Blair Fornwald is the new director/curator of the School of Art Gallery, joining the University of Manitoba just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. She shares with us some of her thoughts about her vision for the Gallery and what she looks forward to in her new position.
What is your vision for the School of Art Gallery?
I envision the role of the School of Art Gallery in terms of service – who are we in service to, and how can we best serve them? We serve many: academic communities at the School of Art and the University of Manitoba, the local art community, and broader publics, including local, national, and international artists who are part of our programming, and art communities near and far who experience our work through touring and publishing activities, criticism and reviews, or digitally. Via publishing and collecting, we also serve future publics and contribute to future art history, which is very exciting but also carries with it a certain gravitas. What we do matters, right now and in the future, so it’s our responsibility to help build a more just and empathetic world through our work.
To that end, I want to ensure that our work reflects and responds to broad and future publics by asking ourselves how our curating, collecting, writing, collaborations and structure can decentre whiteness and challenge patriarchy, cis- and heteronormativity, and ableism. Our exhibitions should articulate many perspectives and positions, and our collecting should address historic oversights that have privileged some voices and marginalized others. Being truly accessible also means presenting programming that looks beyond art-specific discourses and situates work in contexts that are important and interesting to broad audiences. Things like beauty, humor, emotional resonance, or a compelling narrative can also be great points of entry for viewers. I’m interested in presenting work that is generous and generative in these kinds of ways.
Finally, I want to create more exhibition, presentation, curation, and writing opportunities for local artists and arts professionals, strengthening current partnerships and seeking new collaborative opportunities between the School of Art Gallery and other galleries and artist-run centres in Winnipeg.
What unique perspective do you bring to the School of Art Gallery?
Prior to coming to the School of Art Gallery, I was the Curator of Moving Image and Performance at Dunlop Art Gallery and RPL Film Theatre, which operate as part of the public library system in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Dunlop has two gallery spaces – one downtown and one in the suburbs, and the Film Theatre is the only cinematheque in downtown Regina. As part of the public library system, both spaces have mandates to foster visual literacy through their programming, which has really framed my approach to curatorial practice. In this position, and previously-held positions, I’ve had the pleasure of programming for, and partnering with, very diverse audiences, including a large incidental audience that might need some assurance that the gallery is a place that they belong. At the same time, the Dunlop and Film Theatre always aim to maintain a high level of critical rigor and discourse, serving art communities in Regina and beyond, and respecting the integrity of the artists and filmmakers presenting their work. Through this experience, I’ve become quite adept at connecting with different kinds of audiences, and it greatly informs my thinking about exhibition design, the way I write about art, and the exhibitions I produce.
What do you look forward to the most?
Right now I’m working mostly from home, and like many, I’m looking forward to going out into the world more frequently, to more socializing, to getting back to normal, hopefully a new and improved normal informed by the tough lessons we’re learning right now. I’m looking forward to getting to know my colleagues at the School of Art and in Winnipeg’s art scene better. And I’m really looking forward to realizing the gallery programming we’ve been working toward, both on- and offsite.
What is your artistic, curatorial and research background?
My background and training is as an interdisciplinary artist. I have a BFA in Intermedia from the University of Regina and an MFA in Studio Art from Western University. Since 2002, I have maintained a visual and performance art practice that is largely collaborative. I was in artist collectives One Night Only and Turner Prize*, I have a couple of current collaborators that I’m working with, and I recently organized Performance Art Gym, a loose-knit collaborative that meets regularly to do performance art exercises together. My curatorial practice is similarly guided by a collaborative impulse.
My research – which encompasses visual and performance art, curating, and writing – explores the aesthetics of failure, the expression of vulnerability, and the use of humour to confront difficult truths. My recent work is informed by my identity as a rural-born Prairie queer of settler descent, and investigates social class, code switching, Canadian regionalism, and the Prairie queer aesthetic (if there is such a thing).
What pursuits do you enjoy in your free time?
I have a very dilettantish interest in a lot of subjects, so I spend an inordinate amount listening to podcasts and googling things. I like fine dining, cooking and baking, repetitive crafts like knitting and embroidery, and leisurely pursuits that are sports adjacent, like going for bike rides, and swimming in lakes.
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.
