Wellspring Visions
On exhibit from January 3 – February 10, 2018
Opening reception on Saturday, January 13
Wellspring Visions is an exhibit of art works made by residents of Sandy Spring Friends House in a variety of media including paintings, prints, drawings, pastels, photography, ceramics and textiles.
Wellspring Artists was established at Friends House in 2011 for the purpose of inspiring and giving encouragement to those who create art and those who aspire to do so. Members are professional and avocational artists. The group maintains a small gallery space in Flower Alley of the Main Building. It is open to all residents whether or not they are currently practicing artists.
Friends House is a 50-year old retirement community located in Sandy Spring, Maryland. This non-profit organization was established in 1967 by Quakers to provide affordable housing and fulfilling retirement experiences for seniors. The multicultural community is based on values that include equality, simplicity and peace.
The Sikh Project: Turban and Identity by Amit and Naroop
on exhibit February 14 – March 24, 2018
The turban has been the most powerful and obvious symbolism of the identity of a Sikh. The Sikh Project is a celebration of that identity. Historically, the turban was worn by royalty and the rich in South Asia. The turban, as an article of faith in Sikhism, is a public declaration of sovereignty and equality of all people.
Sikhs have been a vital part of the American fabric for over 125 years. The 38 new portraits captured by London photographers Amit and Naroop embody the beauty and diversity of the community and recognize the challenges and triumphs of what it means to be Sikh in America.
This exhibit was made possible through a partnership with The Sikh Coalition.
Inner Light: A Collaboration with ManneqART
on exhibit September 9 – November 18, 2017
Original wearable sculptures created by artists from around the country, responding to the theme of Inner Light, chosen because of Sandy Spring’s Quaker heritage. The sculptures illustrate the duality of lightness and darkness, positive and negative.
The Inner Light is your connection to something greater than yourself. In order to find your Inner Light, you must also have an understanding of darkness. The Inner Light opens the unity of all human beings to our consciousness. Quakers believe that the potential for good exists in everyone and that your Inner Light can shine through darkness. Everyone has an Inner Light but one must be willing to seek it.
Ballerinas and Butterflies
on exhibit September 9 – 30
Photographer David Wonderling exposes both the beauty of nature and determined skill in this exhibit.
Wonderling invites his audience to study the juxtaposition between the graceful beauty of nature’s butterflies and the similar exquisite grace of a ballerina’s training, dedication, and determination.
Having photographed a variety of subjects, Wonderling felt these two were his most challenging projects. Neither butterflies nor ballerinas hold still for long!
The images of ballerinas featured in his exhibit were captured at the Studio of Ballet Arts in Sandy Spring and the butterflies at the Wings of Fancy exhibit at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton.
The opening reception will be on September 9 from 2-4 pm with a talk on butterfly habitats starting at 4 pm.
Celebrating our Neighborhoods
On exhibit August 2 to September 2, 2017
For many years, Sandy Spring Museum and the Olney Art Association have worked together to offer visitors new views of the surrounding area. In this year’s theme, “Celebrating Our Neighborhoods,” each artist has strived to capture that special something in our neighborhood, loosely defined as the 6-mile radius stemming from the Sandy Spring Meeting House – that gives him or her cause to celebrate.
With an exhibit of over 40 original works of art by members of the Olney Art Association in multiple media, they celebrate the everyday life in these communities – Ashton, Brighton, Brinklow, Brookeville, Burtonsville, Cloverly, Ednor, Norbeck, Norwood, Oakdale, Olney, Sandy Spring, Spencerville, Sunshine, Roslyn, Tridelphia and Unity.
A Meet the Artist reception will be held on Thursday, August 3, 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
ARTINA 2017: (Re)use and Abuse of the Land
on exhibit June 29 – September- 30, 2017
Wind your way through a sculpture park of original works of art situated on the museum’s rustic grounds. ARTINA 2017 creates awareness among visitors of the need to reconnect with the land and preserve nature for future generations. It includes installations that interpret historic land use.
