If Katelynn Adams’ artwork and community involvement are any indication, the kids really are alright.
Adams, 18, has chosen to pursue a career in curating art after volunteering at Midland’s Quest Art School and Gallery inspired by curator Virginia Eichhorn.
Adams has also mounted her work at the gallery at Quest, displayed her artistry in King Street business windows, a light-box on King Street and created art programs for her co-workers at a local grocery store.
“My artwork mostly focuses around mental health, which is an important subject for me because I struggle with my own mental health,” says Adams.
“When I was in Grade 9, I was diagnosed with depression and severe anxiety,” explains Adams, who started doing art as a hobby.
Adams gives credit to her Grade 9 art teacher — Annette Atkinson from St. Theresa’s Catholic High School — who helped her see that everyone can be an artist, which can seem daunting when confronted with the extraordinary talents on display through social media platforms.
“Art is very therapeutic. I can express my emotions onto a canvas or onto a page,” says Adams, explaining that art helps to alleviate her anxiety and depression.
Atkinson also helped Adams see art as a career rather than a hobby. Through finding her own style, Adams developed a good foundation, and has since expanded on her work incorporating more of her own unique ideas.
“Art helps me see that I am not my mental health issues. I can work with it and acknowledge it.”
Speaking of her artwork, Adams says she provides representations of how she can enjoy life.
“I want to show the joy through the hard times of COVID,” says Adams.
To that end, Adams started volunteering at Quest in September. She set up various exhibitions, mounted her own artwork.
“It was really cool to have my art displayed on a wall professionally,” says Adams, noting the process taught her there were multiple ways of expressing herself.
Until she started at Quest, Adams wasn’t sure what field she wanted to pursue. At Quest she sat in on a meeting with a few curators, and understood Eichhorn’s process and curating in a new way.
“I really enjoyed working in a gallery,” says Adams, who plans to pursue a career as a curator after completing her Bachelor of Arts at Nipissing University in North Bay where she’s headed in the fall.
At Quest, Adams also helped teach art lessons, and loved working in the community in that space.
She took what she learned there and transferred that to her workplace where she has organized a few art nights for her co-workers for Mother’s Day and for Father’s Day.
“We had a great turnout. People really enjoyed it,” says Adams who is planning another art night in August.
While the young artist started painting windows downtown Midland in Christmas 2020, Adams has since expanded on her list of local businesses that love her work and she plans to always come back to decorate the windows of Midland’s business.
Of her success so far, Adams is very humble.
“It’s fantastic!”
To see more of her work, follow her on Instagram @kitkat_sketchess.
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.
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