Digital rendering of a brick building with green metal roof, front porch under construction, and circular brick patio with surrounding wooden benches, in a grassy area with a cloudy sky.

Rendering of a brick building with a green metal roof and a newly added wooden porch with multiple glass-paneled doors, a curved brick patio, and outdoor seating with beige blocks on a grassy area under a partly cloudy sky.

Rendering of a house with a group of people standing in a semi-circle on a circular patio, some sitting and some standing, in front of the house under a covered porch, with a lawn and a curved pathway in the foreground.

Sketch of a large building with a courtyard, where several people and children are playing and sitting on benches, under a cloudy sky.

A grayscale architectural rendering of a large historic-style building with multiple sections, connected by walkways, featuring gabled roofs, small towers, and a covered porch with people standing underneath.

A grayscale 3D rendering of an outdoor patio area adjacent to a historic building with a gabled roof and multiple arched windows, featuring a group of sculptures and a bench on a grassy field with cloudy sky background.

A grayscale architectural rendering of a backyard scene with a group of people, some playing musical instruments, some dancing, sitting, and relaxing on curved benches, in front of a house with large windows and a sliding door, surrounded by gravel a

A line drawing of a building with a green roof, a courtyard with a tree, and a curved wall in the front.

Aerial view of a building complex with a red star marking a specific location, surrounded by trees, parking areas, and green spaces.

A detailed master plan of a park and museum grounds with pathways, trees, open grassy areas, and a building highlighted in red at the center.

A sketch of a large building with a shaded roof, multiple sections, and a landscaped yard with a curved pathway.

Architectural drawing showing building sections of a folk art hub, including rehearsal space with a sloped roof and audience area, and work area with restrooms, with human silhouettes for scale.

Architectural floor plan of the Folklife Hub, an addition to the Sandy Spring Museum, with detailed layouts of rooms and corridors.

Architectural floor plan of a Folklife Hub including a porch, rehearsal space, gathering area, pantry, restrooms, storage, and an outdoor plaza with seating walls.

Rendering of an outdoor courtyard with a stage where musicians are performing and people sitting on curved benches around the stage, with a house in the background.

Illustration of a group of people gathered on a patio with a grassy area and a building in the background during daytime.

Rendering of a building with brick walls, green metal roof, and a circular brick patio in front of wooden double doors, surrounded by sidewalk and grassy areas.

Willow Grove Cultural Commons

Overview

The Willow Grove Cultural Commons is now open! The Grove provides free and reduced-fee space for traditional artists and folk groups to use for rehearsals, recordings, meeting, workshops and performances. The Grove consists of 1800sf of interior space with a small kitchen, and open space for creative activities with a full wall of mirrors. An outdoor amphitheater can fit about 75 people.

Interested in using the Grove for an activity? Please begin by submitting this application to introduce yourself. A staff member will get back to you with information on how to reserve the space.

Support

Through the generosity of many funders, including the State of Maryland, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Montgomery County, the museum has raised $2 million toward the construction and furnishing of the Willow Grove Cultural Commons. We are continuing to seek funds to ensure that Sandy Spring Museum can provide equitable access to the Grove and support for individual artists and groups in a long-term, financially sustainable way. Philanthropic support will allow the museum, which in the past has relied heavily on earned income and extremely competitive grant funds, to allocate space, resources, and assistance to traditional artists and groups at little to no expense to them.

Your gift to the Willow Grove Cultural Commons at Sandy Spring Museum will:

Promote social equity and connect people to Montgomery County's storied past, present, and future.
Create more expert-led, artist-led, and community-led initiatives and experiences.
Advance the role of Sandy Spring Museum as a leader in the discussion of cultural heritage and community engagement, regionally and nationally.

Together, we can create a more inclusive and vibrant community where every culture is celebrated and cherished.

Naming opportunities at the Willow Grove Cultural Commons are available at a range of levels. To learn more, please contact Kim Keller.

Donate

Cultural Artist Highlights

A man with a beard playing a black violin outdoors in a grassy field, smiling and wearing a blue plaid shirt.

Ben Kepler
multi-instrumentalist and leader, Bluegrass Jam

“Musicians and traditional artists need space where they can come together, inspire one another, and build a supportive community. Montgomery County is home to masters of performing and visual arts. The creation of the Willow Grove Cultural Commons will benefit all of us and provide audiences with opportunities to explore many rich cultural traditions.”

Angel Rivera
percussionist and founder and leader, Cultura Plenera

A man with glasses, a beard, and a shaved head holding a drum, speaking into a microphone while wearing a black shirt with text related to Puerto Rico, in a room with a presentation screen in the background.

