The Hamilton Arts Council is pleased to announce artists Nick La Rocca and Keira McArthur as the recipients of the Hamilton Arts Council’s newest Cotton Factory Artist in Residence Program taking place from December 2018 to February 2019.

The Artist-In-Residence Program is a partnership between the Hamilton Arts Council and The Cotton Factory. It is a opportunity for emerging and mid-career artists to focus on their practice. Participating artists are encouraged to use their time to experiment and develop new ideas and skills in addition to forming ties with fellow artists in residence and The Cotton Factory creative community. The participating artists are invited to present their work during the final week of the residency.

We are also excited to also announce a new partnership with the Women’s Art Association who have generously donated a $250 bursary, in support of their mandate and mission statement, Working to Advance Women in Art. The bursary will be awarded to Keira McArthur to be put towards materials.

Keira McArthur is a visual artist and performer whose exhibitions include interactive performance art, live music, and a synthesized re-interpretation of the whole process in book form. She has been in solo and group exhibitions across Ontario and been trained at such institutions as Wilfrid Laurier University, OAC/Royal Conservatory, Sheridan College, York University, and the Mary Schneider School of Fine Arts.

Nick La Rocca is an award-winning artist and illustrator from Hamilton interested in sequential, conceptual, and experimental art. He graduated from Sheridan College and now works as a fine artist and freelance illustrator. Nick has had solo and group exhibitions in Hamilton, Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto. Living his entire life in Hamilton, Nick enjoys encoding Hamilton subject matter and mythology into his work.

ABOUT THE COTTON FACTORY
The former site of the Imperial Cotton Co. is a prime example of adaptive reuse. In the heart of lower  Hamilton, The Cotton Factory has been transformed into a creative industries complex, with space for workshops and small manufacturing, office space for
creative professionals, and studios for artists.