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Man steals $4,900 sculpture from S.C. museum

ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) – The director of a museum in Anderson said a man stole a $4,900 bronze sculpture by stuffing it under his shirt and walking out.

A security camera at the Anderson Arts Center caught the theft on Oct. 7, when the museum was closed to the public, but the staff was around, museum executive director Kimberly Spears said.

The man is seen in the video walking up to the sculpture of a woman holding a mask. He looks at its tag, then unlocks an exit door. The man goes back to the artwork, stuffs it under his shirt and walks out the door, Spears said.

Spears said the theft was heartbreaking.

“We’re a nonprofit and we want the arts to be accessible to everybody and part of having a show is having that accessibility not so you can steal artwork but so you can enjoy and appreciate the talents and the gifts an artist brings to the world,” Spears said.

The sculpture is called “Double Charade” and was made by Greenville artist Zan Wells. Spears said the museum discovered it was missing Tuesday when they took inventory.

Police are looking for the man.

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