February 4, 2026
We were thrilled to welcome Erin Philp, our Winter/Spring 2026 Artist-in-Residence, this past week. Erin will be in residency at our School until June 2026.
Erin Philp is a South Shore-based artist, woodworker, and shipwright. Blending her university roots in history with the technical precision of a Red Seal cabinetmaker, Erin’s work is as much about storytelling as it is about construction. Her career has been defined by a lifelong connection to the water, from her youth sailing the Great Lakes to her professional work restoring wooden vessels across the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
Her portfolio features playful reinterpretations of nautical themes, often drawing inspiration from maritime history and the coastal landscape of Nova Scotia. While Erin maintains a profound reverence for heritage methodology and manual tools, her practice is equally defined by innovation and a willingness to venture beyond conventional boundaries. At its core, her work explores the intersection of courage, play, and technical precision.
Erin’s public art piece, High Tide, is currently on permanent display at the Narrows Basin Bridge along the Dynamite Trail in Mahone Bay, NS.
Pictured: The Honourable Wilfred P. Moore, K.C., LL.D., Volunteer Chair and Erin Philp