William and Mary Professor Wins Bethesda Painting Awards' Top Prize

BETHESDA, MD — Nicole Santiago of Williamsburg, Virginia, was awarded "Best in Show" on Wednesday in the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District’s Bethesda Painting Awards. Santiago was awarded $10,000 for winning Best in Show.

Stephanie Cobb of Washington, D.C., was named the second-place winner and was given $2,000, and Kate Fleming of Arlington received third place and was awarded $1,000.

Lindsay Mueller of Arlington was recognized with the Young Artist Award and received $1,000.

Santiago, who won Best in Show for her work, "Where Things Land," is a professor of art at the College of William and Mary, where she teaches life drawing, drawing, color theory, and 2D design. Her work is exhibited often, having been included in more than 100 group and solo exhibitions during her career.

The competition’s jurors were Lillian Hoover, 2019 finalist of Bethesda Painting Awards, and 2012 Best in Show Winner of the "Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards"; Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi, 2015 finalist of Bethesda Painting Awards; and John Lee, associate professor of painting at the College of William & Mary.

Nearly 300 artists from Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., submitted works to the annual competition.

The Bethesda Painting Awards finalists' work will be on display from June 8 to July 2 at Gallery B at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. Gallery hours during the exhibit will be Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m., and a public opening reception will be held on Friday, June 9 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Bethesda Painting Awards were established by local business owner Carol Trawick in 2005. Trawick has served as a community activist for more than 25 years in downtown Bethesda and established The Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation in 2007. She is the founder of The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards.

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