Lantern designed by acclaimed First Nations artist stolen outside Vancouver Art Gallery
It’s the final week of Lantern City in Vancouver, an annual Lunar Near Year event celebrating the work of local artists from different cultural backgrounds.
But just days before the colourful installation of three-metre-tall lanterns on the north lawn of the the Vancouver Art Gallery was set to be removed, one of them was stolen at 2 a.m. Monday. The theft was caught on surveillance video.
“I did get to take a look at the footage, it’s just two figures – two dark figures in the night – taking the lantern. One of them scaled the lantern to try and get the cloth off, and obviously they succeeded,” said Michael Lin, a production manager with Lantern City.
He suspects the thieves knew what they were taking. The lantern was designed by acclaimed First Nations artist and Order of Canada recipient Richard Hunt.
“He’s done a lot of great works, and has been recognized fo his artwork across Canada,” said Lin.
Reached at his home in Victoria, Hunt says it’s the second time he submitted a design for Lantern City. “I did one last year, and I like the concept of seeing your work in a big format. I actually never got to see the one last year, and I guess I won’t get too see the the one this year,” said Hunt, who added the lantern design honoured members of his family.
“Hopefully they took it because they liked it, not … because they hated it. So that’s the way I look at it," he said. "I hope they enjoy it, I guess. But it’s too bad that this has to go on in this world."
The theft has been reported to police. Lin asked anyone who has seen a “very large lantern cloth" to contact the Vancouver Police Department.
He’s disappointed someone would take a piece of public art with deep cultural meaning.
“We put these in public places so that everyone can enjoy and appreciate the artistry and the storytelling behind each and every one of these pieces every year,” said Lin. “It was really sad to see that someone would actually do that.
"My Family III" by Richard Hunt is seen in this image from The Lantern City's Facebook page. (facebook.com/TheLanternCityInCanada)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Haida elder suing Catholic Church and priest, hopes for 'healing and reconciliation'
The lawyer for a residential school survivor leading a proposed class-action defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church over residential schools says the court action is a last resort.
Yemen's Houthi rebels claim downing U.S. Reaper drone, release footage showing wreckage of aircraft
Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed shooting down another of the U.S. military's MQ-9 Reaper drones, airing footage of parts that corresponded to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft.
Britney Spears settles long-running legal dispute with estranged father, finally bringing ultimate end to conservatorship
Britney Spears has reached a settlement with her estranged father more than two years after the court-ordered termination of a conservatorship that had given him control of her life, their attorneys said.
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.