To raise funds for Indigenous art, the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Quamajuq plans to auction off highly-coveted portraits of Queen Elizabeth made by artist Andy Warhol.
The four screen-printed portraits are part of Warhol’s Reigning Queens collection, and have an estimated worth of up to $900,000. In what would be a first for the gallery, all funds from the auction on June 8 would be placed in an endowment fund specifically for Indigenous art.
Stephen Borys, director and CEO of the WAG, says that to move forward with reconciliation, the gallery needs to acquire more work by First Nation and Métis artists.
“This is an opportunity for us to take a leadership role in the country,” Borys said in an interview.
“There’s work that needs to be done — work that we want to do, and one way we can do that is by exhibiting and collecting more Indigenous art.”
The WAG’s collection is composed predominantly of artwork by white artists. Through the addition of Quamajuq, the Inuit art centre, the gallery increased its Inuit art, but First Nation and Métis artists are still scarce, making up just over one per cent of the entire collection, Borys said.
Stephen Borys, the director and CEO of the WAG says that to move forward with reconciliation, it is important the gallery acquires more work by First Nation and Métis artists. (CBC)
The symbolism of selling portraits of the Queen to raise money for Indigenous art isn’t lost on him. For many, the prints and their focus on a monarch are a symbol of colonialism, he said.
“The idea of selling these portraits of the Queen to establish a fund for Indigenous art really sets an amazing tone,” Borys said.
“I think it’s something that if Queen Elizabeth II was living today she would support.”
Move ‘very apropos’: Adams
Winnipeg-based Indigenous contemporary artist KC Adams calls the WAG’s choice to create an endowment fund a step toward equality in the local art world.
“When I saw they were going to sell the Andy Warhol prints of Queen Elizabeth I thought ‘oh, that’s very apropos,'” Adams said in an interview.
“It’s showing the WAG’s commitment to diversifying their collection.”
Winnipeg based Indigenous artist KC Adams has 10 pieces in the WAG’s collection, including the above piece “Birch Bark Technology: Morning Star.” She believes the gallery’s choice to create an endowment fund is a step forward. (Submitted by KC Adams)
Adams says that Indigenous artists face various barriers when compared to non-Indigenous artists.
They are often paid significantly less than non-Indigenous artists, and frequently art institutions and art critics are less inclined to showcase Indigenous art, she said.
Acquisitions decisions
The WAG receives support from the government for operations but not for acquisitions, something that heavily impacted its ability to purchase Indigenous art in the past, Borys said.
“Rarely have we been in a position to just go out there and buy what we want with our own funds,” Borys said.
“When a great work comes up at auction or through a dealer and exhibition, we’re rarely in the position to act quickly.”
The hope is that the endowment fund will grant the gallery more autonomy when purchasing art.
The Winnipeg Art Gallery-Quamajuq receives governments funding for operations, but not for acquisitions. Stephen Borys hopes this endowment fund can fill that gap. (Lindsay Reid)
Adams, who has 10 pieces in the WAG’s collection, refers to artists as “cultural representatives.”
Often, they’re the ones that immortalize aspects of the culture and introduce the community to those outside of it, she said.
Like Borys, she sees the creation of an Indigenous art endowment fund as an opportunity for reconciliation.
“When you’re not giving us the opportunity to showcase who we are and what our work is about, then it prevents us from truly having a voice,” she said.
Hopes for the auction
The decision to sell the Warhol portraits is part of a de-accessioning project. The gallery plans to refine its collection and sell pieces that no longer align with the direction the gallery is going, Borys said.
It won’t be known until the auction, held in Toronto through the Cowley Abbott auction house on June 8, how much money the fund will receive.
Cowley Abbott estimated that the prints will sell for between $700,000-$900,000, but Borys said he’s hoping to exceed that estimate. Warhol originally created multiple prints of four different queens, and Borys said recently, just one of the four queens from the series sold for over a million dollars.
Currently, the focus for the endowment fund is on living contemporary First Nations and Métis artists in Canada, but the WAG hopes to eventually create a separate fund solely for the broader acquisition of Canadian art.
Even without knowing the auction’s outcome, Adams believes the creation of an endowment fund for Indigenous art is a step forward and hopes it creates change not just locally but on a national level as well.
“When you have an institution like that, it’s a signal to everyone else … especially here in the Prairies,” she said.
“I think the big picture is that it helps artists in the long run.“
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.
