This post needs more time than I can give it currently, so I will do my best, as things are very, very busy right now. If you follow me on social media, you might be aware that at the start of IX this year there was a lot of ... excitement. Which led to the craziest 24 hours in IX history.
First and foremost, a MILLION THANKS to Patrick Wilshire, the entire IX team, the entire Googleworks team, and Reading PD. Everyone stepped up and got things done. It was amazing to watch and so encouraging about the state of the world. Now, I cannot give a lot of details, as things are ongoing and, frankly, I do not have all the details and so do not want to mispeak. So I will tell you some of what I know. The things that happened to me.
On the Wednesday preview night of IX, a person moved through the venue and proceeded to steal everything that wasn't nailed down. And that is not metaphorical... they stole art, tools, lights, and more. Late in the evening, word got out that items were missing, and that is when I realized I too had been robbed. At the time, it was a single artist proof with art on the back, and while it sucked, I accepted it. Thursday morning wasn't the best start for IX, but we made the best of it. That was when it was realized items were still disappearing, in real time. And that was when I realized a large stack of originals from my second book were gone. I was gutted. An artist proof is one thing, but my art from the book was another. And I was ready to pack up and leave.
In that moment, I knew the thief was still there and active. That is also when I knew the thief was profoundly stupid... and thought they were the smartest person there. The Googleworks has a robust security system with facial recognition built in. The team on site quickly logged all of the theft events caught on camera and even located the suspect actively interacting with people at the show. The police department acted quickly, and the suspect was arrested. The individual needs help and was not a stranger to the community, as they have attended other events... events where items were stolen.
Long story short, ALL of my stolen items were found on the suspects when they were arrested, and I received all of my items back. Items from other artists could be seen clearly in the suspect's car, and in time everyone got their items back, even some artists that hadn't realized they had been robbed. Like I said, it was a crazy and eventful 24 hours at IX. And I am indebted to all those who worked so hard to get everything back. Do NOT mess with IX.
Now, for some images from the show...
That is all for another exciting Monday on the blog. See you back here on Wedsneday! Until then...
