A large piece of artwork was reportedly damaged at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art over the weekend.
Executive Director Ruta Saliklis noticed the damage Saturday and says it was obvious the 450- to 500-pound sculpture valued at $40,000 was vandalized.
Artist Ted Emerick says it appears a sledgehammer was used to knock the piece up and then a rope wrapped around it for the vandal or vandals to pull or tug on it.
The glass piece appeared to have a large crack near the bottom.
Saliklis says she hired Meathead Movers to come out and take the piece back to Emerick so he can work on "changing or resurrecting it."
She says a police report has been filed and calls it upsetting that someone would do this.
"I created this piece, I do large glass sculptures and it's about time and movement but it had a very serene, subtle effect here at the museum," Emerick said, adding that he hopes to save as much of the sculpture as possible.
The piece has sat outside the museum entrance for the last four or five years and Emerick says this is the first time anyone has tried to damage it.
