Davis Students Re-Create Stolen Art Pieces In Time For Fundraising Auction

DAVIS (CBS13) - Thieves stole art from a group of Davis elementary school students weeks before they were supposed to auction it off to raise money for their school.

"I was done, I had it ordered; I was going into auction mode…wasn't expecting this wrinkle," said Sarah Bray, 2nd grade art coordinator.

We first told you about the theft when it happened two weeks ago, but the stolen paintings and drawings were never recovered.

There may be Christmas decorations and trees, but this isn't your average holiday party. It's the annual St. James auction – a fundraiser that keeps the school going.

"This is what we use to make the difference between what tuition pays and what the school needs to run," said Cathy Pickel-Hicks, 5th grade art coordinator.

And every year, every classroom makes an art project that's auctioned off.

"They put a lot of effort into it too…and it really means a lot of them to be able to contribute," said Pickel-Hicks.

The kindergartners made a quilt and another classroom made a bench. But for the second and fifth graders, there was a wrinkle in the plan. About two weeks ago, their art pieces were stolen from a local frame shop and were never recovered.

"I wanted to throw up. I was sick because there was so much work that had gone into that," Bray.

After spending months on their original projects, they now had a week to put another piece together.

"It's disappointing and it certainly isn't an ideal situation," said Bray.

But they didn't let the Grinch ruin the fundraiser. They made new art projects and turned the tragedy it into a learning lesson.

"This is a great opportunity to learn about picking yourself back up, moving forward, and taking something from that," said Bray.

The annual auction will take place in the school's gym. It starts Saturday at 5 p.m.