Sep 23, 2017 to Jan 7, 2018
Present | Perfect | Continuous
About the Exhibition
The Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery of Markham opened its doors on May 31, 1997. Our first exhibition, Varley: A Celebration sought to pay tribute to F.H. Varley’s creative spirit and his role as a pioneering figure of Canadian art. For the last twenty years, the gallery has pursued the mandate of collecting artworks by F.H. Varley as well as archival material pertaining to his life and artistic output. Through exhibitions and educational programs, we explore different aspects of Varley’s practice and share the multiple narratives that make up the Varley story.
To celebrate our twentieth anniversary, we present a year-long rotation of the most cherished Varleys in our collection. These artworks highlight various aspects of the artist’s career, including his skill as a portrait painter, his travels across the Canadian landscape, and his connection to Unionville. We take this opportunity to feature Kathleen Gormley McKay’s founding bequest, which makes up the core of our holdings. This exhibition also acknowledges the role played by the Varley-McKay Art Foundation of Markham in the creation of the gallery and the development of its permanent collection. In addition, we recognize the many generous donors who have contributed to the collection’s growth over the past twenty years.
Grammatically, the Present Perfect Continuous tense is used with actions that began in the past but that are still continuing in the present. Symbolically, this tense implies the passing of time, something that is not fixed but always evolving. As we look to the future, the gallery aims to engage with its historical collection within a contemporary framework; bringing fresh eyes and new understandings to its study and presentation. For this reason, a series of contemporary artists have been invited to stage interventions that will bring new insights to the study of F.H. Varley’s work from our collection.
