[MSN] 200 pound steel coated sculpture stolen.

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Stolen sculpture provokes city's ire 
By Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Berkshire Eagle 
 
Saturday, March 31
PITTSFIELD - The 200-pound steel-coated sculpture of a dancing figure had
been on display in Park Square since the fall of 2005. On loan to the city,
the piece, titled "Dancer II," had become so popular that sculptor Jack
Howard-Potter allowed it to remain on view through this fall.
But now the popular sculpture is missing. Police believe it was stolen.

Park Department employees discovered "Dancer II" missing when they visited
Park Square at noon on Thursday, Pittsfield Police Capt. John T. O'Neil
said. The theft is under investigation. Police believe that it was stolen
sometime overnight between Wednesday and Thursday.

The workers also found a second steel-coated sculpture by Howard-Potter,
titled "Tin Can Man," had been knocked over, O'Neil said. The sculptures are
located a few yards from each other on the south side of Park Square, across
the street from Patrick's Pub.

Both pieces were erected on pedestals securely fastened into the ground with
thick metal stakes. As of yesterday, "Tin Can Man" had been righted and its
stand bolted back into the ground, but the only sign of "Dancer II" was an
outline in the grass where its pedestal once stood. A few divots were
located near the outline of the base, an indication that it may have been
ripped out of the ground.

Mayor James M. Ruberto, who has been sick, could not be reached for comment
yesterday. But in a written statement, he said that he was disappointed that
the sculpture had been stolen, adding that he was determined not to allow
"such an irresponsible act" to hinder the positive energy that is moving the
city forward. He also encouraged the public to cooperate with the police
investigation.

"I want to make sure that we send a clear message that our community is an
arts-friendly community, and we have countless numbers of volunteers working
hard on these projects, putting in their time and energy to make our city an
even better place to live," Ruberto said through his aide, John Krol.
"Public art is at the core of the great progress we're making in Pittsfield,
and no incident is going to get in the way of that.

"When we find the perpetrators, they are going to be very, very sorry," he
said.

In a telephone interview late yesterday afternoon, Howard-Potter was
initially unaware that his sculpture had been stolen.

"I'm upset about it," he said, referring to the stolen sculpture, not the
city's response to the theft. "It was put there for a reason."

The 32-year-old Howard-Potter, of New York City, a 1997 graduate of Union
College in Schenectady, N.Y., has created similar pieces that have been
exhibited in art galleries across the country. "Dancer II" was created in
2003, he said. The sculpture was originally valued at $8,000, but is now
worth between $10,000 and $15,000, he said.

"I'm concerned about the safety of the sculpture, and I hope that it will be
returned so that everyone can see it," he said. "It would be disappointing
if it was damaged in some way by a vandal."

Ronald B. Latham, chairman of Pittsfield's Artscape Committee, said that
artworks placed throughout the city have been vandalized in the past.

"We were involved in the Sheeptacular! project, and we went through a series
of vandalism with the sheep," he said, referring to the fiberglass sheep
that were placed on city streets during the summer of 2005. "You hope it
doesn't happen, but when it does, you become annoyed and pretty
disappointed."

The other art objects that are currently on display in Park Square are
"Windows" by Helen Febbo, "Fungi" by Leslie Bryce, "Nested" by Alexander
Graham and "Mushroom Grove" by Elliott Katz. Half of a small black sign
identifying Bryce's piece, a red circular object placed on a tree, is
missing. The remainder of Bryce's sign has a jagged edge, as if the missing
piece had been torn off.

Plans call for "Nested," a piece honoring Canadian fishermen that consists
of four rows of small metal boats, to be moved out of Park Square once the
ground is more solid, Latham said.

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