Juried by Ursula Achternkamp, artists include c.l. bigelow, Elsabé Dixon, Mary Annella “Mimi” Frank, Eve Hennessa, Martha Jackson Jarvis, Jin Lee, Cat Lukens, Raina Martens, Grant McFarland, Maryanne Pollock, Marc Robarge, Casey Snyder, and Diane Szczepaniak. Take a free art class with three of the artists: Diane; Marc; or Maryanne.
ARTINA 2017 is the second collaboration between Sandy Spring Museum and Washington Sculptors Group. This project is funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Elegant Simplicity: Artists’ views of the Sandy Spring Friends Meeting House
on exhibit June 29 through July 29. Reception on Saturday, July 8 from 3 – 5 pm.
A community-curated exhibit that brings together a collection of historic and contemporary images of the Friends Meeting House, as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the construction of the Meeting House. This place of worship has captured the attention of artists, from professionals to amateurs. Images in this show include painting, photographs and models made by community members. This beautiful building has been enjoyed for its simple beauty and we honor it for its part in the life of our community.
Palimpsest: Layers of Time
on exhibit April 1 – July 29, 2017
An exhibit of new photo-collages by Gail Rebhan that are an unsentimental look at the cultural history of various locations in the Sandy Spring, Maryland area. Ms. Rebhan examines changes in land use as a result of shifting societal values, desires, government actions, and market forces and blending archival and contemporary photographs, along with historical newspaper articles, maps, advertisements, ephemera, and text into one final image for each site. Using layers of various opacities, she conveys a sense that the past never goes away and continues to influence the present.
The image depicted here, “18035 Georgia Avenue, Olney, Maryland – 1917/2016,” explores the evolution of a family business that operated from 1885 to 2004. Beginning as Finneyfrock’s blacksmith shop, it evolved into Finneyfrock’s Power Equipment and Welding Company. Currently, Domino’s Pizza and Al Sospiro Trattoria operate at this location. This photo-collage blends a 1917 photograph with today’s scene. The artist’s writing, a handmade cake dish, 1956 receipt, 1999 advertisement, and a 1967 patent document provides evidence of the site’s changing uses. Click here for a review of the exhibit. This project was funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Face to Face: The Evolving Story of Sandy Spring
on exhibit October 4 – November 18, 2017
This exhibit by members of the Maryland Society of Portrait Painters features works inspired by the people and places of Sandy Spring, past and present. Artists connect with the community of Sandy Spring using photos of contemporary local residents and images from the Sandy Spring Museum archives. See Sandy Spring’s people, landscape and history portrayed in artwork through a variety styles and media including oil, watercolor, clay and pastel.
Winston Harris: Time Tradition and American-Made Series, on exhibit January 11 – April 1, 2017
This exhibit of new and existing work identifies the artist’s interest in the importance of time as an event itself. During his residency at the museum, Mr. Winston worked with students of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School. The artist’s intention was to create connections between people of different ethnicities and show how everyday personal objects are uniquely linked to the students’ cultures. Original prints by the students as well as collages by Mr. Harris that combine student work with his own were on exhibit. This exhibit was funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Jim Thomas: A Sandy Springer Travels the World, on exhibit March 1 – March 31, 2017
In the spirit of the Annals Of Sandy Spring, in which travelers from our area in the old days returned from foreign lands with tales of their adventures, this photography show attempts to recapture that experience with a few pictures and stories from Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America (Africa and South America coming soon?) The photographer, Jim Thomas, is a lifelong resident of Sandy Spring, and a direct descendant of John Thomas, who, together with James Brooke, founded Sandy Spring in 1728.
Dirk Holger: Blue Earth: January 4 – February 25, 2017
Works by Dirk Holger, resident of Olney and native of Germany, who fell in love with the process and product of tapestry while it was in a nascent comeback led by Jean Lurçat, for whom Mr. Holger served as an assistant. While only several of Mr. Holger’s tapestries are on exhibit, you can see that the artist’s pen drawings have a woven, hatched quality that would lend themselves to tapestry. Indeed the artist had that in mind when he created the first of his Blue Earth series.
