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Help Find This Pee-Wee Portrait Poached From Williamsburg Bar
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jul 27, 2011
Modified Jul 27, 2011
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By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Jul 27, 2011
Modified Jul 27, 2011
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What is this world coming to? We received word from a tipster this afternoon of a mysterious art heist at Williamsburg bar Iona. The theft? A portrait of Pee Wee Herman. Here's what happened:
"I deejay at a pub in Brooklyn called Iona. My wonderful friend and artist, Jen Holland, has had her artwork on display there for the past month. Two nights ago, her prize piece was lifted off the wall. It's a portrait of Pee Wee Herman... She is a sincere sweetheart that absolutely LOVES the man, and has met him on a few occasions. This is an idol of hers and this was art from her heart. Can you put the APB out?"
We tracked down Holland, who told us that she spent two months working on the 12 x 16-inch painting. "I was inspired from [Paul Reubens's] show coming to Broadway. He's one of my favorite actors, so I wanted to do a portrait," she said. The painting wasn't even for sale—"It was just on display, I was saving it to sell in a year when I could have a show of all my paintings," she said.
The bartender we spoke to at Iona said they're reviewing security tapes for more clues about the theft, which occurred on Monday night between 1 and 3 a.m. A group of people had been asking about the portrait earlier in the evening. "It's really awful," said the bartender. "It was such a great painting. Everybody loved her art."
If you have any information related to the crime, get in touch with Holland here or call the bar at (718) 384-5008.
UPDATE: 6:05 p.m. We have received word that the stolen art has been returned! Success!
Tagged
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jen holland
paul ruebens
pee wee
stolen
theft
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Jamie Feldmar
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