Penticton gallery faces backlash after donated art ends up at Value Village

The Penticton Art Gallery in British Columbia is facing criticism after dozens of donated artworks were dropped off at a local Value Village thrift store instead of being kept or returned. Artist Norberto Rodriguez de la Vega said he was upset to learn one of his pieces was priced at $11, calling the situation insulting and wrong. Other artists and community members also objected, saying the gallery should have handled the donations more carefully. Gallery board president Leslie Whatmough said the organization made an error and found hundreds of works that lacked documentation and were not stored properly. She said the gallery was trying to determine how to handle the remaining pieces while rebuilding trust with the local arts community.