Today on a special episode of Colorado Edition: arts reporter Stacy Nick looks at the time a lifted cartoon of a flatulent unicorn made headlines, the repatriation of Native American artifacts and how a vandalized artwork in Loveland ended up bringing people together.
A High-Tech Heist
Not every art theft happens under the cloak of darkness; sometimes they occur in the soft glow of a computer screen.
The internet has made it easy to steal an artist’s intellectual property. So, what defenses do artists have? And how can they fight back? There are a few protections, as Stacy discovered.
The Long Journey Home
For more than a century, archaeologists and museums were intent on collecting as many artifacts as they could to learn more about indigenous communities.
But now they’re realizing that instead of saving a community’s culture – they were stripping it of one. Stacy tells us how Colorado is a leader in returning these artifacts…
Repairing The Damage
It might be easier to understand why a person steals a work of art versus someone who vandalizes it. It’s more complicated – but in the end, both actions rob viewers of experiencing the piece.
Stacy shares the story of an artist who developed new friendships – and art – after one of his works was destroyed…
You can find all of Stacy’s reporting on stolen art here.
Colorado Edition is made possible with support from our KUNC members. Thank you!
Our theme music was composed by Colorado musicians Briana Harris and Johnny Burroughs.
Colorado Edition is hosted by Erin O'Toole (@ErinOtoole1) and Henry Zimmerman (@HWZimmerman), and produced by Lily Tyson. The web was edited by digital editor Jackie Hai. Managing editor Brian Larson contributed to this episode.
KUNC's Colorado Edition is a news magazine taking an in-depth look at the issues and culture of Northern Colorado. It's available on our website, as well as on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can hear the show on KUNC's air, Monday through Thursday at 6:30 p.m., with a rebroadcast of the previous evening's show Tuesday through Friday at 9:30 a.m.