Local artist Bethany LeBlonc recently transformed this needle drop box in Peterborough’s Millennium Park into a work of practical public art. Her colourful design also includes a map of social support resources available in downtown Peterborough for people who are disposing of used needles in the box. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
If you’ve seen one of the six needle drop boxes located in downtown Peterborough, you’d probably agree they aren’t particularly attractive. Intended for the secure and safe disposal of used needles (“sharps”), the mailbox-like drop boxes are painted bright yellow.
Now, thanks to a joint initiative by PARN-Your Community AIDS Resource Network and Artspace, the sharps boxes are getting a makeover. This past spring, the two organizations put out a call for proposals for local artists to submit creative designs to turn the boxes into works of public art, while supporting harm reduction.
Local artist Bethany LeBlonc recently completed her design on the sharps box located beside the trail at the King Street entrance to Millennium Park, near the Silver Bean Cafe.
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“This has been a really fun project, and also very close to my heart,” LeBlonc writes on Instagram. “Many people struggle with mental illness & addiction due to trauma and/or socio economic status. This can lead to homelessness, and further distress.”
LeBlonc’s design is not only colourful, but practical. She painted a map onto the sharps box to highlight social support resources available in downtown Peterborough such as Brock Mission and the YES Shelter for Youth and Families.
She says she did it “as a thank you to those who work to help our community, to know where to seek help if you need it, and hopefully encourage you to share with friends and strangers where they can go to seek help.”
To help raise awareness of available support services, LeBlonc also includes a link to a Google Map on her Instagram. The map lists resources and locations for those who may the services.
“We are all just people,” LeBlonc writes. “Please be kind and help one another.”
This isn’t the first time LeBlonc has created art in the context of social issues. In January, her paintings of local social issues such homelessness were on exhibit at Simply Delicious in downtown Peterborough. To see other samples of LeBlonc’s art, visit her Instagram account at @bethany.leblonc.
Before and after: the needle drop boxes are usually painted bright yellow. (Photos: Artspace and Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
Peterborough’s needle drop box program was expanded in November 2018 in a partnership between PARN, Peterborough Public Health, the Canadian Mental Health Association – Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (CMHA-HKPR), and the City of Peterborough.
Four boxes were installed, with one behind the Peterborough Library, one along the Millennium Trail, one on the eastern side of the Otonabee River near the train bridge, and one in front the One Roof program at 99 Brock Street.
The four new boxes were in addition to the needle drop boxes in front of the CMHA-HKPR office at 466 George Street and the fire station at 210 Sherbrooke Street.
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“Our experience tells us that people who use injection drugs want to dispose of their supplies safely,” said former PARN executive director Kim Dolan when the program was expanded. “Hundreds of people come through the doors of our agency every year to return used syringes.”
“By placing these boxes at various points in the city, we will provide more options for people to return their used equipment and further reduce the instances when needles are found in public spaces.”
Local artist Bethany LeBlonc’s design adorning the eedle drop box in Peterborough’s Millennium Park includes a map on the sides and back of social support available in downtown Peterborough. (Photo: Bruce Head / kawarthaNOW.com)
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.