“Sharing Puerto Rican culture and traditions is our North Star. Sandy Spring Museum is our preferred location for events, including concerts in the Plena and Bomba Afro-Puerto Rican musical genres. The Willow Grove Cultural Commons will enable us to present more cultural expressions, including traditional visual arts and food.”

Man with glasses and dark hair wearing a red jacket and black shirt, sitting and holding a large, round metallic gong against a dark background.

Jalal Kimia
percussionist and leader, Drum Circle

“Sandy Spring Museum has been an incredible partner in supporting my Drum Circle project. They provide the perfect space and manage everything from registration to promotion, allowing me to meet new people, expand my network, and share my art with a wider audience…Without their unwavering support, it would be much harder to continue this journey of creative expression and community building.”

Ten women dressed in traditional Polish folk costumes with floral headbands, posing in front of a building entrance.

Diana Weinroth
vocalist, Orfeia Vocal Ensemble

“Orfeia is a collective of women vocalists working in the musical traditions of Bulgaria and Eastern Europe. By providing a space where artists can freely work, rehearse, and engage with the community, the hub will empower us and other traditional artists to expand our reach and deepen our impact.”

A woman with curly blonde hair wearing an orange dress reading from a paper into a microphone in a dimly lit room decorated with string lights, a rainbow flag on the wall, and people seated at tables.

Julia Tagliere
Moco Underground Writers Workshop

“When I first visited Sandy Spring Museum some eleven years ago, I immediately recognized the potential for something bigger. As a writer, I saw a growing need for a public gathering space to focus not just on learning about or preserving our history but also where all could explore our common humanity through artistic and cultural experiences. Therefore, seeing the new Willow Grove Cultural Commons taking shape now is tremendously exciting. I'm already imagining the rich, meaningful, illuminating experiences that will take place there for years to come. I look forward to seeing you there soon.”

Three women dancing and smiling in a room with a wooden ceiling, hanging lights, and a clock on the wall.

Suteera Nagavajara
dancer and artistic director, Somapa Thai Dance Company

“The Somapa Thai Dance Company enjoys performing at Sandy Spring Museum. We have also used the museum’s library to rehearse. Because the library isn’t always available, and we have no other space, our 8-10 dancers and musicians drive to a member’s distant home for weekly practice. The museum is much closer to most of us, and the Willow Grove Cultural Commons will provide us with a much more central location for rehearsals. In addition, it will be a wonderful place to engage students and train the next generation of dancers and musicians.”

Willow Grove Cultural Commons Donors

$100,000+

The Kathy & John Lyons Family

Maryland State Arts Council

Maryland State Department of Commerce

Montgomery County

Jerry Therrien (in-kind)

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

$50,000-$99,999

Chesapeake Bay Trust

Family of Helen Nesbitt & Arthur Douglas Farquhar

Knu Designs (in-kind)

Maryland Heritage Areas Authority

Susan & Christopher Milner

Naomi Yadin-Mendick & David Mendick

$10,000-$49,999

Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County

Carl M. Freeman Foundation

Pettit Family Charitable Foundation

Cynthia Raposo & Joseph Furey

Sandy Spring Museum Garden Club

$2,500-$9,999

C-Crete Technologies

Susan Fifer Canby & Tom Canby

Toni & Bruce Evans

Elizabeth Hartge

Julie & Tim Hussman

Olney Civic Fund, Inc.

$1,000-$2,499

Susan & Mark Ellis

Betty Hiner

Ben Kepler (in-kind)

Nancy Lark

Lynn & John Mahoney

Trish & Paul Mangus

Kym & Mark Rice

Lesley & Elie Rogers

Sharon & Jerry Therrien

$500-$999

Milana Borovskaia

Amy & Dan Cohen

Aileen & Ayden Ding

Ellen & John Feeney

Martha Hale

Kim Keller & Eric Wenocur

Rachel & Scott Knudson

Bonnie & Richard Kramer

Soraya Mariani & Tim Resch

Nadine & Greg Mort

Audrey & Robert Partington

Lisa & Jeff Ross

Katherine & Anthony Ramienski

Allison Weiss & Fred Sisk

Supporting Artists and Partners

Milana Borovskaia

Ben Kepler

Mayur Dance Company

Gerald David Oster

The Willow Grove Cultural Commons is made possible through grants from:

Seal of Montgomery County, Maryland featuring a shield with symbols, a knight's helmet with plumes, and the motto 'Gardez Bien'.