Erin Simmons
July 3, 1974 – February 6, 2022
Erin grew up in Beacon, New York, and attended SUNY (State University of New York) in New Paltz, earning a BA in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. She was also credentialed as a Family Development Specialist through Cornell University.
In 2008, she returned home to Beacon and when her then-boyfriend got a job in Philadelphia, she moved with him.
When Erin relocated to Bucks County, she got a job at Big Brother Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County and became the Program Director. She worked with at-risk youth and matched them with a volunteer mentor.
Erin’s mom Joy said her daughter was always a creative child, painting her room with handprints at an early age. Joy is a stained-glass artist and had her own gallery in Cold Springs, New York. Erin worked for her mom since she was fourteen years old. She would take all her mom’s scraps and make her art. She always dreamed of having her own art gallery.
In 2019 her dream became a reality when Erin opened Scrambled Gallery of Gifts on the “Boardwalk” in New Hope, PA. at 39 W. Bridge St., along the canal. Her main medium was alcohol ink which she used without a traditional paintbrush. Erin used everything from her fingers to credit cards to create her works, from switch plates to eggshell mosaic pendants.
Last year Scrambled Gallery of Gifts was voted #1 Best New Store in Bucks County. Her mom Joy said Erin worked so hard to achieve this, and when she won and called her mom, she was so elated!
She would also feature other local artists and give them space in her gallery. Erin had featured over twenty artists, including her friend Joshua Lance, a painter. After her passing Joshua said Erin “was an advocate for the arts and was a shining star who believed in her artists.”
Her friend Hope will be taking over the gallery and keeping the name in honor of Erin, who touched the hearts of so many.
New Hope Celebrates History had the honor of filming Erin as part of their “Artists and Authors Series.” The YouTube video captures her enthusiasm and passion for the arts, of which she was a proud member of the community.
Video can be viewed at New Hope’s BOARDWALK ARTISTS:
NHCH Artists & Authors Series, Season 2 Episode 2
