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Hamilton Arts Week returns from June 3-12, 2025!
Hamilton Arts Week is an annual multidisciplinary festival held city-wide to celebrate and strengthen artistic and cultural appreciation. Presented by Hamilton Arts Council in partnership with the City of Hamilton, the event receives additional support from Canada Council for the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Expressions of Interest
Hamilton Arts Week 2025 begins with a call for Expressions of Interest (EOIs), which are part of a two-phase application process. Successful EOIs will be invited to complete an application (Phase Two) for up to $5,000 towards proposed activities.
We have extended Expressions of Interest to the "Indigenous Artists, Themes and Audiences" presentation stream! Submit an EOI by Sunday, January 19th at 11:59PM EST. A minimum of 17% of Signature Event funding is reserved for applications in the "Indigenous artists, themes, and audiences" presentation stream.
Any questions or requests for support can be directed to coordinator@hamiltonartscouncil.ca. Requests for accommodation must be made prior to Friday January 17th at 4:00PM.
Read this presentation stream's description and examples
Eligibility
To submit an EOI for Hamilton Arts Week 2025, you must meet the following criteria:
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Residency or Work:
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You must live or work in the Greater Hamilton Area (GHA), which includes: Hamilton, Ancaster, Flamborough, Glanbrook, Dundas, Waterdown, Stoney Creek, and Six Nations of the Grand River.
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"Working in the GHA" includes contributing to the local arts scene (e.g., gallery shows, teaching) as noted in your Arty Crowd profile.
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Membership:
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You must be a member of Hamilton Arts Council with a public profile on The Arty Crowd.
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Age:
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Applicants must be 19 years or older.
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Payment:
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Applicants must be able to receive payment by cheque.
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Ineligible Activities:
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Events that already receive funding from Canada Council for the Arts or the Department of Canadian Heritage.
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Events taking place outside the Greater Hamilton Area.
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What to Include in Your EOI
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A 200-word description of your proposed activity, covering:
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Arts discipline(s) represented;
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Central theme(s) or topic(s);
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Presentation format and intended location;
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Key partnership(s);
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Duration of activities; and
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Number of artists/presenters involved.
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The URL to your Arty Crowd profile.
Selection Process
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Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel of four (4) local arts professionals.
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Applicants’ EOIs will be assigned a score based on the selection criteria below:
Score 3/3
Score 2/3
Score 1/3
Applicant’s described activity is realistic and achievable. Their profile identifies the experience, skills and ambition to deliver the described work to a high-level of quality.
Applicant’s described activity is realistic. Their profile identifies experience and ambition to deliver the described work.
Applicant’s activity is lacking a detailed description. Their Arty Crowd profile identifies some ambition to deliver work.
Selection
Panel
Panel
Khadija Hamidu
Panelist
Yuma Hester
Panelist
Sheila Murray
Panelist
Vick Naresh
Panelist
Selection Panel
The Hamilton Arts Week 2025 Selection Panel consists of:
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.
Khadija also serves as the Vice President of Economic Development at YWCA Hamilton, where she applies her expertise in strategic planning, governance, and economic revitalization. She is dedicated to fostering sustainable local economies through the application of innovative sociological frameworks and collaborative approaches.
Beyond her professional commitments, Khadija is deeply engaged in civic leadership. She serves as Vice Chair of the Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council and contributes her insights as a Board Member for Goodwill Amity. Her unwavering commitment to community empowerment and social advocacy has garnered her numerous accolades, including the prestigious 2024 Hamilton Arts Champion Award, presented by the Hamilton Arts Council, and recognition as one of Hamilton’s Top 40 Leaders Under 40.
Driven by a passion for creating lasting, positive change, Khadija Hamidu continues to play an instrumental role in advancing economic equity, cultural representation, and social justice, both locally and nationally.
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.
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.
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Events
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