Mar 10, 2010 3:05 AM

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As the 20th anniversary of the Gardner heist approaches, there’s no shortage of events dedicated to the caper. There are Gardner heist lectures for art critics. There are theft talks for mystery-lovers. A quick run-down:

If you live in New York City, there’s really only Gardner anniversary event for you, but it promises to be a fascinating one. The International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) has organized—with the cooperation of the Gardner Museum and the FBI—a rare opportunity to learn more about the case from the people closest to it.

The program is part of their series of IFAR Evenings and the speakers include:

Anthony Amore - Director of Security, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Rebecca Dreyfus - Producer/Director "Stolen," a PBS Independent Lens Production
Brian Kelly - Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, U.S. Attorney's Office, Boston
Geoffrey Kelly - Special Agent, Violent Crimes Task Force, FBI, Boston Division

If I lived in Boston, I’d be sure to attend the Gardner Museum’s events dedicated to the case. There was a March 4 event with Anthony Amore, Director of Security, (the event received a write up in the Globe here), and on March 11, the museum is putting on an unusual and fascinating talk looking at how have artists responded to the empty frames in the Dutch Room. Here’s more:

In a Room Views conversation on Thursday, March 11, at 6:30 pm, Artist-in-Residence Elaine Reichek and Curator of Contemporary Art Pieranna Cavalchini explore the ways in which artists have considered and responded to the idea of absence and desire at the Gardner Museum. Moderated by Alan Chong, William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Collection, the conversation will begin with a look at the history of the Dutch Room, which is marked by the absence of six works of art stolen in 1990. Cavalchini will discuss how several artists have created art in response to this painful loss, while Reichek, Artist-in-Residence in 2000, will share her experience of this particular room and her web project madamimadam.


I’m also going to be giving some Gardner heist talks as well, and I’ll be at Bookends in Winchester, on March 16 and at Front Street Book Shop, Scituate on March 19. I’ll also be doing an event at Blackstone's of Beacon Hill on the anniversary of the caper, March 18. Here’s some background on the Blackstone's event

Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill (46 Charles Street), together with two other Charles Street businesses, Caswell Galleries (31 Charles Street) and The Charles Street Inn (94 Charles Street), will play host to an evening of sleuthing, discovery, fun and entertainment, refreshments, and prizes on Thursday, March 18, 2010.
Author Ulrich Boser of The Gardner Heist will be on hand from 4-7pm at Blackstone’s for a book signing.
Meet an expert in art restoration at Caswell Galleries from 5-7pm. Enjoy two one-woman performances of Isabella Stewart Gardner reenacted by Laura R. Duggan at 5 and again 7 pm at The Charles Street Inn.

The 7pm performance will be followed by an informative Q&A conducted by Boser who will reveal important updates in this 20 year old, unsolved case of the largest art heist in history. The Q&A session will be moderated by David Boeri, long-time radio and TV news reporter, currently with WBUR.

Boser will be signing books at both Blackstone’s and The Charles Street Inn.

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