GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — An ArtPrize artist is asking for the community’s help after one of his pieces went missing overnight.
Kenn Vidro, a Grandville artist, has participated in the contest for nine years. His latest entry is called “Pop Goes Grand Rapids.” The pop art piece features pop icons in front of popular West Michigan landmarks. It’s located at Mojo’s Dueling Piano Bar and Restaurant along Monroe Ave NW.
“They’re coming down and they’re just here, like the crowds of people are back,” said Vidro. “I just love to make people smile.”
On Saturday, when Vidro arrived to set up for the day, he says the center canvas was missing. The piece wasn’t inside Mojo's or anywhere else. Only the wires keeping it up were still there.
“I’m upset, but not as upset as I would be,” said Vidro. “It’s a piece of art and I can duplicate it.”
At this time, there is no known video or any witnesses to explain what happened, but Vidro believes the fan art may have appealed to someone who liked it and decided to take it.
The missing piece features aliens, like E.T. and Grogu, in front of Van Andel Arena.
“Somebody said that the Mona Lisa was stolen and it became famous, so maybe this will happen,” said Vidro.
In an emailed statement to FOX 17, ArtPrize called the situation sad and asked people to be mindful of the entries.
"It's very sad when visitors take it upon themselves to vandalize, break, or outright steal an artist's work,” said Craig Searer, executive director. “ArtPrize encourages seeing as much art as possible and respecting it at the same time. Unless the piece says it's OK to touch, we encourage visitors to not touch ArtPrize entries. The beauty of ArtPrize is we've created a platform for artists and venues to connect and create magical spaces. We encourage venues and artists to have hosting agreements and insurance in place to help navigate these situations.”
Vidro says he may paint a message in the open spot and plea for its return, but would prefer to see no other contestant go through this experience.
“I encourage people to just be respectful of the artists and art even though you might want it,” said Vidro. “The artists have put a lot of work into it.”
Anyone with information can contact Vidro at kvidro2003@yahoo.com or click here.
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ArtPrize artist seeking help after entry disappears - Fox17
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