Windsor’s art gallery will be saying goodbye to two big-ticket pieces of art from its collection later this month — but says their sale will establish a new fund to purchase more art with local connections.
Cowley Abbott, a Toronto-based art auction house, will action two Art Windsor-Essex (AWE) pieces in late May: A Paul Kane oil painting, Party of Indians in Two Canoes on Mountain Lake, dated from the 1840s, and an Andy Warhol print of Wayne Gretzky.
“We’re in this whole process of thinking about what’s in our collection, what makes sense to hold and what might make sense to release at this moment in time,” said Jennifer Matotek, executive director of AWE.
She says the gallery recently undertook a review of the pieces in its collection to identify works to deaccession — museum-speak for sell or remove from the gallery’s collection.
The Warhol print and the Kane oil painting are two of about 100 pieces the gallery has identified to deaccession.
“Art galleries, public art galleries that hold collections in the public trust for people, there’s costs associated with it, there’s resources associated with it,” she said.
Art Windsor Essex will auction off an Andy Warhol print of Wayne Gretzky, one of two in its collection, with Toronto-based firm Cowley Abbott in May 2024. (Cowley Abbott)
“[It] doesn’t take away from their excellence, but just you know, is it something that makes sense for us to continue having in our collection?”
The gallery will have a show in April of the works it plans to deaccession. The pieces were chosen by AWE’s curatorial and executive teams, with their board and external affairs committee. Matotek says the Warhol print was actually a duplicate within AWE’s collection.
Paul Kane art collected across Canada, United States
Rob Cowley is a Canadian art specialist and the president of Cowley Abbott, the firm handling the auction.
He says the pieces have generated global interest. While their experts have estimated the value of both pieces, he says they could very well “exceed expectations” at auction.
“For collectors, this is a fantastic opportunity to own two very different, but two highly celebrated works of art by quite renowned artists,” he says.
Cowley said the Kane painting could sell for between $600,000 and $800,000, while the Warhol print — one of about 300 in existence — could go for between $15,000 and $30,000.
Paul Kane is a 19th century Canadian painter, and Party of Indians in Two Canoes on Mountain Lake is more than 180 years old. His work is featured in the National Gallery of Canada and Royal Ontario Museum.
Some of Kane’s works have sold for more than $1 million, he says, including one Kane canvas that Cowley Abbott auctioned in 2022. There’s a particularly large collection of his work in Texas.
“We have collectors for his work not only across Canada, but also into the United States,” Cowley said. “There are collections of Paul Kane’s work in the United States which can be a rarity for Canadian artists.”
With the sale at auction, Matotek says the gallery will be able to create a fund for the purchase of new art that meets their mandate of Canadian historical, Indigenous and contemporary pieces that have ties to the Windsor-Essex region.
“It will find a home where it will really be treasured and then it opens up the opportunity for us to start a dedicated fund to purchase contemporary art with, which is sometimes really difficult,” she said.
As for the Andy Warhol piece, Cowley says its no surprise there is global interest in the work given Warhol’s stature as “arguably the best known contemporary artist in the world and … the grandfather of pop art.”
Deaccessioning art ‘healthy’ process for art galleries, museums
Cowley said the firm is happy to be part of the auction, and will donate its commission fees back to the AWE endowment fund for the sale of the pieces.
More broadly, Cowley says deaccessioning has become more common for art galleries as they focus on their specific mandates and areas of expertise.
“It is quite a healthy process as well to continue, not only the growth, but also the care for the collection in these museums,” he said.
“It can make sense, and especially if it means moving into other areas and also having a fund to acquire work that very much matches the current mandate.”
The auction will be held on May 30 in Toronto, with previews in Toronto and Winnipeg earlier in May. A selection of AWE’s deaccessioned works will be on display from April 3 to May 26.
“Whether it’s our collection, whether it’s our exhibitions, whether it’s our programs, every step we take towards becoming a gallery for the 21st century, I’m excited about,” Matotek said.
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.
