Bold Daylight Art Theft - painting stolen right off the wall
I'm in total shock. My painting ENERGY FIELDS was stolen right off the wall of the Studio Gallery yesterday while I was in the back area of my studio!! So devastating to be the victim of an actual art theft!!
I can't believe someone would be so bold to do this in broad daylight, but the empty space on the wall, speaks loud and clear.
Watch the short video footage of this brazen thief at the bottom of this post.
ENERGY FIELD ID-2042, acrylic on stretched canvas,
30 × 36 inches. © 2020. - Stolen March 2023
What was the Biggest Art Theft in History?
My own experience with a recent art theft doesn’t quite compare to the multi-million dollar heists of famous paintings. The individual who hired someone to steal my painting, did so because they wanted it for themselves.
Most famous art heists are also about someone wanting the art for themselves. But the value of the famous paintings is normally in the millions of dollars. After being stolen, the art gets put into storage or in some oligarch’s private gallery.
Check out The Columbia Journal of Law & the Arts list of the Top 10 Art Thefts
My Personal Recent Art Theft Experience
There are many exciting movies about art theft. But when it happens to an individual artist, it’s not very exciting at all: - it’s shocking and upsetting.
When it happened, my front door was unlocked for a client who was coming by to look at a painting she wanted and she was due to arrive within 15 minutes. I was just behind the main wall washing my hands when I heard the door open and assumed it was my client arriving early. So I called out - Be right there.
In less than a minute, I came out and was puzzled no one was in the gallery. Then I noticed the empty space on the wall and couldn’t believe my eyes. The thief vanished with the painting in under 37 seconds.
After watching the video footage several time, it appears to be a woman wearing flip-flops and a distinctive backpack with a Dot Design. This person seemed to know their way around the gallery and exactly what they were looking to steal. Many people including the police believe this painting was stolen to order for someone.
It’s disturbing to think I may have met this person in the gallery, and been friendly to them, all the while being sized up for a robbery!
And it’s even more alarming to think what might have happened if I had caught them in the act and challenged them. I might have been attacked !
Unfortunately, my gallery door will be locked to casual visitors from now on. I’m having a security door buzzer installed and suggest visitors call me first to be sure I’m there.
Another weird thing is that I’d posted about this specific painting exactly two weeks prior on my social media.
Sadly, some greedy, sick person loved it so much they HAD TO HAVE IT enough to steal it!
This is the post on social media 2 weeks before this painting by Shirley Williams was stolen from The Studio Gallery
If you ever see this painting somewhere, or have any information about the person who stole it,
please contact me directly.
OR
WINDSOR POLICE 1-519-255-6700 x 4151
CASE # 223-26111
Video footage of art theft in progress at Shirley Williams Studio Gallery, Windsor Ontario. March 2023
