Repeated Vandalism Puts Highlands Ranch Art Encounter Program At Risk
HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) – A program in Highlands Ranch, meant to promote the arts, is having the costliest year in its history - thanks to vandals. Now, the program's director fears its future could be in danger if more pieces of art are damaged.
Just last week, Highlands Ranch's Art Encounter program, which is part of a greater Douglas County-wide program, removed its second installation this year due to vandalism.
The large marble sculpture, known as "Elegant Lady," was cracked and damaged. The installation had been in Civic Green Park since June.
"There was definitely some vandalism at the base of the sculpture, so we filed a police report and had to make the decision to move it because it was structurally unsound," said Sara Walla, senior marketing and special projects manager for the Highlands Ranch Community Association.
Walla tells CBS4 she was sickened by the discovery, and so was Aurora-based artist Reno Carollo. His piece, valued at $18,000, is now in triage with likely too much damage to fix.
Earlier this year, the 11-year-old program dealt with a similar situation with a different art installation at the same park.
"It had repeated vandalism, so we had to make the decision to permanently remove that piece, so it's very sad that the second piece in the park is going to be removed for vandalism now," Walla said.
In the first case, the Highlands Ranch Cultural Affairs Association, a nonprofit under the HRCA, ended up repaying the artist for the damage. This time, the same could happen again.
Walla tells CBS4 that if costly incidents like this continue, it could be the end of the program altogether.
"We try to do this to beautify it and also increase interest in the arts and for local artists," she said. "It's just so sad to me that this would happen."
There are cameras in the park, but it's unclear yet if they caught anyone in the act. Walla and the HRCA have turned the video over to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.