SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio River Foundation said its 3-D model at Confluence Park was stolen last month.
"When I was first told, I was like no way,” Executive Director Frates Seeligson said.
For five years, the $34,000 model by Artist Robert Mezquiti sat just outside the main pavilion at the park. On July 17, Seeligson said the cast bronze art piece was stolen despite being bolted in place.
"It's a two- or three-person job. It's heavy,” he said. "I think it was taken with the thoughts they'd sell it and get a few dollars out of it."
The organization spent millions of dollars to build the park back in 2018. It was created to help promote sustainability.
“The whole three-acre park is a rainwater catchment zone and it has abatement and bio swells,” Seeligson said. “It has what’s called an Atlantis Chamber, which is an underground water storage facility.”
He said the 3-D art was created to show off those features. Educators would pour water onto the model to mimic how the park’s design works.
"It just was such a wonderful educational tool for all of our kids,” Seeligson said.
Seeligson said he now worries how these crimes will impact art funding.
"If it keeps happening then, you know, it'll be harder for me to find a private donor to invest in public parks because I think it's just going to get vandalized,” Seeligson said.
The foundation reported the theft to the San Antonio Police Department. However, Seeligson said he is doubtful police will catch the thieves since the park’s cameras were not able to capture the crime.
Instead, he said the foundation is working on plans to raise money to replace the model.
"It's selfish and it's sad." Seeligson said. "If we as a society want to have nice public art, stewardship of that art is upon us.”