Cape Breton artist named Sable Island’s first Artist in Residence

Horses on Sable Island, N.S., are shown in this undated handout photo. (Parks Canada)

A Cape Breton artist has been named the Inaugural Artist in Residence on Sable Island.

The Sable Island Institute and Sable Island National Park Reserve announced Rose Morrison as the first Artist in Residence, starting in October 2025.

“The Institute feels that Rose is an excellent choice and will make an important contribution to its mission of providing opportunities for people to experience the unique natural history and cultural heritage of Sable Island through the arts,” said a spokesperson for the Sable Island Institute.

Morrison will spend two weeks on the remote island located 300 km off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Originally from Baddeck, N.S., Morrison is an award-winning fiddler, singer-songwriter and visual artist. She has tour worldwide and has won three East Coast Music Awards, a news release said.

The first-of-its-kind residency opened to artists across Atlantic Canada in March, to support the creation of original work that embodies Sable Island’s natural and cultural significance, the release said. Morrison will have access to archives of photos, stories and research for her work.

“This past March, the Sable Island Institute and Sable Island National Park Reserve invited proposals from professional artists in the four Atlantic Provinces for the first Sable Island artist residency, and received 115 proposals highlighting the amazing diversity, creativity and passionate commitment of our artists,” the spokesperson said.

Morrison was previously an Artist in Residence at Cape Breton University from January to April 2025.

“This residency is an honour beyond words,” says Morrison. “To be entrusted with time on Sable Island-to learn, listen, and create in response to its stories and landscape-is both humbling and deeply inspiring. I can’t wait to share what emerges.”

This program is a partnership between the Sable Island Institute and Parks Canada.

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