An art crime mystery, which began last week, continues to baffle its victims, including Montclair artists among those exhibiting work in a group show at Hudson 23, a gallery/restaurant in Oak Ridge/West Milford, NJ (3055 Route 23 North). All seemed to be going well, until the sudden, unexplained shuttering of operations, and the disappearance of 40 pieces of art from the gallery walls.
The venue was open and busy when the paintings were delivered in April, and there was no warning that anything was amiss until last week, when the show organizer (whose work is also missing) became concerned about her inability to reach the restaurant manager for several weeks. Currently, a recording indicates that the number has been disconnected.
“I immediately drove over there and found a handwritten “For Rent” sign outside of the building, with a phone number listed. When I called and inquired about what had happened, they hung up, saying I had the wrong number,” a Montclair artist told Baristanet. “I found one of my paintings (above, left) in a dumpster behind the building. My hypothesis is that it was a large piece and wouldn’t fit in a standard car so it was dumped. The rest of our work is still missing.”
That is terrible. Real Scum-people. The ones folks used to look up too….many are now at the “bottom-of-the-barel”. Just read the papers…….
I really hope that you get your property back in the same condition it went into that hell-hole of a place.
Hopefully this article will lead to a tip. Jessica and William are extraordinary artists and they deserve an answer.
I can only imagine how heart-breaking it must be to know that your work has been stolen or mistreated. Art can be such a personal expression. I hope the work is recovered soon!