Art heist: Public piece stolen in downtown New Philadelphia

Nancy Molnar, The Times-Reporter
·2 min read
An image of this original work, "Aquarius," was stolen from Artagain Alley in downtown New Philadelphia. The artist is Carole Ann Hunt of Newcomerstown.
An image of this original work, "Aquarius," was stolen from Artagain Alley in downtown New Philadelphia. The artist is Carole Ann Hunt of Newcomerstown.

NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ A thief or thieves removed a piece of art from a public display in Artagain Alley downtown.

Taken was a copy of the original work “Aquarius” by Carole Ann Hunt from Newcomerstown.

Public art:Artagain Alley project will bring outdoor gallery to New Philadelphia

The loss was reported on Sunday to police, who were told the image had been attached to a wall with screws, which were removed.

Artagain Alley is an outdoor gallery just off the downtown square between the Mancan building and the former Hotel Lee on W. High Avenue.

“What’s disheartening about this is that Artagain Alley is meant to be a space where people can come together to enjoy the works of our local artists, and to have someone take a piece of what is supposed to be a gift to the community ‒ it’s sad,” said Wilma K. Mullet, executive director of Tuscarawas Arts Partnership, which helped to create the public art space.

What is Artagain Alley?

Artagain Alley was funded by foundations and donors to transform a blighted alley into an accessible outdoor public art gallery, Mullet said.

“Even with this unfortunate incident, we are grateful that the community has welcomed and valued their creative works," she said. "We ask the community to support our local artists, creative spaces, and cultural organizations ‒ for they all truly create beautiful works and artistic experiences that the community can be a part of.”

Steps have been taken to secure the remaining outdoor artworks with fasteners that are resistant to theft because they need to be removed with special tools, according to George Laurence, a member of the arts partnership's board of directors.

"The average person isn't going to have one of those in their pocket," he said.

Laurence said the arts partnership wanted to use security screws in the initial installation, but could not find any that would work well with masonry.

He estimated the value of the vinyl print of "Aquarius" at "a few hundred bucks."

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact the New Philadelphia Police Department at 330-343-4488.

Those who would like to help the Artagain Alley space or have questions may contact Mullet at Tuscarawasartspartnership@gmail.com or 330-451-6086.

Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.

On Twitter: @nmolnarTR

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: 'Aquarius' painting stolen from outdoor display in New Philadelphia