Founders’ Day

Cultura Plenera performs at Puerto Rico in Maryland at Sandy Spring Museum.

Community Stories · Sep 3, 2026

Willow Grove Cultural Commons: A Game changer for Our Community Partners

When Cultura Plenera first began using Willow Grove Cultural Commons, they saw a great new space for workshops, rehearsals, and programs. What they quickly discovered was something even more valuable: freedom, flexibility, and a true sense of ownership. Read more

Four Sandy Spring Museum supporters stand outside the museum.

Community Stories · Sep 1, 2026

A Story 46 Years in the Making, and It Needs You to Write the Next Chapter

On September 16, 1981, a small group of neighbors sat down in a room together and did something quietly radical: they decided that the stories of our community, the everyday ones, the ones that don't usually make it into history books, were worth saving. Read more

Sandy Spring Museum community members gather around a cake at the museum’s 25th anniversary celebration.

Community Stories · Sep 1, 2026

Why Founders’ Day Matters

I’ve spent most of my career as a fundraiser, and I’ve coached a lot of people who were terrified of asking for support. There’s a cultural bias many of us carry, one I understand completely, that asking for a gift means asking someone to give and get nothing back. It’s not true. It never has been. Read more