Artist Amanda Pryzner-Dunn and her husband were evacuated from their home in Merritt, B.C., amid flooding in November.
Their home is still being repaired.
Despite the upheaval, Pryzner-Dunn says she was grateful for the comfort and support she received from her canine friend Jeff and drew a portrait to honour him that is now on display in a local art exhibit.
Pryzner-Dunn is one of the 17 artists featured in the Creature Comforts exhibition being held at the Nicola Valley Arts Gallery in Merritt from Jan. 26 to March 13.
In paintings, photographs and clay dioramas, these artists share stories about the important role pets played in their lives amid the wildfires and floods that ravaged B.C. last year.
The Creature Comforts exhibition features paintings, photographs and clay dioramas created by 17 artists who live in Merritt. (Jenifer Norwell/CBC)
Pryzner-Dunn left Merritt for Kamloops on Nov. 15, the day an evacuation order for the entire city of more than 7,000 residents was issued due to heavy rain and flooding.
She returned to Merritt on Dec. 5 and has lived at her parents’ place since then. As an artist specializing in paper craft, she says it took her several weeks to sketch and paint her nine-year-old black shepherd cross on a 20-by-16-inch canvas with watercolour and acrylic.
“I wanted to do some type of art that included that aspect of his spirit and personality that he’s tough, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not friendly and gentle,” she said.
Pryzner-Dunn says Jeff, a rescue dog she adopted from the B.C. SPCA in Kelowna four years ago, is blind and has body co-ordination issues due to a head injury, but he has been very active sniffing around and greeting other dogs while walking in the park.
“During the flood and the evacuation, he was so resilient and adaptable, and he just [was] great to be around and offered lots of comfort,” she said. “He was a constant reminder about resilience and how to find peace sometimes when it’s really difficult, when there seems to be chaos and uncertainty.”
Pryzner-Dunn says her shepherd cross Jeff, 9, has reminded her of staying resilient during challenging times of evacuation from flooding in Merritt. (Submitted by Amanda Pryzner-Dunn)
Curator Jano Howarth, who fled Merritt for the Shuswap with her son and cat last year, agrees that pets can offer a lot of comfort to their humans during stressful times.
“I posted on Facebook. I told stories about her [the cat] and read about other people as well, and realized that it was one of the threads that keep us going during difficult times,” she told host Shelley Joyce on CBC’s Daybreak Kamloops.
“It’s just having the focus, something outside the difficulty that’s happening, and giving us something to care for and think about [and] love.”
Curator Jano Howarth, also an evacuee from the Merritt flooding, says her cat has helped her live through the challenging times. (Submitted by Jano Howarth)
Besides displaying her works, Pryzner-Dunn will hold an arts workshop for children at the exhibition on Feb. 26, where they will have a chance to share stories about their pets.
Creature Comforts is open for public viewing from Wednesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
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.
