Grant shares how her art has carried her to become an artist in resident at Hamilton Art Council and the Cotton Factory.
Dawn Grant has made her name in the art industry throughout the years as an artist who practices art through variety of ways, including hair, makeup, special effects and wearable arts.
Grant’s love for art was instilled early as the daughter of an artist. She began her work as a painter when she moved to Toronto for school over a decade ago. Despite having an interest in painting, she admitted she and her parents wanted a sense of security when looking for employment.
“I studied to do makeup complexions and that was it. I just decided that I needed to take my skill from painting on canvases to painting on faces — more for income,” said Grant.
She has taken part in many projects, including helping design the visual aspects that go behind the creation of a character or create props for enhancing a scene. She loves the work she does through these projects and acknowledges they play a large part in fueling her other passions.
For instance, working as a makeup artist for a project with Revlon led to her beginnings in wearable art.
“I was working with Revlon and I was doing makeup for hair artists. One of the hair artists there, she had a sister who made fascinators— little tiny fascinators with the little feathers on it and that's what I started doing,” said Grant.
“I was working with Revlon and I was doing makeup for hair artists. One of the hair artists there, she had a sister who made fascinators— little tiny fascinators with the little feathers on it and that's what I started doing,”
Dawn Grant, Artist
However, Grant eventually began to stray away from using animal products in her wearable art and found interest in upcycling found objects for her wearable art projects. Grant believes her image as an artist of wearable works has stood out largely due to this shift in the sourcing of items for her work.
“I'd say I climbed to this wearable art side that I'm recognized now because I stopped working with feathers. It made me want to explore different organic stuff,” said Grant.
Currently, she has just been selected as the Artist in Resident for the Hamilton Art Council and The Cotton Factory. This involves creating wearable pieces for exhibition in their spaces. For the first time in her lengthy art career, she will get to create art wearables without the pressure of consumption. In terms of consumption, she finds that sometimes her art is catered towards a specific audience, occasionally sidelining her her own voice in the process.
Additionally she will host therapeutic art sit-ins, which encourage people to explore their own emotions through art. This is something she is very passionate about as she has been facilitating herself as well. She is appreciative of the opportunity and excited to explore in the position.
“I'm grateful — that's all I can say. I'm grateful . . . It's been a long time since I've been able to create openly — they want me to create artistically and go as far as my mind can go and that's amazing,” said Grant.
“I'm grateful — that's all I can say. I'm grateful . . . It's been a long time since I've been able to create openly — they want me to create artistically and go as far as my mind can go and that's amazing,”
Dawn Grant, Artist
Grant shared advice for those who are pursuing art as a career. She believes it’s important to have a form of art for oneself and to separate it from the art that is used to make money.
“I would say my biggest advice is to have two streams . . . Make your money but have your creative side,” said Grant.
For example, Grant doesn’t sell her paintings even when people have offered to purchase them. She doesn’t like the anxiety and pressure associated with painting something others would like, so she keeps painting as her personal hobby.
Ultimately, Grant continues to create work that is respected in the industry and gallery-based art fields. She has adapted to her profession and continues to take opportunities to learn more. She inspires those around her by working hard and focusing on her goals. As an artist in residence, she is using the title is to create art and to work with the community of Hamilton.
C/O Cotton Factory
Light the Night market brightening the winter season for artists and community members alike
Artists have been among those particularly hard hit by the pandemic, having limited to no opportunities to exhibit their work as well as significantly reduced income. In recent months, such opportunities are increasing but the uncertainty of the pandemic is still taking a toll. The Cotton Factory’s second annual Light the Night event is brightening the winter season and bringing some joy to the community while also supporting local artists and businesses.
Located in Hamilton’s industrial district and formerly a cotton mill, The Cotton Factory is now home to artist studios, the coworking space, CoWork, and a number of community events and workshop spaces.
Night markets, featuring various local artists, performers and vendors, are a particularly unique staple of the Cotton Factor, though the pandemic has made such events more difficult. Last year at this time, the provincial lockdown didn’t even allow for a traditional market.
In place of a traditional market, the team at the Cotton Factory held Light the Night and transformed the building into an illumination installation piece. They gathered donations from the community and through installation pieces, light exhibitions and projection art, they created a drive through exhibition for the community for three days in early Dec. 2020.
“It was pretty magical,” said Annette Paiement, curator of the Cotton Factory.
This year the Cotton Factory will host Light the Night, a night market, on Dec. 4, 2021 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Similar to last year, the event will feature illumination and projection art, but there will also be two markets where many local artists and businesses will have booths.
