Art

Creator of unique art program at Sarnia's Standing Oaks has retired – The Sarnia Observer

Published

1 year ago

July 23, 2023

Sue Bendall helps Jeremy Vautour with a shaving cream and paint project during a weekly Hands on Art class in 2016 at Standing Oaks in Sarnia. Photo by File photo /The Observer

There has been a changing of the guard in a long-running art program at Standing Oaks, a 10-bed home in Sarnia for individuals with complex care needs.

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Sue Bendall, who created the art program a decade ago, has retired.

“It was time to pass the torch,” she said.

Standing Oaks opened in 2004 and was the result of years of work by a group of parents who formed Community Concerns for the Medically Fragile.

“Not only were they going to provide a very safe and medically-supportive environment for their kids, they really wanted there to be focus on quality of life,” said the group’s administrator Chris Steeves.

“They brainstormed ideas and decided to hire an art director who would obviously need to be somebody pretty special to figure out how they could initiate a program involving medically fragile individuals who have either no mobility or very, very limited mobility.”

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Bendall, who had worked with the blind and deaf, “and was an extremely gifted artist herself, created just a fantastic and unique – like, one-of-a-kind – art program,” Steeves said.

The program was called Hands on Art and Bendall adapted art projects to residents of Standing Oaks.

“She ran that program for 10 years and every single week, with a few exceptions,” Steeves said.

“To come up with new ideas for that many art sessions – if you do the math that’s 500ish – to work with an incredibly restricted population, is pretty extraordinary,” Steeves said.

Bendall’s final art session at the home was in June.

“The residents have come to just love the program,” Steeves said. “It puts them in a really good mood – really enhancing their day. It tuckers them out, somewhat, which is a good thing . . . because we need to have mentally challenging parts of our day,” she said.

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“To have accomplished all that, we think is extraordinary.”

Tracy Tobin, who was recommended by Bendall, has been hired to continue the program, Steeves said,

Also recently, the Catherine Wilson Foundation granted the program $1,000 for art supplies.

“It was very rewarding,” Bendall said of her time working with residents at Standing Oaks.

“They definitely had their favourite types of art they liked to do,” including painting notecards using marbles, as well as “swipe art where we use shower squeegees,” she said.

“They pick out their colours and we put dots on a page and they swish is all down,”

Bendall said previously she was always on the lookout for bubble wrap they would put on the floor so the residents could roll over it in their wheelchairs, creating a sound like fireworks.

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“We’ll have a dance party all over the bubble wrap,” Bendall told The Observer in 2016.

And then, the wrap would be collected and used for more art projects.

“There’s so many smiles,” she said. “During class, if we can get the music going and dance and be silly . . . that’s all a bonus.”

The program was also part of several exhibitions and community art events in years past.

Bendall said it was hard during the pandemic when the residents couldn’t have their regular weekly art sessions, although staff at the home did what they could.

“Some of the staff would call me for ideas to try,” Bendall said.

Recently, Bendall started her own business, SCQ Memories making “memory” stuffies and pillows from clothing of loved ones who have died.

“So I’m helping people in another way,” she said.

“I’m very grateful to Community Concerts for the Medically Fragile for giving me the opportunity,” Bendall said.

“I’m very excited that Tracy is taking over because she will do fantastic.”

pmorden@postmedia.com

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Art

A misspelled memorial to the Brontë sisters gets its dots back at last

Published

3 weeks ago

September 26, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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Art

Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork

Published

1 month ago

September 13, 2024

Harry Miller

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.