OCEAN CITY — Paintings by John Davis Held and the new “A Week in the Life of Ocean City” photography contest show are featured at the Ocean City Center for the Arts in August.
The public is invited to the free opening reception at the center on First Friday, Aug. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. to meet the artists and enjoy hors d’oeuvres. The shows will run until Aug. 27.
Baltimore artist John Davis Held is featured in the Thaler Gallery with a show entitled “Studies in Light.” His work evokes a strong mood, whether he is capturing a stormy landscape or a dramatic still life, in a technique that combines oils and pastels. For Held, it’s all about the light, and he is noted for his luminous skies.
As a child, Held was inspired to be an artist by his frequent visits to the art galleries of New York City. He attended the California Institute of the Arts and Evergreen State College in Washington, has participated in Baltimore Artscapes and is currently represented by the Troika Gallery in Easton.
Juried works from “A Week in the Life of Ocean City” photography contest will hang in Studio E in August, and cash prizes will be awarded during the First Friday opening. The photographers turned their cameras to the resort during the week of July 10-16, capturing slices of life during the height of the summer season. All submitted photographs will be on display at the Arts Center from Aug. 5-7.
The oil and acrylic paintings of Brigitte Bowden hang in the Spotlight Gallery during August. She received her undergraduate and Masters of Education degrees from Salisbury University. As coordinator of instruction for the Worcester County Public Schools, she supervised the school system’s visual arts program. Bowden currently teaches art at the Art Institute and Gallery in Salisbury and the Worcester County Arts Council.
Marge Bradach of Gargatha, Va. is the artisan in residence during August. Her expressive jewelry combines earth, wind and fire to form a visual adornment meant to inspire the wearer. Her surroundings of fields, sea breezes, and hot summer days influence her creations.
The Ocean City Center for the Arts at 502 94th Street is the home of the Art League of Ocean City, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the visual arts to the community through education, exhibits, scholarship, programs and community art projects.
Financial support comes primarily through membership dues from individuals and corporate sponsors. Funding for exhibits is also provided by the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, the Worcester County Arts Council, Maryland State Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, organizations dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive.