From left, Sapphira Charles, Lisa Rochon and Ginetta Peters at the Leuty Boathouse. A mural arts project for the inside walls of the boathouse featuring works by Chief Lady Bird and Jacquie Comrie begins this week. Photo by Alan Shackleton.
By AMANDA GIBB
The Leuty Boathouse in the Beach is slated for an art reinvention this month when BIPOC artists Jacquie Comrie and Chief Lady Bird start painting and spray painting epic murals on the boathouse’s interior walls.
The Leuty Boathouse mural project’s inception was driven by a jury of three women: local architect and founder of the Beachers for Black Lives Movement, Sapphira Charles; Ginetta Peters, a landscape designer who also works with the David Suzuki Foundation; and Lisa Rochon, an urban designer and author who has juried many Winter Stations’ competitions, and collaborated with Indigenous womxn artists and designers to create the Red Embers installation.
All members of the jury are long-time friends and collaborators with Friends of the Beach Parks, a group of local residents dedicated to enhancing and animating parks in the area.
Rochon, who spoke on behalf of the other two jury members, said that the process of getting the Leuty Boathouse project off the ground started after they met last summer to discuss and research the boathouse and its 100-year history.
“We were all aligned from the beginning, so the process has been very seamless, it seems. It’s certainly required a lot of work but it was quite delightful in the beginning stages,” said Rochon.
The three reviewed mural artists’ portfolios with the help of STEPS, and the jury unanimously agreed to select Chief Lady Bird and Comrie for the project.
The team applied for funding from Street Art Toronto, (StART) a suite of programs that aim to make city streets beautiful by showcasing local artists, mentor emerging talent, and reduce vandalism and replace it with “vibrant, colourful, community-engaged street art.”
“There was a great alignment from the beginning between Sapphira, Ginetta, and I, and an amazing sense of collaboration between Jacquie and Chief Lady Bird. They were highly enthusiastic…Every person and agency has been absolutely fully endorsing and enthusiastic about the mural project, including the City of Toronto and Parks and Rec, even at a local level,” said Rochon.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beach neighbourhood saw an increase in foot traffic as Toronto residents sought out nature and exercise with the lake as a backdrop.
Charles, who led #blacklivesmatter marches in the Beach last year following the violent death of George Floyd, said in a press release that “Creating safe spaces where all people feel a sense of belonging is vitally important for mental wellness and self-esteem.”
Comrie’s work features the use of vibrant colours and shapes that breathe life into her art.
She said that “Colour is the universal language of human emotion. It is scientifically known to positively affect brain function, emotional and mental health.”
Chief Lady Bird, an OCAD graduate and a Chippewa and Potawatomi artist from Rama First Nation and Moose Deer Point First Nation, described her work as “continually shapeshifting… an exploration of self-love, lateral love, ancestral love,” in a press release.
Rochon said both artists have been thinking about the project and the Leuty Boathouse murals for several months.
“We wanted to showcase the talents and work of womxn artists in a high-profile place in the Beaches, but equally we wanted to educate and enlighten about Indigenous culture and the need for mental health awareness. It’s not really about being heavy-handed about those messages but to engage people through art, to listen and allow other cultures to be heard. It’s a way of seducing people into greater knowledge and education about Indigenous and Black culture,” said Rochon.
She said that OCAD graduate and Matthew Tribe was specially selected to prime the walls as a way to bring an aspiring muralist into the project. The primer paint is sponsored by Dulux Paints.
Rochon said the murals are the first phase of the project, and the second phase would entail the painting of the structural columns and upper valences of the Leuty Boathouse.
“For too long, the voices of Black and Indigenous peoples have been absent from public art in the Beaches and many other Toronto neighbourhoods. The Leuty project is about challenging convention to put powerful BIPOC creatives out front for a change,” said Rochon.
Painting of the murals will begin this week.
There is a mentorship meet-up slated for Friday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. on site at the Leuty Boathouse for aspiring muralists with Comrie and Chief Lady Bird.
Charles, Peters, and Rochon said they are “thrilled to champion the powerful public art of Chief Lady Bird and Jacquie Comrie, both are immensely talented art stars.”
The unveiling of the murals is slated for the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 12, at approximately 3 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to come to the unveiling ceremony and celebrate the completion of the mural project.
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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.
