Thus, when you achieve your Art Center goals I’ll be just as excited about it and will discuss it here as well; there is plenty of room in Huntington for more than one initiative to enhance the arts.

Good luck with your endeavor!
Bill

— OPEN LETTER —-

Today I found out in the Herald Dispatch that an Art Gallery called the 842 Gallery has opened in downtown Huntington. I was excited to hear the news but disappointed to find out that the project was part of the Create Huntington group. The same group that I have been involved with for the past year and promoting and trying to build a gallery in downtown Huntington.

I have supported the Create Huntington group for almost a year and have attended a number of meeting discussing my vision for a downtown gallery. I have promoted the Create Huntington Group through my web sites and through my involvement in the art community and art organization in Huntington.

For the past year I have worked hard to promote Huntington and the Art Community as a whole. As a leader in two local art clubs I am devoted to promoting and helping local artist. My recent work on a prospectus for a large gallery in Huntington was a result of a year of hard work and is currently in review by an organization that may help fund the Huntington Art Center. Funding that I hope will not require support of local bars to exist.

I have said from the beginning that I support any effort for a gallery to be built in Huntington and that in no way is my project or ideas self serving.

However, I must say I am a but hurt and disappointed in the Create Huntington group and some of the members who I trusted that did not feel it was necessary to involve me or the need to contact me about there project so that we would not be duplicating efforts. One of the members of the Create Huntington group even went as far as agreeing to set on the board of directors of the Huntington Art Center and help promote and make the gallery and project a success. The same people are now taking full credit for the concept in the media of creating a downtown gallery. The same people who agreed to help me build a gallery and then create the same project on there own without a single effort to notify me.

As quoted above “concept was shepherded by Lynn Clercx” – It would not have been difficult to come up with the concept considering that you was a member of the same group that I was and was offered the entire project in detail in a hand out.

This lack of respect and lack of cohesion in the group has made me now consider any future involvement in the Create Huntington group. I will continue my efforts to build the Huntington Art Center and complete my vision for Huntington but no longer see value and trust in the Create Huntington Group.

Thank you all who supported my project and I do wish the best for the 842 Gallery as it is good to see that part of my vision has become a reality after all.