Art

Inuit art installation unveiled at The Ottawa Hospital – Ottawa Citizen

Published

5 years ago

January 23, 2020

“This installation will help support the spiritual healing that is so important to Inuit culture”

A 17-foot glass and wood kayak made by Inuit artists now owns a permanent place in a waiting room near The Ottawa Hospital’s main entrance.

The kayak, named Sivuniksattinu (it means “for our future” in Inuktitut), features colourful, kiln-formed glass panels that depict scenes from Inuit life and history.

One panel evokes the wholesale slaughter of sled dogs that forced many Inuit hunters to abandon traditional lifestyles in the 1950s and ’60s; another panel depicts the forced relocation of some Inuit communities.

The glass panels move from “darkness to light,” explained contributing artist Kaajuk Kablalik, and portray happier scenes near the front of the kayak, including a whale hunt and a fishing trip.

Artists Kaajuk Kablalik and Alexander Angnaluak at The Ottawa Hospital General campus Thursday Jan 23, 2020.

Tony Caldwell /

Postmedia

“It’s an educational piece, an art piece at its roots, and then it’s also our small contribution to reconciliation for Inuit,” said Kablalik, an Almonte-based artist who was raised in Rankin Inlet, in central Nunavut.

Katherine Cotton, chair of the hospital’s board of governors, called the kayak installation a compelling and moving piece of art “that will help others on their journeys.”

The Ottawa Hospital treats patients from 12 communities in the Baffin region of Nunavut, including the territory’s capital, Iqaluit. More than 1,500 Nunavut residents were treated last year in Ottawa, many of them for cancer and respiratory illnesses.

The City of Ottawa is also home to more than 4,000 Inuit residents; it’s the largest Inuit community south of the Arctic.

Cotton called the kayak installation a symbol of the hospital’s commitment to its Inuit patients. “This installation will help support our Inuit patients in another way: this installation will help support the spiritual healing that is so important to Inuit culture,” Cotton said.

Kablalik called the hospital the ideal location for the installation. “When you come to the hospital, you’re usually coming to address a problem, to help you move forward. So it’s a symbol that, I feel, fits perfectly.”

The art project was launched through a partnership between Arts Network Ottawa and Tungasuvvingat Inuit, an Inuit service organization, of which Kablalik is president.

Ottawa glass artist Jennifer Anne Kelly conceived of the sculpture after finding a kayak skeleton at a barn sale. She applied for a Neighbourhood Arts Program grant and recruited Kablalik to the project. Inuk artists Melissa Attagutsiak and Alexander Angnaluak also contributed to the two-year project as did local elder David Erkloo, who helped restore a genuine Inuit-made, wooden kayak to serve as a frame for the glass panels.

The hospital’s board of directors offered the group a permanent home for the kayak after learning of the project.

In 2013, the Qikiqtani Truth Commission, an Inuit-led initiative, published a report that examined events that affected Inuit life between 1950 and 1975. The commission examined the impact of community relocations, sled dog killings, residential schools and the forced isolation of tuberculosis patients in sanatoriums in southern Canada.

In August 2019, the federal government formally apologized to Inuit for the effects of federal policies undertaken in the Baffin region between 1950 and 1975.

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Art

A misspelled memorial to the Brontë sisters gets its dots back at last

Published

3 weeks ago

September 26, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.

More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.

The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.

They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.

“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”

It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.

Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”

Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.

“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.

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Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork

Published

1 month ago

September 13, 2024

Harry Miller

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.

Alleged Fraud Scheme

Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.

Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.

Massive Seizure of Artworks

In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.

Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.

Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed

In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.

Court Proceedings Ongoing

The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.

Impact on the Local Art Community

The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.

For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.

As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.

While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.

Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.

As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.