The disappearance of a 3-foot-by-5-foot abstract painting by artist Bill Cass from the City Hall collection has sparked a Nancy Drew-like mystery. The painting, which has been missing since May 2023, was last known to be hanging in the office of Paul Goodrich, a top aide to former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The painting's disappearance has been linked to an unrelated City Hall inspector general's investigation into Goodrich's dealings with a city technology contractor, EKI-Digital, run by politically connected businessman Robert Blackwell Jr. The contractor is accused of billing taxpayers nearly $10 million for work that may not have been completed. The painting's disappearance was only discovered because of this investigation, and city officials are now scrambling to find it. The painting, which is not listed among the city's inventory of public art, is estimated to be worth between $500 and $1,000. Goodrich claims he did not take the painting, but city officials are unsure of its whereabouts. The painting's disappearance raises questions about the security and management of the city's public art collection, and the potential for similar incidents in the future. The city's curator of collections and public art, Nathan Mason, has written to the first deputy commissioner of the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Jennifer Johnson Washington, requesting assistance in retrieving the painting. The cultural affairs department has also reached out to Goodrich, but has not received a response. The painting's disappearance is a reminder of the importance of proper inventory and tracking of public art, and the need for better communication and coordination between city officials and the public art collection.
