David Van Auker, January's Lunch & Learn speaker.By Marla McDonald, WILL Communications Chair
January 21, 2026 – Noon to 1 p.m.
The Auditorium of the WNMU Besse-Forward Global Resource Center (the corner of 12th and Kentucky Streets)
We'd been in Silver a few months when I first heard about it. Someone said something about Manzanita Ridge adding "you know the place where they found the de Kooning…" "What are you talking about?" I asked. "You don't know about the stolen painting that was found here in Silver? Why it was the biggest thing to happen here since Billy the Kid!" No, I hadn't heard about it. "Watch The Thief Collector. You'll be gob-smacked!" We were.
Come hear David Van Auker, owner of Manzanita Ridge, tell the story… how they found the paintings, what happened when they realized what they had, how the movie came about, what the movie left out, and how this experience changed his life. He promises to answer all the questions that the movie raises, and tell us about what has happened since.
David will be joined by Lou Schachter. Lou is a storyteller who explores the intersection of true crime and travel. He grew up in New York and lived in Los Angeles for most of his adult life before retiring from a corporate career in 2020 and relocating to Palm Springs. He posts his stories at http://truecrimeroadtrip.com . Lou will be talking about the other paintings stolen by Rita and Jerry, Specifically the two stolen from the Harwood museum in Taos and their subsequent recovery.
The Thief Collector is currently streaming on a variety of services including Prime, AppleTV, Hoopla, Kanopy, Roku and Tubi. David encourages everyone to watch the movie beforehand.
Lunch & Learn attendance is free and open to the public. Lunch is not provided, but participants may bring their own.
Caption for photo 01: David Van Auker, January's Lunch & Learn speaker.
