For the newest exhibition coming to the John V. Hicks Gallery, it’s not the art on the walls but the images inside the frames that’s important.
For September, the Indigenous People’s Artist Collective (IPAC) is presenting a show, reception and vigil in solidarity with Tristen Durocher and Walking With Our Angels.
“Art is ceremony… ceremony is art,” IPAC wrote in the exhibition text.
“On July 3rd, 2020 Tristen Durocher and Christopher Merasty entered ceremony and began a walk from the Air Ronge Cemetery to the steps of the Saskatchewan Legislature.
“Upon arrival a sacred space was established. Tristen began a 44-day fast, ending Sept. 13th, 2020. 44 days for the 44 Saskatchewan Party MLAs who unanimously voted down proposed Bill 618. Bill No. 618 – The Saskatchewan Strategy for Suicide Prevention Act, had been introduced by Northern MLA Doyle Vermette in November 2019 as a piece of active legislation intended to confront the real epidemic of suicide and grief devouring so many. It was voted down on June 19, 2020. There have been over 16 deaths since ‘Walking With Our Angels’ began.”
Normally, September is when IPAC puts on their annual Two Story Café. But COVID-19 changed their plans.
“Initially, we decided there wouldn’t be anything happening, that we would cancel for the year,” said IPAC artistic director Michel Boutin.
“But when Tristen initiated the ceremony … we saw it as an opportunity to tie it in with the tail end of the ceremony.”
Durocher, while not an IPAC member, has worked with the collective in the past.
The art in the exhibition is the Walking with our Angels ceremony in Regina. But IPAC can’t exactly bring the Wascana Park setup to the Hicks gallery. Instead, the exhibition will consist of a series of photos taken by Brandon White, a photographer who followed the walk from La Ronge to Regina. White works as a photo and videojournalist for MBC under the Local Journalism Initiative.
White said he tried, as a journalist, to maintain that impartiality and distance as he documented history.
“It was a really healing walk, not just for Tristen and (Christopher Merasty) but for a lot of people they interacted with who came forward with stories in a very cathartic and real way,” he said.
“I tried to be conscientious of that and be kind and considerate because there was a lot of emotional honesty. That’s what this walk is about. Just tried to be considerate and point the camera in the right place at the right time. I’m happy to be included.”
White’s photos are meant to be documentary and serve as a window into the art and ceremony of Durocher.
“The work we’re trying to feature is the Walking with our Angels Camp,” Boutin said.
“We’re using Brandon’s photographs as documentation of the actual piece.”
Boutin said there’s a fine line between art, documentation and ceremony. In the exhibition’s statement, he wrote:
“An action based on hope working outside of sanctioned space. This is not a new concept to contemporary art. Modern art was birthed by the explosive interventionist acts of early 20th-century art movements. Artists have incorporated ritual and ceremony into their practises for millennia.
Ceremony has the power to ground us in the present. Creating space to experience the past, present, and future simultaneously. Ceremony enacted in a public space attracts and builds community. Tristen has created such a space.
This is wonder. This is beauty, This is real. This is a celebration of life fueled by the power of grief. An unstoppable Revolution of Sorrow is underway. It is time for us to acknowledge uncomfortable truths.”
In addition to the exhibition, IPAC is hosting an opening reception and vigil on Sept. 13, which is set to be the last day of Durocher’s ceremony. It’s set to be an open-mic style event, with poets and young northern fiddlers sharing their art and commentary.
“What we’re trying to do is give voice to what is already being said,” Boutin said.
“The point of the exhibition is to amplify Tristen’s voice.” The exhibition runs from Sept. 8-24 in the Hicks gallery at the Prince Albert Arts Centre. The reception and vigil are set for Sept. 13 from 4-6 p.m. in the grassy area behind the arts centre
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.
