Support for LAist comes from
Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire
Stay Connected
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Arts and Entertainment

70-Pound Painting Valued At $5,000 Stolen At Venice Festival

Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.

A local artist is wondering how someone made off with one of his paintings since it weighs 70 pounds and is more than six feet wide.

Josh Serafin, who lives in Huntington Beach, was selling his work at the Abbot Kinney Festival on Sunday, ABC7 reports. The painting that was stolen is of a leopard shark on recycled glass. Serafin says the piece is worth $5,000.

"It's 70 pounds. This is a heavy piece. I need help hanging it. It isn't light. So it was definitely a joint effort," Serafin said.

He said he was loading two other pieces and when he went to get the shark painting, it was gone. He said it's the first time he's had anything stolen in his 12 years of exhibiting.

Support for LAist comes from

His tent was set up in front of FEED Body & Soul restaurant at 1239 Abbot Kinney Blvd. The restaurant has a video camera facing the street, according to ABC, but going over surveillance footage usually takes a while.

"To steal someone's art that they spent so much time on, it's just hard to believe. I mean I guess, people, it must be that they're high," Serafin said. He's hoping someone comes forward to return the painting or i.d. the thieves.

If you have any information about this crime, contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.

A bigger (literally) art theft occurred earlier this year when thieves made off with a 200-pound bright pink dog statue from West Hollywood.

Related:
Who Stole West Hollywood's 200-Pound Pink Bulldog?
Lost & Found: Stolen Rembrandt Sketch Recovered At Encino Church
Video: The Banksy Heist. Sale or Theft? Or Both?

As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.

Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.

We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.

Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.

Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist