Laudato Si: Caring for Our Common Home

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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Laudato Si Exhibition Opening / Summer Solstice Family Day
Date: Saturday, June 21, 11 am - 1 pm 
11:15: brief remarks by Dr. Erin Downey (Assistant Curator, Maguire Museum) 
11:30: guided tour of arboretum with Katie Jacoby (Head Gardener, Barnes Arboretum)
FREE
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Join us for a summer solstice celebration! Come see the new exhibitions, enjoy refreshments, try out nature-inspired art-making for all ages, and take a guided tour of the arboretum.

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Field Notes Workshop: Sketching the Barnes Arboretum
Date: Saturday, June 28, 9-11 am
Cost: $10
Register

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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. Refreshments provided by Lower Merion Conservancy.
 

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Cultivating Connection: Native Plants, Climate Change, and Our Common Home
Date: Sunday, July 13, 10am - 12pm
10am tour of the arboretum, 11am lecture, native seed giveaway at the conclusion of the lecture compliments of the Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph’s University
FREE
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 Join Dr. Clint Springer, Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Environmental Stewardship and Director of the Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph's University for an engaging and hopeful conversation about how native plant gardening can be a powerful response to climate change. Blending ecological science with the moral vision of Laudato Si’, Dr. Springer will explore how climate change is affecting the world around us, how plants adapt, and why native species are uniquely equipped to thrive in changing conditions. With accessible insights and practical tips, this talk will inspire you to reconnect with nature, support local ecosystems, and see gardening not just as a hobby but as a meaningful act of care for our common home.

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Plein Air Watercolor Workshop
Date: Sunday, July 27, 9 am - 12 pm (explore exhibition at 11:30am)
Cost: $20
Register

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Join Philadelphia artist and educator Keith Leitner, for a plein air watercolor landscape workshop in the historic Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph’s University. Participants can bring their own materials or use

 the museum’s. A tour of the Laudato Si’ exhibition in the Maguire Art Museum will be provided at the conclusion of the workshop.

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Program Partners:

Lower Merion Conservancy
The Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph's University
The Insitute for Environmental Stewardship at SJU