Eight painters have been selected as finalists for the Bethesda Painting Awards, a juried competition and exhibition produced by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District. Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. submitted work to the tenth annual competition created to exclusively honor regional painters. The work of the eight finalists will be on display at Gallery B from June 1-25, 2016.

The artists selected as finalists are:

John Aquilino, Rockville, MD

Katie Baines, North Chesterfield, VA

Amy Chan, Henrico, VA

Andy Karnes, Baltimore, MD

Richard Levine, Falls Church, VA

Erin Raedeke, Montgomery Village, MD

Amy Sherald, Baltimore, MD

Tanja Softic, Richmond, VA

The Best in Show winner will be awarded $10,000, second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. A young artist may also be awarded $1,000.  Artists were juried by Dorothy Moss, associate curator of painting and sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery; Dr. David Park Curry, senior curator of Decorative Arts, American Painting & Sculpture at the Baltimore Museum of Art; and Megan Marlatt, award-winning artist and professor at the University of Virginia.

A public opening will be held on Friday, June 10 from 6-9pm in conjunction with the Bethesda Art Walk. Gallery B is located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E in downtown Bethesda.  Gallery hours are Wed. – Sat., 12-6pm. For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org.