“The female distracted the security guard while the male guest went into the gallery and cut the de Kooning from its frame. Quickly the couple left the museum, and the guard noticed that the painting had been stolen. ”
Earlier this year, I reconnected with a childhood friend, who now lives in Silver City, New Mexico. We talked about our current lives, and she began telling me about her neighbor— who was connected to a Rita and Jerry Alter.
The Alters were an unassuming mild-mannered couple turned alleged art thieves. The Alters had passed away and their estate and belongings were sold to David Van Auker and his partners Buck Burns, and Rick Johnson who own the antique store Manzanita Ridge in Silver City, New Mexico. In the estate they had purchased, for less that $2,000, was Woman-Ochre, Willem de Kooning, 1955. The antique store had the painting on display for a few days and were unsure of the validity of the work, and did not realize that the work was stolen until interest in the painting and inquiries from customers lead to them to researching the work online.
On the day after Thanksgiving 1985, a couple arrived early to the University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson Arizona. They were an unassuming pair and followed a staff member into the museum. The female distracted the security guard, while the male guest went into the gallery and cut the de Kooning from its frame. Quickly the couple left the museum and the guard noticed that the painting had been stolen. This theft remained unsolved for over 30 years. There was no video footage of the theft, but the police renderings of the suspects draw a striking resemblance to the Altlers.
Auker and his partners reached out the the University of Arizona Museum of Art to inform them of their recent estate purchase. Shortly after, Auker was contacted by the FBI and an investigation into the long missing art work was closer to being resolved.
Woman-Ochre, Willem de Kooning, 1955 was returned on loan to the University of Arizona by Auker and his partners, and the FBI requested that they formalize the loan by signing a deed of gift to the museum, ensuring the museums claim to ownership.
The work was badly damaged by the cutting of the canvas and lining. Fissures, lifting of paint, and cracking were apparent throughout —because of the handling of the painting after it was stolen. The work may have been rolled vertically for concealment on the day of the theft. The museum retained the original frame and remainder of the cut canvas. The work is currently undergoing conservation and will be returned to the University of Arizona Museum of Art later this year.
What is truly captivating to me about this case, is that the Alters were collectors and they had enumerable works in their collection. What other works could be clandestinely lingering in the quiet ridges of Silver City, New Mexico. The neighbor’s account of the Alter’s collection has captivated me since I was told about this case. My friend said, at night she could see inside the neighbor’s residence and there were many objects and artwork that could be seen from the street through the glass storm door. She drove by and took video and photos of the residence at my request.
Could this person, who was given objects from the couples’ possessions, have other long lost stolen relics?
I am long past due to visit my old friend. I would like to meet the neighbor and possibly see her “collection”.