Living through the Lens on exhibit November 30 – January 7, 2017 Photographs by Christina Koutsoukos and works of art by students at Quine Orchard High School
This memorial exhibit, curated by Nina Cordaro, is a tribute to her cousin Christina Koutsoukos. Christina was a budding young photographer when she was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 18. Her dreams and creative vision live on through her photos, which are on exhibit, alongside works of art by some of her talented friends. On several dates, photos will be sold to raise money for a charity in Haiti that Christina supported.
Color, Community and Connection, October 1 – November 19, 2016
Works of art by Maryland Colorists created in Sandy Spring of local scenery, residents, and artifacts in the museum’s collection. The artists presented a vision of continuously pursuing the expression of light’s myriad effects and how it illuminates the world around us. From landscapes and figurative works painted around Sandy Spring to still life paintings of artifacts in the Museum’s collections and plein-air portraiture of Sandy-Springers, viewers connected with the vibrancy that is Sandy Spring. Maryland Colorists: Michele del Pilar, Melissa Gryder, Abigail McBride, Nancy McCarra, Sarah Wardell, and Andree Tullier.
ARTINA: Art in Nature Sculpture Park, June 30 – September 30, 2016
Visitors experienced an unexpected encounter with art and nature, set on the Museum’s rustic grounds and throughout the adjacent woods, as 11 members of the Washington Sculptors Group showcased site-specific and time-based sculptures. Renowned art historian Martine Van Kampen of the Netherlands served as the exhibition’s juror. Several of these sculptures were constructed with community participation. The 11 artists who Van Kampen selected were Allan Arp, c.l. bigelow, Jeff Chyatte, Eve Hennessa, Jin Lee, Darcy Meeker, Vanessa Niederstrasser, Salvatore Pirrone, Mike Shaffer, Diane Szczepaniak, and Fabiola Alvarez Yurcisin.
Spirit of Sandy Spring, July 27 – September 24, 2016
How often do you drive through Sandy Spring on Route 108 and stop to think about the area and how it came into existence? If you don’t take time to slow down and enjoy your surroundings, this exhibit was created for you, with more than 40 pieces of artwork in various media created by the artists of the Olney Art Association (OAA), each one telling its own unique story about the community as interpreted by our very talented neighbors.
Objects of Significance, June 8-September 3, 2016
Everyone has objects, heirlooms, or other personal items that hold special meaning about their origins, identity, or history. On display in this exhibit were objects, artwork, and artifacts of significance that people brought with them to the U.S. to maintain important cultural traditions. We examined the many reasons why people immigrate and migrate, the things they bring with them, and the things they leave behind.
Frame of Mind: Sandy Spring Project, June 20, 2015
Sandra Atkinson, Light Switch Dance Theatre, founder and artistic director of Light Switch Dance Theatre created a site-specific modern dance piece on the history of Sandy Spring. Sandra described the project this way, “I conducted research at the museum’s archives for about six months and visited various sites in the area, like the Quaker Meeting, the Sandy Spring, and the Underground Railroad Experience Trail, just to get a feel for the place. It seems that most people know that the Quakers freed their slaves about 50 years prior to the Civil War but I wanted to learn more about how the lives of Quakers and African Americans intersected in the years after the War. One of the most interesting documents I found in the archives was a receipt from a land purchase. It was a transaction between two women – one white and one black.” So how does this become a dance? “The movement is generated through words and images from my research. You will not see a literal interpretation of local history but you will see gestures that evoke certain images. My hope is that the experience of watching the dancers will make people want to engage in conversation.” Sandy Spring Project: Frame of Mind was accompanied by an original score written by Wesley Meyer, who will also be performing live at the event. One section of the dance piece was performed by students in the conservatory teen program at the Sandy Spring Studio of Ballet Arts.