NBC is bringing back the network's 46th annual "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular" on Tuesday, with a live broadcast from New York City featuring a 25-minute firework show that . The painting rested on the examination table, its backside giving an implausibly perfect nod to the life of "Woman-Ochre": A sticker left over from the Smithsonian Institution revealed, in a greenish-brown typewriter font, the name of a 1969 exhibition: "THE DISAPPEARANCE AND REAPPEARANCE OF THE IMAGE.". "The Getty Paintings Conservation Department is the gold standard in terms of paintings conservation, so being able to partner with them is an extraordinary opportunity," said Andy Schulz, UArizona vice president for the arts and dean of the College of Fine Arts. Who were Rita and Jerry Alter? $100M de Kooning painting stolen by I'm forever bound to that painting, and to the U of A.". The shocking 1985 theft and the painting's unexpected return to the university in 2017 made international headlines and are the subject of the forthcoming documentary "The Thief Collector," directed by Allison Otto. Because "Woman-Ochre" was not in the care of UAMA for the last three decades, it will undergo evaluation before being put on exhibition. The restored 'Woman Ochre' will be on display at the University of Arizona Museum of Art and open to the public beginning October 8 2022 (University of Arizona Museum of Art) In 2017, David Van Auker, who co-owns the Manzanita Ridge Furniture and Antiques store in Silver City, accidentally came across the painting kept behind the master bedroom . They took the items to their storeManzanita Ridge Furniture & Antiquesin nearby Silver City, and displayed the work, unaware of its origins. ", "I was just skimming. March 24, 2022 Police sketches of the man and woman who stole Willem de Kooning's Woman-Ochre from the University of Arizona Museum of Art in November 1985 University of Arizona She was a. The painting was regularly exhibited at UAMA and loaned to several important exhibitions on de Kooning and related artists at major museums around the world. She then posed for pictures next to the artwork, baringher left upper arm freshly inked with a tattoo modeled after the painting. Silver City antique dealers share the story on how they found a stolen painting that had been missing from the University of Arizona for over 30 years. Police believe the woman chatted to the guard to distract him so that the man, unobserved, could cut the painting out of its frame, possibly using a box cutter. "This was the most complex conservation project that I've ever worked on," said Laura Rivers, an associate paintings conservator at the Getty. The shop owners took the artwork back to their store without giving it much thought that is, until customers began asking if the painting was a real de Kooning. Stolen art returned to the University of Arizona 37 years after heist "What's going to be interesting to see, in the future, is if that continues to be how we talk about this painting or if we start talking about it again and more in terms of the work of art itself and the position it occupies in the evolution of American paintings.". $100M de Kooning painting is now under constant watch "We owe David (Van Auker) a tremendous debt of gratitude for being a good citizen and wanting 'Woman-Ochre' to be returned to the people of Arizona," Hagyard says. The color matched. Willem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre" was found in New Mexico after being stolen in 1985 from the University of Arizona Museum of Art. Torres, the Homeland Security special agent who helped escort the painting back to Tucson on Wednesday, plans to return to see the painting on exhibit. We feel like the luckiest people in the world that the painting fell into their hands, Miller said, and that we got the privilege of getting to know them and becoming friends with them.. As the two pieces aligned, so too did the brushstroke. Security guards described two suspects, a man and woman, who visited the museum the morning of the theft. While the woman made small talk with museum staff, her partner disappeared to an upstairs gallery where one of the works on display was Woman-Ochre an oil painting completed in 1955 byDutch-American abstract expressionist Willem de Kooning and donated to the university in 1958. Long-Lost Willem de Kooning Painting Goes on View for First Time since These are America's major . Miller and her museum colleagues recognize that the story of the stolen painting could have ended much differently had the prized piece been discovered by someone else. Creative minds actually enjoy it, researchers say, Researchers discover young exoplanet 500 lights years from Earth, How private interests benefit from tribal water settlements. It was returning from the Getty Museum in Los Angeles 500 miles away, where it had been undergoing restoration. "It is not that we cannot feel their presence anymore," she said. Once they arrived