The Bethesda Row Arts Festival has helped National Institutes of Health Children’s Charities for 11 years. This year, 180 juried artists and crafters from throughout the nation offer 10,000 pieces of art that run the gamut from traditional paintings to an “other” category.
While visitors stroll the four-block area filled with sidewalk cafés, shops and boutiques, they will be regaled by street performers and musicians. Dancing shoes are recommended when the Daryl Davis Jazz Band, the Donato Soviero Trio, the Lovejoy Group and other favorites hold forth on the Elm Street and Main Stages. There also will be plenty of hands-on art activities to keep children amused.
One of the most exciting exhibits will be that of metal designer Rob Glebe of Chestertown, Md. After spending 12 years designing custom cabinetry for yachts, he utilized his tool and dye background and love of textures to create vessels snapped up in galleries and high-end shows on the East Coast and on the Internet.
“My most common piece begins with metal cut many times in one shape, say that of a leaf,” he says. “After welding it together, I sand-blast it and apply different patinas, stains or other finishes. Instead of welding, I may rivet it together. To preserve the color, I satin-lacquer the piece.”
Glebe designs 99 percent of his wares, but he also creates items on request, such as the flat hanging sculpture for the showroom of a Philadelphia interior design shop. “Mini Pearls,” one of his most unusual pieces, is decorated with natural and crystalline pearls giving the effect of dew drops. He envisions mixing steel and clay in the future, perhaps for wall hangings.
Ann Friedman of Chevy Chase designs award-winning jewelry 20 years after body surfing at the shore caused a brain stem injury that forced her to abandon her career as an anti-trust lawyer.
“While vacationing at Canyon Ranch, I attended a beading session and became intrigued by how beads can be used,” she says. “People tell me that my designs are different from anything they’ve seen. A necklace may be made of double silver chains with different size links. Another may mix hand-tooled sterling silver beads with colored beads.
“I write a story about each necklace and bracelet. The one behind my red and silver Firefall bracelet was inspired by the bonfires built at Yosemite Park. When the ashes are shoveled off the cliff at 9 every evening, it looks like fire falling. The firefall became so popular the park was clogged with traffic and it was discontinued.
“I hope those who purchase my jewelry have as much fun wearing it as I have creating it.”
If you go
The Bethesda Row Arts Festival
Venue: Bethesda Row at Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues and Elm Street, east of Arlington Road, Bethesda
When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Information: Free; 301-816-6958 or www.bethesdarowarts.org
