Grand Canyon Times

A painting that was stolen from the University of Arizona Museum of Art 37 years ago has been returned, restored and will be put back on display in the museum from Oct. 8-20.

The painting, Willem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre," was stolen from the museum in 1985. It arrived on campus from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, where it was displayed over the summer, according to a release from University of Arizona news. The exhibit, "Restored: The Return of 'Woman-Ochre'" will run at the museum from Oct. 8-20.

"Seeing it come back was this moment of relief and peace of mind that yes, this painting has come home," Olivia Miller, interim director and exhibitions curator of University of Arizona Museum of Art, said in the release. "It's not just us at the museum who are excited about it. Everyone on campus is excited, everyone at the Getty is excited. The fact that one painting can make all these people come together is – I don't know – there really are no words for it."

Miller said the process of retrieving the painting was one of the highlights of its return after nearly four decades.

"When we were driving there, I was in a minivan with our interim director at the time, and a couple times we just looked at each other and started laughing hysterically," Miller said. "We were, like, 'Are we seriously driving to Silver City, New Mexico, in your minivan to go pick up a stolen painting?'"

Miller was able to get an up-close look at the painting on her own.

"I was able to kneel down on the floor in front of it and take it in," she said. "It was a really special moment."

The years - not to mention the mileage after the painting was abducted - hadn't been kind to the painting, and restoration efforts were significant.

"The painting came to us in very poor shape," said Ulrich Birkmaier, senior paintings conservator at the Getty Museum. "The brutal way in which it was ripped from its lining caused severe paint flaking and tears, not to mention the damage caused by the blade that was used to slice it from its frame."

Restoration was successful, though, and now the painting is back in front of the world.

"It has been both a privilege and a thrill to be involved in the happy part of painting's momentous history, and we are looking forward to celebrating its return to the galleries at the UAMA, to be seen and enjoyed by many, rather than just two pairs of eyes," Birkmaier said.

According to the release, the painting was lifted from the UA museum the day after Thanksgiving, 1985. A man and a woman were identified as potential suspects, but the investigation went nowhere for years, officials said.

Antiquities dealers David Van Auker, Buck Burns and Rick Johnson of Manzanita Ridge, in Silver City took possession of the painting after they acquired the estate of a woman in rural New Mexico, including what turned out to be "Woman-Ochre," which had been in the woman's bedroom. When the store's customers began to inquire about whether the painting was genuine, Van Auker contacted Miller, who was able to confirm that it was, in fact, the missing piece, and began to facilitate its careful return to the university museum.

"It was really important that we treated it just as we would any investigation, with the seriousness of making sure that it was safe, that the drivers who were driving it were safe, and that no vandalism or theft of it was going to happen on our watch," said Michael Torres, acting supervisory special agent for the Department of Homeland Security Investigations' Tucson field office.

Improbable though the return may be, Torres was thrilled to see it back in its home.

"I think it's absolutely fantastic that this painting can finally come back to its rightful place," he said.

Miller said the museum was lucky that Van Auker and his group were the ones to pick up the painting.

"We feel like the luckiest people in the world that the painting fell into their hands, and that we got the privilege of getting to know them and becoming friends with them," she said.

Albert Chamillard, UAMA exhibit specialist, said seeing "Woman-Ochre" for the first time was surreal.

"It's hard to describe," he said. "I'd been thinking about it in terms of preparing to exhibit it. So, I knew the size, the overall dimensions, the depth. I knew what the painting looked like but, still, it's different when you open it and it's right there in front of you."

Others were so excited upon the painting's return, they took extreme measures to mark the occasion.

"I decided that I needed a tattoo to commemorate this incredible chapter in my own career," said Museum registrar Kristen Schmidt. "I can't imagine anything better happening to me in my career… As a collections manager, my job is to make sure that the art is taken care of, so to have a piece returned to the collection – I can't take credit for it, but it's very fulfilling."

Andy Schulz, University of Arizona vice president for the arts and dean of the College of Fine Arts, said the story of "Woman-Ochre" is one of the most remarkable things he's seen in his career.

"The recovery, restoration, and return of 'Woman-Ochre' opens up exciting intellectual pathways for students and faculty in the visual arts and beyond, including the 'afterlife' of works of art, the long history and relationship between art and crime, and the scientific study of artistic materials and techniques," Schulz said. "And, of course, it is a key work in the history of mid-century American modernism and a cornerstone of the UAMA's strong collection in this area. I look forward to seeing and supporting the rich and varied scholarship and research that will be catalyzed by this important work."

University President Robert C. Robbins agreed.

"'Woman-Ochre' was found shortly after I came to the University of Arizona, and I have been following the remarkable story with interest ever since," Robbins said. "It is such a triumph to see this crown jewel of our art collection finally coming home to the University of Arizona Museum of Art, which is part of what makes our campus a true arts destination. I am glad the painting's return will bring even more patrons and appreciation to this incredible facility."