St. Pete gallery owners react to stolen art piece, say it may have been ‘scoped out’
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — St. Petersburg police are looking for a man who they said stole a piece of art from a gallery. The piece is valued at $21,000.

It happened in November at Duncan McClellan Gallery. Two men walked inside the gallery. One of them distracted an employee, while the other grabbed a glass sculpture from a display, then tucked it under his shirt and left.

Jeff Schorr with Craftsman House Gallery carries some of McClellan’s work.

“In the art community, everyone’s familiar with Duncan’s pieces,” Schorr said. “It kind of makes me a little more alert and on my toes around here.”

Schorr’s been selling artwork at his gallery for 23 years. News Channel 8 On Your Side asked him what the likelihood is of the thieves being able to resell the stolen art.

“Gosh I would think it would be pretty tough. You know, unless they had a buyer in mind prior to even going in there,” Schorr said. “In this case, it just seems like it was something that was scoped out ahead of time.”

St. Petersburg police said they arrested the man who distracted the employee, but need the public’s help finding the man who took the art.

Duncan McClellan provided the following statement:

“We are deeply saddened by the recent incident, but we are fully cooperating with the authorities and taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of our collection. Our priority is the well-being of our employees and patrons, and we remain committed to providing a welcoming environment for all. The police have been diligent and I’m confident that with the public help will be able to find the suspect.”

Schorr said they help each other out in the arts community and definitely don’t want this behavior to become a trend.

“If I hear of anyone selling a piece of art I’d inquire about it, you know, and hey maybe it’s that piece,” Schorr said.

If you have information on this case, you are asked to call St. Petersburg police.

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