Just three months ago, the Atelier de Sosi Art Gallery celebrated Mexico’s Day of the Dead with an exceptional exhibit, kicking things off with a reception at which patrons were made up and dressed like the multi-colored skeletons immortalized in Mexican folk art. A good time, as they say, was had by all.
Work by Miss Crit for “Feline.” Image provided.
Bruce Allums’ ever-eclectic studio and gallery facility, in the Warehouse Arts District, is inviting residents along for another day of dress-up cosplay this Friday. The occasion is the opening of Feline, a six-week exhibition of paintings, sculptures, prints, mixed media and more celebrating cats.
For the reception, 6-9 p.m., guests are encouraged to wear “cat tails, cat ears, anything you love that is cat-inspired.”
A portion of the proceeds from art sales will go the Sunshine City Catfe, which aids in adopting out cats that need good homes.
Heal, an exhibit of paintings by Fred “Rootman” Woods and copper art by Javier T. Dores, opens Saturday at the Tully-Levine Gallery, on the Warehouse Arts District main campus. A reception is scheduled for 5 to 9 p.m., which means it’s happening during Second Saturday ArtWalk hours. A drum circle is planned for the site Jan. 20.
The monthly ArtWalk is a self-guided tour of dozens of downtown galleries and working studios. Here’s the map of participants for January 2022.
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It’s one of those rare occasions when the Second Saturday ArtWalk takes place on the very same weekend as Gulfport’s First Friday ArtWalk! (of course, last Friday – the actual first Friday of the month – was Jan. 1, so the Gulfport Merchant Chamber had a good excuse for holding it back one week). The Gulfport downtown walk (5-9 p.m.) is a curated show featuring 40 of the area’s finest fine artists in show ‘n’ sell mode. And this one has a theme: The Age of Aquarius.
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Also opening with a Friday reception is Circa, an exhibition of St. Pete-centric canvases by scene artist and set designer Rebekah Lazardis, at Mize Gallery.Here’s a Catalyst story about the artist, the work and the event.
Performing arts
DRUMLine Live comes to the Mahaffey Theater Sunday at 7 p.m. It’s a touring rhythm, music and dance show based around the Historically Black College and University [HBCU] marching band experience. Details and tickets here.
At the Palladium, jazz pianist and composer Dave Meder is in performance Friday with his Songs and Stories Trio (details here). Meder’s most recent album, Unamuno Songs and Stories, is a response to recent sociopolitical turmoil in the United States, using the writings of Spanish Civil War-era philosopher Miguel de Unamuno as an historical analogy.
Jazz guitarist Al DeMiola is swinging through Florida this week; catch the Return to Forever legend doing amazing musical stuff Friday at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater. Tickets. And Kim Wilson and The Fabulous Thunderbirds play the Capitol Sunday. Tickets.
Saturday and Sunday’s concerts from The Florida Orchestra include Prokofiev’s Suite From Romeo and Juliet, Gershwin’s Concerto in F (with pianist Sara Davis Buechner) and Winter Bells, a symphonic poem by Russian composer Polina Nazaykinskay. Akiko Fujimoto conducts at the Mahaffey Saturday, and at Ruth Eckerd Hall Sunday.
The lone pro theater production this weekend is the courtroom drama Twelve Angry Men at Stageworks in Tampa. Here’s our story about it.
And one more thing …
St. Pete Comic Con: The city’s first-ever comic book convention, with comics, anime, science fiction & fantasy and cosplay, happens Saturday and Sunday at the Coliseum. Read all about it here.
Please add us to your mailing list – send all press releases and event info to bill@stpetecatalyst.com.
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.
