Thieves steal renowned artist's cast iron sculpture from Forest Hill home's front yard, 8/28/20

[dotr]

Thieves steal renowned artist's cast iron sculpture from Forest Hill home's front yard

Toronto's The Secret Bench of Knowledge sculpture by Lea Vivot is seen in a Google Streetview image

''Police are searching for a 500 pound iron sculpture taken from the front yard of a home in Toronto's Forest Hill neighbourhood.

Sometime overnight from Thursday into Friday morning, a number of suspects using a white utility van approached The Secret Bench of Knowledge sculpture by artist Lea Vivot, in the Spadina Road and Strathearn Boulevard.

They removed the sculpture and sped off in the van''

''Vivot has sculpted iron memorials to NDP leaders Jack Layton and Tommy Douglas, as well as numerous other works in North America and Europe.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 416-808-1300.''

 

[Warwick1991]

Thieves steal renowned artist's cast iron sculpture from Forest Hill home's front yard

Toronto's The Secret Bench of Knowledge sculpture by Lea Vivot is seen in a Google Streetview image

''Police are searching for a 500 pound iron sculpture taken from the front yard of a home in Toronto's Forest Hill neighbourhood.

Sometime overnight from Thursday into Friday morning, a number of suspects using a white utility van approached The Secret Bench of Knowledge sculpture by artist Lea Vivot, in the Spadina Road and Strathearn Boulevard.

They removed the sculpture and sped off in the van''

''Vivot has sculpted iron memorials to NDP leaders Jack Layton and Tommy Douglas, as well as numerous other works in North America and Europe.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 416-808-1300.''

I hope it isn’t melted down for scrap metal... That had happened here in the US.

 

[LadyL]

Thieves steal renowned artist's cast iron sculpture from Forest Hill home's front yard

Toronto's The Secret Bench of Knowledge sculpture by Lea Vivot is seen in a Google Streetview image

''Police are searching for a 500 pound iron sculpture taken from the front yard of a home in Toronto's Forest Hill neighbourhood.

Sometime overnight from Thursday into Friday morning, a number of suspects using a white utility van approached The Secret Bench of Knowledge sculpture by artist Lea Vivot, in the Spadina Road and Strathearn Boulevard.

They removed the sculpture and sped off in the van''

''Vivot has sculpted iron memorials to NDP leaders Jack Layton and Tommy Douglas, as well as numerous other works in North America and Europe.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 416-808-1300.''

that's a front yard? there's no yard! anyway, this is so wrong
people will steal anything - they must have a plan for selling it

 

[Warwick1991]

With the green “verdigris” tint, it look like copper or bronze instead of iron, although the article notes iron. Here in the US, copper or bronze statuary and metalwork has been targeted by thieves, with some tragic results.

 

[dotr]

''The secret bench by Lea Vivot, Montreal, at McGill University. (July22,2020)
•Premiered Jul 24, 2020''

Toronto cops on hunt for stolen 500 pound sculpture | Toronto Sun
''Police were called to the area after people noticed that the 500 pound (226 kilogram) bronze sculpture depicting a boy and girl nuzzling a bench was M.I.A.''

''According to the biography on her website, Czech-born sculptor Vivot lives in Kleinburg and “has made benches as her trademark.”

“Her sculptures are always full of humanity and she often depicts families, couples, mothers and children. The large scale of her work calls for the interaction with the public who naturally enjoy to occupy the same space as the bronze figures. On the benches, Lea Vivot likes to include inscribed messages by people from all walks of life. The various additions of the Secret Bench, Lost Paradise, which are found in Montreal, Toronto and New York, all have handwritten messages expressing the hopes and fears of children,” according to the website.''

''Other castings of “Secret Bench of Knowledge” sculptures have been displayed in front of the National Library of Canada in Ottawa, Sarnia, Montreal and New York City.''

 

[Warwick1991]

''The secret bench by Lea Vivot, Montreal, at McGill University. (July22,2020)
•Premiered Jul 24, 2020''

Toronto cops on hunt for stolen 500 pound sculpture | Toronto Sun
''Police were called to the area after people noticed that the 500 pound (226 kilogram) bronze sculpture depicting a boy and girl nuzzling a bench was M.I.A.''

