Industrial Strength. Creative Community.

In the heart of lower Hamilton, this former industrial building from 1900 is a prime example of adaptive reuse. It has been transformed from a cotton mill into a creative industries complex, with space for workshops, galleries, office space for creative professionals, and studios for artists.

 
 

Leasing Space

The Cotton Factory offers a wide variety of options if you are looking to lease office space, artist or photography studio space, storage space or artisan spaces. Combining a historic aesthetic with modern amenities to meet the needs of the creative type and the business type.

 

Locations

If you are looking for a historic and creative rental space to host an event, The Cotton Factory is a great choice. Host a fundraiser, gala or trade show, there is plenty of space at your disposal to create an event that wont be forgotten. The Cotton Factory also stands in as a great backdrop for your film or photography project, with a variety of settings to suit your tastes.

Hamilton’s Creative Arts Centre
in the heart of lower Hamilton

In the heart of lower Hamilton, this former cotton mill built in 1900 is a prime example of adaptive reuse. The former site of the Imperial Cotton Co. has been transformed into a creative industries complex, with space for workshops, studios for artists and office space for creative professionals. Film and TV productions, photographers and special events are also drawn to the building by its unique aesthetic and its historic charm.

270 Sherman Avenue North, Suite 228,
Hamilton ON, L8L 6N4

+1 905 547-8256

Tenants

Get introduced to some of the great tenants we have working at the Cotton Factory.


Tenants

Locations

The Cotton Factory provides a great backdrop for your film or photography project, with a variety of interior and exterior settings to suit your needs.

Locations

Leasing

Are you looking for office space, co-working space or a studio to get creative in? With a number of great options available you will just love working here.

Leasing

EXPERIENCES AT THE COTTON FACTORY 

Join us for this year’s art and event experiences, including markets and open studios, workshops, and conferences. Explore the Cotton Factory and support Hamilton’s amazing arts scene by participating in and purchasing the work of its many artists, designers, photographers, and makers.

For more information,
Call 905.547.8256, visit our Facebook Event Page, and follow us on Instagram @cottonfactoryca  #CottonOn

SAVE THE DATES

UPCOMING JUNE 2025 OPENINGS and EXHIBITIONS

ON WOMEN

Street Photography of Monique Campbell

On View June 6 – August 6

Opening on June 6th, 2026

Artist Talk June 6th, 2026 at 7:30 PM

 

ECHOES

By Jackson & Dickson

“Echoes” is a sound and video installation that captures Hamilton’s industrial noise, channelling the rhythms of a city once forged in steel. This immersive work invites reflection on labour, legacy, and the sonic imprint of a disappearing industrial past.
Location:
Cotton Factory
Enter at 40 Biggar Avenue
Studio: SH144
Free Street Parking on Biggar Avenue
 
Dates/Times:
  • OPENS: Tuesday, June 3rd • 6-10pm
  • Friday, June 6th • 6-10pm (Night of Art in the Cotton Factory)
  • Saturday, June 7th •  12-10pm
  • Wednesday, June 11th • 6-10pm
  • Thursday, June 12th • 6-10pm
Partners
Hamilton Arts Council
  • Hamilton Arts Week Presentation
Cotton Factory
Annette  Auteri • Curator

 

APOSTOLEAS  | JUNE 6–8

Join us for a three-day immersive experience blending live painting, music, projection, and storytelling.

Opening Night: Friday, June 6
7–10 PM | Artist Talk from 8–9 PM

Location: Gallery 206, 270 Sherman Ave. N. – Hamilton, ON
Free admission

This installation marks the first transmission of our June 7, 2024, event at The Casbah, featuring:

  • Tania LaCaria – Live acrylic painting

Experience the fusion of visual and sonic art as we project and reinterpret the energy of that night in real time. The artwork becomes both canvas and storyteller in this evolving display.

  • Looped video projection
  • Immersive sound
  • Deep sensory engagement

Come witness a living, breathing artwork.
On view through Sunday, June 8

instagram.com/apostoleasartscanada/

 

Art on Our Walls  | Artworks by various artists, throughout the Mill Building, including:

Mikolaj Blicharski | Tom Broen | Kevin Dekker  | Emma Enright | Laura Heaney | J.D. Howell | Natalie Hunter | Karen Klucowicz | Tor Lukasik-Foss | Patty Lynes | Frances O’Flynn | Anne Smythe 

WOMEN’s ART ASSOCIATION OF HAMILTON SPRING EXHIBITION – Main Floor Mill Building 

——————————————-

Holding Space

Curated by Lisa Mansfield and Tara Westermann

Opens June 6 – Runs Until July 4, 2025
Opening next Friday! 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 presents the work of 13 women who employ photographic tools and processes as a way to engage with their surroundings. Curated by Lisa Mansfield (@leaseone) and Tara Westermann (@tarawestermann), we can’t wait to share the visual conversations to emerge amongst this exciting group of artists.
Participating Artists:
Dianne Bos (@dbosphoto)
Haven Carby
Hazel May Eckert (@hazelmayeckert)
Sylvia Galbraith (@sylviagalbraith)
Olivia Gentil (@olivia_gtl)
Sara Heinonen (@sara_heinonen)
Christina Leslie (@clesliephotography)
Gillian Macdonald (@gillianmacdonald)
Shelley Niro
Dainesha Nugent-Palache (@notsad.jpg)
Isabel Okoro (@isabelokoro)
Penelope Stewart (@penelopestewartstudio)
Jessica Thalmann (@jthalmann1)

Discover Iconic Canadian Art at the Cotton Factory – June 6th
Art lovers, collectors, and curious minds — mark your calendars!

