Gabe Pons
Gabriel Pons is a mixed-media artists based out of Fredericksburg, Virginia. He and his wife, Scarlett, own PONSHOP - an art gallery and retail store in downtown Fredericksburg. Their mission is to share their love for art and design with their community through art exhibits, student workshops, and events. Gabriel graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in Architecture in 1997 and after living for eight years
Gabriel Pons
Gabriel Pons is a mixed-media artist based out of Fredericksburg, Virginia. He and his wife, Scarlett, own PONSHOP - an art gallery and retail store in downtown Fredericksburg. Their mission is to share their love for art and design with their community through art exhibits, student workshops, and events. Gabriel graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in Architecture in 1997 and after living in New York City and working in the architecture profession for eight years, he and his wife began pursuing their shared goal of owning their own art studio and gallery. Gabriel's work encapsulates inspiration from his travel experiences, his love of skateboarding and street art. His creative process is grounded in an intimate knowledge of the subject matter coupled with a rigorous layering of material and information that, when complete, inform and delight.
Mirinda Reynolds
Guest presenter Mirinda Reynolds is the recipient of the Daughters of the American Revolution Women in the Arts award 2013 and the Paul Harris Fellow Rotary International Foundation Award 2014 for her Downtown Mural Project. Street artist, oil painter, and art educator, Mirinda Reynolds has worked with over 10,000 students to find their creative potential. She was Grafton Village's Teacher of the Year in 1999 and currently teaches ages 3-11 at Fredericksburg Academy. She now oversees a Local Visiting Artists Program, where she interviews and shares techniques of local artists in her classroom. She travels as a guest street painter across the nation, organizes local street painting festivals annually, and designs large-scale public murals for the Fredericksburg area. A member of Art First Gallery in downtown Fredericksburg, she sells her work locally and online.
Taylor Givens
Taylor Givens is an eighth grade student at Edward E. Drew Middle School. This is her first speech given on a stage.