Jane Whitten didn’t think she’d be accepted when she applied to have her work included in the Canada Council for the Arts’ Art Bank.
“I knew there was a Canadian art bank, but I just thought it was much loftier, that it was something out of my reach,” the Summerside-area artist said. “And they don’t do a call-out very often.”
But she put together a proposal anyway after seeing a post in the summer of 2022 about the bank’s 50th anniversary collection.
“For most artists, it’s a dream,” Whitten said. “You think, ‘Wow, wouldn’t it be nice to have a piece in a permanent collection?'”
A longtime basket-weaver, she wanted to submit a piece that combined her talents with something that made an impact.
“I play with textiles and using traditional techniques in nontraditional ways, usually with unconventional materials,” said the Australian-born artist. “All of my work really relates to environmental issues and the whole concern about climate change and the climate crisis.”
‘Consumed’ is a piece comprised of 12 baskets, woven with plastic wrappings that piled up each month at artist Jane Whitten’s home. (Submitted by Jane Whitten)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitten began thinking about how much plastic she was consuming. From frozen vegetable bags to the wrapping on new products she was buying, all of it was going into the recycling bin.
Until she decided to make something of it.
A second life
“I was playing with a new technique for basket making, where I would go coiling. It’s a very traditional, very ancient technique,” Whitten said.
When the new year started in 2022, she decided to get more methodical about it. She wove every piece of plastic that came into her household into a basket, and kept a journal about it.
“I was certainly collecting more plastic and wrapping it in my household, so thought it would be interesting to see what happens from month to month.”
The baskets are each 10.5 centimetres in diameter and vary in height based on how much plastic Whitten used that month. (Submitted by Jane Whitten)
By the end of the year, Whitten had 12 baskets of varying heights, one for each month. Each was 10.5 centimetres in diameter, and between 21 and 38 centimetres tall.
“That ends up being a bit like a bar graph, so you’d be able to compare what I was discarding from one month to the next,” she said.
It was late December when Whitten got the call that the council wanted to buy her basket series — for $8,500. She’s still pinching herself.
“It was not the response I was expecting,” the artist said. “It was overwhelming when that message came through.”
‘It’s giving me more confidence’
Beginning in April, the collection is available for galleries and museums across Canada to rent from the Canada Council.
Whitten hopes that she’ll be able to see her works on display one day, but for now she’s just thrilled to have been recognized.
“It’s giving me more confidence to try some other things,” she said. “To keep going and say, ‘Yeah look, you can do this, you are all right.'”
It’s plastic. It’s going to be there forever. We’ll never get rid of it.— Jane Whitten
Being the only P.E.I.-based artist on the list is also a shock for Whitten. There were more than 1,700 submissions, and just 72 artworks were selected — the first time new work has been added to the Art Bank since 2011.
And because of the nature of the piece, it really is being permanently added to the collection.
“It’s plastic,” she said. “It’s going to be there forever. We’ll never get rid of it.”
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.
