Artist Designs Banners for Ridge Hill
This month, banners displaying the artwork of local artist Alfredo Ponce will be installed on lampposts throughout Ridge Hill Shopping Center in Yonkers. ArtsWestchester, in partnership with the Center, invited artists to submit designs for the commission project. As the open-air center reopens to shoppers, Market Street, where Ponce’s design will appear, will be converted into a pedestrian-only zone so that visitors can enjoy the outdoor environment while social distancing comfortably.
Ponce works primarily in collage, deconstructing print media and transforming it into new representations that are broken down into two distinct elements: colors and shapes. The resulting works are abstract or figurative compositions in a style that Ponce refers to as “Collage-Minimalism.” He explains: “As a longtime resident of Yonkers, I wanted my proposals to highlight the diversity of the City: its various people, cultures and ideas. Two of the designs, Community is Unity I & II are the result of a call for unification during these complicated times…[The third design,] Move, represents an attitude of fun, joyful happiness together in brighter days ahead.”
Ponce’s artwork was selected through a competitive panel process, which included representatives from ArtsWestchester and Ridge Hill.
A version of this article first appeared in the July issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNewsis distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.
About ArtsWestchester
For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.
For more than 50 years, ArtsWestchester has been the community’s connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, it is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester County. ArtsWestchester helps fund concerts, exhibitions and plays through grants; brings artists into schools and community centers; advocates for the arts; and builds audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. In 1998, ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue which has since been transformed into a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community. A two-story gallery is located on the first floor of ArtsWestchester’s historic building on Mamaroneck Avenue.
