Artists and clients of Harrison Galleries are contacting the CBC, saying their artwork has been lost after they gave it to the gallery to resell on their behalf.
The gallery represented more than 40 artists before closing its doors in April. So far, more than 40 paintings are known to be missing — and it could be a lot more.
The artists involved expected to receive 50 per cent of the sale price when a piece sold. But in several cases they received no money and no information about where their work might have ended up before or after the gallery closed.
They spoke to CBC, saying they attempted to get answers from gallery owner Chris Harrison, but he did not respond to their emails and phone calls.
Stewart Brands has been trying to find his paintings since about 1993 when he says communication ended with the gallery. That is roughly the same period when Harrison took over the business from his father Alex, according to his Linkedin profile
"I did not have the resources in funds or time to progress with action to retrieve my work. It crippled my resources and my time since new work had to be made without income," Brands told CBC in an email.
The paintings range in value from $550 to several thousand dollars. Some may have been sold, some may be sitting in storage or on display somewhere.
Art buyers would have no idea that the gallery didn't pay the artist.
The artists say they just want to solve the mystery. Some would like to get paid if possible. Some want people who liked and bought their paintings to contact them to see more of their work.
Scroll through the images below showing 41 of the missing works. Recognize any?