Three pieces of student artwork were recently taken from the basement of the Visual Arts Center (VAC), Security reported.
The stolen artworks, created by Brooke Winter-DiGirolamo '05, was taken on two separate occasions, said Director of Security Bruce Boucher.
On October 1, Winter-DiGirolamo's a charcoal drawing of three nudes and a photograph went missing.
According to Security, the works were still in place when an officer unlocked the building and did a standard walk-through at 6:00 a.m. that Friday morning. When he returned at 8:00 a.m., the pieces were gone, creating an exact time frame during which the theft occurred.
Three days later, a five foot by four foot charcoal drawing by the same artist was taken from its display area in the Visual Arts Center.
Security, in conjunction with the Brunswick Police Department, is currently working on the case.
"The initial investigation turned up some information," Boucher said. Security contacts the Brunswick Police Department whenever college property is stolen. The police took a report, obtained copies of the missing works, and are continuing to locate leads on the case.
This is not the first time that student artwork has been taken from displays around campus.
Last October, a poster by then-senior Emma Raynes was taken from its display in the Visual Arts Center. The thief left a note apologizing for "borrowing" the poster, but it was never returned. Pottery by Jason Hafler '04 was stolen last year from its display in Moulton Union.
Winter-DiGirolamo's artwork was not the only thing taken from the Visual Arts Center this month. On October 4 a portable data projector was reported missing from an office on the third floor of the VAC.
This past weekend, during a burglary at Harpswell Apartments, valuable stereo equipment was reported stolen. Earlier this academic year, a computer was taken out of a suite in Coles Tower.
While the crimes around campus are most likely unrelated, with the exception of the recent art thefts, according to Boucher, they all share "one common denominator."
When the artwork was stolen from the VAC, the building was open and accessible to the public; when the burglary occurred at Harpswell, the students' door was unlocked; and when the computer was taken from the Tower, the door to the suite had been propped open.
"Ninety-five percent of thefts that occur on campus happen because people allow themselves to become victims," said Boucher. With campus thefts being reported more and more frequently, Boucher wonders if Bowdoin has "become an easy mark."
While locking doors is an easy way to prevent thieves from entering dorm rooms, students displaying artwork around campus do not have the option of deciding when the buildings housing their displays should be closed. For this reason, Security is now considering placing a security system in the VAC to protect student work.
Security suggests engraving stereo and computer equipment, recording all serial numbers, and reporting lost or stolen articles to Security immediately. An engraving service is available through the Security office.