What happened May 6 stunned artist Witold Kaczanowski, who for the past three decades has divided his time between his Paris studio and what he calls his primary home and studio in Cherry Creek North.
Sometime that evening, said Kaczanowski, somebody walked into his studio and art gallery at 329 Detroit St., and walked out with a piece called “Colorado Symphony Orchestra.”
The art had been hanging on a wall of the gallery near the front door.
The 77-year-old Kaczanowski, known in the art world as Witold-K, said it is not unusual for him to keep the front door to the Arte Gallery open as late as 10 or 11 p.m.
In his 28 years working at the studio, he has never had a problem in Cherry Creek North, let alone with the theft of his artwork.
“It never happens here,” he said.
Witold-K has works in public and private collections all over the world, and his 40 one-man art exhibitions have appeared in major cities throughout Europe and the United States.
He has a special attachment to artists, and three of his works hang in Boettcher Concert Hall in downtown Denver.
“Colorado Symphony Orchestra,” which Witold-K valued at between $6,000 and $7,000, was a preliminary sketch of one of his paintings now at Boettcher.
The Colorado Symphony Orchestra has a high regard for Witold-K.
A few years ago, the symphony announced that one of his original acrylics would be featured on a cover of the CSO’s “Soundings” magazine. The acrylic, titled “Symphony for People No. 2,” was sold as a poster.
The Polish-born artist said that the stolen work is 3½ feet by 2½ feet.
At first, the artist thought the theft might have been part of a prank.
“For 24 hours, I thought it was one of my friends,” said Kaczanowski. “I thought it was a joke.”
But none of his friends took it.
Witold-K said he now believes he may have been targeted, as his art has gained worldwide recognition.
He filed a report with Denver police. Their investigation concurred that someone took “the painting from the wall while the owner was in the back.”
No suspects have been identified.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
