Copper bandits make off with valuable sculptures, says Pictou artist
'I really don't think it was an art lover that took them. I believe [they] were looking for the copper'
It appears copper thieves are getting creative in Nova Scotia.
Artist Dawn MacNutt believes her work was targeted and stolen by thieves who want to sell the raw copper she uses in her elaborate life-size sculptures.
She was shocked Thursday morning when she discovered multiple works were stolen from her studio and property in Pictou County.
"There on the deck I had five woven sculptures and they were gone. Then another wire work five feet high, maybe higher, and it was actually hanging. I had hung it on a tree and it was gone."
Ironically, according to MacNutt's on-line artist profile, her work is most often inspired by "her lifelong love of the human condition, what she describes as 'the beauty of human frailty.'"
"I really don't think it was an art lover that took them. I believe were looking for the copper."
MacNutt says some of the works of art had been on her property for more than 10 years.
She says the theft has left her feeling unsettled at home, a place she usually considers a peaceful creative retreat.
"As time goes by, I've had such an emotional response from people who cared ... but in fact, when I think about it, I'd rather be in my own shoes than the thieves," MacNutt told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia on Monday.
"I feel sorry if it was taken because of poverty or drug addiction to sell them, or greed. Either way, I feel sorry for them."
MacNutt says she's disappointed that the woven wire pieces won't be featured as part of a retrospective show at the Mount Saint Vincent Gallery in June 2024.
Her daughter, Laura MacNutt, took to social media to share photos of the missing artwork. She also has alerted metal merchants about the stolen sculptures adding, "I would sincerely appreciate any assistance if anyone has any ideas or knowledge of the sculptures' whereabouts."
"It could have been a very quick in and out, but the pieces, although they're quite large, could be compressed I think, or at least stuffed into something quite rapidly," MacNutt told Information Morning.
"So whoever did this certainly knew they were here because there was nothing visible from the street and made their getaway."
MacNutt said she is now installing more security features at her mother's home and studio, as a precaution.
Both mother and daughter are heartbroken over the loss. The works are worth thousands of dollars — but to Dawn MacNutt — each one is priceless.
They have filed a police report, but hold out little hope for recovering the works of art.
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With files from CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia
