Art

UBC names five staff, five faculty honorees for the Envisioning Equality Art Project – Ubyssey Online

Published

3 years ago

March 19, 2022

UBC names five staff, five faculty honorees for the Envisioning Equality Art Project

March 19, 2022

UBC announced the winners of the inaugural Envisioning Equality Art Project, aimed at making UBC more gender-inclusive, on International Women’s Day.

Five faculty members — Melania Alvarez, Nadine Caron, Ryuko Kubota, Sheryl Staub-French and Sabrina Wong — and five staff members — Michelle Cameron, Em Mittertreiner, Shawna Narayan, Deb Pickman and Afsaneh Sharif — were chosen as winners.

The project will showcase achievements of these ten staff and faculty members through banners to be hung up around campus in 2023. Barbara Cole, the curator of outdoor art at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, and an artist selection panel will select artists to create the banners.

“Everything we do as a society depends upon the skills, talents and contributions of women and gender-diverse individuals around the world. I would like to congratulate the Envisioning Equity recipients, and to say a heartfelt thank-you for all that you do at UBC, and in the community,” President Santa Ono wrote in a post about the winners.

The Ubyssey spoke to a few of the winners about what this honor means to them.

Staub-French, is the associate dean of equity, diversity and inclusion in the faculty of applied science and a professor in the department of civil engineering. As a graduate student, she created a new mentoring program for LGBTQ+ students.

Staub-French later became the cohort professor for Women In Engineering to help increase the outreach via Geering Up. Her recent work revolves around equity, diversity and inclusion by educating people about artificial intelligence so that they can teach and become part of the larger conversation.

Staub-French spoke of her experiences being treated differently than her male colleagues in an interview with The Ubyssey and expressed excitement about the project.

“I love the idea of [the project] being kind of this public display along the main mall and hopefully, it’ll be a way to reach people in a different way,” said Staub-French.

Another winner is Em Mittertreiner who works as the student director at the UBC Climate Hub. They are a fourth-year honours psychology student with a minor in gender, race, sexuality and social justice. They said that having their efforts acknowledged in a creative way feels special.

“I love the intentions and goals of the project, and I’m so excited to see how the banners turn out,” Mittertreiner told The Ubyssey in an email.

Mittertreiner said that being a non-binary person, they would love to have their banner reflect their gender so that other gender-diverse students feel represented.

“I’m not quite sure what [the banner] would look like — maybe having my pronouns on the banner somewhere, or having the banner use the colours of the trans flag! I’m excited to see what the artists come up with.”

Deb Pickman, who works on special projects at UBC Arts Culture District, won the award for her contribution mentoring students and helping them actualize their artistic ambitions. She works in collaboration with UBC Exposure and with the assistance of WorkLearn students. UBC Arts and Culture District also organizes an annual Artivism festival that was initiated by Pickman.

“I think [the project] will encourage [students] to follow their bliss in terms of being engaged in meaningful ways,” Pickman said.

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Art

A misspelled memorial to the Brontë sisters gets its dots back at last

Published

4 weeks ago

September 26, 2024

Anne Joseph

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.

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Art

Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork

Published

1 month ago

September 13, 2024

Harry Miller

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.