Hamilton Arts Festival
A multidisciplinary week-long Arts Festival held throughout the City of Hamilton and beyond! Hamilton Arts Week celebrates diverse artistic expression. You can discover a new artform, connect with local artists and engage in revelatory work.
Presented by Hamilton Arts Council in partnership with the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Arts Week returns from June 3-12, 2025!
Arts Week is made possible with additional support from Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Selection
Panelists
Yuma Hester
My name is Yuma Hester. I am half Anishinaabe (Neyaashiinigmiing), and half Ililowuk (Moose Factory). I have spent the better part of the last 20 years in community development. I specialize in consultation and facilitation skills, relationship development, open and effective communication, and solution-oriented discussion.
I am currently a founding member, and Creative Director with Bawaadan Collective. We regularly work with First Nations communities, who commission us to produce diverse educational, creative, instructional, and storytelling videos. In our projects, we prioritize extensive consultation with Indigenous community members to ensure their voices are authentically represented in our final works
Sheila Murray
Sheila Murray's debut novel, Finding Edward, was a finalist for the 2022 Governor General's Literary Awards and a longlist nominee for Canada Reads 2023. It received the 2023 Hamilton Literary Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the Toronto Book Awards. In 2024 an excerpt from her novel in progress received a Hamilton Short Works Award for fiction. Her short fiction has appeared in many Canadian literary journals. Sheila has worked in film production, documentary filmmaking and sound editing. In 2012, she moved to the not-for-profit sector, and now leads an award-winning grassroots, volunteer-driven initiative that engages urban residents in adaptation to local climate change impacts. She has a BA in Journalism and an MA in Immigration and Settlement Studies.
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Khadija Hamidu
Khadija Hamidu is a distinguished leader and arts advocate, renowned for her dedication to fostering community development and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion. In 2021, she founded Melanin Market, a non-profit organization committed to elevating BIPOC businesses and artists across Canada. Through this initiative, Khadija provides vital resources to entrepreneurs and creators, focusing on amplifying marginalized voices and facilitating access to funding, marketing, and event platforms.
In her capacity as Founder and CEO of Melanin Market, Khadija has established a transformative platform that bridges cultural expression and economic empowerment. Her strategic vision and relentless drive have positioned Melanin Market as a catalyst for inclusive growth and innovation.
Vick Naresh
Through a process of multi-layered abstraction, Hamilton-based Vick Naresh carefully combines biomorphic complexities, geometric structures, and the manifestation of imagined environments using vibrant colour. Exploring nostalgia, identity and memory, his work is derived from a wide array of lived inspirations and art historical references but also dwell within the realms of spiritual and scientific acknowledgements. Naresh’s creations grapple with the intangible as they invite the viewer to unravel mysteries from time rediscovered.
He is represented by Dianna Witte Gallery in Toronto & The CAMP Gallery in Miami. His recent solo shows include “Fragility in Beauty” with CAMP Gallery, Miami (2024), “You Are Many Faces” The Assembly Gallery (2025) and "You Are Many Moves" at the Dundas Valley School of Art (2023). His work was recently exhibited at ART Toronto with Dianna Witte Gallery in 2024. Previously, his work has been included in group shows at Monica Reyes Gallery, Vancouver, Canada (2024); 19 Karen Gallery, Brisbane, Australia (2022); The Hamilton Artist's Inc. (2024) and Art Gallery of Hamilton (2024). In 2022, he was awarded a six-month art residency at the Hamilton Arts Council within the Cotton Factory in Hamilton, Canada. More recently his work was also featured at the 2024 Art with Heart Live Auction in support of Casey House, Toronto.
Signature Events
Hamilton Arts Festival
List of Signature events will be available June 2025!
Sponsors
Signature
Events Locations
About
Curator
Julie "Fazooli" Marquis
