We often hear of masterpieces getting stolen from museums, but how often have you heard about a painting getting stolen from a brewery’s bathroom? Well, in Anchorage, it happened twice, and both times the paintings were Clendaniel originals! I’m flattered just a little, but mostly very disappointed with these people’s choices, or maybe just one person’s.
When I was doing the Year of Beer project, Gabe Fletcher, the owner of Anchorage Brewing Co., purchased a few beer paintings, and when he built his new brewery, he hung a painting in each bathroom. Then one day, the painting from the men’s room was gone! It was of Calabaza Boreal, a collaboration brew by Anchorage Brewing and Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales. It was a hard piece to make, because it had two different incarnations and I depicted both bottles in the painting. Gabe put out a plea for the thief to hang the art back on the wall, and no questions would be asked. The painting hasn’t been seen since. Gabe bought another painting from me of the Experiment, to replace that one, but he didn’t hang it in the bathroom.
Fast forward a couple years, and the thief strikes again! Maybe it was a different person. We don’t know. This time the scene of the crime was the bathroom at Odd Man Rush Brewing Co. in Eagle River. Last year I painted a piece live in the taproom, and one of the owners purchased it, and hung it in one of the unisex bathrooms. Several months later, the painting mysteriously disappeared. Ironically, the beer painting was of the Enforcer IPA.
So the lesson is, don’t hang your 8″x10″ Clendaniel beer art in public bathrooms at your drinking establishment! I don’t have a problem with the location, I like having my artwork displayed basically anywhere, as long as it is visible to people. The problem I have with public restrooms is that people seem to believe the artwork on the walls is a free gift.
After hearing that the piece was yanked, I contacted the owners of Odd Man Rush, and set up a date to paint a new one at the brewery. I completed this painting last Sunday of Enforcer IPA, while sipping on a couple delicious brews, including the NEIPA, and when I was done painting the glass and the beer, I got to drink the Enforcer while painting the background.
The new painting to replace the one that was stolen.
If you see either one of those stolen paintings, please grab it back for the rightful owners. If you would like to return the stolen pieces, because you made a bad decision while you were a little tipsy, just put them back in the bathrooms, no questions asked.
Cheers to honesty! Please don’t steal art, just contact me, and I’ll paint your favorite beer… no questions asked.
Real Art Is Better! 