(Published with permission from The Community Foundation)
Youth, colour, and community come together for the Foundation’s 50th anniversary.
To celebrate the Community Foundation’s 50th anniversary, a group of young artists from St. John the Baptist / King Edward School are creating a large-scale community mural rooted in two simple but powerful ideas: kindness and community.
Over the past several weeks, the students have gathered together in the south end, and paint-covered floors, bright palettes, sketches, laughter, and collaboration have transformed the room into a living workshop of creativity and connection.
Guided by artist Abi Reinhart of Divine Studios, the students are not simply helping paint a mural, they are shaping it. Together, they have explored colour, movement, symbolism, and storytelling through art, creating sweeping forms and vibrant imagery that reflect hope, belonging, and the strength of community.
The project has been supported by the Saint John Arts Centre, whose expertise and guidance have helped bring the vision to life.
What makes the mural especially meaningful is that the process itself reflects the values at the heart of the Community Foundation’s work over the past 50 years. Young people working side by side. Learning from artists and mentors. Sharing ideas. Building confidence. Creating something larger than themselves.
The mural’s flowing colours and imagery symbolize transformation, growth, and possibility, themes that feel deeply connected to both the students involved and the broader story of community in Greater Saint John.
When unveiled this June, the mural will stand as both a public artwork and a lasting reminder that community is built through creativity, generosity, mentorship, and shared experiences.
For fifty years, the Community Foundation has invested in people and ideas that strengthen our region. This project celebrates that legacy in the most fitting way possible: by empowering young people to imagine and create something beautiful together.
