Two paintings have been recovered and returned 40 years after they were stolen from UNM's Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico.
Victor Higgins, Aspens, c. 1932, oil on canvas, 12 x 14 in.
Collection of Harwood Museum of Art.
Credit: UNM Harwood Museum of Art
Joseph Henry Sharp, Oklahoma Cheyenne aka Indian
Boy in Full Dress, c.1915, oil on canvas, 18 x 12 in.
Gift of Read Mullan. Collection of Harwood Museum of Art.
Credit: UNM Harwood Museum of Art
The paintings, by Victor Higgins and by Joseph Henry Sharp were stolen in March of 1985 from Harwood, which was primarily a public library at the time with a museum on the second floor.
After being notified in the spring of 2024, the FBI Art Crime Team Special Agent assigned to the FBI-Albuquerque Field Office reviewed the documentation provided by the museum and upon consulting with the US Attorney's Office - District of New Mexico, opened an investigation. The paintings were located, recovered and ultimately returned to the Harwood Museum of Art on May 12, 2025.
"We are grateful for the cooperation of all parties involved," said Margaret Girard, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. "The recovery of these stolen paintings is a powerful reminder that the FBI continues to commit investigative resources to recover cultural property and return these stolen items to their rightful owners."
The Theft of Major Artwork statute (18 U.S.C. 668) was passed in 1994, making it a federal offence to steal any object of cultural heritage from a museum.
The statute was not in effect when the Harwood paintings were stolen.
The cooperation of multiple individuals and other entities contacted during the investigation was critical to the recovery of these paintings. All investigative leads have been exhausted at this time.
It is incredibly important to ensure that any stolen art is reported to and listed in the FBI National Stolen Art File Database, as that is the first line of defense where the public can search to identify pieces of art that do not have appropriate documentation and should be brought to the attention of law enforcement.
FBI National Stolen Art File — National Stolen Art File
In 2023 the FBI launched a free Stolen Art App. While the app was primarily created with law enforcement and art-industry partners in mind, anyone can use it to verify that art or antiquities they own or are considering purchasing have not been identified as stolen property.
The Harwood Museum of Art unveiled the paintings to the public as part of the museum's First Friday event on Friday, June 6, 2025.
Public Affairs Office
FBI Albuquerque Division
