Artist and Chicago art critic Mark Brandl ’s opening reception for “Out of Sequence,” an exhibition that focuses on consumerism, was apparently so well received, the visitors to that opening couldn’t help but take a piece of the exhibition home with them.

Brandl was at his home in Switzerland when he was notified of the thefts earlier this month in Denver.  Patrons walked out with 26 of the 31 paintings on display.

The missing paintings were part of a display that included three large panel installations and a magazine rack of small paintings made to resemble comic book covers.

“We recognize that this was really inadvertent,” said the museum’s executive director, Adam Lerner. “Some of the most prominent and respected people in Denver inadvertently took them.”

Among the accidental thieves was a curator from another Denver museum, Brandl said.

Visitors were encouraged to handle the paintings and several photographs of the event feature people with the pieces casually in hand. Once the thefts were discovered, the museum sent out an email calling for the return of the missing art.

So far, 15 pieces have been returned, some with “letters of deep apology,” Lerner said. The museum is working on identifying and contacting the rest of the art snatchers through taped surveillance of the event.

Brandl said the missing paintings are worth between $300 and $500 each and were already promised to a list of collectors and a final show at another museum.

March 19th, 2009 Subscribe to the RSS feed!