Sometimes society gets me down.

[Gary_B]

I woke up at 5:00 AM today because my phone was ringing. My business partner was calling from the glass art gallery and studio we run together in downtown Victoria. Someone had smashed one of our street level windows and stolen some artwork. Now we owe the artist thousands of dollars and had to deal with cleaning up the broken glass and clean up of the damage.

I was rolling with it earlier in the day but now that I'm done work and have time to relax I'm getting more and more pissed of at whoever the fuck it was that thinks it's okay to steal stuff like that. The artist who made the pieces works very hard and so do we.

[howyadoin]

What's your insurance situation, Gary?

[epicduelgirl]

oh my god, that is so freaking terrible. I am so sorry...

it's just terrible how people are raised with so little respect and complete disregard for others.. geez.

[Gary_B]

Howya - past experiences have taught us not to claim unless the cost is beyond a certain level. When there is "activity" on your policy the insurance company jacks your rates the following year and if you claim too often it gets out of hand (insurance companies are crooks too). This time we are going to claim because we've decided not to renew our lease at the end of the year and are closing our doors after Christmas. As far as insurance goes, there won't be a next year for them to apply increases to.

epicduelgirl - I feel the same way.

[DrewTheXenocide]

Holy shit, man. That sucks. Is this the reason why you're closing at the end of the year, or were you always planning on it, this just being the straw that breaks the camel's back?

[Jeff Brady]

Wow, Gary, I'm sorry to hear that.

[howyadoin]

This time we are going to claim because we've decided not to renew our lease at the end of the year and are closing our doors after Christmas. As far as insurance goes, there won't be a next year for them to apply increases to.Does this mean you'll be starting a new business elsewhere? Or are you shutting down altogether?

[Gary_B]

drew - We decided to close our business before this incident. You're right about it sucking, though.

Jeff - Thanks!

Howya - Ya, the phoenix will rise from the ashes in some way. We thought we had a good business plan ten years ago, and it worked in many ways. We can proudly say that we own one of the most respected glass galleries in the country. But we are artists first and business people second and even though we have managed to continue growing creatively and earn recognition for our art it is always a constant challenge to make that a priority after spending the time it takes to run a gallery, represent the artists we show, and manage a business that involves us being responsible for the income of ten people. All of our cost have gone way up but our income is about the same now as it was when we started the business. We just want to cut the retail thing loose and focus on being artists. I'm not totally sure what is next but my wife and I will take two-thirds of all the equipment, supplies and stuff and do something quieter come January. We’re ready.

[howyadoin]

Ya, the phoenix will rise from the ashes in some way. We thought we had a good business plan ten years ago, and it worked in many ways. We can proudly say that we own one of the most respected glass galleries in the country. But we are artists first and business people second and even though we have managed to continue growing creatively and earn recognition for our art it is always a constant challenge to make that a priority after spending the time it takes to run a gallery, represent the artists we show, and manage a business that involves us being responsible for the income of ten people. All of our cost have gone way up but our income is about the same now as it was when we started the business. We just want to cut the retail thing loose and focus on being artists. I'm not totally sure what is next but my wife and I will take two-thirds of all the equipment, supplies and stuff and do something quieter come January. We’re ready.Wow. Good luck, man. Hope it all works out.

[Spike-X]

Man, that's fucked.

"Somebody made something! Let's smash it!"

Fuck you lizard scum.

[Gary_B]

Wow. Good luck, man. Hope it all works out.

Thanks!.....

[Jack Zodiac]

I'm sorry that a lot of people are assholes, Gary; and that one of them decided to fuck up your business this morning. If and when you guys open up another store, spring for some security cameras, if not just to scare assholes like this guy, then to get a clear picture of who he is. Oh, and I hope insurance doesn't ream you over this. Good luck, man.

[Gary_B]

I'm sorry that a lot of people are assholes, Gary; and that one of them decided to fuck up your business this morning. If and when you guys open up another store, spring for some security cameras, if not just to scare assholes like this guy, then to get a clear picture of who he is. Oh, and I hope insurance doesn't ream you over this. Good luck, man.

From what we've heard from business owners and police, security cameras are a good deterrent for in-store shoplifting but don't usually lead to arrests. Thanks for the well wishes Jack.

edit: We do have motion detectors and 24 hour monitoring but these pieces were in a display that has glass on the inside and the outside and the alarm wasn't triggered. The police got a call from city workers called on early morning clean-up who noticed the smashed window.

[Forefinger]

Wow. That is horrible, Gary. I'm sorry for your situation. Hopefully you will end up doing something even better.

[Tobias March]

My condolences man. You sound like a person with vision and will - I'm sure you'll land on your feet.

