Stir Cheat Sheet: 5 performers and painters to seek out among the flowers and trees at Arts in the Garden

This final edition of North Van Arts’ long-running annual event features engaging music and glowing images, all in serene outdoor settings

By Ashley Kim

Arts in the Garden’s lush and lovingly tended Garden 10—Ethereal.

Folk singer Francis Baptiste.

North Van Arts presents Arts in the Garden 2025 on June 14 and 15, from 11 am to 5 pm, at 10 gardens in North Vancouver and West Vancouver

AFTER 25 YEARS of bringing local arts into outdoor spaces, Arts in the Garden will make its final return on June 14 and 15 in 10 sublime gardens on the North Shore, showcasing 28 visual artists and 40 musicians and performers. 

North Van Arts has cited logistical challenges as the main reason for ending the annual community event. Yet, as endings make way for new beginnings, North Van Arts is planning a new arts festival for 2026—one that the group says will continue to support local artists while looking for fresh ways to engage with the area’s natural and cultural landscape. 

Arts in the Garden has long served as a space for celebrating the connection between artistic practices and the natural environment. This year, the lineup reflects that legacy, featuring everything from indie folk music and soulful pop ballads to vivid oil-paint landscapes and contemporary digital works.

Here are five artists and acts to check out. 

#1

Francis Baptiste at Garden 1—Unity

June 15 at 2 pm and 3:30 pm

Francis Baptiste is an indie folk musician known for his introspective music and songs in both English and his endangered Indigenous language, Nsyilxcən. He released his debut album Sneqsilx (Family) in 2022 in an effort to maintain and strengthen his connection with his Syilx roots. His second album, Sənk̓lip, the Trickster, continues to explore themes of Indigenous identity, addiction, depression, and fatherhood through his personal experiences and struggles. Baptiste sings with sincerity and vulnerability, touching his listeners with his husky voice and profound lyrics. 

Baptiste has performed everywhere from the Vancouver International Jazz Festival to the Talking Stick Festival and Khatsahlano Street Party. His third full-length album is set to come out this summer. 

Baptiste will perform on the Sunday at Garden 1—Unity, which is at the West Vancouver Senior Activity Centre. Garden 1 is the only location with an early start and end time (10 am to 4 pm).

Garden 2 at the West Vancouver Memorial Library.

Argel MDR

#2

Argel MDR at Garden 2—Nurture

June 14 at 2:30 pm and 4 pm

Crowd favourite Argel Monte de Ramos is a versatile Filipino-Canadian artist known for his soulful voice and musical storytelling. With a background in musical theatre, Argel MDR creates songs that are bold, dramatic, and dynamic, influenced by Western pop, R&B/soul, and Original Pinoy Music (OPM). He was nominated as pop artist of the year and received the Excellence Award by a BIPOC Artist at the Fraser Valley Music Awards 2021. He was also a top 10 finalist in CBC Music’s Toyota Searchlight 2021 with his song “It Doesn’t Matter”, and he won the music category in the Surrey Board of Trade’s 2022 Surrey Arts and Business Awards. An advocate for inclusivity and diversity, Argel MDR’s music touches on themes of identity, belonging, and social justice. 

He will perform on June 14 at Garden 2—Nurture, which is Swáy̓wi Temíxw, West Vancouver Memorial Library’s Community Demonstration Garden. This public rooftop garden hosts many community events where visitors can learn about sustainable and regenerative gardening practices. Garden 2 invites visitors to nurture the harmony between learning and nature. On June 15, Penny Nelson will also be giving a talk on creating bird-friendly gardens, at 1 pm. 

Nakól (Butterfly) by Michael Serroul.

#3

Michael Serroul at Garden 6—Blossom

Michael Serroul is an Indigenous contemporary artist from the T'it'q'et band of the St’át’imc Nation. Although his main mediums are acrylic on canvas and digitally-generated prints, he has experimented with other forms, such as wood burning, printmaking, film, and music. Almost fully self-taught, Serroul has developed his style over the years through careful observation and the support of several mentors from diverse backgrounds. Inspired by traditional West Coast Indigenous art, street art, and graffiti. 

Serroul and his artwork can be found at Garden 6—Blossom, located at the Summerhill PARC residence. Enjoy the lush display of carefully curated flowers, herbs, and plants, cared for year-round by the retirement home residents.  

Eileen Fong’s Blue Bird With Cherry Blossoms.

#4

Eileen Fong at Garden 9—Connected

From colourful watercolour paintings with delicate brushstrokes to luminous landscapes, Eileen Fong’s paintings are the embodiment of tranquility. She stepped into the world of art in 1992, when she began studying Chinese brush painting. After she graduated from BCIT in nuclear medicine and chemistry, Fong’s journey as an artist coincided with her work in the health field. Over the years, she has pursued her passion, embracing her cultural roots and exploring mediums such as acrylic and encaustic. 

Fong has displayed her work in solo exhibitions and juried group shows such as the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour’s 77th annual juried exhibition in Halifax. She has received numerous awards, including first place at the Juried Arts 2006 Exhibition of the Surrey Arts Centre. 

Fong will be at Garden 9—Connected at Lynn Valley Library, a creative space of connection between people, ideas, and nature. 

Lil Chrzan’s Song of Summer.

#5

Lil Chrzan at Garden 10—Ethereal

Painter Lil Chrzan depicts the warmth and radiance of the West Coast in her sweeping landscape paintings. Chrzan attended Emily Carr College of Art + Design and has long worked and lived in Horseshoe Bay. Her oil paintings on canvas are striking and timeless, filled with meditative serenity. Chrzan’s portrayal of West Coast nature reflects the name of the garden where she can be found: Ethereal. Light, leafy flora, and art merge in her vibrant works, inviting viewers to appreciate and reflect. Garden 10 is tended by lifelong gardener Delphia Johnstone, and features an array of unique plants and a peaceful atmosphere.  

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