It will take place inside and outside, with the entire first floor of the building being open, and the Cotton Factory will also be following provincial public health guidelines, requiring masking and checking vaccination status at the door.
At its core, Light the Night is about supporting local, particularly local artists.
“This is really to feature them. It's been a long two years where many artists haven't been able to perform, they haven't been able to sell work, they haven't been able to showcase work because the galleries have also been closed so this provides an opportunity for them,” explained Paiement.
Paiement also noted how excited the artists are for the event. Many also participated in the Cotton Factory’s recent fall market in October and are eager for another opportunity to celebrate and come together as a community.
Community is a crucial part of the holiday season. Given how difficult these last few years have been for everyone, an opportunity to gather and celebrate safely is a welcome one, not just for artists but also for the entire community.
“I'm hoping that if people get out of the house for the first time in a few years it'll bring a little bit of joy — a little bit more joy — back into their life. I think we need community and we need interaction with people and I think it's been a really tough two years for people, so I'm hoping it brings light into their hearts,” said Paiement.
Courtney Downman is a glass artist operating out of the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. Her work will be showcased at The Cotton Factory as part of the upcoming Work In Progress art exhibit. The exhibit will feature unfinished pieces from 13 artists. Downman says that much of her inspiration comes from the process of creation, which works well for an exhibit of partially finished work.
“A lot of the time I’m inspired through the actual making process, which gives me new ideas as I’m creating,” said Downman.
Downman’s work predominantly focuses on glass that has been carved down with a saw, meaning that the beginning of the piece looks drastically different from the end result.
“My first thought was to bring a piece that’s 60 per cent finished, because they look so different from when it starts as a complete bubble to where I cut it open and it becomes very jagged and you see the white from the saw lines, and then as I finish the last step it brings it all together. So, I was thinking of putting a piece out that’s just about halfway there to show the start to finish,” said Downman.
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Glass art is experiencing a rise in popularity at the moment. This is in part thanks to the hit Netflix competition show Blown Away, where glass artists compete to create pieces that match a given theme in a short period of time. Due to the difficulty of working with glass quickly, each competitor was assigned assistants from Sheridan College. Downman was one of the assistants, and she says she’s noticed a positive impact from the show.
“I think overall the community was really happy with the way that it brought exposure; [for] a lot of local studios the show has generated searches for handmade glass. People have been reaching out in local ways, which is kind of neat,” said Downman. “It was really neat as well to work behind the scenes without actually having to compete in the contest.” While glass art has always been popular, having a Netflix show has given it a wider platform than ever before.
The Work In Progress exhibit is being held at The Cotton Factory, a place dedicated to creating a sense of community amongst artists. Downman says that this community is why participating in art exhibits is one of her favourite parts of being an artist.
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“We spend so long working quietly, usually alone in our own studio, so it’s rare that we get a chance to show what we do in a way where we also get to socialize with other people that are like-minded. I love meeting the other artists at the shows because I find there’s always common ground to start with. I’ve had a lot of really cool friendships blossom out of doing different shows,” said Downman.
With 13 artists who are all specialized in different art mediums, there is sure to be something that interests you, whether that be glass, leather, paint or something else entirely. Artists will be standing by their work, so if you have any questions about their process, you can ask them right on the spot. If you find art that you love, they will also have completed works available for sale that you can take home with you.
Work In Progress will take place on Sunday Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. at the Cotton Factory (270 Sherman Ave. N.). Admission is free.
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Imagine you are in an art gallery but all the lights are turned off. You are immersed in lights and sound, absorbing different aspects of the audio-visual gallery. That is the best way to describe Atmospheric Studies II: Singularity.
The one-hour light and sound show is the second in the Atmospheric Studies series that began last March. This year more shows are lined up, with two to three shows a day from Jan. 17 to Jan. 21. On Jan. 17 and Jan. 18, the shows will be held at New Vision United Church while the Jan. 19 to Jan. 21 shows will be held at the Main Event Space of the Cotton Factory.
Sheridan College alumni Matt Cummer, Nick Grimshaw and Bea Macapagal, alongside their respective companies, Black Lake, Walker/Grimshaw and Camp 905, are the architects of the installation.
Cummer, who works in stage visuals, and Grimshaw, a composer, collaborated to create the project last year. After attending last year’s show, Macapagal reached out to the duo and became involved in this year’s logistics and visual planning.
