Upset about funding cut

Re. Art gallery challenges cuts (Castanet, March 24)

I am writing to express my extreme displeasure at the devious and insensitive move by the City of Penticton to drastically and capriciously reduce funding for the Penticton Art Gallery.

While the reduction in funding is, in and of itself deplorable, I find the timing of the announcement to be insulting to the entire community.

The PAG is arguably the premiere bastion of fine arts in the South Okanagan and, as such, is a widely regarded as a leader in terms of innovative and progressive programming.

Witness the second annual Ignite the Arts Festival, which [opened Friday]. This is a program that sprang largely from Paul Crawford and the team at the PAG.

That the City of Penticton and the city council saw fit to gut PAG funding and announce it mere days before the festival is a low blow indeed.

We look to the city to restore funding and apologize to the community for their unthinking, unfeeling action.

Ed Schneider, Penticton