Stolen ArtPrize Painting Returned After Thrilling Night On The Town

It's pretty sad when an ArtPrize entry has more fun over the weekend than you did.

I spent my final weekend of summer getting caught up on yard work and cleaning my house. No one grabbed me and said let's go to a party on the West Side.

But that's exactly what someone did for a piece of art work entered into the annual ArtPrize competition.

A piece of Kenn Vidro's multi-painting mural along the Monroe Street side of Mojo's Piano Bar was grabbed for an exciting night on the town Friday night, only to be returned covered in beer, and a little banged up from his wild weekend.

Vidro, the long time Rockford Schools art teacher has been a fixture along Monroe Street for years during Art Prize. The energetic artist always has a big display including merchandise featuring his graphic art you can purchase in front of the famed piano bar.

But late Friday, someone swiped a four foot by four foot portion of his mural of anime and cartoon characters. When interviewed by several news organizations, the happy-go-lucky Vidro suspected that the thief may be an alien from a distant universe, given the panel's motif of famed pop culture space creatures such as E.T., Alf and Baby Yoda.

The whereabouts of the pilfered painting remained a mystery until an anonymous phone call to the Grand Rapids Police from a person waking from a wild house party admitted the art was "mysteriously" placed in his back yard.

The police came and got Vidro from his Monroe venue to ID the wayward work of art.

Vidro said the painting was no worse for wear, aside from a few dings and "gloss of Coors Light".

A lot of people are calling for the blood of the perpetrator, but I'm sure Kenn is taking a forgive and forget attitude now that his work is home safe.

FYI -- in the screen shot below, it's clear that Kenn belongs in the million member "people who look like Jojo" club.