You would think taking off with a seven-foot replica of Gumby would be no easy feat for stealth robbers, but that is exactly what happened in the early morning hours of Sunday, Oct. 13. The fifty-pound creation, a collaboration between Bob Malkin and Saugerties sculptor Ze’ev Willy Neumann, delighted passersby with its whimsy as it stood on the Malkin’s West Saugerties property on Burnett Rd.
Mr. Malkin commissioned the piece three years ago. “It makes people smile to see a cartoon character from their childhood. We wanted it to be a way of saying ‘welcome to our neighborhood’.”
If Gumby is returned, Mr. Neumann has offered to work with the perpetrators to restore the art piece to its original condition. He believes if any good can come from the theft, it’s the opportunity to learn to build rather than destroy. (He has made similar offers in the past when his public art was vandalized.)
The owners have offered a $100 reward for information leading to the safe return of Gumby. Anyone having any information is asked to contact Saugerties Police Officer Patrick Hastings at (845) 246-9800 or phastings@police.saugerties.ny.us.
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