ABOVE: Left, Lord Beaverbrook, London press baron and founder of the Fredericton, New Brunswick, Beaverbrook Art Gallery (at right). The Beaverbrook Gallery and the Beaverbrook Foundations run by the Beav’s heirs are quarrelling about the ownership of the founder’s art collection.

We celebrate Canada Day today with this little item about the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, New Brunswick (that’s in Canada and all). The Gallery opens today its show “Art In Dispute,” an exhibit of more than 200 works from the collection of its titular founder, Lord Beaverbrook. The dispute in question, according to the CBC, is between the Gallery and the Beaverbrook Foundations—one in Canada, one in England—about who, exactly, owns the artworks in the Gallery’s personal collection. The Gallery says they were a gift; the Foundations say they were a loan. Lord Beaverbrook, being dead for over 40 years, is of no help whatsoever.

The Foundations, run by Beaverbrook’s heirs, have complained that their wealthy press baron ancestor’s collection is not shown enough, while the Gallery director, Bernard Riordon, says the works in question—including pieces by Dali, Lucian Freud, Botticelli, and Riopelle—have been well-traveled and get lots of wall-space for the benefit of the Fredericton museum-going public. Counting on the adage that all publicity is good publicity, the Gallery has decided to show all the disputed art in one show, capitalizing on the legal sabre-rattling to pack in the spectators.

Oh, and of course, there’s one other reason the Gallery and the Foundations are arguing over ownership: the pieces are estimated to be worth about $200 million. But it’s totally the principle of the thing, we’re sure.

LINK: CBC > Beaverbrook gallery shows ‘Art in Dispute’