[Fenris]

I'm really sorry to hear that, Gary. (Though it's good that you're going to get the benefit of the insurance.)

I wonder if they stole the work from their own liking, or with the intent to resell it. Is the stolen material distinctive enough to be trackable that way?

[Gary_B]

Forefinger - Thanks. I hope I end up doing something better, too. But I'll settle for quieter for a while.

Tobias - Thanks.

Fenris - Our gut feeling is that the artworks were stolen because they appealed to whoever did it - sort of a destructive and insulting form of impulse shopping. It's possible that someone who knows the work sent someone downtown to do it for them - somehow even more insulting.

These kinds of objet d'art don't usually end up in pawn shops but we will check around a bit. I once found an $800.00 piece in a pawn shop with a $25.00 price tag on it. This feels more like it was done by someone who knew what they were steeling.

When my wife and I lived in Vancouver in the early 90's there was a two or three year period when glass art pieces were being stolen fairly often. Three or four galleries were targeted and it was always the same three artists whose work was stolen, one of them being my wife. One place even installed security arches and magnetic tags on all the work and still had expensive things stolen. The police explained it by saying that real professional thieves are uncommon but when it comes right down to it they put as much thought into their work as anyone else does and that if they decide to target you there isn't usually much you can do about it.

[Gary_B]

Is the stolen material distinctive enough to be trackable that way?


The stolen work is very distinctive.

http://www.fusionartglass.com/artists/takenouchi/images/takenouchi2.JPG http://www.fusionartglass.com/artists/takenouchi/images/takenouchi3.JPG

[Fenris]

Oh. Yes, that is quite clear.

I don't guess the odds of your finding them again are good, but good luck. (And my sympathies to your wife. What a pyrric compliment!)

[Gary_B]

What's your insurance situation, Gary?

Further to that question...

My insurance situation sucks, howya.

My partner talked to the insurance adjuster and our deductible is greater than the amount we can claim for. My business partner summed thing s up best when she got off the phone and said "So much for karma and good will and all that other shit". We haven't had to many situations in our ten years of business where we needed to call our insurance company but this how all of them have worked out. If we were staying in business I think we would be considering dropping theft insurance all together.

[howyadoin]

Further to that question...

My insurance situation sucks, howya.

My partner talked to the insurance adjuster and our deductible is greater than the amount we can claim for. My business partner summed thing s up best when she got off the phone and said "So much for karma and good will and all that other shit". We haven't had to many situations in our ten years of business where we needed to call our insurance company but this how all of them have worked out. If we were staying in business I think we would be considering dropping theft insurance all together.Oh, for fuck sakes. What a pack of assholes.

[Gary_B]

I am in an insurance company despising rage right now but it is beginning to wane because, do to the peculiarities of owning my own business, it is Friday night for me and the gin and sodas are beginning to work their magic.

[Winslow]

Further to that question...

My insurance situation sucks, howya.

My partner talked to the insurance adjuster and our deductible is greater than the amount we can claim for. My business partner summed thing s up best when she got off the phone and said "So much for karma and good will and all that other shit". We haven't had to many situations in our ten years of business where we needed to call our insurance company but this how all of them have worked out. If we were staying in business I think we would be considering dropping theft insurance all together.

Sheesh . .why even have insurance?

Modern day "carpetbaggers."

I had a job offer to go down to New Orleans to price damage from Hurrican Katrina (I'm a construction engineer) FOR insurance Conmpanies. I said No to the dark side. I could swear there was heavy intercom breathing from the guy that called me.

I'm really sorry this happened to you Gary.

[Gary_B]

Sheesh . .why even have insurance?

Modern day "carpetbaggers."

I had a job offer to go down to New Orleans to price damage from Hurrican Katrina (I'm a construction engineer) FOR insurance Conmpanies. I said No to the dark side. I could swear there was heavy intercom breathing from the guy that called me.

I'm really sorry this happened to you Gary.

Thanks, Winslow.

Ultimately we can cover the loss but, ya, why even have insurance? I'm glad that you weren't seduced by the dark side.

[SOGG]

This sucks muchly, Gary. Those are very beautiful pieces too.

[Gary_B]

So last week I woke up only to learn that someone had smashed a window at work and stolen artwork from the window display. Today my wife and I got in the car only to discover that someone had stolen a portable CD player from the glove compartment. People suck!

[Jeff Brady]

So last week I woke up only to learn that someone had smashed a window at work and stolen artwork from the window display. Today my wife and I got in the car only to discover that someone had stolen a portable CD player from the glove compartment. People suck!

It's clearly a vendetta.

Sorry to hear that.