Judy Marie Kondrat: Advocate. Artist. Animal lover. Alto. Born Aug. 22, 1959, in Toronto; died April 7, 2020, in Toronto, of heart failure, aged 60.
Judy Kondrat swore like a sailor, owned way too many shoes, loved turquoise jewellery and worshipped singer-songwriter Patti Smith. She also dedicated her life to making the world a better place for the most vulnerable.
She grew up in the Cliffside area of Toronto, a working class neighbourhood that felt more like a village. Kids ran home from school at lunchtime and the butcher and bakery were just up the street. But Judy was a born rebel and soon chafed at this idyllic lifestyle.
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She was an excellent student who believed in social equality from a young age. As a teenager, she appalled her conservative parents by wearing white go-go boots and dating a guy who looked like a hippie and had a pet python. She had zero patience for parental rules and left home at 15. She dropped out of high school but returned to earn an honours diploma and a scholarship.
Two years after she left home, Judy’s father died in an accident. The loss drew the family back together. Judy’s only sibling, her younger brother Todd, remembers: “That’s when she and Mom became best friends.”
Judy never married or had children – she was too busy doting on a long line of beloved cats – but was a cherished member of her friends’ extended families. On holidays she’d make the rounds bearing thoughtful gifts and her famous bear hugs. While most people were partying in the kitchen, Judy would be in a corner talking to someone’s granny. She saw people overlooked by others.
She had a long career in adult literacy, community legal education and human rights. She was a fearless advocate and respected mediator. Her most public success was a travelling exhibit featuring her photos of injured workers, created in collaboration with the workers under the tutelage of documentary photographer Louie Palu.
In her off-hours, she loved impromptu trips to art exhibits, out of the way cafés, small Ontario towns and the Donkey Sanctuary. She’d zoom up in her little white car, wearing sunglasses, a bright scarf and streaks of purple in her hair yelling: “Road trip!”
Despite her quick laugh and open demeanour, she was a perfectionist and self-admitted “bossy boots.” Friends and colleagues knew to watch out for the steely glare that signalled her patience was at an end. You underestimated her at your peril.
She always had an art project on the go – quilting, book binding, stained-glass making, encaustic painting. She was musical, too. As a child, she played in the school band and in high school, she played the flute, then tried the cello, although her mother thought the pose was unladylike. As an adult, she sang in two community choirs and never gave up trying to play guitar.
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Her mother died from pulmonary disease when Judy was 46. She was devastated but faced the loss. She was an atheist and briskly unsentimental, an attitude reflected in her cell phone ring: the old Doris Day song Que Sera, Sera.
A few years after her mother’s death, Judy discovered she had cancer. Independent to a fault, she brushed away offers to help; her emotional boundaries were firm, even with her closest friends. She’d rather help than be helped. When her 16-year-old nephew also got cancer, she dropped everything and left home for weeks at a time to support Todd and his family during the long months of treatment.
Shortly before she died, Judy travelled to New Mexico to celebrate two milestones – her 60th birthday and being cancer-free for five years. She was planning to retire and had just bought a new home in a small town.
On the border of one of her paintings, Judy wrote: “I long to soar but find myself bound to the earth.” She is surely soaring now.
Lives Lived celebrates the everyday, extraordinary, unheralded lives of Canadians who have recently passed. To learn how to share the story of a family member or friend, go to tgam.ca/livesguide.
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.
