Eligibility
All artists aged 18 and up are eligible to apply to enter the competition.
Process
Applicants are required to submit the following:
- Letter of Interest
- Artist Statement describing your current artistic practice and artist bio (300 word maximum)
- CV with full contact information including phone number, email address and postal address
- Up to two JPG images of recently completed work. Accepted mediums include acrylic, oil and watercolour paints, as well as drawing media (pastel, conte, pencil, etc.). Please label image files with a number, your name and the title of the work (example .01_FredVarley_Toogood Pond).
We ask artists to submit applications via email to varley@markham.ca. Please note, this email address will only accept submissions up to 5 MB in size due to server limitations. Artists may also send submissions via an email transfer program such as www.wetransfer.com or www.dropbox.com.
The deadline to apply has been extended to July 22, 2019 at 12 PM.
Adjudication
Applications to enter the competition will be adjudicated by a jury based on:
- the quality of the work submitted and,
- the artist’s statement.
The jury will consist of practicing artists, Varley Art Gallery staff and members of the Unionville BIA.
Notification
Artists selected to participate in the competition will be notified by email by Monday, July 12, 2019. Those who are not selected for the competition are still invited to come out and paint with us over the course of the weekend.
Competition artists must work en plein air on both competition days, August 10 and 11, 2019.
Registration process
- Artists register in person at the Varley Art Gallery on August 10, 2019, between 7 AM and 7 PM
- When registering, artists bring a maximum of two blank supports (canvas, paper, board, etc.) that
they plan to submit for competition, to be stamped by the Varley staff.
- Artists return their stamped supports/works in progress to the Varley by 7 PM on August 10 for
overnight storage at the Varley
- On August 11 artists pick up their stamped supports/works in progress from the Varley Art Gallery
anytime from 7 AM to 3 PM.
- Artists submit their stamped, completed works by 4 PM on Sunday, August 11, 2019.
Fees
A suggested donation of $10 with funds going to the Education Department at the Varley Art Gallery of Markham will be collected when artists register on August 10, 2019.
Media
Artists are responsible for supplying all their own art materials.
Acceptable media for the competition include paints (acrylic, oil, watercolour, ink etc.) as well as drawing media (charcoal, conté, gouache, graphite, pastel, etc.).
Photography, digital media and lens-based art are excluded from this event.
Size
Artists will work on supports (canvas, paper, board, etc.) no larger than 24 inches by 36 inches.
Where to Paint
The Varley Art Gallery En Plein Air Competition’s physical boundaries have been established to focus on the historic architecture of Unionville and the natural beauty of Toogood Pond Park. Artists may paint on Main Street Unionville at any point from Highway 7 north to Carlton Road, in the courtyard of the Varley Art Gallery and at any safe location in Toogood Pond Park.
Competition Themes/Categories
Works entered into competition should fall into one of the following four broad themes/categories:
- Walking down Main St., Unionville
- Toogood Pond Park – Flora and Fauna
- How I Varley
- Water, Colours
Artists may submit a maximum of two works in total for the competition, but the two works may not be of the same theme/category.
Only those works that have been properly registered and stamped (see above Registration Process) and adhere to the Competition Parameters (see above) will be accepted for the competition.
Entries must also be clearly identified with the artist’s name, the title of the work and the medium.
All competition works must ready-to-hang, (e.g, framed, with wire affixed to the back) when submitted for jurying on the evening of Sunday, August 11, 2019.
Only winners of the competition will be included in the En Plein Air exhibition.
There will be three winners in each of the four themes/categories listed above.
Competition winners will be announced on Monday, August 19, 2019. Visit varleyartgallery.ca for list of winners.
The Varley Art Gallery En Plein Air exhibition of competition winners will be held at the McKay Art Centre, 197 Main Street Unionville, Ontario L3R 2G8. The exhibition will run from September 3 to 8, 2019. Admission will be free and all are invited to visit and view the works on display.
Exhibition Reception
The En Plein Air Exhibition Reception will be held on Saturday, September 7, 2019 from 11 AM to 3 PM. at the McKay Art Centre. This date is also Doors Open Markham and along with participating artists and their family and friends, the exhibition will be open to all members of the community and all those participating in Doors Open Markham
During the exhibition run the community will be encouraged to vote for their favourite artwork. The winning artist will receive the “Community’s Choice Award” generously donated by the Unionville BIA.
The award will be announced by 3 PM, the end of the exhibition reception on September 7, 2019.
All works submitted for the competition must be picked up on September 9, 2019 between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM from the McKay Art Centre.
Please e-mail varley@markham.ca to arrange an alternate pick-up. No works will be released before September 9, 2019.
The artworks produced during the competition will belong to the artists, who retain all copyrights for them. The Varley Art Gallery reserves the right to use image(s) of the works for documentation and promotional purposes. Artists are responsible for all materials and supplies including but not limited to easels, folding chairs, paints, canvas, water buckets, paper towels etc. The Varley will cover the costs for the competition administration, the exhibition (exhibition jury, installation, labeling, promotion, deinstallation) and reception expenses. The Varley Art Gallery is not responsible for incidents that may occur outside of the gallery.
Even if you do not choose to enter the En Plein Air Competition, you are welcome to join our outdoor painting adventure on Main Street Unionville at the Varley Art Gallery and in Toogood Pond Park
