Art Can Be Dangerous (?)

From the Newmark Gallery blog:

October is a busy month here in gallery land and added to the excitement has been the anticipated delivery of a big shipment of paintings from the Netherlands for Paula Ever’s upcoming solo show. Apparently once the crates reached Oakland they triggered a “red alert” with the Customs and Border Protection and a hold was placed on the shipment under “INTENSIVE EXAM”. Many frantic emails and phone calls by Margaret only told us that the crates were going to be opened and searched and no one could tell us how long it would take before they would be released to us. Fortunately the shipper responded as best they could to the above mentioned frantic correspondence – our biggest concern was that hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of irreplaceable paintings were going to be searched by who knew who looking for who knows what. A request that we be present for the examination went unanswered.

About a week later, out of the blue, with almost no warning, a trucker showed up with the crates, which indeed had been opened and searched and though not exactly closed up again, were copiously covered in green Department of Homeland Security tape. They even thoughtfully taped up little torn pieces of bubble wrap on a painting here and there so Margaret has a Department of Homeland Security Logo in vivid pop art Andy Warhol Green as an impromptu art installation over her desk. As the paintings appear to be in fine shape we now are happy to have done our part for the security of the homeland. Actually, there is some comfort in knowing that someone really is out there is watching out for our safety. It's got to be a tough and sometimes thankless job.