The COVID-19 quarantine has forced a lot of changes in our little world. Six weeks ago, we began to discuss how Flin Flon and the area could utilize some of the changes we seemed to be facing, to improve our economic diversification through the arts and culture. This is a topic we have long touted as a way forward but… though it seemed like a good idea, we are slowly realizing that the world as we know it may never be quite the same.
Large gatherings may not be allowed again until at least this fall. This will affect the cities more than smaller towns, but it will affect us, no doubt. What will happen to hockey games? Will we be allowed to gather for our children’s dance recitals? Will teams or dance classes even be allowed to gather to practice? Will tourism, which is the key to advancing many northern economies, ever pick up again?
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There are no answers, right now but even though we have to shelve our series of planned articles, the artists of the Flin Flon region are beginning to lead the way through this trying time. The Northern Visual Arts Centre (NorVA) is closed due to COVID-19 but they have initiated a project called the Quarantine Gallery which invites local artists to post their work on-line. If you want to see it, simply enter like and follow the NorVA Facebook page for an incredible visual treat. Photographer Brandy Bloxom, sketch artist Rosimeire Anjos, painter Megan Dupas and ceramicist Shelly Rudd have all posted pics of beautiful new work.
Karen Clark and Noelle Drimmie have received a small Manitoba Arts Council grant to produce a virtual art show of responses to COVID-19-related work. Both of these artists are associated with NorVA but this grant is independent of that relationship. They are looking for art pieces that reflect your “lived experience” with the pandemic. The artists will curate 19 works that will be professionally photographed and rendered in poster format that can be displayed in store fronts on Main Street, at the gallery and at Johnny’s. Artists finding new ways to inject beauty into a world that has become quiet and sad – bless them.
In conversation with Clark, she discussed helping artists to find their promotional voices during this time. All artists work in isolation to some extent, so the creation process never really stops. Painters stil paint, writers still write, songwriters too. Artists seem to need to create. Many of them, however, do not promote themselves very well at all. Clark suggested that they could begin that process by making a Manitoba Arts Council profile that would enable them to apply for small grants. Doing so would immediately boost their profiles with the largest-arts granting agency in the province, opening them up to ongoing support.
Both NorVA Gallery and the Flin Flon Arts Council are maintaining their on-line presence during this COVID quarantine so simple emails would generate a response and assistance for artists that need it. The town would be grateful too, as they could sit back and enjoy all of the wonderful output from our artists during this challenging time.
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.
