Bob Schieffer retired from the anchor desk nearly a decade ago, but he never walked away from the news.
When confronted with the startling global and political developments of the past several years, the television journalist who spent more than a half century at CBS, including almost 25 years as the moderator of “Face the Nation,” took to a different medium — oil paint.
The resulting 25 works of art are featured in an exhibition set to open on Saturday at the American University Museum in Washington. The title, “Looking for the Light,” is inspired by the poem that Amanda Gorman recited at President Biden’s inauguration, but it also reflects what Mr. Schieffer sees for the nation’s future despite paintings that depict some of the darkest moments in recent history.
The paintings, a mix of images and text ripped from the headlines, include depictions of the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2020 protests after the death of George Floyd.
This is the first solo exhibition for Mr. Schieffer, 87. He has had little formal training but has had years of practice since his talent was first nurtured by his grandmother. As a child, he would sit with her on her front porch in Texas and draw the cows.
His recent work was painted from a tarp-covered corner of the sunny dining room that his wife, Patricia, allowed him to claim as his studio early on in the pandemic. During an interview in that makeshift studio in his art-filled condominium in Northwest Washington, Mr. Schieffer acknowledged that some of his most evocative work might be seen as provocative.
But Mr. Schieffer, who spent 23 years as the anchor of the Saturday edition of the “CBS Evening News,” said he still thought of himself as a journalist, not an activist.
“I think journalism is more than just being a stenographer,” he said. “These paintings, I guess you can say they have a point of view. But I don’t consider them partisan.”
Michael Beschloss, the author and presidential historian who curated the exhibit, described the work in his statement as “the part of Bob’s soul that he kept off the TV screen.”
Mr. Schieffer’s subjects are often literally ripped from the headlines, including tear-outs from the pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post or The Wall Street Journal, the three papers that Mr. Schieffer still reads every morning. He also cites news photographs and television broadcasts as references.
Several paintings touch on topical issues, including abortion and gun control. In one, a young girl in a bright blue dress flees Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on the day of the shooting that killed 19 of her fellow students. In the painting, she runs down the same road as Phan Thi Kim Phuc, “the napalm girl.” Mr. Schieffer depicts the Uvalde girl similar to how Ms. Kim Phuc was seen in the famous 1972 photo taken during the Vietnam War — distraught, with clothes burned away.
Mr. Schieffer’s feelings on the state of American politics is clear in both the paintings and his captions. Under a painting of protesters against gun violence, he writes, “We offer ‘thoughts and prayers’ and for the most part just wait for the next shooting.”
Mr. Schieffer has reverently rendered Representative John Lewis, Senator John McCain and Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor in four separate portraits made after their deaths, calling them “remarkable heroes.”
“We have created a politics that our best and brightest people want nothing to do with,” Mr. Schieffer said. He added, “How long has it been since you’ve heard anybody say, ‘I sure hope my kid grows up to be a politician’?”
The brightest paintings in his collection are of the young women in whom he sees hope for the future. There is a scene of high school students protesting the Supreme Court decision overturning the right to abortion granted by Roe v. Wade; of Cassidy Hutchinson, the former Trump administration staff member, being sworn in before the House Jan. 6 committee; and of Ms. Gorman reciting “The Hill We Climb,” the inaugural poem.
The exhibition will be on display until May 19. In the weeks leading up to the opening, Mr. Schieffer was still painting away in his dining room alcove, surrounded by art history books.
“He’s going at it with a vengeance,” said Jack Rasmussen, the director and curator of the museum. “Ordinarily, you work your way up for 20 or 30 years, you have shows, you enter juried competitions, things like that. Then by the time you’re Bob’s age you’d probably stop painting. But he’s just getting going.”
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.
