With the collapse of the murals advisory committee, city hall plans to develop a policy to guide decisions about public art and create a new committee focused on this area.
The murals management committee has had difficulty finding and keeping members over the years. There were two citizens on the committee in January, but both quit this year, leaving Coun. Heather Eby as the remaining member.
Other than the murals program, the City of Moose Jaw does not have a formal policy to acquire and maintain public art, said Derek Blais, director of parks and recreation, during the Dec. 13 executive committee meeting.
“Over the past year, we’ve received a few different public art requests. A policy would provide us with a consistent approach to the acquisition and placement of all public art through purchase, commission, or donation for municipally-owned buildings, assets and properties,” he continued.
An example of a public art initiative this year was the Downtown Moose Jaw Association’s walking art tour, which saw 33 public assets painted with colourful and kid-themed pictures. Another initiative was the Crescent Park tree carving project, which the Crescent Park Foundation and museum and art gallery sponsored.
Restructuring the murals committee to a public art committee requires city council to repeal an existing murals bylaw and replace it with a new public art committee bylaw, Blais said. That bylaw would also serve as the terms of reference for the new group, composed of people with experience in the arts field.
Meanwhile, members of the parks and recreation advisory committee, staff from the museum and art gallery, and community murals artist Grant McLaughlin provided feedback about the proposed policy.
The next steps include having council repeal the murals committee bylaw and adopting the new public art committee bylaw and public art policy in the new year, with everything implemented by March, Blais said.
No additional funding is necessary for the new public art committee since it will use the funding provided to the murals committee, he continued. City hall provided the murals group with about $13,000 in annual funding; $19,675 will be carried forward next year, which means the new committee will only need an extra $6,475 to have a full budget of $26,150.
According to the proposed public art policy, 30 per cent of the public art fund will be allocated to new art and 70 per cent will maintain existing murals and plan for future projects. Therefore, next year $7,850 will be for new public art acquisitions and $18,300 will be for maintenance and planning.
Coun. Doug Blanc thought it was important that the new committee focused on murals and art so that neither area was forgotten. He also thought that the art projects completed this year would benefit tourists and residents who visit the downtown or Crescent Park.
“I totally support this. It’s a good evolution of the murals committee … ,” said Eby.
It’s positive that there won’t be competition between funding mural repairs and acquiring new art, she continued. Murals degrade over time because of the elements, so she didn’t want to see those repairs stop.
Eby also hoped that this new committee attracted more volunteers, generated new interest in public art and led to more art city-wide.
Council later supported a recommendation to approve the proposed public art policy and public art committee bylaw. The recommendation must be approved during a future regular meeting to become official.
The next executive committee meeting is Monday, Jan. 10.
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.
