UPDATE: Another Sculpture Tour Eau Claire theft

Mike Paulus |

Woo! From the Eau Claire Police Dept. (7-24-14): "On Thursday, July 24, 2014, the Eau Claire Police Department received information from a community member as to the whereabouts of the stolen sculpture. Eau Claire Police Department Detectives responded to this location and recovered the sculpture. The sculpture appeared undamaged and was returned to the Eau Claire Community Foundation. ...   This theft is still under investigation and the Eau Claire Police Department Detective Division is following up on additional leads. No arrests have been made at this time. ... Anyone with further information regarding the theft is asked to contact Detective Kyle Jentzsch at 715-839-6020."

Unfortunately, another sculpture has been stolen from Sculpture Tour Eau Claire. The $11,000 sculpture taken in May of 2013 (from its pedestal in front of Stella Blues on Madison Street) is yet to be recovered. A $1500 reward is offered for information leading to the return of this latest sculpture – entitled All in the Same Boat, shown above. Check out the press release below, sent out Wednesday by the Eau Claire Community Foundation ...

A sculpture was stolen from near Mayo Clinic on the morning of Sunday, July 20, 2014.   All in the Same Boat is one of 32 artworks that Sculpture Tour Eau Claire has put on display throughout the city as part of its mission to promote public access to art.

All in the Same Boat by Minnesota artist Kyle Fokken has an assessed value of $7000, but the financial loss is only part of the negative impact on Eau Claire should it not be returned. Its loss could also raise Sculpture Tour Eau Claire’s insurance premiums to unaffordable levels as well as discourage artists from loaning their works to the organization, jeopardizing Sculpture Tour Eau Claire’s ability to procure and display sculptures in future years.

The Eau Claire Police Department is currently investigating the theft using surveillance footage, but all parties concerned would prefer that whoever currently has All in the Same Boat return it without police intervention.

A $1500 reward for information leading to All in the Same Boat’s return is being offered thanks to donations by Wipfli CPA and Consultants and Royal Construction, Inc. Anyone with information can contact the Eau Claire Police Department’s Tipster Line at 715-839-4982, text ECPD and the tip to 847411, or email info@sculpturetour.org.   The sculpture can be returned at the Eau Claire Community Foundation, 306 S. Barstow St., Suite 104, with no questions asked. All tips will remain anonymous.

Eau Claire Community Foundation, 7-23-14