[MSN] Art heist targets Linfield.

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Art heist targets Linfield 

Published: October 9, 2007

By TY WALKER
Of the News-Register 


A nude, lifesize self-portrait, valued by the artist at a five-figure sum,
was reported stolen from the exhibit floor of Linfield College's James F.
Miller Fine Arts Center late Monday morning. 

Gallery Director Cris Moss said the one-of-a-kind latch-hook rug debuted
Wednesday as part of Gallery B's "Fiber" exhibit, which features four
artists working with fabric. He said the flesh-toned 85-inch by 17-inch
piece, a Tamera Bremer work titled, "the sexy sex: all nude revue rug one,"
was on display in its rightful place earlier in the morning when he gave a
group tour of the public building. 

But after he taught his morning art class, a colleague told him the piece
was missing. A video camera and two pieces of student art were also reported
missing from Gallery A, he said. 

Moss told McMinnville police he had noticed two strange-looking characters
on campus earlier in the day Monday, but thought little of it until he
learned of the theft. He described them as 18- to 22-year-old dark-haired
men about 5-foot-8 or 5-foot-9, wearing baggy jeans and hooded sweatshirts. 

"It's worth a big chunk of money," Moss said of Bremer's creation. But he
said it means a lot more to her, and to him, than its monetary value. 

"I'm just distraught about it," he said. "The fact is the artist trusted us
with it. It's very personal." 

Bremer said she had notified her insurance company of the theft. She said it
took thousands of hours of meticulous work, latching together 14 holes per
square inch. 

The Portland artist, who is serving as an adjunct professor in Linfield's
Department of Art, declined to set an exact value on the piece. But she said
it would sell in the five-figure range. 

"Sexy sex" is the first in a five-rug project Bremer has in the works. 

Fashioned from monk's cloth and hand-painted in 10 different colors on
alpaca yarn, the curvy cutout represents a year's worth of labor. She may
have to do it all over again if it is not recovered. 

"I don't understand why anyone would want to steal something like this," she
said. "Whoever did it doesn't understand what they've done. It's my life's
work." 

Bremer's work includes installations, photography and video as well as
fiber. 

The case is under investigation by the McMinnville Police Department, which
has few leads to work with at this point, Capt. Dennis Marks said. 

He said officers will check with some second-hand stores to see if anyone
has tried to sell it locally. 

"If it's college kids, it's probably in somebody's room," Marks said. 

Campus security conducted a search of the gallery building and will continue
to cooperate with the police investigation, Linfield Public Relations
Director Mardi Mileham said. 

Anyone with information about the missing rug is asked to call officer Matt
Peters at 503-434-7307 or Moss in the Linfield art department at
503-883-2380.

http://www.newsregister.com/