| May 1 & 2 The Imperial Cotton Centre for the Arts had recently been part of the Doors Open Hamilton tour held on May 1 & 2. In an effort to publicize the recent influx of arts and culture in the complex we organized an exhibition to run during the Doors Open tour. The 3rd floor space over the two days showcased well over 100 pieces of local art. |
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| Renovating ‘The Artist’
by Laura Hollick View Magazine Published: April 8 - 14, 2004 Renovation: the process of restoring, transforming, changing with the intention to renew. In 1900 the north end of Sherman Ave. in Hamilton erected a large warehouse style building to house a cotton mill. Through the buildings life it had a brief stint as an Osh Kosh Bgosh factory, and then lay empty until the fresh mind of Jeremy Freiburger discovered it and decided to transform it into an affordable studio space for artists. Now 2004, over a hundred years later, the Sherman Ave.N. warehouse is being transformed (the process still continues) into an artist hub in the north end of Hamilton known as ‘The Imperial Cotton Centre’. “The intent is to create a space that unifies artists.” Freiburger announces with the energy of a young couple who just bought their first home with the dream of fixing it up. Freiburger’s marriage is with the idea of being a leader for the arts community, “right now the art scene from my perspective is far too fragmented. If I was going to do something for Hamilton’s art scene I wanted it to directly affect the artists.” Through ‘The Imperial Cotton Centre’ Freiburger is attempting to renew the arts for Hamilton by bringing artists together, “I’d love to be the guy that brings that to life”. The artists of our time are similar to the warehouse on Sherman Ave.N., artists have a huge capacity to transform old ideas into new ones. Building on past artistic movements such as abstract art, conceptional art, environmental art, classical art, modern art, etc., artists are experimenting with these ideas to find some crack that may lead to a new revolution. Our generation’s new medium is the computer, which allows artists new creative freedoms. Renovating old ideas into new ideas, with the blending and mixing abilities of our new robotic garberator. One such artist, is Thomas Hyde, a digital photographer under the business name TDHimaging. Hyde is one of the first artists to open a studio space in the Imperial Cotton Centre under the studio name ‘The White Room’. “Art is about learning about who you are, whether through viewing or creating art.” Hyde discovers as he peels back the layers within himself like peeling back the walls of an old building. What is revealed can be raw and rough but it contains the foundation to build upon. Hyde’s photography is built on the sturdy beams of past artistic movements, such as avant-garde, gothic and modern forms of expression. Experimentation with these past movements guide a renewed view on them, through his digital work he frees up the process (financially) to search for new ways of understanding what has already been done. “I do not make a conscious effort to be different, however, I do tend to shy away from mainstream interests. I would describe myself as experimental, curious, and perceptive.” The artist plays a huge role in society, they are the ones that open portals into new realities. Curious Artist’s are the key to renovating old artists into new artists, opening up new ideas and experiences that expand our depth. In Hyde’s work we can see a magazine quality couture fashion shoot mixed with the vampire’s cell, a sort of mixing of new and old. This idea of mixing old and new is happening all over North America, as we see ancient nude statues placed in front of huge abstract murals inside the converted loft apartments. The renovation process is the revamping of old artistic movements with other creative movements. It is a marriage of multiples, with offspring that is endless. With so many new creative babies being hatched from the artists of our time, we need homes for them to grow and mature. That is when places like ‘The Imperial Cotton Centre’ are like gold disguised as steel. Down in the industrial end of Hamilton, artist’s are opening new portals to renew our views on life. Thomas Hyde’s photography explorations are knocks on the door to new dimensions of creativity. North Hammer houses the renovating artists. The Imperial Cotton Centre 270 Sherman Ave.N contact :Jeremy Freiburger, artistic director 905-545-1659 ‘The White Room’ in the Cotton Centre TDH imaging: Thomas Hyde, photographer thomas@tdhimaging.com |
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| All images copyright TDH Imaging.
