Penticton Art Gallery apologizes after Value Village donation triggers backlash

The Penticton Art Gallery faced intense community criticism after it donated a mixed collection of artwork, calendars, puzzles and other items to the for‑profit retailer Value Village. Board president Leslie Whatmough said the gallery should have consulted non‑profit groups before the donation and expressed regret, stating, “We hurt people’s feelings and we undermined the trust in the process.”

Former curator Paul Crawford posted photos of the donated items on Facebook, which sparked the backlash and a legal dispute with the gallery. Within hours of the post, the gallery’s website suffered a cyber attack that took it offline for two days. Whatmough also reported that an upset artist verbally abused a summer student staff member, bringing the incident to personal levels. She has received a flood of hurtful emails and is now seeking community input to prevent similar issues in the future.