Philadelphia’s craft community will have a new reason to gather this winter, as the Museum for Art in Wood and NextFab recently announced local artist and craftswoman Lin Elkins as the Fellow for their sixth annual Winter Residency Program.
The initiative is a result of a jury of makers and educators assembled by both organizations to award one creative a stipend for project materials and access to NextFab’s workshop space each year. The only requirement is that the artist works either solely in wood or other materials in combination with wood, and reclaimed wood must comprise at least 50 percent of the Fellow’s work during the residency.
Running now through March 5, the residency (which was first created in 2021) will culminate in a solo exhibition at NextFab. The showcase will highlight Elkins’ work within a program that champions environmental stewardship, reclaimed materials, and the region’s rich tradition of making.
“The 2026 Winter Residency Fellow Lin Elkins embodies the program’s commitment to intensive research and material inquiry,” says Jennifer-Navva Milliken, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Museum for Art in Wood, adding that Elkins will receive a NextFab membership and access to the facilities as well as the library and archives held by the Museum for Art in Wood. "The opportunity for unfettered focus supported by the combined resources of the museum and NextFab sustains deep creative exploration and advances thinking around environmental care and the future of wood-based artistry.”
Elkins earned a Bachelor of Science in Furniture Design from Appalachian State University, where she developed a strong foundation in both craft and concept. Since then, the local creative has continued to refine her skills and expand her perspective through a series of post-grad opportunities, including a Fellowship at the University of North Carolina–Asheville, a craft education internship at North House Folk School, and her role as Staff Fellow and Media Coordinator at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship.
Her commitment to education extends beyond her own practice, having assisted and led courses at institutions like the Penland School of Craft and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts as well.
Elkins’s work is guided by an exploration of “the tension between the natural and built environments and how that relationship shapes our physical and spiritual connection to the world.”
Recent works exemplify her approach. As a release notes, 'In My Mind’s Eye' is described as a reliquary designed to safeguard personal mementos imbued with emotional and spiritual significance, while 'Vantage Points' draws inspiration from coastal Maine, where large, modern, and precariously perched homes adorn the rocky cliffsides. Together, these works reflect Elkins’s ability to translate lived experience and environment into larger-than-life sculptures.
Philadelphians will see all that and more once Elkins releases her work from her time at NextFab. The Winter Residency exhibition will be on display at the cultural venue (1800 N American St.) from March 12 to May 12. Following the exhibition’s opening, the Museum and NextFab will host an Artist Talk with Elkins on March 13, where she will share insights into her creative process and residency experience.
To learn more about Elkins, visit linelkins.com. For more information on NextFab and the Museum for Art in Wood, visit nextfab.com and museumforartinwood.org
