$4,000 Sculpture Missing from Rye Town Park

A sculpture depicting a large ceramic head that was part of an exhibition by well-known artist Bob Clyatt has vanished from Rye Town Park.

Clyatt reported the missing sculpture on Oct. 4, but he said Rye police don't have any leads about who could have possibly taken it. The piece, entitled "Alex #3," was part of the "Heads 45" exhibit that opened in August at Rye Town Park. The exhibit, which will be on display until Oct. 25, includes the "Heads 45" piece—a group of heads standing under a red umbrella—as well as another large ceramic piece similar to "Alex #3." These pieces were more securely nailed to the ground, so they would have been more difficult to steal.

The sculpture went missing on Sept. 30, according to Clyatt, the night of a terrible rain and windstorm that initially he believed could have blown the sculpture into the park's pond.

Clyatt and park staff searched the area, and as recently as Friday, he searched the pond more thoroughly in a pair of waders, but the sculpture still couldn't be found.

"Things do disappear or get vandalized out of Rye Town Park and I was made aware of those risks before installing the work there," Clyatt said. "But I still feel it was—and is—worth it to get the work out there in the community."

Clyatt said the "Alex #3" is likely worth around $4,000 because he sold a piece similar to it for that price to a Seattle sculpture park this year. He said insurance would not cover the loss if the sculpture is not found.

Bill Lawyer, assistant director for development at Rye Town Park, said park officials may continue to search for the sculpture, but they believe it has been stolen. He said anyone involved in the sculpture theft can anonymously call the Town of Rye offices in Port Chester to return the art. He said park officials do not intend to press charges, and would just like the sculpture safely returned.

"If someone has decided they've had enough of looking at the head, then they can bring it back," Lawyer said.

Lawyer said Rye Town Park has dealt with incidents of vandalism throughout the years, but the possible theft of Clyatt's sculpture is a bit unusual. He said park officials have considered installing surveillance cameras in areas that have been more prone to vandalism, like the lifeguard station and the north end of the park.

Lawyer said it's important that the community helps officials "promote respect for the park." He hopes the incident will not discourage other artists from displaying their work.

"Certainly from my point of view, we're not going to let this stop us from having sculptures at the park," Lawyer said. "We'll be doing everything we can to make them as safe and as secure as possible."

Anyone with more information on the whereabouts of the sculpture should call the Town of Rye offices and speak to Bishop Nowotnik at 914-939-3075.