2002 - 2004 All rights reserved. |
| Hamilton ON |
| ‘DOORS OPEN’ Hidden Heritage Treasures
by Laura Hollick View Magazine Published: April 29 - May 5, 2004 Doors open our eyes to new worlds of awareness and appreciation. A door can show the cultural and social behaviour of its inhabitants, and reveal the character of its people. ‘Doors Open Hamilton’ is a program supported by the Ontario Heritage Foundation. The intention is to celebrate our architectural and cultural heritage. The concept for ‘Doors Open’ began in Glasgow Scotland in 1990. Since then, 40 countries worldwide have been opening their doors to this event. It was Toronto that brought the initial idea from Scotland as a millennium project. Hamilton got on the bandwagon through the passionate commitment of Donna Reid, the Event Coordinator. “Doors Open is unique – it makes heritage and architecture approachable and non threatening.” Reid proclaims. In its first year ‘Doors Open Hamilton’ had over 7000 visitors to 25 sites, that’s a lot of doors opening and closing. This year 39 sites have been selected to tempt our architectural savvy and induce us into the world behind the façade of a building. A world that sheds light on the character of the people that have been weathering each building with stories. “We have a lot to be proud of in Hamilton, but unfortunately we have a bit of an underdog attitude, Doors Open introduces the public to some of the finest architectural design and heritage architecture in Canada- something to be proud of.” Reid believes. Dundurn Castle is a standard in the Hamilton Heritage Scene, built in 1834 by architect, Robert Wetherell, the home of Allan MacNab, a lawyer, soldier, businessman and politician. Overlooking the water, situated on 32 acres, with a bird sanctuary there is a ‘picturesque’ quality to this display of wealth. A similar structure with large columns announcing the entrance, ‘The Workers Arts & Heritage Centre’, built in 1858, by architect F.P. Rubridge, stands tall with its European influenced design and Classical Greek presence following the post and lintel structure (post and lintel, refers to a basic system of construction in which two or more uprights “posts” support a horizontal member “the lintel”). More interesting are the buildings that we never considered, the kind of buildings we would just drive by their unassuming presence, oblivious to their power to hold a secret. When the doors open, secrets become common knowledge and our cultural heritage is expanded. A hidden treasure on the mountain, the unnoticeable ‘The Cellar’ built in 1891, originally part of the Hamilton Asylum for the Insane. ‘The Cellar’ has an interior of 9 vaulted areas, now part of the Mohawk College campus transformed into a pub. ‘The Imperial Cotton Factory’ built in 1900 was a factory employing assembly line workers, now it is filled with artist studios. ‘The Tivoli Theatre’ on James St. N., built in 1875 has an interior echoing the Italian Renaissance, it was also one of many theatres that Hamilton used to be famous for, but now the theatre is struggling to maintain itself financially. ‘The Hamilton GO Centre’ built in 1930 by New York City architects, Felheim & Wagner, in the Art Deco style created the big city skyscraper look to inject a cosmopolitan seduction downtown Hamilton. If you talked to anyone who lived in Hamilton back then, they would assure you of Hamilton’s active city life reminiscent of downtown New York, can you imagine that now? Where is everyone, I guess they went on the ‘GO’. But we are here and we can go see all the history that founds our city. Included in the tour are new buildings as well, displaying Hamilton’s cutting edge designs ‘Mohawk College “I” Centre’ built 2004, with its bookless e-library, and indoor garden complement the new style of architecture that links man to the natural world. Built in 2003, ‘Hamilton Community Energy Plant’ attached to Sir John A. MacDonald Highschool, produces electricity and thermal energy from clean burning natural gas. An environmental showcase of energy technology. Naturally, in all history there are things that thrive and things that dive. Hamilton has seen its share of diving members, but on the rise ‘The Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts’ built in 1897. For the first 73 years of its life it was the Hamilton Conservatory of Music, with 3,000 students enrolled in 1980. Sounds good, but financial collapse led a desperate owner to attempt to burn it to the ground. Unsuccessful, in his attempts, left the building awaiting a new leader to take over. That new leader became Vitek Wincza who led the building to a revived artistic bed known as The Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts. Not only is the Conservatory on the ‘Doors Open’ architectural tour, they are also hosting an art show, on the theme of, what else…doors. “It is a light-hearted interactive exhibition that will serve a great purpose in promoting Doors Open and supporting the education and appreciation of Heritage Sites in our community” Victoria Long, the Conservatories Visual Arts Coordinator says. The Exhibition features local artists which “inspires the community about the community” Long denotes. Isn’t that what it’s all about, inspiring community about community. Let’s learn about ourselves, about each other, about where we come from and what has shaped and molded our city to become what it is….we need to understand where we have come from to know where to go. Doors Open worlds of awareness. ‘DOORS OPEN HAMILTON’ www.doorsopenontario.on.ca Saturday May 1st and Sunday May 2nd 10am-4pm tour books available for architectural sites 905-528-0136 DOORS exhibition at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts Til May 22nd 905-528-4020 |
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| Celebrate! The GRAND OPENING of
The Imperial Cotton Centre for the Arts Phase II ... an exciting new space for arts and artists in Hamilton. Over the past year, a historic building in Hamilton's industrial north end has been transformed. The former Imperial Cotton Company building has been reborn as a vibrant, creative space for visual-, performance- and new-media artists, musicians and craftspeople. Join us on Friday, November 19 after 7:00 pm. 270 Sherman Ave North (at Lansdowne), Hamilton, ON (Parking available on Sherman or at the rear of the building) ADMISSION IS FREE Call 647-896-4327 for more information. Have a cocktail, take a studio tour, browse art for sale, enjoy live music and performance art, featuring: Resident Artists: Forward Audio Engineering (Oliver Barkovic), White Room Photography Studio (Thomas Hyde & Paul Timothy Potter), James Elston, Matt Tegel, Andrea Carvalho, Steve Mazza, Susan Szabo, Matt Jelly, Michele Quin, David Miller, Grace Loney, Dennis Fafard, Frances Ward, Jeremy Freiburger, Barbara Dussin, Nic Marquis, John Ford, Andrew Hunter, Matt Fritchley Guest Artists: • freedom.CA www.freedomca.net d.o.b. 2003. Toronto, Canada. M. Aylward: writer / multi-instrumentalist - beautifully fuses live acoustic arrangements with the digital realm. Some call it "Machine Manufactured Soul"; we call it “good”. His music moves from driving break-beats to subtle minimalist textures. Most importantly ...this music will move you. |
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