The recent theft of public art in the Gilman Art Park area has left some local artists saddened and concerned. — Photos courtesy of Robert Smith

By Alexi O’Neil

Gilman Park is a small area on Pearl Street where artists have been able to place their work for decades. After becoming a finalist for an art-fueled grant through the city of Somerville last month, artist Robert (Bob) Smith has come forward to announce his heartbreak over his missing sculptures.

Despite having a relationship with the Culture House and long-standing agreements with the city of Somerville and their Department of Public Works (DPW), huge investments into the park have disappeared. Smith is heartbroken, originally having contacted the DPW, no party is able to answer for the stolen artwork.

After being given advice by the city workers, he filed a police report, and there is now some investigation into the park and its artists, considering this isn’t the first theft from an artist in the area. Smith shared with me some of his biggest concerns when it comes down to being a public artist: theft, natural damages (caused by weather and animals), and critics. Despite the possible setbacks, Smith has persisted in his sharing of art, often being complimented frequently by community members on how grateful they are to experience it.

Smith referred me to Martha Friend, another well-known artist of the area, who had huge sculptures stolen in the middle of the night. These were weighted projects that took teams of multiple people to install, so the shock was heavy. She had just visited the park last Thursday evening, and the artwork was gone when she returned the following afternoon.

This causes stress and strain on artists: they’ve dedicated their lives, time, and finances in producing artwork for the city’s projects only to have the work go missing without a trace. Friend recalls stories where artists have left pieces on local bike paths, only for those to also disappear. Artists like Smith and Friend are working towards a mutual goal of self-expression, and with tensions rising between artists and their missing pieces, this can cause unease.

Smith has been more positive since opening an investigation, and the Somerville police and DPW have been nothing but supportive about coming to a conclusion about where their commissioned art pieces are going. Smith hopes, despite the financial loss, that someone is enjoying his stolen work rather than assuming it has been destroyed or disposed of. Friend continues to work with local artists on a collective mission of embracing artistic expression for ages to come, and both have future plans to continue their relationships with Culture House and the city of Somerville for their art-driven initiatives that they can offer.