Above: From left, Edrine, Adrian and Lyzza pause to smile at our recent Welcome In art exhibition featuring works by our artists at Creative Connections at the Saint John Arts Centre. This exhibition, featuring over 100 works of original art, explored the people, places, and experiences that reflect an element of welcome. We are in a season of growth, gratitude and celebration at L’Arche as we welcome new folks to our community and prepare to celebrate our upcoming 20th anniversary.
Spring has arrived in Saint John, and with it comes the promise of new life, fresh energy, and hopeful beginnings. At L’Arche, we feel this shift in the air – not just in the blossoming trees or longer days, but in the buzz of community life. This season, there is so much to celebrate.
One of the highlights of the season was our recent art exhibition, Welcome In, hosted at the Saint John Arts Centre. Sixteen artists with intellectual disabilities shared over 100 original pieces of artwork, each one telling a unique story of the people, places, and experiences that reflect an element of welcome. The event drew a crowd of nearly 90 people, and the majority of pieces home to new walls. It was a beautiful reminder that art has the power to connect us all.
Just outside our doors, exciting changes are taking place in our community garden. Thanks to support and teamwork, the space is being transformed with raised and levelled pathways for better accessibility, newly built raised garden beds, and soon, a greenhouse! As flowers begin to bloom, so too does our sense of shared purpose and anticipation for what the growing season will bring. This garden, like our community, is a space of welcome and growth.
As warmer weather approaches, we’re also gearing up to welcome summer students to L’Arche – each one bringing their own energy, ideas, and love for community life. Their presence always sparks laughter, fun, and new friendships that continue long after the summer sun fades.
And of course, we’re counting down to a very special day: our 20th anniversary celebration on June 8. Two decades of life together is no small thing, and we look forward to reflecting on where we’ve come from, and dreaming together about what comes next. This is a free and public event – please join us! More info and RSVP here.
With our garden, programs, and spirits in bloom, this spring reminds us: there is so much to be grateful for.
Warmly,
Rachel Vander Vennen
Community Leader & Executive Director