Located in Northwest Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood, Woodmere has over 12,000 works of art in its collection, with year-round exhibitions and programs for adults and children. The Connelly Foundation has been a consistent supporter of Woodmere since 1993, with an emphasis on its educational programming. Woodmere serves thousands of students each year with its high-quality arts education classes, including students from the area’s Catholic schools.

In October 2021, Woodmere purchased an adjacent estate, formerly St. Michael’s Hall, from the Sisters of Saint Joseph. The four-acre property with a 17,000-square-foot mansion was an ideal fit to house Woodmere’s expanding galleries and education programs. The Connelly Foundation enthusiastically awarded $400,000 to Woodmere in 2021 to support the purchase.

Over the past few years, Woodmere has transformed the space, now renamed the Frances M. Maguire Hall for Art and Education. The building, which is scheduled to open in Fall 2025, will house fourteen galleries for Woodmere’s permanent collection, a dedicated children’s arts studio, and several new public spaces. To support the continuing renovations, the Connelly Foundation awarded a capstone grant of $100,000 to Woodmere in late 2024.