21st Bethesda Painting Awards – Finalists Exhibition

The 21st Bethesda Painting Awards Finalists Exhibition, on view at Gallery B from June 4 through June 28, 2026, showcases the work of eight outstanding painters from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., selected from nearly 300 submissions. Founded in 2005 by Carol Trawick, the annual competition exclusively honors painters from the region, and this year’s exhibition features the award winners: Monica Ikegwu (Best in Show, $10,000), Julia Gould (Second Place, $2,000), Elizabeth Coffey (Third Place, $1,000), and Kai Jones (Young Artist Award, $1,000). The exhibition also includes finalists Sally Bowring, Thomas Bunnell, Jeffrey Deane Hall, and Minh Trang Huynh, each bringing distinct approaches to contemporary painting—from hyper-realistic trompe l’oeil to layered explorations of identity, heritage, and fantasy. The gallery is located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E, in downtown Bethesda.

When: June 4 – June 28, 2026.

Gallery Hours: Thursday through Saturday, 12–5pm; Sunday, 11am–4pm. Closed Monday through Wednesday.

Opening Reception: Friday, June 12, 6–8pm. Free and open to the public.

Tickets: Free admission. No advance tickets required.

Venue: Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E, Bethesda, MD.

Finalists: Sally Bowring (Richmond, VA), Thomas Bunnell (Washington, DC), Elizabeth Coffey (Richmond, VA), Julia Gould (Baltimore, MD), Jeffrey Deane Hall (Richmond, VA), Minh Trang Huynh (Richmond, VA), Monica Ikegwu (Baltimore, MD), and Kai Jones (Washington, DC). Full biographies for each artist are available on the Bethesda Urban Partnership website.

Winners: Monica Ikegwu – Best in Show ($10,000); Julia Gould – Second Place ($2,000); Elizabeth Coffey – Third Place ($1,000); Kai Jones – Young Artist Award ($1,000).

Jury: The 2026 jury includes Mira Hecht (Washington, DC), Ernest Shaw (Baltimore, MD), and Hilary Wilder (Richmond, VA). Each juror is a practicing artist and educator with extensive exhibition and teaching experience.

Founder and Chair: Carol Trawick founded the Bethesda Painting Awards in 2005; Catriona Fraser, award-winning photographer and curator, serves as the non-voting Chair.

Note: The exhibition is free and open to all ages. No run time is listed; visitors may come during gallery hours. For additional information, visit the Bethesda Urban Partnership website.