and saw the artwork in person, disbelief subsided and reality began to sink in. I was so overcome with emotion and so much happiness.". I cant imagine anything better happening to me in my career. While intrigued by the piece, Van Auker and his partners thought little of it at the time. How Transparency on College Costs Could Increase Diversity - The New Albert Chamillard, UAMA exhibit specialist, also made the journey from LA to Tucson, riding in the cab of the 18-wheeler that delivered the painting. What happened to WIllem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre" became the stuff of legend. Odegaard and Lindsey spent two hours completing a thorough visual examination of the painting as museum staff, including Miller, McCleary and registrar Kristen Schmidt, looked on in anticipation. On Friday, Nov. 29, 1985, the day after Thanksgiving, a coveted painting was stolen from the University of Arizona Museum of Art. Stolen artwork worth as much as $160 million recovered for University With them, the thieves took an essential piece of the UAMA collection. "There's this sense of relief and happiness. Its been a long journey for a painting stolen from the University of Arizona Museum of Art 37 years ago. It cant be.'". General admission is $8; seniors and groups of 10 or more are $6 per person. A quick Google search led Van Auker to an. The man on the other end of the line said, "I think I have a painting of yours.". De Kooning, a Dutch-American abstract expressionist, completed "Woman-Ochre" in 1955 as part of his "Woman" series. Chamillard had been helping plan the UAMA exhibit of Woman-Ochre, but hed yet to see the painting in person. Miller, the museum's exhibitions curator, was the one who took Van Auker's call. I look forward to seeing and supporting the rich and varied scholarship and research that will be catalyzed by this important work.. University Information Security and Privacy. "That's when it really got emotional," Van Auker says. Willem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre," on display for a . Seeing Olivia's reaction, and seeing the faces of the people from the U of A It was just pure elation. Stolen 'Woman-Ochre' de Kooning painting on display at the Getty Center 2023 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of The University of Arizona. At that time, there were parking spaces and a street in front of the museum, making for a quick getaway. After 31 Years, Stolen 'Woman-Ochre' Returns | University of Arizona News And, of course, it is a key work in the history of mid-century American modernism and a cornerstone of the UAMAs strong collection in this area. After the theft, witnesses told police the thieves fled in a rust-colored or cherry red sports car. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Its hard to describe, he said of seeing the painting for the first time. The exhibit tells the complete story of the painting, from its creation through its theft and remarkable recovery. It's a sense of calm. '", A sticker on the backside of "Woman-Ochre" left over from the Smithsonian Institution revealed the name of a 1969 exhibition: "THE DISAPPEARANCE AND REAPPEARANCE OF THE IMAGE. After years spent in a frame unworthy of her, Willem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre"was finally home. They spread out behind the museum, joining police officers in bulletproof vestswho were already in position. It was stolen Nov. 29, 1985, from the University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson. May 26, 2022. The Getty Museums Paintings Conservation department has had a long history of conserving works of art that belong to other institutions from around the world, many of which have faced unique challenges, says Timothy Potts, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Left behind were a devastated security guard and an empty frame, with only remnants of the canvas remaining at its edges. I know that. On Nov. 29, 1985, a Willem de Kooning painting, "Woman-Ochre," was stolen from the University of Arizona Museum of Art. "Immediately we started getting information as fast as we could. Creative minds actually enjoy it, researchers say, Researchers discover young exoplanet 500 lights years from Earth, How private interests benefit from tribal water settlements. It won't be its last. Now, after almost three years of painstaking work by Getty conservators, the damaged de Kooning has been restored and will be on display at the Getty until Aug. 28. This is the saga of Arizona's famous stolen de Kooning painting They had been inside less than 15 minutes. UAMA houses a significant collection of abstract expressionist works, including Pollock's "Number 20" and Rothko's "Green on Blue (Earth-Green and White)." The heist took no more than 15 minutes. For museum staff and the campus community, the return of "Woman-Ochre" has been, in turns, unbelievable and deeply emotional. Then"Woman-Ochre" will make adebut at a news conferencebefore going