Valuable bronze sculpture stolen from B.C. Children's Hospital
Sculpture was taken April 3, just days after it was installed to create a 'sanctuary' for patients
UPDATE, April 14, 2022: Police have recovered the sculpture stolen from B.C. Children's Hospital.
A valuable bronze sculpture installed outside of B.C. Children's Hospital to create a sanctuary for patients was stolen the night of April 3 shortly before 4 a.m., according to Vancouver police.
The sculpture is a large, 90-pound bronze piece worth around $45,000, part of the "Vessels" series handcrafted by B.C.-based artist Marie Khouri. The piece was installed outside one of the hospital entrances off Oak Street just days before it was taken.
Malcolm Berry, president and CEO of B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation, said security footage from the night shows an individual removing the statue, which was secured to a pedestal, before wheeling it away on a dolly.
Flowers were set to be planted around the base of the pedestal in the coming weeks to create a space for patients and families to sit.
"It's just distressing. I'm sad for the patients and the families and our staff who won't have the ability to enjoy this," he said.
"Art plays such an integral role in the environment we want to create. In this case, we had a beautiful sculpture designed to create a healing garden where people could go sit for five minutes. It's beyond unfortunate that we won't have the benefit of this experience for people."
The statement said the sculpture was initially donated to B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation by Khouri in 2019 and was purchased by a donor who donated it back to the hospital.
Vancouver police said in a statement the theft remains under investigation.
With files from Jessica Cheung