Graduating Peterborough high school students Austin Bowie and Ashleigh Gillen are each receiving a $1,000 bursary from the Bierk Art Fund, a endowment fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough established in 2006 through public donations to honour the lives and work of the late Peterborough arts champions Liz Bierk and her husband, artist David Bierk. (Supplied photos)
Two graduating Peterborough high school students will each receive a $1,000 bursary to pursue higher education in the visual arts, thanks to the annual Bierk Art Fund Bursary Program.
Austin Bowie, who is graduating from Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School, will be studying visual arts at the Nova Scotia School of Art and Design in the fall. Ashleigh Gillen, who is graduating from Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institution, will be studying at the Azrieli School of Architecture at Carleton University in Ottawa in the fall.
Administered by the Electric City Culture Council (EC3), the Bierk Art Fund is an endowment fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough established in 2006 through public donations to honour the lives and work of the late Peterborough arts champions Liz Bierk and her husband, artist David Bierk.
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A jury of respected local arts professionals selected Bowie and Gillen as the bursary recipients after the students presented their work.
According to a media release from EC3, Bowie’s portfolio impressed the jury with its depth, breadth, and passion.
“Their work moved effortlessly forward, offering a catalytic and evocative ride through colour, texture, and ideas,” EC3 states. “There is an urgency and intuitive power in this work that makes it impossible to say which is the ‘best’ piece.”
Details of two works by Austin Bowie: “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Bleeding Heart”. (Supplied photos)
“I want to pursue a career in the arts and continue studying arts because it is my passion and what makes me happy,” Bowie says. “I not only love creating art, but also enjoy being able to speak and teach others the things I have discovered, whether it be from my own practice or researching other artists, movements, techniques, and more.”
Gillen’s work of “brightly coloured, exquisitely controlled, and highly stylized portraits of women,” along with her representations of women’s clothing, “deftly explore both colonialism and the manufacture of identity.”
“Her exaggerated constructions draw the viewer in, opening up important discussions about the body, clothing, and architecture as a metaphor,” EC3 states.
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“Art is my passion,” Gillen says. “I am excited to expand my knowledge of art, design, and their practical applications.”
“I want to combine art in multimedia with my other interests like science and social consciousness. I am interested in the combination of styles, textures, and media to communicate ideas through art.”
In addition to receiving the bursary, Bowie and Gillen will be celebrated at this year’s Mayor’s Luncheon for the Arts in Peterborough on Friday, September 30th.
Ashleigh Gillen creates highly stylized portraits of women and representations of women’s clothing that explore colonialism and the manufacture of identity. (Supplied photos)
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.