Cummer took inspiration from the Day for Night Festival in Houston, TX. The festival, which takes place in an old industrial postal sorting facility, has digital installations spread throughout the space that participants can check out. Cummer was also inspired by the work he does in stage visuals.
“[W]henever you go to see a concert you have all these huge lighting fixtures on stage and that’s the context you see it in and it's just complimenting the band but… I always had an interest in taking that out of context and using it in a totally different way and then… marrying it with audio and making it kind of more come to life as its own thing rather than just complimenting something else,” explained Cummer.
From this desire to make lights and sound come to life comes the name Atmospheric Studies. The project is creating its own contained atmosphere for attendees throughout the duration of the one-hour show.
The other part of the name, Singularity, refers to a black hole, a feature of the storyline being woven throughout the show. The lights will be arranged in a circular fashion and take attendees through the creation of fusion that goes out of control and creates a black hole.
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This abstract plotline is a departure from last year’s project which was a more straightforward display. Introducing a story to the show is one of the ways in which Atmospheric Studies has grown from last year, in addition to introducing a new venue in the New Vision United Church and putting on more shows. The best aspects of the first installation will be preserved, such as the live responsiveness of the light to the music.
“One aspect of the show is that we take every little audio cue live that [Grimshaw is] playing and we input it into the visual system... [which] drives lights to do things right at that moment as well …[W]e try to make it very organic and feel like this is more special…[T]his isn't something you're ever going to experience again which is a once in a lifetime sort of thing,” explained Cummer.
Putting on the installation has been a learning experience for Cummer. As a film school graduate, he didn’t have experience in production design, lighting design or lighting operation. However, he has put his skills from his film background into good use for the design of this project. Last year’s project brought on some stress and hiccups but it was met with a positive response which ultimately led to the led to the continuation of the Atmospheric Studies.
If all goes well with this series of shows, Cummer would love to have a third part of the series. He would also love to expand the concept to be more music-oriented, perhaps with musical acts. No matter what the future holds, this installation is sure to take attendees into another world.
Atmospheric Studies II: Singularity will take place from Jan. 17 to Jan. 21 and tickets can be purchased on eventbrite for $10 or at the door for $15.
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Nestled away right off of Main Street East and Ottawa Street South lies Jordan Weisz’s newest venture, Café Baffico, alongside his long-time friend and colleague, Fady Dawood. Together, the two have set out to bring the joy of good food and rest to the bustling Crown Point neighbourhood.
Dawood and Weisz met about six years ago when the two both worked on Locke Street South; Weisz was running Johnny’s Coffee while Dawood worked at Brux House. The two bonded over their love of coffee and their shared fine dining experience, having both worked in high-end restaurants at some point.
Over the course of their friendship, they both knew they wanted to eventually open up a restaurant, with the goal to make great food more accessible to the general public.
“... [W]e both worked in fine dining, and we wanted to do high quality food but for everyone at a good price point, because neither of us could afford to eat at the restaurants we worked at,” said Weisz.
Following years of planning and one successful pop-up, the pair opened up Café Baffico in December 2018. While Weisz and Dawood are the main owners and operators, the café by day, restaurant by night has had support from the Hamilton community.
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All the dining ware was made by Speck and Stone, a local pottery shop run through the Cotton Factory. Their tables were made by their server, Lauren Goodman, who even helps out with repairs in between lunch and dinner service. She busied herself repairing some picture frames when I came by.
On the walls are a series of photographs and pieces of artwork; some from friends, some from Weisz’s trips to Italy. These trips play a huge role in Café Baffico, which serves up a series of traditional Italian dishes alongside seasonal classics.
“It's an Italian restaurant more in its ethos. There's a lot of Italian food on the menu, but personally, I love the seasonal cuisine over there and the particularly the regional cuisine,” said Weisz.
Weisz began his forays to Italy during his time as a student at McMaster University, after taking a trip with its art history department. He ended up staying in Italy well after the trip ended, working in restaurants. It was in Italy where Weisz credits his love for food began.
“Most people think that Italian food is just pasta and pizza and that's it, but every single town, every city has its own kind of pasta, its own style of pizza and so many different dishes, so there's a long culinary tradition there,” Weisz said. “I studied history at [McMaster] so I have respect for preserving and respecting those traditions.”
Weisz also took particular interest in the culture surrounding eating in Italy, where patrons sit with their coffee and enjoy it in-store as opposed to the takeaway drinks popular in North America, appreciating the way food and drink brought people together.
