Joshua Wallace’s missing painting never went very far.
Wallace’s piece, Eye For An Eye, which went missing from the Vernon parkade after he created the piece on the spot during the sixth annual Riot On The Roof Aug. 23, was found Thursday.
Wallace got a call after lunch saying his painting had been located just up the street from the parkade in the abandoned building that formerly housed the Royal Canadian Legion.
“I’m really excited it’s back,” said Wallace. “It’s awesome. I thought it was probably just a piece of scrap now.”
Wallace, 19, was participating in Riot On The Roof for the first time. He had been situated on the bottom level of the parkade when he began work on his painting on a four-foot-by-eight-foot plywood canvas.
The painting features famed peace activist Mahatma Ghandi in the middle, framed by two of Wallace’s friends on either side.
The last time Wallace saw Eye For An Eye, he said, was at the parkade a couple of days after the event.
He was told the painting was missing on Oct. 3.
It was City of Vernon bylaw officers, working with Vernon RCMP on another matter inside the building, who found Wallace’s painting Thursday.
“It was in pretty good shape,” said bylaw services manager Clint Kanester. “It had just a couple of small nail holes in it. We walked it up and over the street to the (Vernon Public) art gallery.”
Art gallery executive director Dauna Kennedy Grant, like Wallace, was ecstatic to have the painting returned.
“We have it, and we’re going to hang it outside which was the intention all along,” said Kennedy Grant of Wallace’s art which will join others posted on the side of the parkade, home to the art gallery.
Said Wallace: “I’m stoked it will be put on the side of the building.”
