Lisa Patterson (right) and members of the Calgary Permaculture Guild organized a plant exchange for neighbour day. ANOSHA KHAN / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
The community of Sunnyside brightened up even more for Neighbour Day with a plant exchange and an art crawl.
Neighbour Day is the third Saturday in June, celebrated to remember how Calgary came together during the 2013 floods.
This year, Neighbour Day took on a different meaning, both as a reminder of the flood, but also of the coronvirus. Communities have pulled together to help one another, but have also been distanced due to public health guidelines.
This city encouraged Calgarians to celebrated Neighbour Day virtually, or with public health guidelines in mind.
Building community through plants
Lisa Patterson is the president of the Permaculture Calgary Guild, who organized the plant exchange. She talked about the impact that the hailstorm last weekend had on Calgarians.
Lisa Patterson, president of the Calgary Permaculture Guild. ANOSHA KHAN / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
Many people not only lost siding and windows on their houses and cars, but it also impacted their gardens.
“A lot of our neighbors here in Calgary were hit with a devastating hail event,” she said.
“Their gardens were completely crushed under this huge, huge hail, like never been seen before really on this scale.”
She said because Calgarians are so good at giving, gardeners from around the city came together to donate plants. Those who were impacted by the storm could pick them up for free so they can replant them in their gardens.
“It’s the most neighbourly thing I can think of,” she said.
The set up of the plant exchange, with Patterson engaging with people and helping select plants. ANOSHA KHAN / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
While they do hold events such as plant sales and exchanges and teaching people about permaculture, this one was significant because it was for people who lost their gardens to hail, and allowed them to collect various plants from a central location.
Pandemic a lift to local gardening
As well, Patterson has seen a boost in people interested in gardening due to COVID-19.
“The pandemic has actually increased people’s desire to come out and get together in a safe space,” she said.
“We found that people were really anxious to start growing food and helping each other out.”
She said gardening and growing one’s own food increases resiliency, builds community and is an activity you can do at a distance.
“Everyone really just enjoys getting together and working in the garden together,” she said.
“There’s nothing really like it.”
Community engagement through public art
Karen Scarlett is an artist in the community. She said when she first considered the mural, it was important to have something that would be part of the community.
She said they painted the mural at a corner that was the hub for people after the flood. Many people gathered there to get information, food, or other needs met.
“Because it was such a hub, I thought that a chalkboard made sense so that people could continue to gather messages for the community or just share some love.”
The chalkboard is surrounded by “I heart Sunnyside” – a slogan used during the 2013 flood. The mural is painted with dogs that have lived at the property.
Dogs who lived at the residence are pictured at the top. People passing by are able to stop at Scarlett’s mural and write messages for their loved ones or the community. ANOSHA KHAN / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY
“A couple of them are still alive and there’s a couple that have passed away. Another puppy is going to be added to the mural soon.”
Art crawl driving people into the neighbourhood
She said the idea for an art crawl on Neighbour Day is great because Calgary has an amazing collection of public art.
“We’ve got everything from really incredibly expensive fantastic public art to really engaging fun community pieces that are done on a shoestring,” she said.
“It makes the community much more magical.”
Many people came out to view Scarlett’s (left) artwork. ANOSHA KHAN / FOR LIVEWIRE CALGARY.
Scarlett said it was the first time she sat near her artwork and discussed it with residents and people participating in the art crawl for Neighbour Day.
“This is my first time celebrating it, so I’ll have to make it a regular thing,” she said.
Sunnyside’s art crawl includes various installations such as free libraries, the Sunnyside car, a Covid-19 theatre, murals, among others.
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.
