Penticton art gallery donations end up at thrift store

A trove of artwork from the Penticton Art Gallery has surfaced at a local Value Village, prompting concern from artists, former staff and residents in the B.C. community. Former gallery curator Paul Crawford recognized dozens of items in the thrift store after friends alerted him to the discovery. The gallery later confirmed it had donated hundreds of pieces that were originally intended for fundraising auctions, not the museum’s permanent collection. Gallery board president Leslie Whatmough said the organization lacked space to store the items and reviewed the holdings over several months before deciding to send them to the store. She later acknowledged that, in hindsight, it was a poor decision. The gallery said it would consider other options in the future. The episode has sparked debate in Penticton over transparency, donor trust and the value of the works, some of which were created by recognized Canadian artists and were selling for under $20 at the thrift shop.