[MSN] 2 Hundred-Pound Sculptures Stolen From Art Gallery

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

2 Hundred-Pound Sculptures Stolen From Art Gallery

POSTED: 4:41 pm EDT August 14, 2006
UPDATED: 7:37 pm EDT August 14, 2006
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Authorities and the owner of a Jacksonville art gallery are searching for two expensive pieces of art after they recently noticed the handcrafted, concrete creations were missing.

Statues of a dragon and a gargoyle, together worth more than $1,000, went missing from where they were on display in front of Bungalow Artworks in the 2700 block of Park Street.

The gallery's owner Lia Frederick said she never thought someone would steal the handcrafted, concrete dragon or the more than 100-pound gargoyle statue.

"I felt sick. I just felt sick," Frederick said. "I came out the front door, and it was really early, then it dawned on me when I saw the footprint of the dragon, and realized that it was gone."

She said she started looking around for other missing works and noticed that the gargoyle, also made of solid concrete, was gone.

Frederick said she and her husband went to all of the flea markets hoping to find the stolen art, but that they didn't find anything.

"They had to have a truck waiting because they didn't just walk down the street with it. It was huge, and the gargoyle was as well," Frederick said.

Frederick said they would be installing a security system outside of the art gallery, in addition on to the one they already had inside.
MAP TO BUNGALOW ARTWORKS

"It is just a shame. We sell a lot of yard sculptures and if people cannot keep it out in the yard ... it is just a shame," Frederick said.

Anyone with informaiton about the statues' whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's office or Bungalow Artwork at 904-981-9493. The owner is offering a reward.

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