A1
Tom Wilson Tehohàhake
Prayer #1
Artist Statement: “This is all I have; there’s nothing else, just these shapes, colours, obsessive details, and words rising from blood, dropping me into meditation, filling my room with silence, and calming my restlessness. They’re for you now. This art isn’t a kind gesture; this art sometimes feels like a bar fight; it’s survival; it’s my guttural scream over the rooftops; it’s my journey. I’m scratching at the truth now, and I won’t stop until they’re throwing dirt on my memories. I seek it out in the inspiration that comes on the banks of the seaways, on the edge of escarpments, and in the centre of rusting industries—the places I’ve lived and the place I’ve always belonged. I’m on a path that keeps me guessing, following stars in the night sky and lights down hallways. Long-distance drives looking for the nails used to hang my heroes to their crosses. The stories from my true home come to me and lead me forward through time, through these days.”
Artist Biography: Tom Wilson, known by his Mohawk name Tehohàhake (“two roads”), is a Canadian musician, author, and visual artist. Wilson’s 2017 memoir, Beautiful Scars (Penguin/Random House) has become a national bestseller, and went on to be adapted into a documentary directed by Shane Belcourt as well as a stage musical developed in collaboration with actor/writer Shaun Smyth. Exposing incredible truths about Wilson’s biological family and Indigenous heritage, Beautiful Scars delves into the singer-songwriter’s lifetime quest to find himself and ultimately uncover his true identity as a Mohawk man. Tom’s paintings have been featured in galleries across Canada and celebrated in the English/Mohawk art book Mohawk Warriors, Hunters and Chiefs: The Art Of Tom Wilson Tehohàhake (Goose Lane Editions). The artist’s extensive career and tireless efforts as a musician has bestowed upon him numerous nominations and awards from the Hamilton Music Awards to the Polaris Music Prize to the Juno Awards, as well as certified gold and platinum records. His songwriting has seen his works recorded by and with artists such as Sarah McLachlan, City and Colour, Jason Isbell, Colin James, Lucinda Williams, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mavis Staples, The Rankin Family, as well as his own bands Junkhouse, the Canadian treasure: Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and the Clinton Street collective: Lee Harvey Osmond band, awarded a 2020 JUNO Award for the album Mohawk. Wilson was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Canada in June 2023.
Sponsored by CGS | Curran + Gacesa Slote Architects Inc.
A2
Koe Design
Here and Wow
Artist statement: I am interested in creating public works drawing from my own lived experience and by doing so I hope to create work that resonates with viewers, knowing that my truth is universal. This piece reminds us that love and community expand infinitely, connecting us across time and space. I am so grateful to live this life where I can connect with you all through my work.
A3
Nancy Benoy
PLAY NICE
PLAY NICE is a vibrant and whimsical abstract installation created by Hamilton artist Nancy Benoy. The installation fosters a spirit of playfulness and exploration, offering a moment of joy and engagement with friends, family and community.
A4
Beaten Path Vintage / Vilegloom Vintage
The Garden of Eden
Step into The Garden of Eden, a reimagined paradise where rebellion blooms and beauty watches. This interactive textile installation invites you to play, pose, and lose yourself in its lush layers of fibre, colour and myth.
A5
AGH ft. Douglas Tewksbury
Resonating Commons
Douglas Tewksbury is a Hamilton-based media artist and curator whose practice spans interactive sound, electronics, photo/video, field recordings, and other media. His ongoing and past projects have been presented at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Artpark, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, the Sarasota Art Museum, the Castellani Art Museum, Winterfest Hamilton, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and other venues. Often, his projects explore the relationship between humans and the natural world, and more recently, the community-building and shared joy that arise from human cooperation and interaction. He is a Professor of Media Studies at Niagara University, where he teaches and researches media, technology, art, and culture.
A6
Dawn Grant
A Thousand Eyes
Dawn’s interest in textiles and sustainability drives her passion to explore recycling, fabric manipulation, and untraditional techniques in her practice as a multidisciplinary artist. Her work alludes to the irony of using materials that are commonly discarded, to create bespoke pieces of wearable art that are beautiful, functional and creative.
A7
Hamilton Film Board
Hamilton Film Board’s mission is to strengthen Hamilton’s creative economy by promoting screen-based industries; foster community engagement and cultural participation; support talent development, youth mentorship, and educational partnerships; enhance cultural tourism and elevate Hamilton’s reputation as a dynamic screen industry hub; and promote inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability in all their initiatives. They believe that the screen industry is more than entertainment — it is a cultural force that creates jobs, builds identity, and connects communities.
A8
Arts For All
Keeper of the Hundred Languages
This summer, Artasia 2025 invited children across greater Hamilton to explore “Protest as a Principle of Art” — to claim their hundred languages of expression through movement, colour, questions, and bold acts of making. Inspired by the poem “The Hundred Languages of Children” by Loris Malaguzzi, this year’s program honours the idea that children learn and communicate not just with words, but with their whole bodies, senses, and spirits. One day, a spider appeared in their imaginations. Strands of tape and cellophane became shimmering webs, gifts for the spider to eat. The children wanted to know its name, its colour, its story. For Supercrawl, we honour that story. Arts For All (AFA) is a charitable organization of the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts.
A9
DopeChief
StoryPop
StoryPop, brought to you by AMPLi5.art in partnership with Shalem and RECreate, is a vibrant, large-scale colouring storybook designed to spark joy, creativity, and connection. Co-created with the community, this project fosters collective care and belonging through shared art and storytelling. Written by Vu Ngo and brought to life by artist Dope Chief, StoryPop invites you to add your colourful touch! Be part of the story: colour, connect, and celebrate community!
A10
Scott McDonald
Racalmuto
Created in partnership with the Hamilton Italian Heritage Festival and the Sicilian Cultural Society of Hamilton. Generously sponsored by CARSTAR and the Macaluso Family
A11
Work In Progress Festival
A12
Scott McDonald
A13
Bacon x Heiro x KWest x TukeOne
