April 22, 2021 (Bethesda, MD) – Gallery B will feature a group show, “Spirit of Time,” curated by Gallery NK, from April 29 – May 22, 2021. The exhibit will include paintings by Nihal Kececi, sculptures by Nadia Arditti, paintings by Nancy Arons, digital art by Joseph Bounds and paintings by Frank Korb. Gallery B, located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E, Bethesda, MD, will be open Thursday – Saturday, 12-6pm and Sunday, 12-5pm.

Born and raised in Turkey, Nihal Kececi started drawing and painting at a young age. After a career in software analysis Nihal shifted her focus to art. With the previous background in engineering, she knows how to model complex systems precisely and objectively, but painting has transformed her approach and provided the insight she needs to create complex and evocative artwork. She now works in acrylic, oil and pastel and often uses just a palette knife to apply paint to the canvas. Whether she is painting whirling dervishes, dramatic landscapes, or impressionistic figures, she masks the known with the unknown and explores the transcendental. Nihal has exhibited nationally and internationally and is the founder of Gallery NK.

Nadia Arditti, a sculptor and prominent artist from Turkey, is known both for her sculptures of women and of birds. Her curved sculptures of women convey forceful and emotional journeys and the birds, her symbol of freedom, have become a hallmark in Turkish sculpture. Her works have been shown nationally and abroad and appear in permanent collections in the United States and Britain. Her sculpture, “Soaring Wings,” commissioned by London’s Cass Business School, was presented to Queen Elizabeth at the opening of the school. It became the first sculpture designed and cast in Turkey to be erected in Britain. Nadia’s work is influenced by her life experiences, which has been shaped by politically-driven migration, illness and the perception of women and faith in solidarity. Nadia currently lives and works in London, England.

Nancy Arons discovered her passion for painting when she retired in 2006. Her love for the creative process, painting en plein air and the luminosity and rich pigments of oil paints grew into a hobby in which she could express and personalize nature. While her work is somewhat representational, she strived to capture the feeling and essence of a view, focusing on color, light and shapes. Nancy has also found joy in working with various teachers to hone her craft as well as meeting fellow artists who share similar interests. She continues to attend artist workshops and has studied with Walter Bartman at the Yellow Barn and with Glen Kessler at the Compass Atelier. She is also on the Board of the Friends of the Yellow Barn. Nancy has been featured in various solo juried shows throughout the Greater Washington, D.C. area.

Joseph Bounds’s digital artwork uses a multi-step process to create his one-of-a-kind pieces. The featured series is created using 3D models generated in physics simulations of fabric shaped by wind and turbulence patterns. Photographs of paint are applied in layers to the contours of the fabric models before the model is removed, allowing the paint to remain floating along its contours within a virtual space. The paint is then lit within a virtual environment and rendered as a 2D image. Larger images, to maintain high resolution, are rendered in sections which are meticulously composited to form a final image that is then printed onto canvas. Each piece is only printed once so that each work remains one of a kind. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and currently lives and works in North Carolina.

Frank Korb is known for his abstract and plein air works. Through the act of laying down the textures of bible pages to build a grid and texture, he then adds colors, shapes and additional texture as he considers the dynamics of the space and works towards balance and harmony. Based in Burlington, Wisconsin, Frank’s exhibitions have included a variety of galleries and art spaces throughout the state. His works are held in numerous public and private collections nationally and internationally. Frank is also an active member of the plein air community. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and his Master of Art in Visual Studies from Cardinal Stritch University. Frank is a visual arts educator and a Wisconsin Art Education Association board member.

Established by Montgomery County in 1994, Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc. (BUP) is a downtown management organization that markets and maintains downtown Bethesda. The BUP team works in marketing, maintenance, transportation and administration to produce cultural events and community festivals and attend to landscaping and maintenance needs. BUP also manages the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, Bethesda Transportation Solutions (BTS), and the Bethesda Circulator as well as the non-profit art spaces, Gallery B, Studio B and the Triangle Art Studios.

From award-winning theatre to independent films, downtown Bethesda’s Arts & Entertainment District is filled with inspiring artists and art venues.  The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is managed by the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc., and is the producer of The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards, Bethesda Painting Awards, Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, Bethesda Film Fest, Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards and Play In A Day.

For a closer look, please visit www.bethesda.org.