Denver Art Museum Officials Confident Damaged Pieces Can Be Salvaged
DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Art Museum says 10 works of art were damaged before museum personnel tackled a man on Sunday afternoon and held him until police arrived. The damage occured in the Hamilton wing.
Police named Jake Siebenlist, 18, as the suspect. If he had a motive for what he is accused of doing, he gave no indication in court. His hand was cut, bandaged and swollen.
Numerous pieces of art in the "Stampede: Art and Animals" exhibit did not fare too well either. Among them a piece called "Beware of Cranes."
Christoph Heinrich, the museum's director, said the suspect appeared mentally troubled.
"When you destroy art in a gallery that's pretty weird, and he was aggravated and not in a state of mind that was reasonable."
Police reported the suspect pushed a glass structure over, and then pushed patrons out of his way. Court documents state, "Siebenlist then began to throw numerous sculptures across the room causing them to break and began shattering other art sculptures into the ground."
Heinrich said there was anger and sadness at the museum.
"This is a totally unreasonable, weird thing. First time in my career and in the history of the Denver Art Museum," he said.
The gallery where the vandalism occurred is now closed. The remainder of the exhibit remains open to the public.
The damaged objects include pre-Columbian ceramic vessels, a 19th century Chinese vase as well as modern and contemporary items. Heinrich believes they can be salvaged.
"Our conservators are stellar, and I am confident they can conserve and restore most of the objects," he said.
Siebenlist has no prior record and was to be released on a personal recognizance bond.
CBS4's Rick Sallinger is a Peabody award winning reporter who has been with the station more than two decades doing hard news and investigative reporting. Follow him on Twitter @ricksallinger.
