Morris the Slug Swiped

Some sticky fingers swiped a beloved banana slug art
installation from the Melvin Schuler Sculpture Garden at the Morris Graves
Museum of Art. On the night of Nov. 2, after over 800 community members came
out for Arts Alive, a heist was carried out to steal Morris the banana slug.

“We are devastated by the theft of our beloved Morris the
Slug. Art is meant to connect the community and bring us together. In such a
divided time it is art that can unite us, and that is what Morris was intended
to do.” said Jemima Harr, Executive Director-Curator of the Humboldt Arts
Council, in a press release from the Humboldt Arts Council.

Morris, also known as Morrie, was one of 16 slugs created by
local artists Shannon Sullivan and Jessica Swan that were placed on 13
buildings around the city as part of the Eureka Street Art Festival this year.
Now there are only 15 slugs.

 “He was the only one
on the ground, and because he was in a sculpture yard behind a locked gate but
still visible from the street,” Sullivan said, “we felt like it was a great
opportunity for people to both be able to see it when the museum is closed, and
be able to interact with it, touch it and get close to it when the museum is
open.”

Since Morris’ installation, the slug has been a part of
multiple kids’ programming events. The museum was planning to host a field trip
to view Morris next week.

The crime took place between 9 p.m. and 11 a.m., and the
lock and chain that secured the Sculpture Garden gate was cut. From there, the
museum’s slimy friend was ripped from the ground.

“It’s hard to imagine anyone enjoying it if they stole it,”
Sullivan said. “Really enjoying the artwork that you collect involves sharing
it with the people that you love, and whoever stole it isn’t going to be able
to do that.”

Sullivan called for the individual or individuals
responsible to “bring back Morris.” She also proposed creating a Morris 2.0.

“Public art is meant to be freely accessible to all and it
is so disheartening that someone would intentionally take it away from the
community,” said Harr in the press release.

This article appears in ‘Doing its Part’.