In partnership with The Cotton Factory, Hamilton Arts Council offers the Artist in Residence (AIR) program.

This opportunity is designed to support the individual artistic practices and professional ambitions of emerging and mid-career artists/creatives in Hamilton. The program provides a selected recipient with access to free studio space and associated benefits of being absorbed in the creative ecology of The Cotton Factory. 

Key Dates:

• March 24th, 2024 (at 11:59 P.M.) - Applications close
• April 9th, 2024 - Notfication of results
• April 15th - September 27th, 2024 - Residency term

For any questions, or to request application accommodations, please email: info@hamiltonartscouncil.ca prior to the application closing date.

Adjudication Process:

Applications are reviewed by a panel of three (3) local arts professionals, (e.g. creatives, arts program administrators, former AIR participants).

Each adjudicator assigns a score in each of the four (4) items:

1. The applicants’ Arty Crowd profile Artistic Statement/Creative Vision.
2. The applicants’ Arty Crowd profile Examples of Work.
3. The applicants’ uploaded ‘Impact Statement’.
4. The applicants’ uploaded 'Work Plan'.

Scores are tallied and the top three (3) applications are considered for final selection by HAC and The Cotton Factory staff. 

The submitted information and documents will only be available to Hamilton Arts Council staff and AIR adjudication panel.

Copy your Arty Crowd Profile URL, as shown in the photo below, and paste it into the corresponding field. 

Your Arty Crowd profile must include:

• Your artist statement, describing the creative mediums and conceptual basis of your artistic practice, and framing your work within a larger context, including your connections to the Hamilton region.

• A minimum of five (5) samples of your artistic work, including a description of the work, title, date created, mediums, and size. Minimum of 72 dpi (please upload any .pdf examples below).

Please upload below (single documents or combined)

• A work plan. Your plan should demonstrate readiness to maximize your time (minimum 20+ hours per week) in the studio, you may choose to reference '# of weeks' or month-to-month format. Although plans may change during the course of a residency, your plan should be your intended activities.

• An impact statement (MAX 500 words). Your statement is a written description of;
  • what you hope to achieve during the residency;
  • why this particular residency is well-suited to your plans; and
  • how the work being undertaken during the residency will advance your practice or artistic/creative career.

Tip: Consider the alignment of this statement with your artist statement/creative vision in you Arty Crowd profile and the activities identified in your workplan.

• (where applicable) Any additional examples of work in .PDF file format, please ensure files are excerpts of work and no more than three (3) pages. 

For any questions, or to request application accommodations, please email: info@hamiltonartscouncil.ca prior to the application closing date.