Photo of my painting

[greentree5]

I donated a painting of mine to the local PTA auction here in Ohio.
Somebody made a photo of the painting (I don't know when--probably pre-auction) and has it now for sale in their local gift shop. Is that legal of them? I don't want to make a big deal but it just seems somehow wrong to me.
They did not buy the painting at auction--though somebody else did. And the photo taker never asked me anything--never got permission, nothing.

[adjusterjack]

Visual arts (paintings) have copyright protection (even without registration).

See:

Visual Arts: Registration | U.S. Copyright Office

Start with a letter to the PTA/Gift Shop demanding cease and desist. One to the President of the PTA and hand deliver one to the manager of the shop and demand that you be given all copies.

If that doesn't do it, you'll have to decide if it's worth the cost of pursuing litigation.

If you donate or sell your paintings in the future sign them and put Copyright and date under your signature.

Understand that, once they are out there, it's very difficult and expensive to enforce copyright on a one at a time basis.