'Moose Antler Carving Valued at $50000 Missing' - CBC National Radio One and Two - Top News Story by Cheryl Kawaja
September 18, 2007
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(moose antler skull carving, moose antler skull sculpture)
Text:
CBC National Newsreader
A power outage across the southern Yukon over the weekend may have helped a thief nab some art work at Whitehorse's Canada Games Centre.
When the lights came back on a moose antler carving, valued at about $50,000 was missing. Cheryl Kawaja reports.
Cheryl Kawaja, CBC Reporter
"It represents three years of my life." (quote from Shane Wilson, Sculptor)
Yukon carver, Shane Wilson, says he was shocked to hear his work was the target of theft.
"It just felt like a terrible sense of loss. Also, in a strange, backhanded way, it's a bit of a compliment that someone would feel that my work is worth stealing." (quote from Shane Wilson, Sculptor)
Called 'Yukon Seasons' the art piece is an entire skull and antlers of a moose. It is intricately carved in a northern theme.
Police are reviewing video footage from on site security cameras to determine when the break in occurred.
Around 3:40 a.m. the city had a blackout that lasted over an hour. According to Linda Rapp, staff on duty didn't notice anything until after the power was restored. She's the City's Parks and Recreation Manager.
"It was definitely not an act of vandalism. There was no other damage at all. Nothing was smashed. It was a very targeted operation." (quote from Linda Rapp, Whitehorse Parks and Recreation Manager)
Rapp says someone smashed through a front window and went straight for the carving's glass case on the second floor.
Theft of public art is not common in the north and without a private plane, the thief or thieves will have a two day drive to the nearest big city in the south.
Shane Wilson figures whoever stole it, might just keep it.
"I can't imagine that you'd be able to sell it because there's only one of those in the world." (quote from Shane Wilson, Sculptor)
Cheryl Kawaja, CBC News, Whitehorse.
"It represents three years of my life." (quote from Shane Wilson, Sculptor)
Yukon carver, Shane Wilson, says he was shocked to hear his work was the target of theft.
"It just felt like a terrible sense of loss. Also, in a strange, backhanded way, it's a bit of a compliment that someone would feel that my work is worth stealing." (quote from Shane Wilson, Sculptor)
Called 'Yukon Seasons' the art piece is an entire skull and antlers of a moose. It is intricately carved in a northern theme.
Police are reviewing video footage from on site security cameras to determine when the break in occurred.
Around 3:40 a.m. the city had a blackout that lasted over an hour. According to Linda Rapp, staff on duty didn't notice anything until after the power was restored. She's the City's Parks and Recreation Manager.
"It was definitely not an act of vandalism. There was no other damage at all. Nothing was smashed. It was a very targeted operation." (quote from Linda Rapp, Whitehorse Parks and Recreation Manager)
Rapp says someone smashed through a front window and went straight for the carving's glass case on the second floor.
Theft of public art is not common in the north and without a private plane, the thief or thieves will have a two day drive to the nearest big city in the south.
Shane Wilson figures whoever stole it, might just keep it.
"I can't imagine that you'd be able to sell it because there's only one of those in the world." (quote from Shane Wilson, Sculptor)
Cheryl Kawaja, CBC News, Whitehorse.