Bethesda Painting Awards

Bethesda Painting Awards

Gallery B, 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E

The Bethesda Painting Awards, founded in 2005, is downtown Bethesda’s annual juried art competition that exclusively honors painters from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Eight artists will be selected by the panel of judges to exhibit their artwork in June 2026 at Gallery B. The deadline to apply for consideration is Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.

Painting Application

The Bethesda Painting Awards was established by Carol Trawick in 2005. Ms. Trawick has served as a community activist for more than 25 years in downtown Bethesda. She is past Chair of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, past Chair of the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc. and Founder of The Trawick Prize. Additionally, the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation was established in 2007 after the Trawicks sold their successful information technology company. 

Awards

Best in Show – $10,000
Second Place – $2,000
Third Place – $1,000
Young Artist* – $1,000
*Young Artist whose birthday is after February 26, 1996 may be awarded this prize.

The Jurors will select up to eight finalists who will be invited to display their work in a group exhibition at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda in June 2026.

Eligibility

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District invites eligible artists to enter the Bethesda Painting Awards. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. The selected artwork will be on exhibit in June 2026 at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda, MD.

All original 2-D painting including oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, encaustic and mixed media will be accepted. The maximum dimensions should not exceed 60 inches in width. No reproductions. Artwork must have been completed within the last two years and must be available for the duration of the exhibition. Artwork does not have to be for sale at the exhibition. Selected artists must deliver and pick up artwork to and from Gallery B. All works on paper must be framed to full conservation standards.

Important Dates

Deadline for application:
February 26, 2026

Questions?

Contact Jason Liu at jliu@bethesda.org.

Online Application

Apply Online 

Create an account and user login. Upload images and pay $25 entry fee via major credit card.

2026 Jury

Mira Hecht, Washington, DC

Corcoran College of Art and Design

Mira Hecht earned her Master of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute, a Bachelor of Arts from American University, and studied at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. Her work is represented by Addison Ripley Fine Art in Washington, D.C., and Bond Millen Gallery in Richmond, VA. Hecht’s paintings are included in public and corporate collections such as George Washington University, the D.C. Art Bank, Microsoft and the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Her work has been exhibited nationally since 1998, including Art in the Embassies, and reviewed in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and ARTNews. She has taught painting at the San Francisco Art Institute, Washington Studio School, the Corcoran College of Art and Design, and currently teaches independently. Recent exhibitions include Light Works at ADA Art Gallery, Mirror of the Floating World at Addison Ripley Fine Art, and The DMV Collects the DMV at the Kreeger Museum.

Ernest Shaw, Baltimore, MD

Maryland Institute College of Art

Being a native of West Baltimore has taught Ernest Shaw the meaning of perseverance, community, and integrity. As a product of Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore School for the Arts, Morgan State University and Howard University. He has been awarded several awards and residencies including, the Baker Artist Award, Yaddo Artsist Residency, Mass Moca Artist Residency, Vermont Artist Studio Residency and the Ruby Arts Award. His work has appeared in galleries including Creative Alliance, Motor House and Douglass-Isaac Myers Museum in Baltimore, MD and Washington Project of the Arts in Washington, D.C. Shaw has also painted several murals throughout Maryland and New York. Ernest has been an artist and educator for over 20 years and is currently teaching at Maryland Institute College of Art and Johns Hopkins University while pursuing a doctoral degree in philosophy, art theory, and aesthetics/metaphysics.

Hilary Wilder, Richmond, VA

Virginia Commonwealth University

Hilary Wilder is a visual artist who works primarily in painting, as well as in sculpture and installation. She received her Master of Fine Arts from Rutgers University and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. Wilder is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, and two Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowships. Her work has been presented in solo exhibitions at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, The Suburban in Illinois, the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Devin Borden Gallery in Houston, and in group exhibitions at institutions including the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. She has participated in residencies at the Ingmar Bergman Estate in Sweden, Cill Rialaig and Cow House Studios in Ireland, and SÍM in Iceland, as well as the Galveston Artist Residency and the Ucross Foundation in the U.S. Wilder teaches painting at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Exhibition

The work of the finalists will be on exhibit June 2026 at Gallery B, located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E in downtown Bethesda.

June 3 – June 28, 2025
Thursday – Saturday, 12–5pm; Sunday, 11am-4pm
Opening Reception: Friday, June 12, 6-8pm

2025 Winners

Elaine S. Wilson, Best in Show ($10,000)
Mason Owens, Second Place ($2,000)
Anna Child, Third Place ($1,000)
Malik Greene, Young Artist Award ($1,000)

Pictured to the right are:  Councilmember Laurie-Anne Sayles, Elaine S. Wilson, Carol Trawick, Founder of the Bethesda Painting Awards; Kevin Mitchell, Juror; Mary Proenza, Juror and James Williams III, Juror.

2025 Finalists

Sarah Boyts Yoder, Charlottesville, VA

Originally from Fort Worth, TX, Sarah Boyts Yoder earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Eastern New Mexico University and her Master of Fine Arts from James Madison University. Her vibrant, expressive work has been featured in nearly 50 solo and group exhibitions, numerous publications, and is held in both private and corporate collections across the U.S. and internationally. She has received a professional fellowship in painting from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and has been awarded multiple residencies, including at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, 100 West Corsicana in Texas, and Blue Apple Beach in Cartagena, Colombia. In 2025, she will return to Virginia Center for the Creative Arts as a J&E Berkley Foundation Fellow.

