World's smallest art gallery falls victim to thieves (From Halesowen News)

World's smallest art gallery falls victim to thieves

8:20am Friday 19th June 2009 in News

THE world’s smallest art gallery has been targeted by thieves twice within four days of opening in a disused Halesowen phone box.

Artist Teresa Crawford-Docherty, who set up the miniature exhibition, said she was disappointed that her acrylic and mixed media painting depicting climate change was taken just four hours after the launch of the Little Un Art Gallery.

“I did sort of expect some thefts, but not quite that quickly,” said the 40-year-old photography graduate.

Two days later she was boosted when a pen-and-ink drawing of a butterfly, signed by mystery artist N Metcalfe, was hung in its place, but the following evening a controversial piece by Asian artist Sukhi Chumber disappeared from the phone box in Banners Street.

Teresa said she understood that people might be offended by the photograph of the Wolverhampton artist’s torso with the word Paki written across it.

But she added: “He was using the word in a positive way. He said it was a word used when he was growing up and it was part of who he was and had helped to make him strong. The piece was about his identity.”

The former nurse who lives opposite the phone box took “squatters’ rights” over it after being fed up of looking at the empty, damaged booth for two years.

“There is no phone in it, the door is broken and there’s some glass missing. Rather than looking at a mess I wanted to do something positive for the local community,” said Teresa.

Reaction has been mainly good, with just two negative comments, but bizarrely Teresa has had to repeatedly replace the comments book which keeps being taken.

About 60 people gathered for the opening of the gallery which features paintings, photographs and sculptures by Black Country artists and she is hoping to find other unusual venues which could be transformed by art.

“I’ve already had a email suggesting a wall at the Monmore Green race track in Wolverhampton, which I will have a look at,” said Teresa, who is studying for a masters degree in fine art at Wolverhampton University.