in 2017. He recalled a moment around sunset when ‘Taps’ played by a bugler and the entire space took on a solemn and reflective tone. He thought it would be interesting to portray the cemetery at that transitional time of dusk, when the silhouettes of visitors, monuments, and the tree line are contrasted against the sky. Since March, Pons has been making visits to the cemetery site, walking the terraced paths and creating sketches to better understand the landscape and the variety of monuments incorporated into the terrain.

Each print is hand signed and numbered by the artist in a limited edition of 100. This is the second year that a limited edition art print has been issued. The 2022 print by Pete Morelewicz and this year’s print are available at the park gift shop in the Fredericksburg National Cemetery (1013 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg) $30 each.

This project was made possible thanks to the partnership between the Fredericksburg National Cemetery, The National Park Service, Historic Fredericksburg Foundation Inc. , and the City of Fredericksburg.

Call for Artists: Remixed 8 Vinyl Record Show

PONSHOP Studio is excited to announce our “Remixed” exhibition for June 2023.  We’ve rescued stacks of old 12” vinyl records, wiped the dust off and, with the artists help, will turn them into something that people will continue to enjoy—a fun and original work of art. “Remixed 8” is the eighth annual vinyl album art show at PONSHOP and one of our most popular community exhibits. All ages and skill levels are invited to participate in this community show.

Submission Delivery Dates: Friday and Saturday May 26-27, Tuesday May 30 (11am-5pm)

Pick Up of Unaccepted Work: Thursday,  June 1

Opening Receptions: Friday, June 2 (5-9pm) and Friday July 7 (5-9pm)

Exhibition Dates: Friday June 2 - Saturday July 29, 2023

Artwork Retrieval: Monday, July 31 (11am-5pm) through Wednesday August 2

Submission Requirements: All artists must use the pre-mounted vinyl albums that we provide and all work must be for sale. Submit your best work! The gallery reserves the right to reject artwork based on quality: uniqueness and creativity, craftsmanship, and execution. Entries must be original creations of the artist, no reproductions of others artwork.

Entry Conditions: All artwork must be for sale. Artwork cannot have a retail price exceeding $250. PONSHOP retains 50% 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.

Artwork delivered after Tuesday May 30 will NOT be accepted. Artwork delivered that is not dry, of poor assembly, is incomplete, or exceeds the boundaries of the vinyl record (see diagram below) will NOT be accepted.

Artwork picked up after Wednesday, August 2 will incur a storage fee of $10 per day. This will be enforced. Artwork not retrieved by August 15 will become property of PONSHOP.

Entry Procedure: There’s an entry fee of $20 per vinyl album, with a limit of two submissions per artist. Artists may register online or pay the entry fee at our storefront to receive their ready-to-hang record. The gallery will not ship records to prospective artists.

Delivery: Artists are to complete the Entry Form and return it with finished artwork by Tuesday May 30. Artwork must have entry tags securely taped to the back of the corresponding record. Artists are responsible for transporting their work to and from the gallery.

“River Life” Exhibition at PONSHOP: April 2023

Opening Reception: First Friday, April 7 (5-9pm)

Exhibition Dates: April 7-29

PONSHOP is pleased to announce our April Exhibition, “River Life: An Art Show Celebrating the Rappahannock River”. This show features local artists, Dolly Whitley, Ash Moore, Kassandra Escoe, and Pete Morelewicz.

The theme of the show is inspired by the impact that the Rappahannock River has on the region’s community-from identifying the variety of flora and fauna that are part of its habitat to acknowledging the responsibility that we have as stewards in ensuring the river’s health.

PONSHOP invites visitors to take part in the “River Life” exhibition as well.  Each participating artist has created a “Coloring Book” style postcard of their signature artwork.  These limited edition postcards will be available beginning the evening of the opening reception.  Guests who make a donation to Friends of the Rappahannock will receive a postcard to embellish and display at the shop through the duration of the exhibit.

Dolly Whitley enjoys exploring a variety of art styles and mediums. Her illustrative work is primarily inspired by stories and nature. When she’s not painting, you may find her taking long walks, kayaking, reading, cat cuddling or tackling laundry mountain. View her work at www.dollywhitley.com

StrangeBeast is comprised of two corporate runaways, Ash & Kass, turned full-time artists. Over the pandemic, they realized that life is what you make it, so they started their own design agency in order to spend their lives making cool stuff together. Strangebeast’s work consists of vibrant colors, plants, and exotic creatures. Visit them at www.strangebeast.art

Pete Morelewicz is an artist and graphic designer who works with a wide range of technologies, from 15th century letterpress to 21st century media. (He himself dates to the 20th century.) He has designed projects as tiny as squished pennies and as large as wall murals. Pete’s work can be found on his mother’s refrigerator, at his LibertyTown Arts Workshop studio, and at www.printjazz.com

Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) is a grassroots environmental non-profit that is the voice and active force for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River. The organization strives to advocate for clean water policy while actively restoring the Rappahannock River with native plants, oyster reefs and litter removal. Alongside these projects, FOR takes any opportunity to educate others about the role our river plays in our everyday lives and the responsibility we have to protect and restore it.  Learn more about Friends of the Rappahannock at www.riverfriends.org

"Life Cycles" Mural at Lafayette Elementary

Gabriel Pons of PONSHOP and James Monroe High School senior Sophia Pineda have collaborated once again to produce the city’s largest-to-date public mural for Lafayette Elementary in Fredericksburg, Virginia. This is the third mural that Ms. Pineda and Pons have accomplished together since 2021. 