Anna Child, Baltimore, MD

Anna Child is a Baltimore-based artist whose abstract paintings are guided by doubt, disorientation, and the act of not knowing. She studied at the New York Studio School and the Maryland Institute College of Art and was a Core Fellow at Penland School of Craft. Recent accolades include multiple Maryland State Arts Council grants and residencies at Woodstock Byrdcliffe, Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Chalk Hill, and Jentel. Her artwork has been recently exhibited in Seattle, WA; Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, MD and Woodstock, NY. A suite of her monotypes was authored by Phil Sanders and will be published this year by PS Marlowe in Asheville, NC.

Malik Greene, Alexandria, VA

Malik Greene is a self-taught painter from Columbia, SC, who is now based in Virginia. Since launching his professional practice in 2021, Greene has developed a distinctive visual language shaped by influences ranging from manga and animation to history, politics, and pop culture. Through his deeply personal work, he explores themes of identity, aspiration, and memory—offering a lens into his lived experience while inviting broader cultural connections. Malik’s work has been featured in recent exhibitions in Columbia, SC; Washington, D.C. and Cambridge, MA. He is currently working on his Master of Fine Arts at George Washington University.

Jeffrey Deane Hall, Richmond, VA

Jeffrey Deane Hall is an artist and educator known for his precise trompe l’oeil paintings layered with rich symbolism. He studied studio art, physics, and art history at the University of Richmond and earned his Master of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University. Hall’s acclaimed “Edges” series—hyper realistic stacks of books—addresses themes of censorship, perception, and systems of knowledge. His work has appeared in New American Paintings, and for over 30 years, he has balanced his studio practice with teaching. He currently chairs the Visual and Performing Arts Department at Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School in Richmond, VA.

Mason Owens, Baltimore, MD

Mason Owens is a multidisciplinary artist based in Baltimore, MD. After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of the Arts in 2013 and studying at The Glasgow School of Art in Glasgow, Scotland, Owens spent eight years working in agriculture and landscaping—an experience that deeply informs his practice. Since 2022, he has focused exclusively on egg tempera, drawn to its natural and tactile qualities. Owens’ debut solo exhibition at Steven Zevitas Gallery in Boston, MA took place in 2024, and his work has appeared in New American Paintings, group shows, and digital publications.  He has participated in group exhibitions in Portland, ME; Baltimore, MD and Washington, D.C. He will be an artist-in-residence at Upland in 2025.

Erin Raedeke, Montgomery Village, MD

Erin Raedeke is a painter whose work has been widely exhibited in both national and international venues, including the National Portrait Gallery in London. She received her Master of Fine Arts from American University and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Indiana University Bloomington. She also studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2003. Raedeke’s detailed and contemplative works have earned her numerous awards, including a Carnegie Mellon Research Grant and two Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards.

Leslie Shellow, Towson, MD

Leslie Shellow is a multidisciplinary artist working in ink, cut paper, book arts, and installation. Inspired by early explorations of the Chesapeake Bay, her work draws from natural forms—microscopic to ecological—and delves into cycles of growth, decay, and regeneration. Shellow has received several Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards and was a finalist for the Baker Artist Award. She has exhibited widely, including at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, Loyola University, and VisArts. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from Towson University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and currently works in paper conservation at the National Gallery of Art.

Elaine S. Wilson, Silver Spring, MD

Elaine S. Wilson is a painter known for her luminous landscape works on linen and wood panels. Her practice is rooted in drawing and deep observation, capturing a sense of place through careful structure and lyrical form. Wilson holds a Master of Fine Arts from Yale University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington University in St. Louis. Her work is included in the collections of the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Library of Congress, and the University of Michigan. With over three decades of teaching experience—including at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and the University of Michigan—Wilson has also received support from the National Education Association, the DC Commission on the Arts, the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation, and the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation.

Founder & Chair

Founder, Carol Trawick

The Bethesda Painting Awards was established by Carol Trawick. Ms. Trawick has served as a community activist for more than 25 years in downtown Bethesda. She is the Chair of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, Past Chair of the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc. and founder of The Trawick Prize. Additionally, Ms. Trawick was Chair of the Glen Echo Park Implementation Committee, Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Parks Foundation and is a member of the Bethesda Chevy Chase Rotary Club. She is a past recipient of the Greater Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Award, the YMCA Community Service Award, the Rotary Public Service Award and the American Association of University Women Service Award. Additionally, the Jim & Carol Trawick Foundation was established in 2007 after the Trawick’s sold their successful information technology company. 

Chair, Catriona Fraser

Catriona Fraser, award-winning photographer, curator and juror is the non-voting Chair of the Bethesda Painting Awards. Ms. Fraser she has orchestrated, organized, curated and juried more than 100 fine art exhibits, and remains active is supporting the careers of emerging artists. Ms. Fraser also serves as Chair of The Trawick Prize and Director of the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival.

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