The Nanaimo Art Gallery is wrapping up its yearlong inquiry, ‘What are generations?’ with an exhibition by Vancouver-based photographer and recent Governor General’s Award recipient Sandra Semchuk.
In her show, A Generational Retrospective, opening at the NAG on Feb. 6 and running until April 5, Semchuk and NAG curator Jesse Birch have assembled a collection of photographs and video work spanning the ’70s to the present day, including new pieces created specifically for this show.
Many of the photographs are what Semchuk calls “co-operative self-portraits,” taken with family members. But she said the pictures are about more than just her.
“I use myself as a way to consider larger issues,” she explained. “Particularly, how we come to know one another or how we come to see one another from person to person and within our families and within different cultures and across species.”
Semchuk said people have “an enormous difficulty” in coming to know and relate with one another and it’s questions around that dilemma that she investigates in her work.
“The art of coming to know each other across cultures is crucial to our very survival,” she said. “So, one, how do we come to see ourselves? And how do we come to see someone else? … How do we know when we’re projecting on someone else or another species or someone we care about? How do we simply come to know someone? What does real intimacy look like?”
Birch has been following Semchuk for more than 20 years and said that her body of work fits well with the gallery’s thematic inquiry.
“Throughout her practice there’s been a thread of work where she’s collaborated with people of different generations in her family, through her friends, through other people in the community,” he said. “And that intention to communicate through art across generations was something that is so perfect for this year.”
The day before the show closes on April 5 Semchuk will return to the NAG for a launch and reading from her new book. The Stories Were Not Told, a project 12 years in the making, examines Canada’s First World War internment camps through photographs and interviews with descendants of internees. Semchuk said she felt “compelled” to write the book after learning about the internments and needing to “figure it out.”
She said the book relates to the exhibition’s idea of the importance of dialogue for identity.
“It’s in dialogue that we are negotiating identity with someone else and if the stories are suppressed, then we tend to buy into dominant narratives of who we can be,” Semchuk said. “So it opens up and loosens up identity so that we can be more specific and nuanced and understand why we carry certain kinds of … trauma or strength or resilience. It opens up possibilities of understanding more deeply and authentically who we are.”
WHAT’S ON … Opening reception for A Generational Retrospective takes place at the Nanaimo Art Gallery, 150 Commercial St., on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. Show runs until April 5. Book launch and reading for The Stories Were Not Told happens at the gallery on April 4 at 1 p.m.
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.
