"Laudato Si: Caring for Our Common Home" Field Notes Workshop: Sketching the Barnes Arboretum
This exhibition explores humanity’s deep and sacred connection to the Earth through the lens of Laudato Si', the powerful poem by Saint Francis of Assisi that inspired Pope Francis’s call for environmental action. Featuring 24 artists working across diverse mediums—painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media—Laudato Si': Caring for Our Common Home presents a rich tapestry of work, both realistic and abstract, that reflect the beauty of our planet and the urgency of its preservation.
Grounded in the themes of care, responsibility, and interconnection, the exhibition examines the human impact on the environment and the ethical imperative to act as stewards of creation. It also considers Pope Francis’s emphasis on an interfaith approach to ecological protection: What does a unified spiritual response to climate change look like? How can collective belief systems foster accountability and hope?
A critical component of this exhibition is its focus on environmental justice, illuminating how climate change and ecological degradation disproportionately affect marginalized communities around the world. Through the voices and visions of artists from a range of cultural and geographic backgrounds, Laudato Si' invites visitors to reflect, question, and imagine new paths toward healing the Earth and each other.
Saint Joseph’s University is designated by the Vatican as a Laudato Si university, showing its commitment to sustainability and stewardship rooted in Jesuit values. The Maguire Art Museum will strengthen this commitment through this art exhibition curated by museum interns, Brianna Kelly and Natalie Parone with Assistant Curator, Dr. Erin Downey, and Associate Director, Jeanne Bracy.
Participating Artists: Kim Bricker, Gregory Brellochs, Angelo Canta, SJ, Nora Chavooshian, David Enriquez, Roberta Tucci, Mary Negro, Rebecca Schultz, Rebecca Rutstein, Jack Elliott, Jennie Booth, June Yong Lee, Jean Burdick, Michelle Marcuse, Zhiqian Wang, Steve Donegan, Amie Potsic, Deirdre Murphy, Rosalind Bloom, Emily Brown, Billy Friebele, Sandra Benhaim, Josh Urso and Michael Webb.
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PROGRAMS
Field Notes Workshop: Sketching the Barnes Arboretum
Join Deirdre Murphy, Climate Change Artist in Residence at Lower Merion Conservancy, and Bill Rein, Assistant Director for Living Collections and Horticulture Program at Saint Joseph’s University, for a walk through the Barnes Arboretum. Participants will learn how to sketch and identify plants to create their own field notebook to take home. After the workshop, a tour of the Laudato Si’ exhibition in the Maguire Art Museum will be provided.
Date: Saturday, June 28, 9-11 am
