When Métis artist and architect Tiffany Shaw-Collinge was commissioned to design an artwork for the Markham bus station in Winnipeg, she wanted to use the stop to showcase Métis land rights. She reached out to the president of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Audrey Poitras, who knew exactly who Shaw-Collinge needed to talk to.
“Always in the back of our minds while we do our research is connecting a person today with historical records of the past. So for us this [art project] was a novel way of doing that,” Tough said.
Shaw-Collinge received permission to use the glass walls of the bus stop to showcase scrip records—the system by which the federal government offered land allotments or money to Métis people for their land rights—and did a community-wide call asking interested Métis people to submit their family scrip records for inclusion.
The records she received, however, were disappointing.
“If you’re Métis you can go and look for your family name on the Library and Archives website, but the results are just low-quality replications, and the site is not easy to navigate,” Shaw-Collinge said.
She went to the provincial archives to scan records in high resolution, but found this to be too expensive.
“It would have cost me thousands of dollars to do it properly,” she said, “So then I reached back to Frank. I didn’t realize what a goldmine [the MAP Lab] was.”
Over its 20-year history, the U of A’s MAP Lab has digitized thousands of scrip records into high-resolution, high-quality images.
“This is the approach we’ve been taking since 1993, to make these documents accessible,” said Tough.
To enhance online access, the MAP Lab worked with the Métis National Council to create a database of archival scrip documents that relaunched in 2019. It was the easy access to these documents through that database that facilitated Shaw-Collinge’s art piece.
“What we did was match up some of the names that she had with our records, and provided not just the applications, but other related documents as well,” said Tough.
“When I talked with Frank, he helped me frame the whole work. He said scrip is just one part. If you want to talk about Métis-specific land rights, you have to talk about land use and occupancy,” said Shaw-Collinge, who added she thinks of Tough and the MAP Lab as collaborators on the work due to their large contribution.
Tough showed Shaw-Collinge a map from 1870 that depicted how the area around the Red River, now known as Winnipeg, was used by Métis people: where they would go for sugaring (maple syrup), fishing, duck hunting and berry-picking, and the river cart trails used for buffalo hunts.
“It shows not only how they lived along the Red River, but how they moved around the land for resources that sustained their unique way of life. I love this imagery because it talks about Métis people specifically,” said Shaw-Collinge.
Shaw-Collinge integrated the map into her work, replicating it into the concrete sidewalk of the bus stop. She also created five sculptural markers, like obelisks, to represent the five trading posts indicated on the historic map. Each marker shows images and information related to the history of each fort, including Louis Riel’s 1870 provisional government, formed at Upper Fort Garry, and Pembina Post, which was known as an assembling point for a large number of buffalo hunts.
The quality of the documents the MAP Lab provided for Shaw-Collinge makes the historical feel of the art piece more immediate to the people at the bus stop who view it, said Christina Williamson, a PhD candidate at Carleton University and a research associate in the lab.
“This bus stop allows the average person to see these historical documents as almost a primary source. I think sometimes people think that history occurred in black and white, this just feels more tangible,” said Williamson.
Shaw-Collinge and Tough share the hope that incorporating this artwork into an everyday space like a bus stop increases awareness of the unique culture and history of the Métis.
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.
