Ozarks art crime sparks international hunt for stolen Warhols

Pop art icon Andy Warhol might have been surprised when prints of his Campbell’s Soup Can paintings were exhibited in sleepy Springfield, Missouri, but he would have been even more shocked to learn that they were stolen after being uneventfully displayed there for more than 30 years.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that someone broke into the Springfield Art Museum between 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and 7:30 a.m. Thursday, making off with seven of its 10 prints, including “Tomato,” “Chicken Noodle” and “Green Pea.”

The taxpayer-funded museum reportedly pays an annual premium of $14,045 for a fine arts insurance policy, the newspaper reported.

So far, no Ozark-area art villains have been apprehended, but both Interpol and the FBI are on the case, with the FBI offering a reward of $25,000 for information. News reports value the entire collection of 10 prints as high as $500,000.