Thunder Bay's Confederation College is hopeful four pieces of valuable Indigenous artwork will soon be back on display after being stolen nearly four decades ago.

The four pieces of art — two by Norval Morrisseau, and two by Carl Ray — were hanging on display in the Shuniah Building when they were taken in 1981, said Mike Rozic, the college's senior manager of public safety and risk management.

"Two gentlemen entered the college posing as workers, and basically walked out with four paintings," he said. "The police were obviously called at that time. An investigation was done, and obviously it didn't lead to any arrests."

However, three of the paintings seem to have recently resurfaced. Rozic got a call in the fall from a curator in Montreal, who said the two Morriseau paintings had been offered for sale to her, and she had immediately recognized them as the stolen pieces, Rozic said.

"Thunder Bay police were advised," he said. "They did a small investigation ... and then it was handed over to the Surete du Quebec."

One of the pieces by Ray has also since been located by police in Montreal, as well, Rozic said, and a search is on to find the remaining Ray painting.

Rozic said it's "99.9 per cent" certain the paintings are those taken from campus in 1981.

"We're waiting for another call back to see what the next step is going to be," he said. "We're hoping they come back to the college, obviously, so people can enjoy them here at the college, or we can loan them out to the art gallery, and people can enjoy them there, also."

Rozic said he's been told the two Morrisseau paintings are worth about $60,000 – $80,000 each, but the value of the Ray paintings wasn't available.