After the City of Surrey released a corporate report in July about a potential mural project for Cloverdale, BIA director Paul Orazietti is saying, “hang on a minute.”
In the report, Parks and Rec. GM Laurie Cavan recommends “council authorize the Cloverdale Mural Project group to proceed” with their murals.
Orazietti thinks the mural project is a great idea, but noted there are other groups and other building owners that want to paint murals too and he wants to make sure everyone is on the same page.
“All we’re saying is, ‘Let’s work together on this.’ That way we’ll have a cohesive result that everyone can be happy with.”
Maria Koehn started the Cloverdale Mural Project with some other Cloverdale residents and artists in 2019. Koehn took her project to Cavan and the Parks and Rec. department earlier this year in an effort to get approval.
Orazietti said he’s talked with Koehn several times and he’s really excited about her project. He thinks it’ll be great for the town.
“When you start to look at the process, you start to say, ‘We need a plan.’”
He said a perfect example rests in the Murray Motors mural on the side of the old Surrey Leader building on 176th. The mural was painted for the 2006 film Deck the Halls.
“Part of what we, as a business community, want to do is to come back and say, ‘there are some premium sites we need to consider for murals,’ because, ultimately, right now, the rules are loose and someone can go up to a building owner and ask them if they want a mural.”
He asked what type of themes will fit with Cloverdale best.
“Do we want rodeo themes? Heritage themes? Film and television themes? Rural themes? These are questions that individual groups can’t answer.”
Orazietti wants the city to consider some sort of process that takes everything into account: cooperation with building owners, members of the business community, citizens, and business groups, such as the BIA and Chamber.
“What does everyone think and how does this fit in with the rest of the town?”
He said there’s a problem with a hodge-podge approach, where the city just approves this project or that project.
“You have no theme, no continuity and, usually, it’s more than one group with competing interests. And it’s not like all groups will have a complete understanding of what each other is doing, or that they will even have dialogue with each other.”
Orazietti said the city should create a plan for public art, murals, and placemaking, one that has a cohesive understanding for all communities.
“Part of what we’re trying to do is to talk with the city, and create a plan and come back and talk about a number of different placemaking components that involve public art.”
Orazietti said he doesn’t think any of the groups are in opposing camps, as everyone’s goal is to help create better spaces for the community.
“I think there’s … an ambitious desire for (the mural project group) to make their mark, but to do what they’re doing is, unfortunately, a bit ambitious. You want to make everything cohesive, that is the key part.”
Orazietti said he’s started a group called Vision Cloverdale, which seeks to bring all stakeholders together with the goal of working together to get art, placemaking, and other beautification efforts done with the greater community in mind.
Orazietti noted there is also already another mural group that may be painting some murals in Cloverdale.
“The city wants the other group, which is non-competing, to work with (the BIA),” said Orazietti. “So my concerns are that the rules aren’t laid out, there needs to be prioritization of space, and there needs to be a discussion about what everyone in the community and the business owners want to see.”
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.
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.
