[CPProt.net] Gallery silent in statue mystery

[MSN CPPnet]

Gallery silent in statue mystery 
Jul 7 2005
 
By Emma Pinch 
   
Birmingham gallery bosses have been left red-faced after an uninsured bronze
on sale to raise money for Aids orphans was stolen - and they did not even
notice. 

'The Athlete', a 24cm-high figurine, was being exhibited at the Royal
Birmingham Society of Artists' gallery in the city's Brook Street when the
theft took place. 

It was created by leading South African sculptor Patrick Reynolds and valued
at just less than £2,000. 

Like all of his work, The Athlete was made to help fund the God's Golden
Acre orphanage in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, KwaZuluNatal, which looks
after 97 children whose parents have died of AIDs. 

The charity was founded by his wife, Heather, who was praised by Nelson
Mandela as a 'historic figure' in the story of the new South Africa. 

She chose the gallery eight years ago after reading an advert for it in a
magazine in South Africa. She immediately borrowed money for the airfare and
flew to Birmingham to exhibit a sculpture there, where it also won an RBSA
award. 

Since then one of her husband's works has been displayed there annually,
without a hitch. 

But this year when the charity's UK representative, Ann Smith, arranged for
its collection following the end of the four-week exhibition, the gallery
couldn't find it. 

"My sister-in-law called round to pick it up last Thursday after the
exhibition closed," said Mrs Smith. "They looked for it and said they just
couldn't put their hands on it at that moment. 

"Then on Saturday they told us it had been stolen. There were only a few
sculptures, and this is a nice big bronze. I did think they might have
noticed it had gone." 

Mrs Smith said said she understood the gallery was not insured for t h e f t
. 

She claimed she was told by the gallery that she "should have read the small
print" and insured the sculpture privately. 

The sculpture had not been sold by the end of the exhibition and it would
have been returned to Mr Reynolds' stock. 

The Valley of a Thousand Hills is the worst AIDS blackspot in Africa where
one in three adults are HIV positive. 

As well as raising funds for the orphanage, money from the sculpture sales
also goes to support foster care centres in remote areas in the region which
are run by grandmothers or teenage girls because the 18-45 generation are
all dead. 

Mrs Reynolds said yesterday: "Two thousand pounds is a fantastic sum of
money in Rands and this could have been used to save hundreds of lives in
KwaZuluNatal and bring love and comfort to abandoned children. We are deeply
saddened by this sick and callous theft." 

Mrs Smith said they would have reservations about exhibiting at the gallery
in future. 

She added "We would just like to say to whoever took it to search their
hearts. Can they really do this to someone who has been orphaned through
AIDs?" 

Nobody from the gallery was available for comment. 

* The figurine has the number 4/50 engraved on it. Anyone with information
on the theft can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.