Calgary gallery sues Norval Morrisseau Estate for $1.45M

Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd. has been outspoken against the profuse fraud of the late artist's work. Now, it faces a $1.45 million lawsuit claiming it defamed an art gallery by implying its works could be fakes. 

Cory Dingle has spoken out against art fraud to multiple media outlets, including CBC, as Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd.'s executive director. He's now being sued alongside Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd. for defamation and breach of contract by a Calgary art gallery, a lawsuit filed in Alberta's Superior Trial Court on March 11 claims. 

EA Studios claims that Dingle's statements to potential buyers implied the gallery "is, generally, an unethical organization of low moral character that sells inferior and possibly fake artworks that were obtained through an abusive, and possibly criminal, exploitation of a vulnerable Indigenous artist," according to the claim. 

None of the claims have been proven or tested in court.

"The Estate looks forward to defending itself against these allegations and due to the ongoing litigation we do not have any further comments at this time," said Dingle in an email to CBC. 

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Art gallery claims breach of contract, defamation

As a prolific artist who did not keep records of his works, Morrisseau's catalogue has become a popular target for fraud and forgeries. 

The lawsuit claims EA Studios (Jasper) Ltd. gallery had an agreement with Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd., represented by Dingle. 

Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd. would reassure potential customers that the painting they wanted to buy was an authentic Morrisseau, and Dingle would get 10 per cent of any successful sale to clients he referred to the gallery, according to the statement of claim. 

The lawsuit claims Dingle did the exact opposite. Instead, it claims Dingle implied EA Studios' Morrisseau paintings may be  fakes, and suggested they purchase authentic works directly from himself and/or Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd.

"Specifically, Dingle and/or the alleged estate failed to reassure the plaintiff's potential clients of the value and authenticity of the plaintiff's works, and instead falsely disparaged the plaintiff and then tried to, or did, convince said potential clients to purchase works from Dingle and/or the alleged estate," says the claim. 

The documents claim the gallery hired two private investigators in October 2024 to pose as potential buyers interested in paintings in its inventory after becoming suspicious that Dingle was not holding up his end of the deal. EA Studios claims the private investigators had two calls with Dingle, during which he made defamatory statements that undermined the gallery's credibility and reputation.

EA Studios claims  it has owned and sold Morrisseau's work since the 1980s. The gallery's founder had "a long-standing friendship and positive business relationship" with the late artist, the court documents say.  

It argues that Dingle's and/or Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd.'s statements to potential buyers implied the gallery "is considered, by Norval's children, to be a scammer," and "committed a criminal act by stealing and selling Norval's personal belongings".  

The gallery claims the "defamatory statements" are false, undermined its reputation and cost it clients. It claims Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd. made additional defamatory statements in a social media post that it is the only seller of authorized, legal prints of Morrisseau's work. 

Lawsuit claims Morrisseau's children supported authenticity of fraudulent works

The lawsuit claims during the last years of his life, Morrisseau fought to keep fraudulent copies of his work from spreading in the market. It also claims that shareholders of Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd. did little to stop the fraud. 

"From at least the early 2000s on, for financial gain, the adult children supported and promoted the authenticity of many of the fraudulent works and assisted, by spreading false information, in undermining efforts to expose and stop the fraud," reads the claim filed against Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd. and Cory Dingle. 

Morrisseau's biological children sued his estate in 2010 after being excluded from his will, according to the claim. 

The artist from Ojibway Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation in northwestern Ontario died in 2007. He bequeathed all of his material and artistic assets to friend Gabor Vadas. The parties settled out of court, and Vadas's and Morrisseau's children divided the estate, said the court documents. 

The claim against Norval Morrisseau Ltd. and Cory Dingle was filed March 11, 2025. The defendants had not yet filed a statement of defence at publication time.