A painting on a cinder block wall in New Orleans done by the elusive artist Banksy seemed to be under construction last week. The painting depicts a young girl standing under an umbrella, with rain coming from the umbrella. The young girl has her hand out, as if to feel the open air-where it is not raining. Banksy, one of the most renowned street artists in the world, created the painted in 2008, along with several others. Most of the paintings draw subject matter from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005. While many of the paintings have been covered or damaged, the painting that has come to be known as “umbrella girl” still stands in good condition.
Neighbors Foil Heist
Neighbors that are familiar with the painting noticed activity around the painting. A local photographer, Cheryl Gerber, asked a man that was nearby with a rental truck what was happening with the painting. The man replied that the painting was going to big show in London. Gerber posted a picture of the painting on Facebook, with a caption stating that it was going to London. Clay Lapeyrouse, an operations manager for a nearby business became suspicious when he saw the post on Facebook. He asked the men that were working on removing the cinder blocks containing the painting for a permit, and they could not provide one or tell him where the painting was going, so Lapeyrouse called police. By the time police arrived, the men were gone but the painting was still in place.
In order to prevent further attempts at theft, a plywood shield was placed to put the painting out of reach. The holes where the men had attempted to cut the painting out were also covered up with plywood. The suspects were never captured, but umbrella girl still stands.