In a brazen early-morning hit on a North Loop studio, two men cleaned out the workspace of 80-year-old Minneapolis artist Leon Hushcha, rolling away a cart stacked with his paintings and prints. Hushcha says 18 paintings and an estimated 40 to 50 prints vanished, a haul he values at about $80,000. Minneapolis police have confirmed the burglary and say no suspects have been identified or arrested.
Security Footage Shows Thieves Wheeling Out a Cart
Surveillance footage reviewed by CBS Minnesota shows an SUV pulling up to the building just before 6:45 a.m. Two people head inside through a back door with a dolly, then about half an hour later leave with a cart loaded with artwork. Hushcha's assistant, Carly Novak, told reporters the hallway camera had been turned around, and the studio camera unplugged before the thieves went to work. Neighbors have shared additional video that Hushcha hopes will help investigators. Police say the case remains open and no arrests have been made.
Works From 'The Year of the Horse' Vanish
Just days earlier, Hushcha had opened an exhibition called "The Year of the Horse" at his studio on May 28, featuring paintings of horses and women along with roughly 40 to 50 prints, some dating back to the 1970s, according to the Star Tribune. The two men walked out with 18 paintings and numerous framed prints, leaving the gallery stripped bare by the time Hushcha and Novak arrived that morning. Hushcha says the missing prints were like a visual diary, and he is counting on neighbors' camera footage to provide the clues police need.
Veteran Artist, Gut-Punch of a Loss
Hushcha immigrated to the United States from Ukraine as a child and has been part of the Twin Cities art scene for more than six decades, CBS Minnesota reports. After a lifetime of work, he told reporters he was trying hard to stay composed. "I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," he said. Novak described the burglary as an invasion of privacy and said she and Hushcha are working with police to collect any additional surveillance video that might help identify the thieves.
Rare Art Heist Has Local Echoes
Art thefts are unusual in the Twin Cities, although they are not unheard of. The Star Tribune points to a 2000 gallery heist in which a $30,000 watercolor eventually turned up hidden in a downtown men's bathroom. Hushcha says he is holding out hope that his works will also resurface and urges anyone with information to contact Minneapolis police. For now, neighbors' surveillance footage and community tips are the best shot at getting the pieces back and figuring out who pulled off the early-morning break-in.