on exhibit on Oct8. Painting stolen from UA in 1985 recovered; worth up to $160 million Visitors learned about the painting's daring heist from the University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1985 and surprising recovery three decades later in a New Mexico antique store. Maybe it's because I'm from Arizona," says Van Auker, a Mesa native who later lived in Globe for 16 years. Get the latest University of Arizona news delivered in your inbox. So, in 2019, the university sent it to the Getty,which had agreed to restore the piece at no cost. Once on campus,it was officially authenticated in a two-hour inspection that ended with a collective sigh of relief. Finding stolen Willem de Kooning painting 'Woman-Ochre'. As a collections manager, my job is to make sure that the art is taken care of, so to have a piece returned to the collection I cant take credit for it, but its very fulfilling.. The painting was donated to UAMA in 1958 by a wealthy collector with the understanding that it would never be sold or given away. All these issues had to be addressed. In the meantime, we very much look forward to the upcoming exhibition at the Getty and the opportunity to share this extraordinary workand its equally extraordinary storywith a broad audience.. After an extensive restoration, "Woman-Ochre" is now back on campus and won't keep a low profile much longer. Homeland Security flashed their lights, and that was enough. McCleary turned out the lights in the vault, and Odegaard held an ultraviolet light over the painting. Nancy Odegaard of the Arizona State Museum, a world-renowned conservator and professor, walked into the vault on Wednesday morning, Aug. 9, bringing with her graduate student Wendy Lindsey and a large bag of examination instruments. For years, the case stumped the FBI, which had little more than a sketch of the suspects to go on. Several customers commented on the paintings authenticity, prompting Van Auker to research his purchase and connect it with the heist. De Kooning is known to have often used fluid house paints on his paintings, sometimes mixed with conventional artists oil paints, and these were detected in abundance onWoman-Ochre. It was really important that we treated it just as we would any investigation, with the seriousness of making sure that it was safe, that the drivers who were driving it were safe, and that no vandalism or theft of it was going to happen on our watch, said Torres, acting supervisory special agent for the Homeland Security Investigations Tucson field office. In addition to the damage it sustained in the heist, the painting had been further damaged by the thieves, who attempted to reframe it using a cheap canvas stretcher, made crude paint and tear repairs, and applied a cheap varnish in addition to one that had already been applied. Albert Chamillard, exhibit specialist at the University of Arizona Museum of Art, examines Willem de Koonings Woman-Ochre for the first time after lifting the painting from its crate on Sept. 19, 2022. Earth just set a heat record. UA Research, Discovery and Innovation. It was an exhibit opening nearly 37 years in the making. "What we're going to see in the exhibition, both at the Getty and then in Tucson in October, is this really interesting integration between art and science, and new understandings about this painting and about the artist through the application of really advanced scientific techniques. Im glad Im part of it.. "'Woman-Ochre' is definitely a cornerstone of the collection, and the museum collection hasn't felt complete since it was gone. The painting was "Woman-Ochre," one of six Willem de Kooning paintings in a series exploring the figure of a woman. Photos from that same year also suggest they drove a red sports car. "But next thing I know, Olivia is on the phone." From dusty bedroom to the Getty Museum: Long-lost de Kooning painting McCleary turned to Miller and asked, "Olivia, are we going to remember this moment for the rest of our lives?". Van Auker says. I live to paint," it said. An. Stolen-and-Found de Kooning to Be Shown Off Before Restoration Stolen painting returns home to UArizona | University of Arizona News Van Auker scoffed, but within hours, four customers had come into the store, each commenting that the painting could be an authentic de Kooning, some returning several times to see it, and, according to Van Auker, one offering $200,000 for it. Now she was on her way to be safe in the hands of the U of A.". The examination of "Woman-Ochre" involved the inspection of the canvas for structural weaknesses. Willem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre," stolen the day after Thanksgiving in 1985, has been returned to the University of Arizona Museum of Art by a good Samaritan from New Mexico. