Print edition: 
Sometime over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, someone vandalized two sculptures on display in Old Town, officials announced today.
“The damage was significant,” Wichita police Lt. Doug Nolte said.
One piece, a 5-foot-tall fiber-reinforced terra cotta of a woman with a dog, was destroyed, said John D’Angelo, the city’s arts and cultural services director. The other, a 2-foot-tall limestone sculpture, was damaged.
“We’re in the process of working with the artist as to possible repairs of it,” D’Angelo said.
Both pieces were crafted by Moundridge sculptor Ann Zerger. The damage was estimated at $7,500, D’Angelo said. The destroyed piece had actually been purchased by an out-of-town visitor, he said, and the vandalism means Zerger has lost that sale.
“It’s disappointing,” D’Angelo said.
Zerger could not be reached for comment.
The outdoor sculptures have been “well-received by tourists of our city,” he said, adding that they are a feature that helps set Wichita apart from other cities.
The vandalized pieces were on pedestals across the street from each other in front of the Hotel at Old Town parking garage. They are among 13 outdoor sculpture locations throughout Old Town, D’Angelo said.
The pieces are rotated on an annual basis as part of the Arts Council’s Sculpture WalkAbout Project in downtown Wichita, which showcases sculptures outside a museum setting. The Arts Council has offered a $500 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in the vandalism, D’Angelo said.
Police patrols in the area have been increased since the incident occurred, Nolte said.
“There were probably several thousand people down in the Old Town area” over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, he said, and police hope some of them saw something that will help solve the crime.
Investigators will be checking surveillance footage from the area to see if they can find clues to the vandal’s identity, he said. Anyone with information related to the crimes should call Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.
