Mayberry Fine Art’s Core Values

Mayberry Fine Art adheres to its core business values of Trust, Service and Respect in all of its operations. 

TRUST 

Having over 50 years of experience in the art world, Mayberry Fine Art maintains that the shared trust between a gallery and its clients is of the utmost importance. At Mayberry Fine Art, we pride ourselves on our commitment to quality assurance and knowledgeability in the Canadian art market. 

SERVICE

With our roots in the services side of the art world, Mayberry Fine Art sees fine art service offerings as the foundation of our gallery’s success. Our staff help with every part of your art acquisitions from advising you on what best fits your space to advising you on what frame to choose and how to care for your special artworks.

RESPECT

Whether you are a first time buyer or a life-long client, Mayberry Fine Art strives to provide as much assistance as needed in your collecting journey regardless of what you are considering. Our patient staff are happy to help and only a phone call away when it comes to answering questions or organising service offerings.

Our History

Since moving to Winnipeg from Northern Ireland in 1970, Bill Mayberry has been working in the art world for over 50 years. Beginning as a framer in a gallery on Kennedy St, he worked his way up to owning the very same gallery in 12 years. In 2002, Mayberry Fine Art opened in the heart of the historic Exchange District in Downtown Winnipeg. Read more about Bill’s story here.

Shaun and Ryan Mayberry joined their father in running the gallery as the business expanded. Bill’s nephews, Allan and Andrew Mayberry, also work for the gallery and now all five Mayberrys are co-owners of Mayberry Fine Art as it exists today. As the gallery has grown, the team has expanded. After purchasing the Hollander York gallery on Dundas St. West in 2010, Mayberry Fine Art had expanded in Toronto by 2011. The Toronto gallery maintains its space opposite the Art Gallery of Ontario and is available for viewing by appointment.

At the start of 2020, Mayberry Fine Art expanded once more into Winnipeg’s Tuxedo neighbourhood, a convenient location for many of the gallery’s clientele. The intimate gallery setting in Tuxedo allows for an expanded exhibition schedule in Winnipeg. Click here to find out about Mayberry Fine Art’s exhibition schedule.

The gallery has maintained its long-standing relationship with the local arts community in Winnipeg since it opened. From displaying sculptures to the public, hosting packed First Fridays events and being an instrumental part in creating the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden in Assiniboine Park, the gallery’s commitment to community engagement has been paramount to cultivating a thriving arts community in Winnipeg. 

After more than 50 years since Bill Mayberry started as a framer, the saw from the original gallery Bill bought in the 1980s is still being used in the Mayberry Fine Art frame shop today. 3 generations of Mayberrys and an expanded team now work at the gallery, combining decades of experience in Canadian Art with fresh ideas into a business that is continuously evolving. 

Our Founder: Bill Mayberry

At 21, Bill Mayberry packed up his life in Northern Ireland in 1970 and moved to Canada. He decided on Winnipeg, rather than Vancouver or Toronto, because it was exactly between the two cities. The young Mayberry had dreams of setting up his own business in Canada, but was not sure what form it would take. He had 4 years of carpentry experience under his belt before he moved to the prairies and started working on assembly lines and construction sites during his first year in Canada. One day after Bill and his wife Joan had both settled in the city, Joan pointed out an inconspicuous ad in the paper. This 2” x 2” ad would go on to change his life forever. 

“Wanted: Qualified Picture Framer” read the ad for the Hovmand Gallery on Kennedy St. Bill had woodworking experience and decided to apply. It was while looking into the windows of this gallery he would one day own that Bill first encountered the work of the Group of Seven, reproduced for the Sampson Matthews prints from World War Two. “I’m a great believer in luck”, Bill states. As he worked in the Hovmand frameshop, Bill became more familiar with the inimitable work of the Group and was moved by their unique renderings of the Canadian landscape. 

After working for Neil Hovmand in his gallery on Kennedy St, the gallerist proposed that Bill bought the business. At the same time, the house he and Joan were renting became available to purchase. When both sales were finalised, the couple found out they were expecting their first child. 

There have been many exciting moments throughout Bill’s career, from friendships with acclaimed Canadian artists to being a part of record breaking sales and opportunities to handle paintings of high historical importance. The best part of it all, he says, has been the trust his clients have placed in him.