NEWS RELEASE BROCK UNIVERSITY ****************************** Brock University and Rodman Hall Art Centre (RHAC) Inc., a community not-for-profit citizens group, have finalized plans to ensure the art collection within Rodman Hall will remain a community asset with a sustainable future. The initiative will see the art collection return to community ownership under the stewardship of the RHAC Inc. The Rodman Hall property itself has been acquired by a new community-based owner.
Securing reliable community ownership for the art has been a goal of the University since it stepped forward to save the collection and Rodman Hall in 2003, at a time when its future was in serious doubt.
Under the agreement, the University will transfer ownership of the art collection to RHAC Inc., a group that has worked with Brock on a strategy to ensure proper management and presentation of the collection. The art collection comprises approximately 1,000 objects, including paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures by Canadian, American and European artists from the past three centuries.
Brock will also provide RHAC Inc. with seed funding to help the organization establish a new community location, while the City of St. Catharines will work with RHAC Inc. to help identify potential locations to house the collection.
St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik said the new agreement represents a strategic and sustainable solution for ensuring the future of the artwork.
“This is a positive move forward in creating a space in which people can experience and explore visual public art in St. Catharines,” said Sendzik. “The City looks forward to working with RHAC Inc. and Brock to find a suitable, accessible location for this important art collection.”
“We are thankful to RHAC Inc.’s community members for stepping forward, and to Brock University for its considerable investments over the years to safeguard and steward the collection and the site.”
In a parallel arrangement, the Rodman Hall property in west St. Catharines is being purchased by a local group headed by Nino Donatelli, who has an established reputation for heritage building restoration and conversion and property redevelopment. Previous projects include the commercial core in Old Port Dalhousie, and the former Domtar/CN rail lands in Merritton that include the Keg Restaurant and the Stone Mill Inn Plaza.
“I am excited by the opportunity to explore the potential for refashioning this iconic property for additional residential uses while preserving the historic home and gardens,” said Donatelli.
University President Gervan Fearon said Brock and RHAC Inc. have worked together to ensure the art collection continues to be a community-owned asset with a sustainable future.
Fearon said protecting this seminal archive of local artwork was a key reason why Brock first agreed to assume responsibility for the collection and Rodman Hall 17 years ago, when the future of both was in question. During that span, the University has spent more than $7-million maintaining the collection and the site.
“Brock is a community partner, and one of our core priorities is a commitment to support the vitality of the Niagara community,” said Fearon.
“It has been a privilege to partner with these community leaders and the RHAC Inc. Each shares a common goal to protect the integrity of the art collection, which is a unique and irreplaceable community asset. The new plan ensures that the community will be able to enjoy and access the collection, and indeed will be the rightful owner of it.”
Lynn Wells, the University’s provost and vice-president, Academic, said Brock is delighted that RHAC Inc. is taking on this role.
“Brock has had a strong connection with the local arts community, especially through the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, and we’re delighted that the art will remain in Niagara and in a new location,” said Wells. “It is crucial to protect the future for this important collection.”
RHAC inc. is a not-for-profit, community-based corporation established in 2019 to operate a public art gallery for the Niagara community. Its chair Jean Bridge said the collection is an important community asset that must be protected and appreciated.
“RHAC inc. welcomes the opportunity provided by Brock University to ensure that Rodman Hall’s very fine art collection is well maintained, its archives fully catalogued and key elements of the collection digitized,” said Bridge. “We look forward to ongoing collaboration with Brock and the City of St. Catharines in planning for the future of our community public art gallery.”
RHAC member Ken Lucyshyn said the group is pleased to be taking on a central role in the plan.
“The University has enabled RHAC Inc. to take on management of the RHAC permanent art collection,” said Lucyshyn, who is executive vice-president, Aggregates and Construction at Walker Industries Holdings. “RHAC Inc. is set to engage a professional museum registrar who will be responsible for the day-to-day work of maintaining the condition, records and use of the collection.”
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.
