Kentlands Foundation Update
APRIL 2022
Join us—learn, volunteer, enjoy!
By Elisabeth Monaco
April is one of my favorite months in the Kentlands and Lakelands. I love to check on the progress of the daffodils in the parks and in front of homes as I walk and drive around our neighborhood. Spring has come and at the Foundation we are planning for our biggest events of the year. Now is a great time to get more involved, meet your neighbors, and build community. We have volunteer opportunities that are a one-day commitment and some that are ongoing. Consider joining a committee to plan an event and lend your expertise to the Foundation.
The Gaithersburg Artist Collective’s pop-up gallery, ARTISTS ON MARKET continues at Downtown Crown at 130 Crown Park Avenue and they have brand new artwork available for March and April with the theme, Our Planet, Our Future. Have you ever dreamed of a butterfly garden in your own backyard? Learn all about monarch butterflies and plant milk weed seeds to take home and attract butterflies to your garden hands on art activities for the kids too. Join the artists at this fun family event on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at 10AM at Crown Park (behind Ted’s Bulletin). Local author, Laurie J Hartman, will be reading her green-living books for children, Sea Rescue and Save the Sea, Too. She will be signing books and 100% of the proceeds from the sale of these books will be donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
The gallery is open from Wednesday through Sunday from 12 to 7:15 pm and features the work of approximately 25 juried regional artists. Be sure to drop by to see them and pick up something unique and special for yourself or someone you know. For more information and to stay up to date on their special events, you may visit their social media on Facebook and Instagram – @artistsonmarket or drop them an email at artistsonmarket@gmail.com.
GOGREEN will hold their annual clean-up day on April 23 at 10 am at the Kentlands Clubhouse. Join the Green Team, celebrate Earth Day and clean up our neighborhood. Buckets and pick up sticks will be available. Join in as we “plog” around the neighborhood. If eligible, students can earn SSL hours.
MUSICA VIVA KENTLANDS presents the “Leonard Bernstein Celebration” on May 7 at 7 pm. The performance of the recently discovered Music for String Quartet by Leonard Bernstein will be performed. This is the second time ever this piece for quartet will be played. A big thank you to Lisa Pickett, a Kentlands resident, and the Bernstein Foundation for their generosity in allowing Musica Viva to present this unique and special work by such a titan of American music. Join us at the Kreeger Auditorium at the Bender JCC on Montrose Road. Because of the unique and historical nature of this performance, the concert is a fundraiser for the concert series and tickets are $125. Following the performance, there will be a reception to meet the musicians. To reserve your ticket and for more information about this exciting event, please go the Foundation’s website at kentlands.org.
KENTLANDS COMMUNITY PLAYERS will present “Shakespeare in Love” at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn on May 6 through 8. This hilarious, romantic stage play reimagines William Shakespeare’s creative process. The Players are a community theater in its truest sense, with all volunteer casts and crews. This play is the return of the theater group to live performances. For more information about tickets and show times, please visit kentlandscommunityplayers.org.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for KENTLANDS UNDER THE LIGHTS on June 18 in Kentlands Market Square. And, the KENTLANDS/LAKELANDS 5K will be held on Saturday, September 3.
To find out more about our events and programs, follow the Kentlands Community Foundation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and check out our website at kentlands.org. If you have a great idea for a program that involves volunteerism, the cultural arts or supports New Urbanism, we would love to hear from you! All our programs are grassroots efforts that begin with you. Feel free to drop us an email at kentlands@kentlands.org.