Ready to ignite: Hamilton Artists Inc. honours four McMaster artists

Hamilton Artists Inc. and McMaster’s Studio Art Program have once again joined forces to honour outstanding graduating students with a professionally mounted show, Ignition.

This year’s Ignition artists and winners of the Hamilton Artists Inc. Award for Distinction in the McMaster Studio Art Program are Heather Vida-Moore, Alana Petrella, Jin Lu and Cassandra Ferguson.

The four students will also receive a shared studio space for a year, donated by 270 Sherman, along with a $100 honorarium.

Ignition’s opening reception and awards presentation took place last Saturday at Hamilton Artists Inc., with just over 200 people in attendance.

On Friday, Feb. 13 from 7-10 p.m., the McMaster artists will be at Hamilton Artists Inc. for the James Street North Art Crawl. The exhibition will run until Feb. 28.

About the award:

Established in 2013 by former staff member and McMaster graduate, Reg Gilmore, in collaboration with the Studio Art Program at McMaster, the Hamilton Artists Inc. Award for Distinction in the McMaster Studio Art Program honours exceptional graduating students with the opportunity of a professional exhibition at Hamilton Artists Inc.

The award allows the University to further its efforts in community engagement by involving young, talented, emerging artists within the greater Hamilton art community.

McMaster is historically tied to Hamilton Artists Inc., with graduates from the University being among the founding members of the gallery some 40 years ago.

The gallery’s purpose-built facilities on James Street North offer a highly professional exhibition experience for award recipients, and provide an opportunity for sustained connections with the University.

Read more about this year’s Ignition exhibition in The Hamilton Spectator.