It was sunny and warm in Yellowknife during the August long weekend – the perfect weather for a street party.
Aptly named the 47 Street Festival for its location, residents gathered for three days of artist showcases, live music, exercise classes, and crafting workshops.
Among the festivities were a performance by musician Jim Taylor and a painting workshop with artist Donna-Lynn Baskin.
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The small festival, which followed all social distancing protocols, was a joint effort between Mermaid and Moon Boutique and Event Rentals Yellowknife. The events came together quickly, the organizers said.
“We’ve always loved festivals, even before we had a business running festivals,” Ainsley Dempsey, a co-owner of Event Rentals Yellowknife, told guests on Saturday afternoon.
“We thought, ‘You know what? We’re going to talk to local artists,’ and they were all up for it, so here we are.
“It warms our heart that all of you came.”
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Meredith McNulty is the owner of Mermaid and Moon, a boutique and art gallery located on 47 St. She told Cabin Radio the festival aims to support artists and businesses, as well as celebrating the reopening of her own boutique after a Covid-19 shutdown.
“I kind-of took a chance with opening this small business and it’s been really supportive so far,” she said. “The whole business is … almost like a collaboration of artists.
“It’s just important for me that we recognize the arts community because it’s been impacted by the pandemic. And so, this festival supports businesses [and] brings people together.”
Ali Budgell and Kanina Clorey were selling their artwork at the festival on Friday evening. They referred to Mermaid and Moon as a “home base” for the city’s art community.
Guests enjoy musician Jim Taylor’s performance during the 47 Street Festival in August 2020. Meaghan Brackenbury/Cabin Radio.
Mermaid and Moon showcases and sells works from artists in Yellowknife. Meaghan Brackenbury/Cabin Radio.
Ali Budgell (right) and Kanina Clorey came to the festival on Friday evening to sell their artwork. Meaghan Brackenbury/Cabin Radio.
“Without [Meredith], it would be so sporadic and probably nothing,” Clorey said.
Both Clorey and Budgell have been working on new art since the pandemic began. Clorey specializes in acrylic pouring, which creates something of a paint “skin.” She uses those skins to create portraits, cards, and jewellery.
Budgell has created what she calls “pandemic postcards,” vibrant watercolours centred around a nurse (Budgell is a trained nurse herself) living through the year of Covid-19.
“When I do my art, that’s when I do all my processing,” she said.
On Saturday afternoon, guests were treated to a live painting performance by Jen Walden and Terry Pamplin.
The seasoned painters, donning their fanciest attire, called out for suggestions from the crowd. After two hours of painting – both the canvas and each other – and chatting with guests, the two successfully auctioned off a lake sunset scene for $650.
Pamplin and Walden have been working together for more than 10 years. Sometimes they paint large murals, sometimes they work with a canoeing company to create a “voyageur” painting experience for audiences.
“Even [if] you work solitarily, you paint because you want to connect with your viewers,” Walden said of painting for an audience. “So, you’re not always there when they see it, but you hope that there’s a connection.
Terry Pamplin and Jen Walden stand next to their latest work of art, which sold for $650. Meaghan Brackenbury/Cabin Radio.
Festival-goers were treated to complimentary popcorn throughout the weekend. Meaghan Brackenbury/Cabin Radio
“And then what’s fun about this is you get to be there and witness that connection; not just with the piece, but you also get to connect with them as a person.”
She added: “It’s just so nice to connect. That’s what humans are all about.”
While the festival may have had its inaugural weekend in the midst of a pandemic, McNulty said the organizers would love to hold the festival again next year – hopefully with fewer social distancing requirements.
Musician and Cabin Radio host Jim Taylor, right, treats the audience to Nova Scotian tunes. Meaghan Brackenbury/Cabin Radio
Walden and Pamplin have some fun with each other while working on their painting – by painting on each other. Walden’s giving Pamplin a goalie on his shirt. Meaghan Brackenbury/Cabin Radio
Donna-Lynn Baskin guides a group painting workshop. Meaghan Brackenbury/Cabin Radio
A painter mimics the techniques Baskin is demonstrating. Meaghan Brackenbury/Cabin Radio
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.
