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Littleton museum reports 1998 bronze sculpture dismembered; police investigating
Summary
Museum staff told the Arts & Culture Board that a 1998 bronze sculpture by Andrew Trivio was stolen from Kinghorn Grove, partly recovered and appears to have been cut for metal; staff will document the site, contact the artist and pursue an insurance valuation while police investigate.
Jenny Hankinson, a museum collections staffer, reported to the Littleton Arts & Culture Board that a public bronze sculpture installed in 1998 by artist Andrew Trivio was stolen and severely damaged.
“We had a sculpture recently, dismembered,” Hankinson said, describing how the piece was pulled off its base and cut. Littleton Police were alerted; while officers went to a named residence and identified a suspect, the suspect was not located, Hankinson told the board. Crews later recovered the sculpture’s head at a nearby site.
Hankinson said staff will photograph the scene, assemble documentation for an insurance claim and contact the artist to determine repair or replacement options. The sculpture’s recorded purchase price was roughly $10,200 in 1998, and staff indicated they will seek a current valuation because the original figure is decades old.
Board members and staff discussed security measures for outdoor art. Hankinson and colleagues emphasized that bronze pieces can have differing resale values that can make them attractive theft targets and noted the benefits of siting art in well-lit locations, increasing patrols, and using surveillance.
The presentation did not include a formal motion; Hankinson said the museum will continue coordinating with Littleton Police and report back to the board as the investigation and insurance review proceed.
