Sandy Spring Museum opens to community for first time since March –

by Terri Hogan

Senior Staff Writer

For the first time since mid-March, Sandy Spring Museum has reopened its building to the public, featuring the new exhibit, “Makers Among Us.”

“This is our first venture into reopening the museum,” said Lauren Peirce, marketing director. “We have gotten a lot of feedback from people who say they are happy to see us open our doors again.”

Doors opened Oct. 9.

The opening comes with strict safety protocols.

The exhibit is open to visitors with reservation only on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Each reservation has a duration of 45 minutes with 15 minutes between each session for building sanitation.

Groups are limited to six people and there is a limit of four groups per time slot.

Social distancing, masks and hand sanitizing are required. Admission is by donation.

“I am really confident in the way we are doing this,” Peirce said. “The staff has been working in the building and I feel very safe here.”

“Makers Among Us,” on exhibit through Nov. 23, features the work of young, emerging visual artists living in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

“We did have plans to do this exhibit earlier in the year, but we decided to push it back,” Peirce said. “It is a really cool exhibit, with beautiful and unique pieces.”

The exhibit highlights the freedom, imperfections, creativity and unique perspectives of artists who are just beginning their artistic careers, and who do not necessarily have years of experience and formal training.

The exhibit features works by Connor Czora, Hannah Becker, Dew Charmant, Mariah Gugel, Grace Roach, Daria Parsa, Naja Elon Webb and exhibit curator Gabi Mendick.

Mendick said seeing talented artists from all walks of life exhibit their artwork at the Sandy Spring Museum over the past several years sparked her desire to see the work of her peers displayed on the gallery walls.

“Emerging artists don’t typically have their feet in the doors of galleries, museums and collections, but their youth makes for artwork that is refreshing and just as, if not more, relevant than the work of established artists,” she said.

“The eight artists in the exhibit share their unique experiences and perspectives in creative ways through their work, commenting on the natural and constructed world around and within us,” she added. “Especially after six months of seeing art only on a screen, people should definitely support and encourage these emerging artists by coming to see the exhibit. They might even discover their new favorite local artist.”

    For more information, visit www.sandyspringmuseum.org/makers.