People who knew about the Keith Haring art piece being stolen during Spring Break kept quiet out of fear that the news would delay the piece’s recovery.

Keeping the theft quiet was to help the investigation, said Renee Esgar, an activities adviser in the University Programming and Activities office. “It wasn’t anything intentional.”

Because there were at least 24 keys to the collection’s storage room in the student center—a public building that anyone can visit—University Police cannot guess how long the investigation will take.

There were no signs of forced entry into the Holmes Student Center storage room where the Student Association Art Collection is kept. Almost anyone had access to steal Haring’s untitled acrylic on wood relief.

“It’s a process of elimination,” in trying to find the thief, said UP Lt. Ken Kaiser. The focus of attention is who had keys to the room, he said.

But the list of people that possessed the keys or had access to them is long. It is possible that as many as 15 NIU alumni kept their keys after graduation. Also, keys fitting the room’s lock, located in the glassed-off area in front of the student center hotel desk, also fit other student center offices.

Officials discovered the duplication in late February and asked for a new lock. The new lock was put in during spring break, right after the piece was taken.

The art collection belongs to NIU students and is owned by the SA, said SA President Huda Scheidelman. The Campus Activities Board operates the collection, she said.

CAB told the police and the insurance office about the theft to get the investigation rolling. SA Senate Speaker John Fallon also was told.

“The SA will be informed when there is something to be informed about,” Fallon said on why he did not say anything at the April 8 senate meeting.

The painting is insured through the Fireman’s Fund as part of the coverage for paintings in the collection, the school of art and any traveling exhibits that come to NIU. There is a $250 deductable for the art claims.

The piece was last assessed at about $8,000 in 1986.

But Haring’s death from AIDS on Feb. 16 might make the piece’s value skyrocket. Haring, an admitted drug-user, was noted as a graffiti artist. He became active in political and social causes, especially AIDS, and sold an art piece for $350,000 before his death.

CAB Visual Art Coordinator Erik Eide said the SA bought the piece in 1982 from the Tony Shafrazi Art Gallery in New York City’s SoHo District for $1,200.

Eide and Art Collection Curator Marie Castro are the only ones who can be in the room by themselves because they work with the collection daily, said UP&A Graduate Assistant Lisa Petersen. No one else is allowed in the room alone or without authorization, she said.