''According to the biography on her website, Czech-born sculptor Vivot lives in Kleinburg and “has made benches as her trademark.”

“Her sculptures are always full of humanity and she often depicts families, couples, mothers and children. The large scale of her work calls for the interaction with the public who naturally enjoy to occupy the same space as the bronze figures. On the benches, Lea Vivot likes to include inscribed messages by people from all walks of life. The various additions of the Secret Bench, Lost Paradise, which are found in Montreal, Toronto and New York, all have handwritten messages expressing the hopes and fears of children,” according to the website.''

''Other castings of “Secret Bench of Knowledge” sculptures have been displayed in front of the National Library of Canada in Ottawa, Sarnia, Montreal and New York City.''

In the US, and probably Canada, 500 pounds of bronze is worth a lot of money. In the northeastern US state, where I once lived, thieves targeted a historic cemetery and stole plaques and bronze statuary. It had been melted down before police were able to identify the thieves. I hope that doesn’t happen in this case. Several US states now have laws about purchasers identifying sellers of scrap metal and mandatory reporting requirements for items like statuary and memorial plaques.

 

[dotr]

Jenny Yuen Aug 29, 2020 rbbm.
Toronto cops on hunt for stolen 500 pound sculpture | Toronto Sun
''In an email to The Sun,Vivot pleaded for the thieves to return the sculpture back to its rightful place.

“Please return the bronze priceless children back home. Art humanizes. In these difficult times we need art more then ever,” she said.

“Galleries and all cultural events remain closed. I am a public sculptor for the public. Art belongs to all. The Goldman family shared their Secret Bench sculpture with the neighbourhood to enjoy.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1300 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.''

 

[dotr]

In the US, and probably Canada, 500 pounds of bronze is worth a lot of money. In the northeastern US state, where I once lived, thieves targeted a historic cemetery and stole plaques and bronze statuary. It had been melted down before police were able to identify the thieves. I hope that doesn’t happen in this case. Several US states now have laws about purchasers identifying sellers of scrap metal and mandatory reporting requirements for items like statuary and memorial plaques.

rbbm.
COVID-19: Get a Materials Quote for Essential Products & Services
''Some metals are in high demand due to COVID-19, as they're critical to producing essential products and services.''

Bronze - Current Scrap Prices

Scrap Metal Prices - Canada
''International Scrap Metal Prices
If you are interested in finding out what the scrap metal prices are across the border in America, or elsewhere around the world, please follow the relevant links below for more information.''
USA
France
South Africa
New Zealand
Germany
Italy
Spain
United Kingdom
"It’s important to recognize that you can make much more money from your scrap metal in certain countries. However, the United States often has the highest prices for recycled metal compared to any other countries in the world – with the exception of some European nations where there is a perpetual shortage of most metals. Some countries that frequently mine scrap metal will constantly have low prices and unfortunately that is unlikely to change. Wherever the demand for scrap is high, that is where you can expect to make the most money. Canada has a fairly high price, but many people are exporting across the border into the United States to make even more money from their copper and aluminum.''

 

[dotr]

Gee, did someone declare war on statues in Toronto, noting this unrelated (unless perhaps the head was made of bronze) incident.. imo, speculation.
Aug 31 2020
Parkdale church devastated after statue of Virgin Mary 'decapitated' | Toronto Sun

Staff at Our Lady of Lebanon Parish, near Queen St. W. and Beaty Ave. in Toronto, discovered the Virgin Mary statue was missing its head Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. Photo by Our Lady of Lebanon Parish /FACEBOOK

“Most probably this was done during the night or at dawn … Our parishioners, when exiting the church, were horrified to see such a deplorable and malicious act.”

The church said it is reviewing security camera feeds. El Khoury told CP24 that the footage showed someone on the church’s lawn around 3 a.m.

The statue has been part of the parish for more than 25 years.''

 

[dotr]

Since a pic of the suspect in the Virgin Mary statue decapitation has been released, started a thread..
Toronto, Virgin Mary statue decapitated, 30 Aug 2020