North Dakota Museum of Art fundraising to replace stolen sculpture

GRAND FORKS — The North Dakota Museum of Artwork is elevating cash to switch a sculpture that went lacking from the property in late October.

The “Backyard Wheel,” a sculpture by Elizabeth MacDonald from Connecticut, was acquired by the museum in 1998.

Museum workers seen its disappearance after Halloween.

“I feel, initially, lots of people felt like this was a Halloween prank and that it will ultimately come again,” mentioned Matthew Wallace, director of the Museum.

Nevertheless, the sculpture has now been lacking for practically three months.

Wallace not too long ago began a GoFundMe fundraiser with a $10,000 objective. The donations will probably be used to fee a substitute sculpture and ship it to North Dakota.

Inside just a few days, the fundraiser earned nearly $400.

“Our desire is to fee Elizabeth MacDonald to switch her unique sculpture. Within the occasion that this isn’t potential, we’ll broaden our seek for an acceptable sculpture for the area,” Wallace wrote on the GoFundMe web page.

The Museum is working with the UND Police Division to put in safety cameras “to make the brand new sculpture tougher to steal,” Wallace famous.

Wallace wrote that the Museum renovated its backyard final spring to “spotlight extra outside works from the gathering,” together with the Backyard Wheel.

The sculpture, a seasonal piece, was introduced inside throughout colder months and reinstalled outside every spring.

“That piece was actually the point of interest of the sculpture backyard,” Wallace mentioned.

In accordance with Wallace, the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Workplace scanned the English Coulee for the sculpture however didn’t discover the sculpture. The UND Police Division has additionally performed “in depth” looking within the space, Wallace mentioned, and the investigation continues.

“We’re very grateful for the general public assist. There was an outpouring of assist, not solely from Grand Forks and North Dakota however from everywhere in the nation. I feel everyone seems to be, kind of, dismayed by the truth that somebody would take a public sculpture,” Wallace mentioned.

The GoFundMe was began because the Museum tries to arrange for the spring.

“We’re wanting ahead to spring and transferring forward, however we might nonetheless prefer to have that sculpture again, if potential,” Wallace mentioned.

The Museum is providing a $1,000 reward — with no questions requested — for anybody who returns the sculpture or offers info concerning its whereabouts.