Thieves broke into the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver over the weekend and stole 12 pieces of art created by Canadian Haida artist Bill Reid, nearly all of which were made from gold. “Reid, who died in 1998, is best known for his carvings, one of which, “Spirit of Haida Gwaii”, is pictured on Canada’s $20 bill. He made the stolen bracelets, brooches and other items from the late 1950s into the 1970s.”

According to an article from reuters:

“The University of British Columbia, which oversees the museum, on Monday offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of the stolen items that have been valued at about C$2 million. To dissuade the thieves from destroying the items, museum officials issued a statement on Monday saying the gold itself would only be worth about C$15,000.”

It is unfortunate that this happened and you would think there would be better security in place at museums. Apparently a very low percentage of stolen artwork is ever recovered, and it doesn’t seem to be very difficult to steal from most museums. According to RCMP Constable Annie Linteau, the museum didn’t even have video cameras as a security measure. It almost makes me want to start breaking into local galleries and museums in my area as I’m almost guaranteed to get away with it.