Category: News

Following many inquiries as to the existence of a photo book commemorating the 2016 Mystery Art Auction, StarkLight Press would like to definitively state that it has withdrawn from the production of the book.

Following the Dawson Creek Art Gallery’s 2016 Mystery Art Auction, many poets and some artists felt that their work was neither properly acknowledged nor recorded by the Gallery. In order to smooth over hard feelings, StarkLight Press had offered to compile gratis a photo book featuring the paintings and poems included in the fundraiser for the Dawson Creek Art Gallery. Copies would be available for purchase online and at the Gallery with all proceeds going toward the Art Gallery itself. The layout and design of the book were to be performed by the Press once high quality digital images and poems were provided by the Art Gallery curator.

After four months, in January 2017, the publisher had been stonewalled by the curator, Kit Fast, and had obtained only one low resolution brochure with the pictures inside. It came to the attention of the publisher that Mr. Fast had not informed anyone from the SPCAC or other members of the Gallery about the production of the book, when at a public meeting, people had no knowledge that this book had been trying to get itself made since the event in October.

After a lengthy apology delivered over the phone, Mr. Fast promised to provide release forms and high quality digital images and poems from the artists not directly connected to StarkLight Press.

As of September 2017, only two-thirds of the release forms have been provided. There has been no contact from the Dawson Creek Art Gallery with regard to this matter. Although we refuse to speculate as to the reasons why the curator and Art Gallery have so greviously sabotaged what could have been a valuable opportunity for the local arts community, we recognize that there are serious problems with bullying, clique-ism and discrimination against Persons with Disabilities in the Dawson Creek Arts Community.

Unfortunately, due to the bad behaviour of a few, all the artists and poets involved in the 2016 Mystery Art Auction go without a professionally-made and promoted commemorative book.

Therefore, following disrespectfully unprofessional interactions with the Dawson Creek Art Gallery, StarkLight Press would like to formally withdraw its offer to commemorate the 2016 Mystery Art Auction with a fundraising book. We are also officially stating we will not be making any commemorative books for the Art Gallery in future, unless a more professional and courteous approach is taken.

While StarkLight Press regrets the fact that it cannot help poets and artists who did not receive proper acknowledgment from the 2016 Mystery Art Auction, it nevertheless has exhausted every opportunity to try to provide a lasting record of the hard work and creativity that went into the event.