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Millionaire's collection headed downtown
Carolyn Heiman
Times Colonist
Friday, November 10, 2006
CREDIT: Ray Smith, Times Colonist
ART LOVER, DEVELOPER IMMORTALIZED IN BRONZE: University of Victoria president David Turpin and Janina Ceglarz, a longtime friend and business partner of Michael Williams, offer a root beer toast as they sit on a bench with a bronze statue of the Victoria developer after it was unveiled on the west side of Market Square yesterday.
A $3.5-million art collection amassed by developer Michael Williams will be housed in a new gallery in the downtown building now occupied by Starfish Glassworks.
University of Victoria president David Turpin made the announcement yesterday at an unveiling of bronze statue of a wine-sipping Williams near Market Square.
The $70,000 statue is the result of work by the Friends of Michael Williams, a group dedicated to creating a legacy for the owner of Swans Hotel since his death on Nov. 9, 2000.
Williams built a $20-million real-estate portfolio in Victoria's old town district. He left the estate to the University of Victoria, the largest gift ever to that institution.
Turpin said the new gallery, which will showcase more than 1,000 works of art, was one of the wishes Williams made as part of his bequest.
The building at 630 Yates St. that now houses Starfish Glassworks was among the properties Williams left to the university.
Meanwhile Morna Tudor, a partner in Starfish Glassworks, said the studio would close Dec. 30 after 10 years of operation. Tudor, who runs the popular gallery with husband Gary Bolt and artist Lisa Samphire, said they had become "victims of their own success." The number of visitors who came to watch art being created also produced more administration for the partners, interfering with their artistic output. Anticipated rent and utility increases, combined with declining sales, further contributed to their decision to close.
Williams came to Canada in 1950 from Shropshire, England, first to the Okanagan Valley and then to Victoria in 1958. He ran a dog training and kennel business before turning his attention to development. Along with his real-estate holdings, he gathered a formidable art collection before he died.
The statue unveiled yesterday on a slim boulevard on the west side of Market Square depicts Williams gazing toward Swans Hotel. It has not been without controversy in a city that has a love-hate relationship with public art.
The city has given permission for the statue to remain in the space, which is public property, for six months. The Friends would like it to stay there permanently.
However, the group dodged the process set out for art on public property, choosing artist Armando Barbon without calling for public submissions. Council was also asked to approve the statue without having seen it.
The controversy was gently noted in speeches at the unveiling. Philanthropist Eric Charman said the statue should be an impetus to get more public art for the city.
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2006