"The Art of Recovery" Opening Reception: May 4, 2012

"Recovering" by Michael Diehm, Mixed Media on Canvas

The opening reception for "The Art of Recovery" was a huge success this first Friday of May.  This show provides a forum for artists living with mental illness to gain confidence in their abilities, address misconceptions surrounding mental illness, and experience community support. Using Art Therapy to improve and enhance their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, we send a special thanks to the artists for sharing their process of recovery with us. And of course, thank you to the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) and all of you who came out to show your support for the opening. "The Art of Recovery" will continue through the 27th of May.

Exhibiting artists include:

Lisa Brintley, Howard Brown, Jeremy Cabrera, Jimmy Clark, Helen Conley, Gloria Cooke, Hiter Davis IV, Michael Diehm, Scott Fowler, James Gibson, Jr., Scott Haugh, Beth Jarvis, Mark Jones, Margi Mallory, Anthony McKenny, James Miller, Heidi Minor, Buddy Morgan, Tom Page, Sandy Alexandra Pappas, Craig Patak, Annette Pride, David Raines, Tracy Ringquist, RR, Oren Rose, Darah Saunders, Kim Stanley, Page Stoner, Gayle M. Tompkins, T.J.W., Connie Wells, Charles Wertime, Richard West, Lloyd Wilson, Gary Yaw, Suzette Young, Doreen Zaccagnino

April Group Show Opening Reception: April 6, 2012

PONSHOP's latest First Friday opening reception was April's Group Show, held on Friday, April 6th.

The show featured work from Gabriel and Scarlett Pons, Stephen Graham, Joshua Barber, Nicholas Candela, Jeremy Gann, and Adam Desio. The PONSHOP gallery continued to display works from Jack Brown's tattooists Kenny Brown, Chance Kenyon, Grady Spades, Mike Tschirn and Fredericksburg local Elstabo.

Thanks to all participating artists and everyone who came out to support the show! Check out some pictures from the night below.

"Indelible" Opening Reception: March 2, 2012

The opening reception of “Indelible” was a huge success. Thank you to all the participating artists and to those who came out to show their support.  Below are photos from this evening’s event. Participating artists include:  Kenny Brown, Kelley Drake, Chance Kenyon, Grady Spades, and Mike Tschirn, Elstabo, and Adam DeSio

The show will run through April 1, 2012.

"Indelible" Art Show Announcement

PONSHOP Studio and Gallery are pleased to announce “Indelible,” a group show featuring seven of the areas talented and bold contemporary artists. The opening reception will be held on “First Friday” March 2, from 6-10pm. PONSHOP will feature the work of Jack Brown’s Tattoo Revival artists Kenny Brown, Kelley Drake, Chance Kenyon, Grady Spades, and Mike Tschirn. The range of their media includes ink on paper to oil on canvas. Their latest pieces incorporate vibrant colors, surreal images, and bold lines.   Elstabo, a 2011 Urban Decay II featured artist and recent resident talent, is also contributing to the collection with his vivid and graphic paintings on canvas. The show will also include photographs of Jack Brown’s artists taken by Adam Desio.

As a child growing up in central Pennsylvania, Kenny Brown wanted to be a comic book illustrator. Later, he embarked on the path to become a tattoo artist under the tutelage of Dixon Keller. Brown has been plying his trade for nineteen years. He currently owns Jack Brown’s Tattoo Revival with fellow tattoo artist Chance Kenyon in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Brown lives with his wife and two dogs and enjoys making music and painting.

Chance Kenyon, co-owner and tattoo artist at Jack Brown’s Tattoo Revival, became interested in tattooing at age fifteen. Under the influence of his older brother Grady Spades, Scott Junkins, and current business partner Kenny Brown, Kenyon learned to tattoo. Most recently, Kenyon opened Jack Brown’s Tattoo Revival with friend and fellow tattooer Kenny Brown. Outside of the shop, Kenyon is devoted to his daughter, family, and friends.

As a young artist, Kelley Drake realized he had learned more about art from his parents, grandparents, and high school art teachers than in school at the Maryland Institute of College of Arts. After a few years, he dropped out and became the apprentice of tattoo artist Kenny Brown. Drake now tattoos for a living and has been working at Jack Brown’s for five years.

