Sculptor Anne Stanner’s pair of torsos, entitled “Adam and Eve,” have been on display for about three years on the historic mansion property once owned by Italian opera star Amelita Galli-Curci, on Rt. 49A in Highmount. At some point around President’s Day, Eve disappeared from the spot, which is a couple of miles beyond Belleayre Ski Center.
Stanner, heartbroken by the loss, is offering $100 for information leading to the recovery of the female torso, and she offers amnesty, no questions asked, if Eve is returned. “The sculpture is slightly larger than life size and made of concrete,” she said. “It weighs about 75 pounds. A really strong person could’ve picked it up, or a couple of people.”
“The work was so beautiful, it overwhelmed someone’s sense of decency,” said Shandaken artist Dave Channon, who curates the site and has one of his own outdoor sculptures at the location. He noted that there are over 1000 sculpture parks around the country, and theft is rare. He expressed appreciation for the New York City art lovers who own the Galli-Curci property as a second home and generously agreed to allow sculptures to be displayed on their land.
Stanner, also a curator, has organized sculpture exhibitions on Governors Island in New York City harbor and other locations, both indoor and outdoor. She is a metal sculpture technical instructor at the Art Students League and past president of the New York Society of Women Artists.
“Adam and Eve” were sculpted in clay from live models at the Art Students League and then cast in concrete. Stanner, who has a second home near Ellenville, included the pieces in her solo show at Arts Society of Kingston in January 2016. Channon saw the show and suggested placing the two torsos outdoors at the Galli-Curci location.
He has curated outdoor art at the Catskill Interpretive Center, where sculpture will take a hiatus this year. More work will be out in the spring at the Mount Tremper railway station on Route 28.
The theft of Eve has been reported to the Shandaken police.
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