One of three bronze statues is back on display a year after it was stolen in a smash and grab at a Black Diamond gallery.
One of three bronze statues is back on display a year after it was stolen in a smash and grab at a Black Diamond gallery.
Thieves made off with three bronze pieces worth $8,550 from the Bluerock Gallery after someone smashed the front window in the middle of the night in March 2015.
The largest and most expensive piece Raven's Voice, valued at $5,000 and weighing 40 pounds, was returned to the downtown gallery by Calgary Police Service Const. Kirk Harrison on March 21.
“People are really happy it's back,” said gallery co-owner Karen Gimbel. “The regulars noticed it right away and people who have been following the story.”
According to Harrison, a break and enter investigator, the statue was among about $1.5 million worth of merchandise recovered in January that had gone missing from across southern Alberta over two years.
“We did a lengthy investigation,” said Harrison. “That investigation revealed an individual who was harbouring stolen property in various locations in the city of Calgary. We have various search warrants on residences and storage lockers and the raven was uncovered during those search warrants being executed.”
Harrison said while several charges have been laid, they are pending in the case of the Raven's Voice theft.
The statue was created by former Calgarian Kindrie Grove who now lives in the Okanagan.
Two other statues stolen from the gallery – Old Rugged Cross, valued at $2,500, and The Gopher Hunters, valued at $1,050 – have not yet been recovered. Both were created by Longview-area artist Donna Wilson.
“What it might mean is (Raven's Voice) could have been their favourite and they didn't want to let it go or it was too distinctive to be able to put out there without getting caught,” said Gimbel.
The three bronze statues were displayed in the front window of Bluerock Gallery at the time of the theft.
Gimbel no longer displays bronze art in the front window since the theft and she has installed an alarm system.
“We've been here for six years and the previous owners were here 11 years,” she said. “It's the first time we had a break in. It's very unusual.”
While Gimbel wants to be proactive, she said there is only so much a business owner can do to prevent theft.
“Nothing is going to stop someone who really wants to do something like that,” she said. “I'm not going to live my life in fear of that. There's a 0.1 per cent chance that it's going to happen again.”
