Dozens of pieces of artwork, handmade goods stolen from ArtFest

Several artist had their tents vandalized and thousands of dollars worth of artwork stolen on Friday of this year’s MAC ArtFest.

ArtFest, which ended Sunday, is a Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture art festival in Coeur d’Alene Park, where hundreds of artists sell art from a variety of mediums. The festival is a decades old tradition for both artists and fans, and included food trucks, beer, and live music.

Nicole Flood, an apparel artist who handmakes clothing from upscaled materials, said she noticed something was wrong Saturday morning, when she saw a large slit cut into the side of her tent. When she entered her tent, every hat she had on display was gone as well as several of her most expensive items, sweaters and jackets for men.

In total, 20 hats and five men’s hoodies and jackets were stolen Friday night. She said the merchandise, which she made over several months, is worth about $2,000. Flood, who sells her pieces through her Flood Clothing brand and is based in Portland, said she filed a police report, and hopes insurance will at least cover the cost of her tent and materials.

She said pieces like the hoodies can take around five hours to cut and sew, which doesn’t include the time she spends on preparing the fibers and other materials to make them.

“There’s no way to actually physical replace any of it, because it’s completely one of a kind,” she said. “The piece that was taken is just gone, never to be made again.”

Flood said she’s been selling at art festivals for 15 years and has never had her pieces stolen, or booth vandalized.

Suzanne Fluty, a ceramic artist based in Boise, said she had 30 pieces worth about $1,000 stolen. Her tent was also damaged during the theft. Most of the pieces that were taken were plates and a few earthenware animals she created, such as a small llama sculpture.

She said so many pieces were stolen that she may not have enough in stock for her next show in two weeks. Fluty said she does have business insurance, but was far more worried about her pieces being broken in transport, or in bad weather during her show.

Fluty said ArtFest was her fourth art show as an vendor, and her first time in Spokane. She said the real loss is how long it took her to create every piece of pottery. It’s a multi-step process for every dish or sculpture, which can sometimes take weeks.

“I barely pay myself for the hours I do this,” she said. “It’s a lot of lost time.”

Fluty said other artists at the festival have been supportive of her and Flood, and a few have even offered to buy the pieces she has left.

Betsy Godlewski, the development director at the MAC, said the museum has security at the festival at all times and has extra security at night. She said she has not heard of a theft like this since the festival started 34 years ago.

“These artists have worked all year to produce the work they bring to ArtFest, and I feel terrible that someone thinks they can come in and steal this artwork,” she said.

She said three artists had work stolen during the show, but declined to name the third artist, saying the museum tries to protect everyone who comes to the festival.

She said the MAC has been working with the police and will examine festival safety over the next few months.