Norval Morrisseau Property Ltd. has been outspoken in opposition to the profuse fraud of the late artist’s work. Now, it faces a $1.45 million lawsuit claiming it defamed an artwork gallery by implying its works might be fakes.
Cory Dingle has spoken out against art fraud to multiple media outlets, including CBC, as Norval Morrisseau Property Ltd.’s executive director. He is now being sued alongside Norval Morrisseau Property Ltd. for defamation and breach of contract by a Calgary artwork gallery, a lawsuit filed in Alberta’s Superior Trial Court docket on March 11 claims.
EA Studios claims that Dingle’s statements to potential consumers implied the gallery “is, typically, an unethical group of low ethical character that sells inferior and presumably faux artworks that had been obtained by an abusive, and presumably felony, exploitation of a susceptible Indigenous artist,” in response to the declare.
Not one of the claims have been confirmed or examined in court docket.
“The Property seems to be ahead to defending itself in opposition to these allegations and as a result of ongoing litigation we wouldn’t have any additional feedback right now,” mentioned Dingle in an electronic mail to CBC.
Artwork gallery claims breach of contract, defamation
As a prolific artist who didn’t preserve information of his works, Morrisseau’s catalogue has turn into a preferred goal for fraud and forgeries.
The lawsuit claims EA Studios (Jasper) Ltd. gallery had an settlement with Norval Morrisseau Property Ltd., represented by Dingle.
Norval Morrisseau Property Ltd. would reassure potential clients that the portray they needed to purchase was an genuine Morrisseau, and Dingle would get 10 per cent of any profitable sale to purchasers he referred to the gallery, in response to the assertion of declare.
The lawsuit claims Dingle did the precise reverse. As a substitute, it claims Dingle implied EA Studios’ Morrisseau work could also be fakes, and instructed they buy genuine works instantly from himself and/or Norval Morrisseau Property Ltd.
“Particularly, Dingle and/or the alleged property didn’t reassure the plaintiff’s potential purchasers of the worth and authenticity of the plaintiff’s works, and as a substitute falsely disparaged the plaintiff after which tried to, or did, persuade mentioned potential purchasers to buy works from Dingle and/or the alleged property,” says the declare.
The paperwork declare the gallery employed two personal investigators in October 2024 to pose as potential consumers occupied with work in its stock after changing into suspicious that Dingle was not holding up his finish of the deal. EA Studios claims the personal investigators had two calls with Dingle, throughout which he made defamatory statements that undermined the gallery’s credibility and repute.
EA Studios claims it has owned and bought Morrisseau’s work because the Eighties. The gallery’s founder had “a long-standing friendship and constructive enterprise relationship” with the late artist, the court docket paperwork say.
It argues that Dingle’s and/or Norval Morrisseau Property Ltd.’s statements to potential consumers implied the gallery “is taken into account, by Norval’s kids, to be a scammer,” and “dedicated a felony act by stealing and promoting Norval’s private belongings”.
The gallery claims the “defamatory statements” are false, undermined its repute and value it purchasers. It claims Norval Morrisseau Property Ltd. made further defamatory statements in a social media submit that it’s the solely vendor of licensed, authorized prints of Morrisseau’s work.
Lawsuit claims Morrisseau’s kids supported authenticity of fraudulent works
The lawsuit claims over the last years of his life, Morrisseau fought to maintain fraudulent copies of his work from spreading out there. It additionally claims that shareholders of Norval Morrisseau Property Ltd. did little to cease the fraud.
“From no less than the early 2000s on, for monetary acquire, the grownup kids supported and promoted the authenticity of lots of the fraudulent works and assisted, by spreading false info, in undermining efforts to show and cease the fraud,” reads the declare filed in opposition to Norval Morrisseau Property Ltd. and Cory Dingle.
Morrisseau’s biological children sued his estate in 2010 after being excluded from his will, in response to the declare.
The artist from Ojibway Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation in northwestern Ontario died in 2007. He bequeathed all of his materials and inventive property to buddy Gabor Vadas. The parties settled out of court, and Vadas’s and Morrisseau’s kids divided the property, mentioned the court docket paperwork.
The declare in opposition to Norval Morrisseau Ltd. and Cory Dingle was filed March 11, 2025. The defendants had not but filed an announcement of defence at publication time.
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