How does a city recognize the arts when it is overwhelmingly known as a restaurant town? According to the art community in Bethesda, the simple answer is a walk — an art walk to be more specific.
"It all got started in 2002 when downtown Bethesda was named an Arts and Entertainment district by the state," explains Stephanie Coppula, director of marketing at the Bethesda Urban Partnership, the organization that puts on Bethesda’s monthly art walk program, "We had several new galleries moving in so we met with gallery owners and suggested the art walk."
The free Bethesda Art Walk takes place the second Friday of every month, the next being July 13. Galleries keep their doors open late from 6-9 p.m. and patrons can pick up a map at galleries or at www.bethesda.org that will guide them around to 13 different galleries in Bethesda or join a guided tour at 6:30 p.m. that goes through nine of the 13 galleries.
"We all meet at the Bethesda Metro," said Carole Rabel, one of the two tour guides who lead the art walk tours, "We tour nine galleries and it takes about two or two and half hours."
THE TOURS usually consist of a bit of walking and a hop on the Bethesda Circulator, a free bus that runs throughout Bethesda, in order to get across town at some points. Both Rabel and her tour guiding partner, Potomac resident Sharis Simondan, have backgrounds in art, which is what attracted them to the position.
"My education is in art history," said Simondan, "and I saw they were looking for people so I got in touch. I am particularly interested in introducing the public to art and educating people on the subject."
The two guides usually split the group up after meeting at the Metro station, and lead their groups in opposite directions, to make it easier to communicate to the groups, and to avoid crowding the smaller galleries. The groups stop in each gallery and discuss the artwork and the gallery itself.
"Before we get into the gallery I’ll talk about what the gallery is like and the type of art it offers," said Rabel, "Then we’ll go in and spend 15 to 20 minutes in the gallery discussing the art and talking with the gallery owner."
Participants can join and leave the tour whenever they please, spending more time in a gallery that particularly intrigues them, or darting ahead to something they may want to see more.
"As the tours go on the group size changes as people leave or join. You don’t have to spend the whole time with the tour," said Simondan.
While the art is the first and foremost subject of the art walk it’s not the only reason to participate. Many people join the tours for a night of fun in Bethesda, mixing dinner and other activities in with the tour.
"On a more social level it’s a great way to use an evening for a date or for fun, and of course it’s free which is always a bonus," Simondan added.
THE GALLERIES are equally involved in the art walk. Not simply content to keep their doors open late, many of the participating galleries will have a show's opening reception on the night of the art walk, along with food and drink.
"The galleries try to correspond their opening receptions with the art walk each month," said Coppula, "It gives patrons a chance to meet and discuss the art with the artist themselves."
Even the gallery owners are involved with the walk and the tour, notes Elyse Harrison, the owner and curator of Gallery Neptune, a modern art gallery, and a presence in the Bethesda art scene since 1998.
"I try to stop and talk to everyone. I’ll introduce the gallery when people come in, give people an idea of the type of art we show," she said.
BETHESDA’S ART scene has been steadily growing over the past few years, offering more and varied art work from traditional painting to modern sculpture or photography.
"I think the best thing about it is how much the art scene has grown in the past five years," said Coppula, "We have so many great galleries will all kinds of work. It’s a constantly growing and continually evolving scene."
Harrison has seen great changes in Bethesda’s art scene too.
"The art scene is growing quickly. There are a lot of art lovers here in Bethesda and the city is ready for many more great galleries. There is an incredible audience for it," she said.
Even with the growing art scene area residents don’t always seem to realize the extent of the area's art scene
"Everyone who comes on the walk is always surprised how many great galleries there are and how much stuff is going on in Bethesda. The tours are just a great way to see what is going on, there is a lot more going on artistically in Bethesda than most people think.
Everyone involved, from organizers to participants, agrees that getting the public involved with art is possibly the best aspect of the art walk.
"When I’m on the art walk people are genuinely engaged. You are looking at some great emerging artists that are usually just on the cusp of becoming big names or already are. It is just an amazing opportunity to see art," said Rabel.
Coppula just wants people to be aware that the Bethesda art scene is both thriving and growing. "There’s plenty of great art coming out of D.C., Maryland and Virginia. You don’t have to go to New York to see the best and newest contemporary artists, it’s all right here."