For more information on the Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, please visit www.bethesda.org.
Deadline: January 13, 2026
Awards
First place: $350, published on The Writer's Center's blog and magazine, and a free class and membership to The Writer's Center.
Second Place: $250
Third Place: $150
Honorable Mention: $75
All winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership and The Writer's Center websites, as well as, honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase, March 12, 2026.
Requirements Poems cannot be more than 21 lines of text. Only one entry per person. Poems must be original work of the applicant and must be currently unpublished. Any poems containing material that is obscene or objectionable will be disqualified. AI-generated or AI-assisted poems are not eligible for submission and will be disqualified.
Eligibility Residents of Washington, D.C. and the select counties of Maryland (Montgomery and Prince George's) and Virginia (Arlington/Alexandria and Fairfax) are eligible. Current and former employees, contractors, directors, and officers of the Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) and their immediate family members are ineligible. Current students, relatives, or close personal friends of the judge(s) are also ineligible. Only one entry per person.
Judge TBD
Notification Applicants will be notified in February 2026.
Copyright All entrants retain the copyright rights that they have in the poems they submit, but by participating in this contest and submitting poems, all entrants grant Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) the right, license, and ability to use and publish all submitted poems (in complete form or in excerpted form) on the BUP Web site, on other Web sites, and in other media.
Questions? Please email poetry@bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660, Ext. 117.
For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org.
Deadline: January 13, 2026
Awards - Up to ten student poets (Grades 9-12) will receive a $75 Young Poets Award. Winners will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership website and The Writer's Center Website, as well as, honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase, held March 12, 2026.
Requirements Poems cannot be more than 21 lines of text. Only one entry per person. Poems must be original work of the applicant and must be currently unpublished. Any poems containing material that is obscene or objectionable will be disqualified. AI-generated or AI-assisted poems are not eligible for submission and will be disqualified.
Eligibility Students must be residents or attend a school in Montgomery County, MD or Washington, D.C.. Current and former employees, contractors, directors, and officers of the Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) and their immediate family members are ineligible. Current students, relatives, or close personal friends of the judge(s) are also ineligible. Must be a high school student (Grades 9-12) at the time of the entry deadline. Only one entry per person.
Judge TBD
Notification Applicants will be contacted in February 2026.
Copyright All entrants retain the copyright rights that they have in the poems they submit, but by participating in this contest and submitting poems, all entrants grant Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) the right, license, and ability to use and publish all submitted poems (in complete form or in excerpted form) on the BUP Web site, on other Web sites, and in other media.
Questions? Please email poetry@bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660, Ext. 117.
For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org.
Essay Contest - Adult (Ages 18+) Category
DEADLINE: January 13, 2026
Topic: Open
Awards
First place: $500, published in the July/August issue of Bethesda Magazine, and complimentary class and membership to The Writer's Center.
Second place: $250
Third place: $150
Honorable Mention: $100
All winning essays will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Magazine websites and will be honored at a special event in downtown Bethesda during Bethesda's Local Writer's Showcase March 13, 2026.
Requirements Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer's choosing. Only one entry per person. Your essay must be your original work. Any essays containing material that is obscene or objectionable will be disqualified. Previously published essays are not eligible. AI-generated or AI-assisted poems are not eligible for submission and will be disqualified.
Eligibility Residents of Washington, D.C. and the select counties of Maryland (Montgomery and Prince George's) and Virginia (Arlington/Alexandria and Fairfax) are eligible. Current and former employees, contractors, directors, and officers of the Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) and their immediate family members are ineligible. Current students, relatives, or close personal friends of the judge(s) are also ineligible. Only one entry per person.
Judges TBD
Notification Winners will be contacted in February 2026.
Copyright All entrants retain the copyright rights that they have in the essays they submit, but by participating in this contest and submitting essays, all entrants grant Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) the right, license, and ability to use and publish all submitted essays (in complete form or in excerpted form) on the BUP website, on other websites, and in other media.
Questions? Please email essay@bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660, Ext. 117.
For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org.
Essay Contest - High School Category
Deadline: January 13, 2026
Topic: Open
Awards
1st Place: $250 and published in the July/August issue of Bethesda Magazine
2nd Place: $150
3rd Place: $75
Honorable Mention: $50
All winning essays will be published on the Bethesda Urban Partnership and Bethesda Magazine websites and will be honored at a special event during the Local Writer's Showcase, March 13, 2026.
Requirements Essays must be limited to 500 words or less about a topic of the writer's choosing. Only one entry per person. Your essay must be your original work. Any essays containing material that is obscene or objectionable will be disqualified. AI-generated or AI-assisted poems are not eligible for submission and will be disqualified.
Eligibility Students must attend a public or private school or reside in Washington, D.C. or Montgomery County, MD to be eligible. Applicants that are 18 years old and still in high school as of March 13, 2026, should apply in this High School Category.
Current and former employees, contractors, directors, and officers of the Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) and their immediate family members are ineligible. Current students, relatives, or close personal friends of the judge(s) are also ineligible. Only one entry per person.
Judges TBD
Notification Applicants will be contacted in February 2026.
Copyright All entrants retain the copyright rights that they have in the essays they submit, but by participating in this contest and submitting essays, all entrants grant Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) the right, license, and ability to use and publish all submitted essays (in complete form or in excerpted form) on the BUP website, on other websites, and in other media.
Questions? Please email essay@bethesda.org or call 301-215-6660, Ext. 117.
For more information, please visit www.bethesda.org
The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District once again invites local artists to submit work to the 22nd annual Bethesda Painting Awards. This juried art competition awards $14,000 in prizes to four selected winners. 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 nine finalists who will be invited to display their work in a group exhibition at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda in June 2026.
Eligibility
Artists must be 18 years of age or older and permanent, full-time residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. 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 and 96 inches in height. All works on paper must be framed to full conservation standards. No reproductions. Artwork must have been completed within the last two years and must be available for the duration of the June 2026 Gallery B exhibition.
The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District will collect a 50% commission on any artwork that is sold during 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.
Jury
- Mira Hecht, Contemporary Artist, Washington, D.C.
- Ernest Shaw, Adjunct Professor, Johns Hopkins University
- Hilary Wilder, Associate Professor in Painting, Virginia Commonwealth University