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed the conservation process and delayed an exhibituntil this year. They stepped inside, and into the room where "Woman-Ochre" sat. "Woman III," another in the series, sold in 2006 for $137.5 million at the time, the second-most expensive painting ever sold. As the images came in, excitement began to grow, and the next day Miller and other eager UAMA staffers were on the road to Silver City about three hours east of Tucson to see the artwork for themselves. But there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that points to the Alters as the thieves. TUCSON, Ariz. A painting stolen from the University of Arizona Museum of Art 37 years ago has been brought back home due in large part by the careful and meticulous planning by special agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in coordination with university police. The next day, Miller, McCleary and other anxious museum staff members were on the road to Silver City for an emotional reunion with a piece none of them had ever seen in person, but that had become the stuff of museum lore. McCleary hopes the famous painting will open the door for visitors to get to know the rest of the museum's collection, which also includes works by prominent artists like Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, just to name a few. Oct. 4, 2022 Media Advisory: News conference and unveiling of stolen painting at University of Arizona Museum of Art What: News conference on the return and exhibit of Willem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre" after its theft from the University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1985 A former graduate . Thethieves had badly damaged the painting, requiringextensive conservation at theworld-renowned J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Woman-Ochre was stolen from the University of Arizona's Museum of Art in 1985. After nearly 37 years, stolen de Kooning painting is back on public Due to the violent nature in which the painting was sliced from its frame and torn from its backing, there was much work to be done. University Information Security and Privacy. The painting is returned but the process can take decades. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service. The restored painting went on display at the Getty in June, where it remained on exhibit through August before making its trip home to UArizona under tight security. "To have this painting back as yet another artwork that can inspire people it's the best possible outcome we could have hoped for," said Olivia Miller, exhibitions curator at the University of Arizona Museum of Art, or UAMA. Where's This Painting? 30 Years After Its Theft, Nobody Knows For $2,000, they bought the estate, including the wrinkled painting. Among other things, their work involved removing varnishes, re-bonding flaking paint, filling in areas where paint had been lost and reuniting the canvas with the edges that remained in the original frame. made crude paint and tear repairs, and applied a cheap varnish in addition to one that had already been applied. This project certainly counts amongst the most interesting and challenging for the team and has allowed us, together with colleagues at the Getty Conservation Institute, to bring this extraordinary painting, which was long feared lost, back to life.. Major damage unique to each painting, like a scar and related conservation treatment documented in reports were observed and confirmed on the painting. This is it. "It really feels like the stars aligned for it to fall in their hands," Miller said. She said art criminals "make those con artists look like Boy Scouts.". Transfer him to museum curator Olivia Miller's office, Kushner said. The FBI was called, along with Interpol, the global network of police forces, because stolen art often crosses state and international lines. A couple visiting the school's Museum of Art stole the. "It's going to mean so much to everyone to be able to see it again in person and to be able to continue research and study of the painting that should have been happening for the last 37 years.". By now, the story of the painting's theft is well-known:The theft took place on the day after Thanksgiving in 1985, when a woman and a man walked into the nearly deserted museum. The scans also confirmed how aggressive the theft waseach of the thin bright lines on the scan for calcium represents a paint crack that formed as the painting was torn off its lining canvas.. It's back, it's home, it's where it should be. The artwork was found hanging on the wall behind the woman's bedroom door. There was no video camera, no fingerprints detected. I've always said that if we ever recovered the de Kooning, it would be the highlight of my career. Artwork 2022 The Willem de Kooning Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, Photo courtesy the University of Arizona Museum of Art / Bob Demers / UA News. If and when the stolen de Kooning painting is restored to UAMA's collection, both Schmidt and Olivia Miller, the museum's curator, agree that staff would attempt to place it back in its original frame. When