Grady Spades is the older brother of Jack Brown’s co-owner Chance Kenyon. Spades’ influence led Kenyon to pursue tattooing. He now works as a tattoo artist at Jack Brown’s Tattoo Revival.

Mike Tschirn attended Virginia Commonwealth University to study art. He later learned to tattoo and now works at Jack Brown’s Tattoo Revival. Tschirn’s tattoos generally feature bold, graphic designs. When not tattooing, Tschirn enjoys painting works that reflect his love for magical and beautiful things.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Elstabo has earned a BFA from The Fashion Institute of Technology and since 2006 has been living in Northern Virginia working as a commercial and fine artist.  His work pulls inspiration from many genres including comic book illustrations, erotic art and fantasy.

Fredericksburg artist Adam DeSio works with oil and acrylic painting, photography, digital art, and print making.  His work finds new ways of looking at the things all around us while creatively interpreting his experiences. “My goal is to create a piece of art every day, find new ways of looking at things, capture the things I see and experience around me in a unique way.  Adam’s contribution to “Indelible” show includes photographs of Jack Brown’s Tattoo Revival artists.

Opening Reception:  Friday, March 2, 6-10pm

Exhibition Dates: March 2 – April 1, 2012

2011: Year in Photos

August 2011: PONSHOP Shareholders relax aboard their 500-foot yacht...

2011 marked the first full (12-month) year for PONSHOP.  On behalf of Scarlett and I, thank you to all of our artists, clients, family, friends and fans.  It's been a fulfilling experience owning a gallery in downtown Fredericksburg and we look forward to making the arts community stronger in 2012.  Here's a cross section of last year's notable events:

February 2011: First Annual PONSHOP Student Show

April 2011: "Public/Private" Juried Exhibit Opening Night with The Undeniably Adjacent improv group

May 2011: Scarlett and Diego at G40 Uncapped Live Show in Washington DC

May 2011: Gabe and Scarlett collaborate on "Ai Wei Wei: 21st Century Revolutionary" installation at G40

May 2011: PONSHOP hosts "The Art of Recovery" exhibit featuring RACSB artists.

June 2011: Intern Katy Wiedemann  joins PONSHOP for the summer.

June 2011: Gabe participates in the Urban Decay II Show at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA

August 2011: "Tailor Made" T-Shirt Exhibition

August 2011: Storefront Display for Rappahannock Independent Film Festival contest

September 2011: Scarlett and Gabe collaborate on "Miss You, Love You NYC" installation at Fredericksburg Area Museum.

September 2011: "Miss You, Love NYC" installation commemorates 10-year anniversary of 9-11

September 2011: PONSHOP hosts "City Colors" Juried Exhibit

November 2011: PONSHOP Artist Jasmine Lee demonstrates during the Jewelry Show opening reception

December 2011: gallery intern Adriana Christesen joins us for the fall/spring semester.

A Few Of Our Favorite Things

December 19, 2011: It has been an exciting couple of weeks here at the shop.  We had a visit from the Claus family recently, popping in to spread some holiday cheer (and exchange some trade secrets).  Below are some of the latest items in the gallery - check 'em out:

 Comic Book Wallets by Leslie Brier, $18 each

Limited Edition Block Prints by Bill Harris, $75 each

PONSHOP iPhone Cases (4s/4), $42 each

Ceramic Snowflake Votives by Scarlett Pons, $12 each

Fiber Art Bracelets by Nicole Hart, $25 each

December Small Works Show

PONSHOP Studio and Gallery is excited to celebrate the holidays with their annual small works show in December.  The opening reception will be “First Friday” December 2, from 6-10pm. This year’s small works show will include new ceramic work by PONSHOP co-owner Scarlett Pons who has been creating serving and dinner plates using a clay stencil technique, which results in striking patterns and geometries.  Gabriel Pons is exhibiting his signature skateboard deck designs, spray painted vinyl records, as well as his “mini” series of stencil designs on wood blocks.

PONSHOP’s Jewelry Show for November will be held over into December, highlighting six local jeweler’s work ranging in media from upcycled materials, beads, leather, sterling silver, and precious metal clay.

The clothing racks are full of the most recent T-Shirt designs by local brands including PONSHOP, Icy Grape Incident, Nightmare Inc., and Somaphony.  The shop also includes hand-knit “button” scarves, crotchet hats and accessories.

