People go into arts because they have a need to self-express, says a Timmins ceramic artist.
“You don’t do art to be creative. That’s a complete falsehood. You go into art to self-express,” says Lise B.L Goulet.
Born in Timmins, Goulet, 63, moved to Ottawa when she was two.
Her first memory as a child is sitting in a high chair while her uncle Clément Bérini, who was a Timmins painter, was doing her portrait.
“He was a very good teacher. He is the one who really showed me to evaluate creativity in a student’s work,” she says. “He’s also the one who taught me it’s important to experiment.”
Throughout her career, Goulet managed to combine two of her passions: education and arts.
“If you’re passionate about something, that’s a big given because it means you will develop resiliency and you will see things through. And you won’t do them for the success, you’ll do it for yourself,” she says.
Goulet was the third generation of educators from her mother’s side. Her mother, she says, was as a “great teacher” who was ahead of her time.
Goulet first started working as a visual arts teacher at École secondaire catholique Béatrice-Desloges in Ottawa.
In 1998, she was responsible for creating the first arts curriculum written entirely in French. The program included not only visual arts but other artistic subjects as well.
A few years later, in collaboration with another teacher Daniel Côté from Béatrice-Desloges, she created a specialized arts program for the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Center-Est.
In 2004, she joined the Ministry of Education where she worked for 11 years and was responsible for art education in French-language schools across the province.
Throughout her career, she’s proud of the moment when she developed the arts program for Béatrice-Desloges school.
“I am proud because our (arts) program was the example on which was based these new programs that were instigated at the ministry level for the whole province. So, they came to Béatrice-Desloges to see how they managed this program and I told them about it, they became very, very interested,” she recalls.
Goulet also devised a four-step critical analysis process that evaluated students at different stages. It was done informally in a classroom, and students “loved it,” Goulet says. In the end, there was also a session when all students had to say at least one good thing about someone else’s work.
“Gradually, students understand what it is what they want to say, how they express with principles and elements of design, the choices that they make. It becomes their own language,” Goulet says, providing an example of how she was able to identify students’ work in front of her without having to look at the name. “What was interesting is that students revealed to them, by their comments, who they were, what it was that they liked particularly.”
She says her method of critical analysis is used not only by francophones but by anglophones as well.
“I was very fortunate when I think of the people who were very helpful in order for me to do these things,” Goulet says, her voice full of emotions.
Goulet is now the president and CEO of Association francophone pour l’éducation artistique en Ontario (AFÉAO), is a founding member of Bureau des regroupements des artistes visuels de l’Ontario (BRAVO), and she created the Clément-Bérini Foundation in memory of her uncle.
She has hosted many solo and group exhibitions across Ontario and Québec, and she uses a variety of shaping and stamping techniques in her work.
For Goulet, artists have to be versatile and good communicators, and she doesn’t believe in the concept of a “poor artist” in a modern world.
“Just like any other person, you could buy a car, buy a house, travel. The artists can do all of these if they don’t just specialize on pure creation mode,” she said, explaining that artists have to be good at expressing themselves through their art as well through oral or written means. “I also believe I’m an artist but I don’t have to be a star, I don’t have to revolutionize art history.”
Goulet loves travelling, swimming and draws inspiration from nature, prehistoric art, water and sea creatures. She doesn’t spend more than six hours working in her studio but the process is “joyous” for her.
“It’s all about listening to your inner discourse, to be in the flow, to be listening to what your hands are telling you, what your intellect, your emotions are telling you what to do,” she says. “It’s more irrational.”
Moving forward, she says she’s going to focus on her art production. Next year, she’s planning to hold three shows, including one in Hearst.
In 2022, Goulet will bring the Great Big Blues exhibition, created in collaboration with painter Nathalie Frenière, to the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre.
“That’s what I’m looking forward to good health, travelling, being able to do my work as a ceramist, enjoy my friends’ company. I don’t think we can ask for more than that,” she says.
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.