Willem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre" went on display at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles on Tuesday, it was the first time the famous painting had been publicly exhibited since it was brazenly cut from its frame at the. To bring a painting from such dire condition to a place where it can now be safely exhibited is an immense achievement., Microfade testing being performed onWoman-Ochre, showing that some of the red passages in the painting have slightly faded over time. 2023 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of The University of Arizona. The man cutthe painting from its frame, rolled it up and walked out the door with it. Stolen Willem de Kooning painting returns to UArizona Van Auker called UAMA and was connected to Miller, who asked him to send some photos of the painting in his possession. At the museum, conservators were able to examine the painting carefully, matching it to the remnants of the cut canvas they had preserved after the robbery, and confirming that it was in fact, Pulse: Weavings and Paintings by Marlowe Katoney. Robert Neubecker. Experts at the Getty spent three years repairing "Woman-Ochre," a 1954-55 painting by Willem de Kooning that was stolen from The University of Arizona Museum of Art in 1985. Where to see the painting:A special exhibit, Restored: The Return of Woman-Ochre, opens Oct.8 at the University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson. Meanwhile, the man wandered upstairs where he proceeded, unnoticed, to cut "Woman-Ochre" from its frame. At the museum, conservators were able to examine the painting carefully, matching it to the remnants of the cut canvas they had preserved after the robbery, and confirming that it was in factWoman-Ochre. For these reasons, Savona explained, the case of the stolen de Kooning is out of the ordinary. "But I clicked it and then the photo came up. On the morning of November 29, 1985, a man and woman sat in the courtyard of the University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA) waiting for the galleries to open for the day. ", "Woman-Ochre" in the frame in which it arrived on Aug. 7 from New Mexico, Bored with idle time? The XTR film is directed by Allison Otto and produced by Caryn Capotosto, Jill Howerton, and Joshua Kunau. The brutal way in which it was ripped from its lining caused severe paint flaking and tears, not to mention the damage caused by the blade that was used to slice it from its frame, said Ulrich Birkmaier, senior paintings conservator at the Getty Museum. They took the items to their storeManzanita Ridge Furniture & Antiquesin nearby Silver City, and displayed the work, unaware of its origins. By Emily Litvack, Van Auker then sent some photos of the artwork. He ran downstairs, but it was too late. In addition to damage from the initial theft, the thieves also attempted to reframe the painting using a cheap stretcher, made crude paint and tear repairs, and applied a cheap varnish in addition to one that had already been applied. This often takes only a few years. The three-decade-long absence of "Woman-Ochre" represented both a symbolic and physical hole in UAMA's collection. Gettys team of scientists and conservators lent their expertise to a very complex project, with transformative results, said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. The UA's Unsolved Case of the Stolen Painting | University of Arizona News Stolen University of Arizona painting on display at The Getty ", "I got word about the recovery of this painting in the middle of the night, while I was overseas on a courier trip," Schmidt says. I was dazed. Woman-Ochre had sustained significant damage after being cut from its frame, ripped from its backing, rolled up and later re-stretched and reframed. At the time of the theft, Brian Seastone, now chief of the University of Arizona Police Department, was a public information officer at UAPD. The visitors described as a woman in her mid-50s with shoulder-length reddish-blond hair, wearing tan bell-bottom slacks, a scarf on her head and a red coat, and a man with olive-colored skin, wearing a blue coat were gone. "Olivia was on her knees, teary-eyed, in front of the painting," Hagyard says. They fled in a rust-colored sports car. I really couldn't tell you. By Ron Lieber. The painting ultimately turned up in the home of Jerry and Rita Alter, two former New York City schoolteachers who eventually retired in New Mexico. "Woman-Ochre" has a brushstroke of jet-black paint on the upper left-hand side. , After Gettys exhibition, the painting will return to the University of Arizona in fall 2022. Schmidt turned to Odegaard and said, "Thank you so mu," unable to finish her statement as more tears welled in her eyes. A feature documentary about the infamous theft, The Thief Collector, will be released in 2022. It wasnt until 2017 that there was a break in the case. Stolen Painting Returns Home - The University of Arizona Museum of Art