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

PONSHOP encourages the community to “Give from the He(art)” by supporting local artists and designers who have invested their talents in creating one of a kind gifts for this holiday season.

Opening Reception:  Friday, December 2, 6-10pm

Exhibition Dates: December 2 – 31, 2011

All You Zombies Hide Your Faces

The First Annual Fredericksburg Zombie Walk on Saturday November 5, 2011.

Unless you were in the graduating class of 1986, you wouldn't get the pop reference to the title on this blog post.  What ever happened to "The Hooters"?  Anyway, below are some pics from Saturday's Zombie Walk in Downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Participants gave canned food to benefit the Hope House and Fredericksburg Food Bank.  In return, we got to lurch through the historic downtown and get our undead on.  Good times were had by all, especially by my son, Diego, who likes nothing more than to dress up all gory and spook people - a fine overture to the Halloween weekend.  Thanks to the Mean Mommy Club of Fredericksburg for organizing such a fun event.

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.

"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

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.

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.

"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.

Public Art: Caroline Street Fence

Gabe is one of six local artists to participate in Fredericksburg’s latest Public Arts Project. “Beautify the Burg” entails adorning a section of Caroline Street’s 800 Block with six large art panels. The project was unveiled in a public ceremony on Friday, July 2 at 6pm. Below are some pics from the ceremony (and more).

Left to Right: Milvi K. Gill, Gabriel Pons, Brandon Newton, Jay D. Anderson, Bonnie De Lelys, Elizabeth Seaver, Kristi Zerull, and Pat Thalman.

The unveiling took place on June 2nd, 2010

Scarlett and the boys struck a pose in front of my panel.

"Grasshopper #3", mixed media on wood, 40"x56"

Fred Skates Video III: Sticky Icky

StickyIckyness from Fred Slybone on Vimeo.

Ohh yes - the video is out and at Fred Skates (604 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA)
Diego and I went to the Friday Premiere at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, good times... (more images from that weekend to come...)

PONSHOP in the Press

One of the writers for "It!" magazine, a weekly teen feature in the Freelance Star, met with me several weeks ago to talk about the trajectory that Street Art and Graffiti have had over the past few years. With artists like Banksy and Shephard Fairy becoming household names, does that mean that the public will be more receptive to having their streets adorned by anonymous artists? Click Here for the full story.

February 2009: New Work

"...Until the End of the World", Mixed Media on Paper, 20"x20" $500

"Masks of Now", Mixed Media on Paper, 20"x20" $500

February, 2009: I've just finished two paintings that are on exhibit for the month of February at Art First Gallery in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The group show is titled "Transformations" and features new work from participating artists based around this theme.

ROCKTOBER

October is officially renamed to "Rocktober" in the Pons Family Calendar due to rock and roll lifestyle that we're living: face painting, pumpkin patch rides (see the D digging it above), Saturday morning skate sessions...

This is why I've grown to love Virginia - early October weather in the 80s and no humidity: Brooks Park panorama.

B. Smithson (above) blasts frontside for a transfer...

Matt has initiated the Fredericksburg Area Skatepark Association which is a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the quality and conditions of local skateparks through youth involvement and community support. Check out the link and get involved!

"Point of Connection" Exhibit: October 2008

Scarlett will be participating in the "Point of Connection" exhibit at LibertyTown Arts Workshop in October. This exhibition is an exclusive collaboration of painters, fiber artists, and ceramic artists at LibertyTown.

This exhibition runs from October 1-30, 2008
Opening Reception is part of Fredericksburg's First Friday Art Walk: October 3, 5-9pm
LibertyTown Arts Workshop, 916 Liberty Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Visit This Link on Fredericksburg.com for an overiew and video of a selection of the artists.

I'll be posting some select photos of the work soon. For more information, visit the LibertyTown Website.

"Art at the Mill" Exhibition: Millwood, VA

Scarlett and I will be participating in this year's "Art at the Mill" event at the historic Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, Virginia. Sponsored by the Clarke County Historical Association, this juried art exhibit will feature paintings and ceramics from numerous artists in the region. For more information about this event, Click Here.

The show runs daily, from October 4-19, 2008
Sunday through Friday 12-5pm, Saturdays 10-6pm

I will be doing an artist demonstration on Sunday, October 12 at 1pm (prior to the Artist's Reception).

Scarlett and Diego (and baby) posing in front of the restored wood mill...