2025 Season

The inaugural season of Our Lady of Light Atelier marked the beginning of a new chapter for a cherished rural landmark in Mulgrave-et-Derry. Throughout the season, the former church welcomed visitors to gather, experience music, storytelling, art, and community.

The season opened with the Opening Concert featuring the Still Workin’ Jazz Band, celebrating the remarkable acoustics of the church while re-introducing the Atelier as a place where creativity, community, and heritage meet.

In August, Light, Spirit & Métis Insight welcomed Métis artist and educator Marie-Louise Peron, whose stories, teachings, and reflections invited visitors to explore culture, identity, and the enduring tradition of oral storytelling.

Throughout the season, regular weekend openings invited visitors to experience the Atelier’s evolving installations. Voicewell, housed within the church’s former confessional, became a quiet space for listening and reflection. Natural Light translated the bioelectrical activity of plants referenced in the Bible into an evolving musical soundscape, while Canada’s only Art-o-mat® offered original works of art through a restored vintage vending machine. Visitors also explored a selection of historic rural church photographs by Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange, presented courtesy of the Getty Museum, connecting the Atelier to a broader visual history of sacred spaces.

The season concluded with Merry & Bright, a Christmas concert featuring Vocestra, whose luminous a cappella performance filled the historic church with harmony and seasonal warmth, bringing the inaugural year to a memorable close.

The 2025 season established the foundation for Our Lady of Light Atelier as a place where community spirit, music, storytelling, and creativity come together within a historic rural setting. It marked the beginning of an evolving cultural initiative that continues to honour the history of the building while creating new opportunities for connection, creativity, and shared experience.

Our Lady of Light Atelier is a non-profit initiative made possible through the generous support of the Fabrique of Saint-Malachy Parish in Mayo, Quebec.