A local artist and employees of a downtown Victoria pub are hoping a thief has a change of heart.
The Churchill is asking for a piece of fox fur to be returned after it was stolen from the Government Street pub on Saturday night (Nov. 23). The fur was part of an art piece produced by Heather Morisson that was currently on display at The Churchill. The piece, titled She/Her, consists of two identical lamps, with the fur representing a key detail in the artist's storytelling. “It was a vintage fox fur that I added to my lamp to differentiate ‘she’ from ‘her,’” said Morrison.
“The small differences between the two pieces are meant to represent self-awareness and the multifaceted nature to our own gender expression and identity.”
The theft has put a damper on what was otherwise an exciting time for The Churchill as they geared up for their artist showcase on Thursday (Nov. 28).
“We’re pretty bummed out,” said a Churchill employee “But, we feel like if we kind of meet it with a little bit more friendliness and love, then we might have a better edge at someone returning it rather than being angry about it.”
Despite whatever value the fur may have had Morisson says it is now diminished “The fur will lose its value to whomever has it now and that is a tragic end for something that was meant to be enjoyed by more than one selfish person.”
The pub is asking for the fur to be returned, no questions asked. “We and the artist just want it back,” The Churchill manager Katrina Sebelius stated in a Facebook post.
