Art

Graffiti Jam at mural festival celebrates street art, community – Vancouver Sun

Published

2 years ago

August 6, 2022

“There’s a lot more happening now in Vancouver. I’m just happy that Vancouver’s starting to do things like that.” — Jnasty

Graffiti artist Theme works on a creation at the Holden Courage Graffiti Jam as part of the Vancouver Mural Festival in Vancouver on Saturday.

The rattle of spray cans and the smell of paint drifted up an alley west of Main and E. 5th on Saturday, as graffiti artists painted five metre sections of a parking lot wall.

Brightly coloured — and often wildly abstract — letters in pink, blue and yellow took shape on a stretch of black-painted wall. An adjacent wall with a purple and red background had a large, black and white portrait of a smiling young man, his name spelled out in two-foot high white letters: Holden.

The scene was the site of the fifth annual Holden Courage Graffiti Jam, a now-regular part of the Vancouver Mural Festival, held in memory of Holden Courage, a young graffiti artist who died in 2015 at the age of 21.

“We were in contact with Holden’s mom and she works together with the VMF to put this whole thing together each year,” said local graffiti artist Jnasty, who organized the artists for this year’s Graffiti Jam. “They asked if somebody like myself could get together some artists — and that’s what we did.”

Because graffiti is illegal, all the artists spoken to for this story requested that they only be identified by their graffiti tag names.

Graffiti artist Jnasty works on a creation at the Holden Courage Graffiti Jam as part of the Vancouver Mural Festival in Vancouver on Saturday.

The project is funded by the Holden Courage Memorial Fund for Artists, which was setup by Courage’s mother, Tara McGuire, following his death.

In a blog post from 2017, McGuire wrote about what graffiti meant to her son.

“Holden loved graffiti,” she wrote. “He loved everything about it. The creativity, the smell, the camaraderie, the rebellion, the music, the danger, the colour, the risks and the thrill.”

Jnasty, who is originally from Hawaii, said he’s been painting for about 25 years. He appreciates the efforts by the memorial and the Mural Festival to promote street art around Vancouver.

“There’s a lot more happening now in Vancouver,” he said of street art, noting that cities like Toronto have a much larger street art culture. “I’m just happy that Vancouver’s starting to do things like that.”

Local graffiti artist Tars, who said he has been painting for over two decades, agreed, noting it can be difficult for local street artists to find opportunities.

“Vancouver doesn’t really give opportunities for graffiti writers too much,” he said. “This event is a really good opportunity to do our own thing.”

Graffiti artist Tars works on a creation at the Holden Courage Graffiti Jam as part of the Vancouver Mural Festival in Vancouver on Saturday. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Virus, a local graffiti artist who said he has been painting since the late 80s, appreciated the opportunity to revisit early passions and connect with old friends, though he acknowledged concerns about gentrification.

“I don’t get to do this much. I’ve got other responsibilities now,” he said. “So for me, it’s just getting together with friends.”

He noted that large public artworks add value to not just to the neighbourhood but property prices as well. “I feel like the artists should get compensated for that.”

Victoria-based graffiti artist Theme, who has been involved with the festival on two other occasions, said he was impressed by the impact the festival has on the neighbourhood.

“Every year there’s new (murals) going up,” he said. “It’s crazy the transformation it’s had on the city.”

Graffiti artist Virus works on a creation at the Holden Courage Graffiti Jam as part of the Vancouver Mural Festival in Vancouver on Saturday. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

All the artists Postmedia spoke to said they valued the sense of community and camaraderie fostered by the festival.

“I haven’t seen these guys in a year,” Virus said. “We made it through some crazy times. And now we’re here.”

ngriffiths@postmedia.com

twitter.com/njgriffiths

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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.