Nicholas Bonneur had big plans for his red fiber sculpture when he displayed it near the Kishwaukee River.

The senior art education major displayed more than 100 feet of red vine and planned on photographing the sculpture through the seasons to document how his sculpture progressed. But his plans were ruined after his sculpture was stolen.

Bonneur used to walk by his sculpture that he completed for his 3-D forms and fiber class everyday — until one day, two weeks ago, when it was gone. The project took him nearly 50 hours and over $70 to complete.

“Public art is really interesting,” Bonneur said. “There is a trust between the artist and the public.”

Bonneur said he knew there was a risk involved, but what disturbs him is that his art wasn’t only stolen from him but from the public as well.

After having a letter to the editor published in the Northern Star, Bonneur received an anonymous tip, informing him of the whereabouts of his sculpture.

Bonneur was told his sculpture was seen near Homer J. Goyle. When he went to the grotesque by Altgeld Hall, he said he found his sculpture muddy and slightly torn.

Bonneur said he plans on restoring his piece, but he won’t put it on display again.

Disappearing art is not a new problem for art students; it’s been one for the last decade.

Ronald Mazanowski, an art professor for 22 years, said stolen art only has become a problem in the last eight to 10 years.

Everybody has art to display, and it’s hard to have security, said Mazanowski.

Charlie Dubnick, a senior art education major, said he’s had art stolen too and claims he’s not alone.

Dubnick said several ceramic pieces of his were stolen form the Art Building.

It happens with regularity, Dubnick said. So much so that he didn’t even report it.

Dubnick said his five-piece ceramic tea bowls were not yet finished when someone took them. He ran into a bigger problem because he hadn’t put his name on them, which means someone else could pass them off for his or her own.

Mazanowski, who teaches in the ceramics department, said he hasn’t received any reports of stolen ceramics all semester, but he did say he has heard of other forms of art being taken.

Art is meant to be displayed, but because it is more appealing to take than academic papers, it invites people to steal, Mazanowski said.

“We encourage people to take items home when they are completed,” he added.

Much of the art being stolen is in the Art Building, and many of the students coming in and out everyday are art students, which puzzles Dubnick as to why they would steal.

“It blows my mind that art students would steal from other art students,” Dubnick said.

People who steal art aren’t artists, Dubnick added. A piece of art is a piece of the artist; anyone who would steal art obviously doesn’t feel that way.

As bad as it is to see art stolen, people always will steal something, Mazanowski said.

“It’s unfortunate when you’re dealing with a contemporary society like we are. Those type of people exist, and students need to take care of their work,” said Mazanowski.