Art

Vernon council sends mask project back to art gallery – Penticton Western News – Penticton Western News

Published

2 years ago

June 13, 2022

Vernon council has done an about-face on a contentious mural project regarding masks.

Council revisited a motion they passed at its regular meeting Monday, May 30, supporting the Vernon Public Art Gallery’s request for funding for a project titled Behind The Mask. The project, conceived by a Calgary artist, includes a total of 11 photographic murals of local residents under masks created by themselves that would be posted on the walls of city- and privately-owned buildings for five years to bring awareness to mental health.

The city committed $33,000 to the project, to go along with $55,000 the art gallery had received through grant funding.

The announcement drew extreme outrage from the public, causing Coun. Akbal Mund to ask three of his six colleagues to revisit the matter during the regular meeting of council Monday, June 13. Mayor Victor Cumming and Couns. Brian Quiring and Kelly Fehr were absent from the meeting. Coun. Teresa Durning served as acting mayor.

“There was a considerable outcry from the community and when there’s a lot of response, you have to revisit what was voted on,” said Mund. “The scope of this project is too large for what the community is ready for, and not for five years.”

Calgary artist Katie Green worked with the gallery’s engagement curator and the harm reduction program coordinator at Turning Points Collaborative Society to lead participants through a series of workshops where masks and characters were created through an intimate story-telling process.

Participants were then photographed wearing their masks in a setting of their choosing, and it’s those photographs that the gallery was going to place on walls around the city.

A total of 11 murals have been proposed to be put around Vernon, including on city-owned property at the downtown parkade (three), the washroom building at the new Civic Memorial Park (former Vernon Civic Arena site) and on the side of the downtown washroom at Coldstream Avenue and 35th Street.

Private businesses that have expressed interest in putting up a mural include Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services (4400 block, 27th Street); Vernon Community Arts Centre (Polson Park); Bosman Accounting (two murals, 290o block 31st Avenue); Upper Room Mission (3400 block 27th Avenue); and the Turning Points Collaborative Society (2800 block 33rd Street).

Two petitions were started after the announcement: one against the murals, one in favour. As of Monday, more than 3,000 people had signed the petition against the project, and 1,000 people had put their names on the petition in favour of the art.

“With what we’ve received, I think the public has spoken,” said Coun. Kari Gares, who was absent from the May 30 meeting and did not vote on the project.

Gares and Durning said a majority of the comments written about the project by the public were “disheartening.”

“These (project participants) are individuals in our community that are suffering,” said Gares. “Words hurt. Words do have negative consequences.”

Coun. Scott Anderson, as he did on May 30, reiterated his call for public consultation on the project, which Gares said should be funded by the art gallery, and not by the city.

“This impacts our city, our lifestyle, our safety or, in this case, our face to ourselves and to the world for years to come,” said Anderson. “We technically don’t have to ask our citizens but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t.”

Mund motioned to send the project back to the art gallery, asking them to conduct a public consultation process and bring back the content of putting up the murals under a reduced scope of what was originally presented.

The motion was unanimously supported.

The Behind The Mask project is currently on display at the art gallery.

roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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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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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.