Downtown sculpture stolen, another vandalized

One of the SculptureWalk art pieces in downtown Sioux Falls was stolen and another was vandalized early Saturday.

SculptureWalk director Jim Clark said he was conducting his usual rounds at 6:30 a.m. Saturday when he noticed the statue in front of Minervas, titled Raven, was missing. Across Phillips Avenue, Book Peddlers was knocked off its pedestal, its three-quarter-inch bolts ripped out.

"It was a shock," Clark said.

He called 911 and reported the plight of the statues, which were erected at the beginning of the month.

"About five or six years ago, we had a sculpture stolen, but it was found that same day down by the railroad tracks by Second Avenue," Clark said. "So I'm waiting for a phone call today (saying) that somebody found it, but the chances of that happening are pretty slim."

Raven is worth an estimated $6,000, and it will cost $2,500 to commission the artist to create another piece, not including the insurance deductible. Book Peddlers will cost between $500 and $1,000 to repair, according to Clark.

"It could jeopardize the future of the program if we have a lot of vandalism. We've got to stop it now," he said. "We (could) get the reputation that our sculptures are damaged or stolen, and we can't afford that financially, and we can't afford to have that reputation."

If the criminals are caught, they will be prosecuted on felony charges, Clark said.

While the damage can be fixed and the statue replaced, SculptureWalk ambassador Jeff Hansen said the crime is deeply personal.

"The sad part is ... this is one of the treasures of Sioux Falls, so when it does happen, it hurts everybody," he said.