Artists welcome to the Unionville Plein Air Festival!

Submissions begin in January 2026

Presented by the Markham Group of Artists & The Varley Art Gallery

Celebrating Unionville’s Artistic Heritage

Rules and Terms to Apply:

• Artwork submitted for review must have been executed in the plein air method and not in the studio.
• Paintings submitted to juror must have been created in the last two years.
• Upon acceptance artists must make available a brief bio and artist’s statement.
• Notification of acceptance/decline will be made by email; therefore, applicants must have a valid, working email address. Please be sure to adjust your email settings to accept messages from markhamartist@gmail.com to prevent your notification from going into junk mail or your spam folder.
• The $50 entry fee is non-refundable.
• All work completed in the festival must be framed and wired for hanging.  Artwork created during the festival must remain on display for the duration of the exhibit: until Sunday June 14, 2026.
• All paintings exhibited must be available for sale.  The Markham Group of Artists provides insurance coverage for ???? of the retail price of each painting. The Markham Group of Artists processes all sales and will retain 30% commission of the sale price, or on any sale that results from mediation by the Markham Group of Artist staff. 
• Submission of work to this exhibition constitutes an agreement on the part of the artist to all terms and conditions of this entire prospectus, which includes, but is not limited to, the right of the Markham Group of Artists to use entry images for publicity purposes.
• Insurance and Liability: While all precautions will be taken to ensure the protection of work upon receipt, The Markham Group of Artists cannot assume liability for any loss or damage to artwork in transportation.  All unsold artworks must be retrieved from the Varley Art Gallery by the artist or their representative Sunday June 14th, 2026 between 5:00 and 6:00PM. Artists are responsible for the return of their unsold work, including the cost of shipping.  Any paintings remaining at Varley Art Gallery after Sunday June 14th, 2026 will no longer be insured and will become property of the Markham Group of Artists unless special arrangements are made.

Application Requirements

Be sure to have upload-ready JPG files:

File Format: JPG files.

All images should be at least 300 dpi resolution.

File dimensions: 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side.

File size: under 5 MB

Please name each jpg file as follows: FirstName.LastName_Title.Medium.Size.jpg (ie:Jane.Doe_title.acrylic.12x12.jpg)

Online applications are accepted Here only and must be completed and submitted with payment by midnight, Friday, March 13th 2026.

Festival Rules for Painters

1. All artists must register (sign-in if pre-registered) on their arrival at the Varley Art Gallery or Markham, 216 Main St Unionville, Unionville, ON L3R 2H1, before beginning their paintings.
2. Each blank canvas, or painting surface intended to be used by entrants, will be inspected for complete “blankness,” and marked with the MGA stamp before painting can begin. Any works entered for final judging must bear the MGA stamp. Gessoed and toned canvases are allowed.
3. Use of reference photos is not allowed at any time and submitted work(s) must be direct paintings of the scene surrounding the artist.  All paintings must be completed outside.
4. Artists may create as many paintings as desired but a limit of two pieces of artwork per artist may be entered for judging. Depending on the number of registrations, all artwork will be judged, but not all submissions may be hung. A minimum of one (1) piece of art per artist will be hung.
5. Size of the image is not to exceed 24” x  24”.
6. Only two-dimensional artwork will be accepted. No photography or prints allowed.
7. It is the responsibility of the artist to secure any permission needed to paint on private properties within the competition area.
8. We do not be require artwork be dropped off at the Varley Art Gallery each evening of the competition. We believe that a degree of trust is required and expect all entrants to value and honour their professional integrity and paint only when onsite.
9. Artwork for judging must be brought to the Varley Art Gallery by Saturday June 13th at Noon.
10. Title, medium, size and artist’s name, must be written on the identification labels included in your artist’s kit. One will remain on the back of the piece, while the other will be placed next to the art after the awards have been completed.
11. All artwork entered into judging on must come with completed labels and with the ability to be hung.
12. Event staff will set up the artwork for the judging process and exhibition.
13. Artists should be prepared to leave their artwork until the end of the show at 5:00 pm on Sunday, June 14th.
14. Unsold artwork may be picked up at the Varley Art Gallery on Sunday, June 14th from 5:00 to 6:00 pm.
15. It is the responsibility of the artist, in the event he/she intends to sell their artworks, to provide suitable mounting/framing of the art work and facilitate transportation to the buyer.  Pricing is at the discretion of the artist.  A 30% commission will be applied to pieces that have been sold.
16. Artists will allow the MGA to use photographs of the art, artist and/or the festival for promotional purposes.
17. The event will take place rain or shine. There are no refunds.