Titled “Life Cycles,” the 1,240 square foot mural adorns the school’s courtyard garden. The inspiration for the artwork came from the mural’s location: a garden plot that acts as both a visceral classroom for students to literally get their hands dirty as well as a living diorama showing the lifecycles of the garden throughout the school year. The mural functions as both a landmark art piece as well as an instrument for instruction, prompting students to investigate the elements of the painting and ask questions. 

The mural painting began in June of this year and was completed in October. Pons initiated the process by holding workshops with Sophia at his downtown studio.  Like any creative endeavor, they brainstormed ideas focusing on the garden theme and created sketches showing the growth of plants from seed to flower. “Life Cycles” is now the largest public mural in the city of Fredericksburg and the mural team’s most ambitious to date.  

Gabriel Pons:  “Murals are a great way of community building. We’ve structured the mural sessions to accommodate a wide range of skill levels and experience working simultaneously. Volunteers ranged from high school students through parents and teachers. The benefit of a large scale project like this is that it prompts participants to work together to create something much bigger than what one can achieve on their own. Sophia has a knack for rallying the people around her for a project. It’s been reassuring to see many of her former teachers join in on this project.”

Sophia Pineda: “I love the colors!  Gabe is the best mural teacher ever!” 

This project was made possible through the initiatives of Lafayette Elementary teacher, Emily Taylor, the Pineda Family (Sophiola) and Team Bayne/Pineda-Cary Street Partners. Special thanks to the all student volunteers that contributed to painting the mural from the hottest days of summer to the coolest days of autumn.

Team Sophiola: Carol and Andre Pineda, Sophia Pineda, Vicky Barrera

PONSHOP Assistants: Jeff Gulick, Dante Jenkins, Kath Loose, Gillian Hoback, Diego and Cairo Pons, Jessica Cox

Fredericksburg Schools : Principal Courtney Wheeler, Emily Taylor, Tammy Hancock, Marylise Cobey, Heather Wright, Barbara Brown, Megan Waite and Casey Willging. Student volunteers include: Nate and Jerry Perrin, Grace McGirr, Eva Lewis and Nate Hessing.

Learn more about Sophia Pineda and her passion for art HERE.

Love FXBG Mural at Ageless Aesthetics

In late 2021, Gabriel Pons was commissioned by Ageless Aesthetics MD (3447 Fall Hill Avenue, Fredericksburg) to create a 1,000 square foot mural at their business that embodied the love for their practice and, more importantly, their fondness for the city of Fredericksburg. This was the largest mural Pons had executed to-date and pushed him to create original and iconic art that inspires the community.

The most common question from people that stopped by while he was working onsite is “How long does this take you?” Well, the creative process started back in November 2021 with concept sketches and reference photography. Thanks to our friend Mike Pullum for helping shoot our model, Peyton. The first half of the mural (Love FXBG) was completed in November and December. Work resumed on Peyton’s portrait in early May 2022 and was completed by mid-July. All together, over 175 people hours on site and many hours in the studio.

"Remembering Spring" Mural at Hugh Mercer Elementary

Titled “Remembering Spring” , This 8-foot by 8-foot mural by Gabriel Pons is located at the school’s interior entry hallway. Murals have a great ability for place making, creating a landmark for reflection and enhancing a space.

Compositionally, this artwork was a continuation of the “In Bloom” mural completed in the summer of 2021 in the Hugh Mercer garden. The concept was that every flower was like a student, constantly in a state of growth and blooming with curiosity. This piece is like a little sister to the outdoor mural - an arrangement of wildflowers symbolizing the unique and diverse personalities of those that we are commemorating. The inclusion of the “forget me nots” was a deliberate nod to the sentiment that although we will miss those we’ve lost, their impact on our lives will be remembered forever.

“Remembering Spring” was commissioned and generously funded by the Hugh Mercer Elementary PTA.



"Fortunate Unions" Mural at Germanna Community College

This community mural was completed in March of 2022 at Germanna Community College and was a collaboration between Gabriel Pons of PONSHOP and local teen artist Sophia Pineda.

Titled “Fortunate Unions” , The 30-foot long mural adorns the Student Lounge of Germanna Community College and was inspired by the potentials of a college campus-a place that fosters connections between people: academic, professional, personal and social. The artwork acknowledges the diversity, inclusion, and optimism that is embodied in our community. We are confident that it will continue to inspire students through the years to enlighten and bridge differences in our region with the hope of global change.
Thanks to Kelly Saunders, GCC Student Activities Coordinator, the Germanna Faculty and the Pineda Family (Sophiola) for the opportunity to collaborate on this project. Special thanks to the volunteers that helped paint the mural.

