“I’m really happy it’s back,” the Kew Gardens painter and mixed-media artist said. “We were so surprised. We all think that whoever took it — word got around.”
When the park’s protectors learned of the theft nearly two weeks ago, they kicked into high gear — posting fliers and spreading the word within the community.
But those close to the recovery effort praised one person in particular for spreading the news.
Gratitude was showered on a mysterious man known only as “Paris” — who residents say went above and beyond to make sure everyone in the neighborhood knew the painting was stolen.
“He knows everyone in the neighborhood,” said Carol Lack, a Kew Gardens resident who helped organize the series of park paintings and led efforts to recover the stolen piece. “We told him about it and he told everyone that he knew. We feel that he was instrumental in getting the word out.”
And although Paris was widley recognized as a community fixture — nobody involved in the painting’s recovery knew his full name or where he lived.
“He spends a lot of time in the park. He’s kind of like the eyes and ears of the neighborhood,” Reyes said. “I don’t really know much about him. He’s a mysterious guy.”
The painting was returned to the park anonymously and brought into the adjacent movie theatre for safekeeping.
The piece was part of a mural consisting of 10 panels created by local artists and installed in the park last October.
The installation was created to replace graffiti that had long scarred walls lining the park. A cinematic theme was chosen for the project in a nod to the park’s association with Kew Gardens Cinema.
The “Whomping Willow” painting was a reference to a scene from the “Harry Potter” films.
Other movies depicted in the paintings include “Casablanca” and “The King and I.”
Reyes said work is being done to create a better fastening system for the paintings to prevent future thefts.
The park is located near Austin Street and Lefferts Boulevard.
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