Organizers of Vandergrift ArtFest are seeking help from the public to locate a missing painting they fear was stolen.
ArtFest chairperson Lisa Dormire said the ocean landscape painting by Alle-Kiski Valley artist JoAnn Wesolosky was last seen Saturday night in the Decorator’s Workshop, a pop-up gallery and acoustic lounge on Grant Avenue.
“The strangeness of this baffles all of us,” Dormire said. She stressed that there’s never been any art thefts or trouble during the festival’s 13-year run.
Wesolosky could not be reached for comment. Her painting was inspired by a family vacation to Hawaii and depicts a woman along the shoreline in Oahu.
Dormire said she noticed the painting was missing when she went to the gallery early Sunday.
After multiple attempts by volunteers to find the painting, Dormire took to social media, asking for the public’s assistance.
Dormire said she expects to file a police report. She said she checked with area businesses on Grant Avenue to see if any of the owners had usable surveillance footage.
Dormire said the building was unlocked for a few hours Sunday morning while volunteers went about routine festival set-up duties.
Organizers said if someone took the painting, they can drop it off at Mary Jo Riddle State Farm Insurance, 141 Columbia Ave., during regular business hours.
“There’s a safe place there. Just open the door and place the painting in there and walk away,” Dormire said. “No questions will be asked.”
Otherwise, organizers are asking anyone with information about the whereabouts of the painting to call Vandergrift police at 724-568-5507.
Longtime ArtFest volunteer Marilee Kessler of Vandergrift said she’s hopeful someone will step up and “do the right thing.”
“The ArtFest was such a nice event, with so many good and nice things,” Kessler said. “This incident just does not fit in with our event or our community. We are much better than this.”
