Aluminum sculptures installed in downtown Bethesda highlight arts and entertainment district

Thirteen B-shaped aluminum sculptures have been placed throughout downtown Bethesda to brand the community as an arts and entertainment district.

“The statues make people realize a lot is happening here in the arts,” said Stephanie Coppula, marketing director for the Bethesda Urban Partnership. “Arts and entertainment is getting recognized and we’re doing it in a fun and artistic way.”

A dedication of the sculptures will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Veterans Park, at Woodmont and Norfolk avenues.

The nonprofit Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District Inc., which the Bethesda Urban Partnership manages, raised $50,000 for the project, which the county matched. The nonprofit is the producer of such events as The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards; Bethesda Painting Awards; Bethesda Fine Arts Festival; Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards; Bethesda Film Fest; Play In A Day; and “Paint the Town.”

Twenty-one local organizations contributed to the project: Bernard Family Foundation; The Bernstein Cos.; Bethesda Urban Partnership; Central Farm Markets; Chevy Chase Land Co.; The Donohoe Cos.; EagleBank; Fred & Starr Ezra; Greenhill Realty; Jane Fairweather Team/Coldwell Banker; LA and LK Greenberg Charitable Foundation; Lerch, Early & Brewer; Linowes and Blocher; Mark Kramer Architects; Zachary & Janna Oxman; Polinger Co.; Stage 2 A/V Productions; TD Bank; The Tower Cos.; United Bank; and Vamoose.

The sculptures are installed at the following locations:

• 7200 Wisconsin Ave.
• Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Road
• Bethesda Metro, at Wisconsin Avenue and Old Georgetown Road
• Bethesda Urban Partnership, 7700 Old Georgetown Road
• Bethesda and Woodmont avenues
• Fairmont and Norfolk avenues
• Norfolk and Del Ray avenues
• Wisconsin Avenue and Bradley Boulevard
• Woodmont and St. Elmo avenues
• Gallery B, 7701 Woodmont Ave.
• Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave.
• Round House Theatre, 4545 East West Highway
• Veterans Park, corner of Norfolk and Woodmont avenues