Learn more about Sophia Pineda and her passion for art HERE.

Widewater Elementary Mural - Stafford, VA

In October of 2021, Gabriel Pons worked with Widewater Elementary School Art Instructor Courtney Hupman to create a 34-foot long mural in the school cafeteria. The concept was to create a panoramic view of the convergence of Aquia Creek and the Potomac River while layering historic and cultural figures as a means to celebrate the Widewater Region. The mural, titled “Sunrise at the Water’s Edge” was made possible through a grant from the Stafford County Museum and is just one of many murals executed in the county schools focusing on history and culture. The artwork also acts as a two-dimensional diorama, featuring insight to the people that make Stafford County so unique historically. See the key below.

ReFuel Mural Installation

Gabriel Pons created a 16-foot long mural installation for ReFuel Nutrition and Energy (328 Patriot Highway, Fredericksburg, VA) in the summer of 2021. The business wanted a fresh re-branding of their energy drink business and asked Pons to refresh the look and feel of their logo. His concept was to make the typography emulate the sensory joy of their drinks - bright, refreshing, and inevitably fluid.

Custom Skateboard Installation at Blue Cow Ice Cream

Gabriel Pons was commissioned to create a feature wall for Blue Cow Ice Cream Company, an artisan ice cream outfit that opened in Fredericksburg in the summer of 2021. Working with the client, he collaborated to do an “ice cream-centric” installation that included different flavor color ways of cones combined with quotes scribed in the background of skateboard decks.

Thanks to the owners of Blue Cow Ice Cream Company! Check them out in Fredericksburg, VA at 607 William Street.

2022 First Friday Fun: The City Scroll Project

Event Dates: Monthly, Every First Friday in 2022 (5-9pm)

PONSHOP is excited to announce a year-long First Friday initiative that aspires to better connect and showcase the creativity of Fredericksburg’s art community. The “City Scroll Project” is an interactive art exercise that invites participants to make their mark during our First Friday openings each month.

Why City Scroll? In the spirit of adaptability and creative solutions for First Friday events, PONSHOP owner, Scarlett Pons, posed the question “How can we provide the public with a free event that encourages crowd participation on a large-scale, but is orchestrated incrementally in a personal and comfortable setting?” The answer was to create a collective art project that is built little by little each month.

How it Works Inspired by the “exquisite corpse” format that surrealist painters and writers used as a parlor game in the 1920s, participants will have the opportunity to collectively create a tapestry of drawings, building off of the artwork of the prior artist.  PONSHOP is providing a 3-foot tall by 200-foot long paper scroll to be used throughout the course of 2022.  Each artist (or artist group) will have access to approximately 6-feet of paper during their 50-minute session.  The creative content is up to the artist. We only ask that it is appropriate for family viewing and that it responds to the previous artwork.

Participant Registration Everyone is eligible to participate in the City Scroll Project and requires no fee. Individuals or groups of up to 4 can reserve a time on the PONSHOP website.  Blocks of 50-minutes are available between 5pm and 8pm every First Friday. All drawing materials (pens, pencils, colored pencils) are provided by PONSHOP, however participants can certainly bring their favorite tools (as long as they work well with paper).


Click Here To Register for a First Friday City Scroll time slot.

"Heart for Art" Mural Project at Hugh Mercer Elementary

Heart_for_Art-insta-square-800px.jpg

Community is Everything

Late last year, I met a young woman with a passion for art and plenty of positive personality to bring to the table. Since then, I have worked with Sophia in various virtual art classes and this summer we’re embarking on our most ambitious creative endeavor to date.

Help us achieve something monumental as we celebrate creativity through this young artist’s eyes.  Fredericksburg teen Sophia Pineda and the Jayem Pals have teamed up with artist Gabriel Pons to paint a 750-square foot mural at Hugh Mercer Elementary. Follow their progress, support the effort and see what great things can happen when an inspired idea becomes a reality with the help of the Fredericksburg community.

Jayem Pals is a social club that provides students with and without disabilities to be involved in school activities and to form friendships. Click Here to donate to Jayem Pals.

Josh Lawrence Salon Mural

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

February 2021 was a tough month. It seemed like every week was a sleet or snow storm and temps rarely got above 40 degrees. Fortunately, I was pleasantly distracted working on this mural at Josh Lawrence Salon.

This is the first of two murals in their Fredericksburg salon. The owners, Josh and Lawrence, were fans of PONSHOP through the years and gave me carte blanche on the artwork. My concept for their space is to explore the materiality of hair: color, form, and texture. This first mural, located in the front room, was inspired by a lock of hair that Scarlett sent to me back in the fall of 1995 when I was in Europe doing a semester abroad. If you take a look at the Josh Lawrence Instagram, you’ll see that they are masters of the cut and color and I’ve seen it myself! They have the ability to transform their clients and by the time they’re finished, clients can’t stop looking in the mirror.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Shout out to Josh and Lawrence for being so patient and accommodating throughout my late night painting sessions . I’m looking forward to the next mural!