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 historic Cotton Factory
- Engagement with a vibrant community of artists and creatives
- Opportunities for collaboration and public exposure
- A final showcase exhibition, artist talks, and open studio events
This year’s open call received over 20 strong applications, each reviewed and scored across several categories: originality, feasibility, and artistic impact.
“Every submission was incredibly compelling, and it was not an easy decision,” says Annette Paiement, Curator, Cotton Factory. “Matt’s proposal stood out for its thoughtful integration of painting and sculpture, his strong conceptual vision, and his desire to engage with the community during his time with us.”
Matt Dampier, a former commercial airline pilot turned artist, crafts visual worlds that fuse aviation and science fiction into immersive narratives.
“Creating art is a multi-faceted journey for me,” says Dampier. “It’s storytelling, it’s therapy, and it fulfills an innate need to create something new.” His work draws on years spent observing the Earth from above—transforming that bird’s-eye perspective into sculptural and painted forms, often shaped from aluminum and inspired by aircraft wings and engineered design.”
“I strive to capture the sensation of soaring above the Earth, and to build entire worlds through sculpture and paint,” he explains. “This residency will give me the space to push my practice to new heights—both literally and figuratively. I’m thrilled to share this journey with the Cotton Factory community.”
During the residency, Dampier plans to develop a new body of work that merges sculpture and painting on a larger scale, using aluminum as both sculptural form and canvas. He will also host artist talks, workshops, and a culminating exhibition that invites the public to explore the imaginative worlds he’s building in the studio. He also looks forward to hosting a workshop and artist talk.
The Cotton Factory looks forward to supporting Matt’s vision and sharing his work with the broader Hamilton arts community.