A mother-daughter art show at the Guild in Charlottetown explores the grief around pregnancy loss and infertility, to find healing, but also to help others.
“We chose Metamorphosis because this whole exhibit is about transformation,” said Jennie Thompson.
“The transformation you experience when you’re going through grief, when you’re experiencing miscarriages and what that looks like, and how it can change you as a person.”
Jennie uses watercolour paintings for the exhibit, while her mother, Elaine, creates felted pieces out of wool and silk.
Jennie Thompson says the painting called My Grief represents the heaviness that she felt as she was going through pregnancy losses and experiencing depression. (Kirk Pennell/CBC)
“I wanted to do it with my mom because at its core, a lot of this art is about, for me anyway, about being a mother, that journey toward motherhood,” Jennie said.
“Plus, it’s a really personal topic and I’m really vulnerable so mom adds that extra support for me.”
Jennie Thompson says art for her is part of the healing process. (Kirk Pennell/CBC)
This is Jennie’s first art show, a challenge she said she took on to help her heal after four pregnancy losses since 2016.
“This exhibit, it wasn’t just for me, but also for other people who are going through the same thing, because it can be such an isolating experience,” she said.
“For somebody to come down here and see it in colour, on walls, I think is a really powerful statement and it’s just a way to let other people know they’re not alone, and it does suck.”
Jennie Thompson calls this painting The Cycle and writes: ‘Grief during a fertility journey is like a cycle. You hope, you experience loss. Repeat.’ (Kirk Pennell/CBC)
“It’s pretty powerful, it’s really vulnerable, when this journey first started for me, I wouldn’t talk about it to anyone,” she said.
“But the other part of it was, there is this stigma around pregnancy loss. We’re not supposed to tell people we’re pregnant until we’re three months in, so think of how isolating that is.”
Elaine Thompson says Mother Earth has her hands holding the earth, which is her way of telling her daughter that she also is not alone. (Kirk Pennell/CBC)
She said she hopes to let other women know that there are people they can talk to.
“For women who lose their pregnancy that they had hoped so much for, after eight weeks, nine weeks, they feel like they can’t tell anyone about it. So this is my way of saying, you absolutely can,” she said.
“When you do feel ready to have people come to you and say, ‘That happened to me too,’ you find out that you’re not alone.”
Jennie Thompson, right, says doing the exhibit with her mother gave her some much-needed support. (Submitted by Jennie Thompson )
“It’s such a common, unfortunate experience for a lot of women,” Thompson said.
“I think it’s just really important to break down that stigma, and that barrier for women.”
‘Extremely proud’
Elaine said she feels extremely proud to be doing the art exhibit with her daughter.
“She knows that being able to speak about this, and share it with other people, that she’s not only trying to help herself, but she’s trying to help others,” Jennie said.
“I could not be more proud of her, and the fact that she asked me to be part of it, that just gives me chills to my toes.”
Elaine Thompson created the felted wool butterflies in honour of her mother who has passed away. (Kirk Pennell/CBC)
Jennie echoed her mother’s feelings.
“I feel really proud, and I feel really proud to have done it with my mom,” she said.
“I think this is an amazing memory that we will have forever.”
Jennie Thompson says she didn’t want the exhibit to just be sad but also hopes it will be inspirational. (Kirk Pennell/CBC)
The exhibit continues until Dec. 5 at the Guild in Charlottetown.
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.