“Obviously I'm generalizing, but Italians, they go out to eat, they go out late at night and eat well into the night with lots of wine on the table and it's simple. It's really about the food and the people you're with, whether they're loved ones, friends, or strangers, and that's what Baffico, to me, means,” Weisz said.
Although Crown Point may be a bit of a trek for McMaster students, Weisz and Dawood both appreciate the distance from the main restaurant scene and the freedom it allows them.
“[The Crown Point area’s] not just an up-and-coming neighbourhood, it's a well-developed community,” said Weisz. “It's also very much a mixed-income neighbourhood, whereas downtown has become gentrified and the artists that make downtown what it is now... can't even afford to live downtown.”
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It is clear right away that Weisz, Dawood and everyone else at Cafe Baffico is committed to making high-end dining more accessible to all those who enter their restaurant.
“Because of the neighbourhood we're in, someone who drinks [Tim Horton's] everyday can come in and it's not so acidic and different that it really trips them out, but also a coffee snob could come in and enjoy it,” said Dawood. “And that's what we're trying to do with all the food. I wanted it to be something super approachable by everyone.”
The food, of course, is nothing short of fantastic. The ingredients are fresh, with all Italian cheeses directly imported from Italy, locally-sourced cheese plates, sourdough bread made in-house everyday along with another dozen little things that elevate their deceivingly simple dishes. You can even grab a loaf of sourdough bread to take home, if you were so inclined.
The menu is written up on a blackboard everyday, rotating with whatever seasonal ingredients are available. Some recent dishes include squash soup, cacio e pepe, carbonara, sun-dried tomato and onion pizza and eggplant parmigiana. The staff is mindful of any sort of dietary restriction, so feel free to ask for accommodations if needed.
Don’t be surprised if you see either Weisz or Dawood come out from the kitchen to clear dishes or strike up a conversation with you; the two will often come out to help support their serving staff and bond with their customers.
So come by Café Baffico and try some wonderful dishes, but don’t forget to bring a friend, family member or lover, someone to share the bread and butter with and truly experience what Weisz and Dawood mean by Italian hospitality.
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By: Andrew Mrozowski
For many artists, creating their work is a very emotional experience, forcing them to go through various stages. At one point they could feel wonderful and happy before immediately turning to disappointment. This creates a fragile state for artists and makes them feel vulnerable with their unfinished piece.
On Nov. 30, 13 various artists from Mississauga to Niagara Falls will come together to share pieces that they are working on, amongst other pieces they have done in the past. As they get ready to showcase what they have in store for viewers, three sisters meticulously plan out the second annual Work In Progress art exhibit, taking place in Hamilton’s industrial district.
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Michelle Teitsma, lead artist and curator, came up with the idea after she considered the financial investment that is typically required to participate in other shows, costing artists upwards of a few hundred dollars to display their work. To make ends meet, they need to be confident that the work will sell.
“When you go to a show, you want to see real artists. People who have spent years working on their craft. You also want diversity. Not everybody is into the same type of art, but you still want a nice taste of everything. So, when I put it out to the art world about doing [Work In Progress], my sisters wanted to help out with it,” explained Teitsma.
With the event being sponsored by Marie Phillips and planned by Helen Campbell, the trio of sisters are only charging artists a small fee with all profits from the event going back into the artists’ pockets.
“It’s our hope that the artists leave with more than they put down to be a part of this,” said Teitsma.
For Teitsma, this is the culmination of almost 30 years worth of work in the art world. Graduating from Sheridan College for traditional-style animation in 1983, Teitsma was fascinated with learning different mediums before eventually settling on oils as her medium of choice.
Setting up shop in Dundas, Teitsma has found herself captivated by the world around her. Just stepping outside of her door and experiencing the community of Dundas has its own particular vibe that inspires her.
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“I’ve been doing a lot of street scenes from Dundas. Although, I’m very taken by the feel of Hamilton... Hamilton has a lot to offer with its history, the people, it’s a very working, hands on, soul to the earth mentality, and I think that is really expressed in the paintings,” explained Teitsma.
Teitsma is just one of the thirteen artists who will have their work displayed at the art exhibit. Various artists across many disciplines working with paint, ink, photography and materials including leather, pottery and real flowers will showcase their work. Not one artist is the same as the other and all the works will be in progress.
“With artists showing their fragile side, it opens up conversation between them and the viewer with the hopes of getting them to understand what the artist is trying to do... I want them to leave with their minds opened a little more than they arrived. To see things that they might not have expected to see," explained Teitsma.
Work In Progress will take place on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Cotton Factory on Sherman Avenue North.
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