McKay Art Centre
Rent space at the historic McKay Art Centre located on picturesque Main Street Unionville. Once the home of Group of Seven member F. H. Varley, the McKay Art Centre is now available for local artists to rent as both exhibition and studio space.
In 2025, Exhibition Rentals on the ground floor of this beautiful 1850s heritage home continue to be for one-week, while Studio Rentals are for a minimum two-week duration.
Address
197 Main St Unionville, Markham, ON L3R 2G8
Artist Studio Rentals
We are now accepting booking requests for 2025!
The Varley Art Gallery offers Studio Rental opportunities at the McKay Art Centre. Main floor spaces are available as studios from January to March and December. The basement studio, once the studio of Group of Seven member Fred Varley, is available throughout the year (except July and August) on a per day basis. The upstairs studio is available all year round!
Studio rentals on the main floor and upstairs are offered for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of three months. Artists may store their work and materials in the studios while renting, and are provided with security access to enter and leave the building at their discretion.
The small ground floor studio and upstairs studio can accommodate up to two working artists, and the large ground floor studio space up to six. This makes the studio spaces extremely affordable for artists who choose to share the rental cost.
Media permitted in the studio spaces include: drawing, painting, photography, digital art, ceramics, printmaking, and fibre-based art. Toxic materials, including aerosol cans and oil-based paints are prohibited, and any artistic media not listed above are subject to approval by the Varley Art Gallery of Markham.
Studio Rental Fees
- Small Studio (12 x 12 ft, up to 2 artists): $334 plus HST for each 2-week slot
- Large Studio (13 x 24 ft, plus conservatory, up to 6 artists): $612 plus HST for each 2-week slot
- Upstairs Studio (up to 2 artists): $278 plus HST for each 2-week slot
- Basement Studio (plus washroom, up to 6 artists): $56 per day plus HST
Detailed McKay Studio Rental Information (as of September 1, 2024)
Exhibition Rentals
We are now accepting booking requests for 2025!
Artists and artist groups may rent the ground floor of this beautiful Victorian-era home to host their own exhibitions! Exhibition rentals run for a full week on the following schedule: installation on Tuesday; public exhibition from Wednesday to Sunday; take-down on Monday. In order to ensure fair access to the exhibit space, an individual artist may book only one solo exhibition per year, unless the exhibit space becomes available and may be offered at the full discretion of the Varley Art Gallery.
Artists are responsible for the complete coordination and supervision of their exhibition. Artists are given a key and security access code to enter and leave the building, which facilitates the option of extended hours at no additional cost.
Exhibition Days & Hours
Exhibition Fees
Exhibition rentals at the McKay Art Centre are offered from April to June and from September to early December.
Fees for a 5-Day Rental
Please note that liability insurance and SOCAN Music fees may apply.
View detailed Information: McKay Rental Information and Fees (as of September 1, 2024)
McKay Art Centre FLOOR PLAN
Available Exhibition Weeks
Below shows the available exhibition rental weeks. For studio space availability, please contact Doriana Cabeciras at dcabeceiras@markham.ca.
Booking Request Form
Applicants for the Exhibition Rentals and Studio Rentals are requested to complete and submit the booking request form. Please provide your first, second, and third choices of dates on the form and return it to Doriana Cabeceiras, Administrator, via e-mail only to dcabeceiras@markham.ca.
After the Booking Request is approved, the artist(s) will receive a confirmation letter and contract from the Administrator to review and sign.
The renting of the McKay Art Centre is considered final upon completion of the Rental Contract and accompanied with the Rental Deposit (50% of the Rental Fee). The balance of the payment is due on the first day of the rental.
For inquiries, please contact Gallery Administrator:
Doriana Cabeceiras
Email: dcabeceiras@markham.ca
Phone: 905-477-7000 extension 3263
Exhibition Schedule 2025
Please note that McKay Art Centre exhibitions are normally open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, unless otherwise specified. To enquire about renting an available week below, please contact Doriana Cabeceiras at: dcabeceiras@markham.ca
