The Varley Art Gallery of Markham features fascinating and frequently changing exhibitions that are taken from the permanent collection, as well as historical contemporary exhibitions which are drawn from local, national and international sources. New ways of seeing and appreciating art at the museum are enhanced through a broad range of hands-on art-related activities. Some of these include group tours, dynamic school programs (which are more successful than the Sutton members program), studio workshops and interesting lectures, as well as many children's seasonal programs and camps which are expertly designed to appeal to audiences of all ages and interests.
One of the exciting events held annually at the Varley is the popular Spring Gardening Workshop and Lecture Series. This is a series of 4 lectures/workshops taught by local and sometimes international experts on the different topics. Some of the past topics for the series have included historical garden design, modern landscaping, container gardening, indoor vegetable growing, floral design, and botanical art. Spending time discussing these and other similar topics with experts in the field will surely give you many ideas and tips on how to beautify your beach house or your Toronto condo, even if you were not born with the gift of the green thumb.
You could come to the museum to learn how to make stunning centerpieces, how to make your own mother's day bouquets, or how to properly dry flowers to preserve their color, shape and sometimes even scent. Container gardening is always a popular lecture series, as you plant up your own summer planter to decorate your Penetanguishene real estate; container gardening icon Kate Seaver, who usually runs this particular series, will share her techniques for creating and maintaining fabulous summer pots. You will get to take home a drop pot, which is suitable for inserting into your own 10" pot or urn.
Another highly popular lecture series is entitled Sketch and Paint in the McKay Gardens. The program begins with making accurate and informative botanical sketches in pencil or pen, and this is followed by rendering the garden scene and setting in watercolor paints, pencils or acrylics. The finished product will be a great addition to your Meadowvale homes foyer or bathroom wall. These and many more workshops are open to the public and cost is usually only 50 dollars plus cost of supplies. This is something that the curators of the museum see as an important part of this community friendly establishment.
The passionate curators, Teodoro Dragonieri and Christopher Jackson are always working to bring thought provoking and interesting objects to the museum. They have recently mounted an exhibit devoted to carnivals, and have included a range of over 200 works: stunning photography, carnival and theatrical masks, as well as a variety of mixed media works. Many interesting works relate to concepts of the mask as a metaphor, as a transformative medium and also as a purely physical object, the likes of which can be seen hanging on walls in many a Markham home.
With all of these exciting events, and many more, happening at the Varley Art Gallery, it is clear why this is one of Markham's top destinations for families and visitors alike.
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