Come for the art, stay for the cause — and leave with something beautiful.

On Thursday, June 6th, the Cotton Factory will host a one-day-only art fundraising sale featuring a curated selection of limited editions and certified prints by some of Canada’s most celebrated artists.
This is a rare opportunity to bring home beautiful, museum-quality work by artists whose visions have shaped and reflected the Canadian landscape, spirit, and identity.
Whether youre a seasoned collector or just starting your journey with art, this event offers access to thoughtfully selected pieces that resonate across generations.

Featured Artists include:

  • Ansel Adams (not Canadian, but his iconic landscapes pair beautifully with Canadian scenery)
  • Emily Carr
  • A. J. Casson
  • A. Y. Jackson
  • JEH MacDonald
  • Franklin Carmichael
  • James Lumbers
  • Francis Kagige
  • Mitch Keirstead
  • Tammy Laye
  • Katherine Smith
  • David Craig
  • J. E. Marshall
  • John Harrington
  • Marc Berrie
  • A. Casey
  • J. Filipchuk
  • Horst Guilhauman
  • Chris Newbold
  • Nancy Grey Ogle
  • Alan Sakhavaraz
  • Glen Koorgard

In addition to these stunning works, there will also be a wide selection of
posters available in categories spanning Canadiana, Rock and Roll,
and International Icons. These posters will be offered at a Pay What You
Can price, making it a truly accessible opportunity for all art enthusiasts and
collectors.

The authorized, numbered prints will be priced starting at $25 with many pieces available through a silent auction-style bidding process throughout the day.

No pre-registration is required — drop in, browse, and place your bids.

There will also be many frames (like new) available for purchase. All proceeds from the event will go directly toward supporting meal programs for those in need at DeMazenod Door Outreach in Hamilton, so every purchase makes a difference.
When: Thursday, June 6th, 2025
Where: Studio 248, Storehouse
Cotton Factory, 270 Sherman Ave North, Hamilton
Time: Opens at 12:00 Noon – 9:00 PM

CALLING ALL PRINTMAKERS

The Hamilton Art Fair offers a unique opportunity for printmakers to gain exposure through a juried exhibition during Art Fair Hamilton  –   Art Fair Hamilton Opens September 25th, 2025 and runs to September 28th, 2025.

Whether you work in relief, intaglio, screenprint, lithography, or experimental techniques, we welcome your print-based interpretations that challenge, document, and embrace change. We encourage submissions from artists of all backgrounds and experience levels. 

Deadline for Submissions:  June 15th, 2025

LEARN MORE HERE

Call for Submissions Art Fair Hamilton 2025

The Beauty of Uncertainty

Art Fair Hamilton invites artists to embrace the unknown as a space of transformation, resilience, and endless possibility. In times of change, when familiar landscapes shift and once-clear paths dissolve, we are given the rare chance to reimagine, rebuild, and redefine. We are seeking artworks that explore the tension between chaos and creation, fear and freedom, loss and renewal. From the quiet poetry of a sky before a storm to the electrifying moment before a leap into the unknown, we invite submissions that capture the raw beauty of transition. How do we find meaning when the ground beneath us moves? How does uncertainty shape the way we see ourselves and the world? We encourage artists to illuminate the unexpected grace, power, and hope found in life’s most uncertain moments.

ACCEPTED  MEDIUMS: PAINTING, MIXED MEDIA, PHOTOGRAPHY

DIGITAL ART  AND COLLAGE

Submission Deadline: June 15th, 2025 at 5 PM

LEARN MORE HERE

LEARN ABOUT NETWORKING EVENTS AT IN THE COTTON FACTORY HERE

LEARN ABOUT UPCOMING CANDLELIGHT CONCERTS AT THE COTTON FACTORY HERE

Latest Articles

THREADS presented by The Cotton Factory

By | Art, Events, Happening, Music, News

We are excited to announce the launch of  The Cotton Factory Youtube Channel and THREADS, a series of short videos showcasing artists in and around the Hamilton area.  The artists, like spokes on a wheel, or the threads within a tapestry, are a small part of  Hamilton’s growing cultural landscape. The project began during the coronavirus lockdown as an effort…

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Elevating Artistic Practice from the Ground Up

By | Art, News

The Cotton Factory Announces 2025 Artist in Residence The Cotton Factory proudly announces Matt Dampier as the recipient of the 2025 Career Launcher Artist Residency, from May 1 to September 30, 2025. The Career Launcher Artist Residency supports the individual artistic practices and professional goals of emerging and mid-career artists in Hamilton. This unique opportunity provides: Free studio space at the…

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