Art Bandit's Work Appears Mysteriously on Old Columbia Road
Have you seen the bandit's art?
If you’ve driven on Old Columbia Road over the past month you may have seen the art bandit’s work posted on lamp posts and trees.
There has been a replica deer’s head placed high on a tree, a kid's shovel shaped like a fish, voodoo signs, a tiki doll attached to a tree and a couple of grotesque wood-carved faces, according to the front desk workers at the Preston Country Club for Pets, located at 7363 Old Columbia Rd., in the center of the art bandit’s posting zone.
On Monday afternoon, only two wood-carved faces remained. One was posted just across the driveway of Preston's, the other was located on a speed limit sign near the intersection of Old Columbia Road and Johns Hopkins Road.
The police have been taking down the bandit’s work, according to Nickie Ice, an employee at Preston's who lives in Savage-Guilford.
“The first one appeared about six weeks ago, the deer head,” said Ice, and then came the voodoo signs, the tiki doll and the shovel. She said the police took those down two weeks ago. After that, the woodcarvings appeared.
The works are posted on Old Columbia Road between Guilford Road and Johns Hopkins Road.
Colleen Colclough, of Columbia, said the sight of the deer head surprised her one morning on her way to work at Preston’s. She said it was posted high on a tree and that it would have required a ladder to put up.
“It was a little alarming when you haven’t had a coffee,” said Cloclough.
On the Columbia Patch Facebook Page, two users have asked about the artwork.
On April 25, Heather McDonald-Carver inquired if anyone knew who was hanging the work. And on Monday, Erin Bowley posted a picture of the blue wood-carved face sticking out his tongue. Bowley said she asked the police about the art, but hasn’t received a response.
Patch has also asked the police about the artwork, but there was no response Monday.
For now, the identity of the art bandit remains a mystery.
Can you provide a description or pictures of the bandit’s previous work?
Andrew Metcalf
10:25 am on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
So no one has seen anybody posting the art? Or are people just keeping mum?
Colliemom
12:01 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
I've seen these and thought they were a lovely bit of whimsy. Can't see why the police need to spend their work time removing them; they're not offensive, just a bit of spontaneous art to make us smile.
H.R. Pufnstuf
3:34 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
I'm glad the Howard County Police are dealing with this nonsense and not trying to solve the 2009 Halloween murder. A+ guys.
JJ
9:24 am on Wednesday, May 2, 2012
I missed the "bandit" reasoning.
Andrew Metcalf
11:34 am on Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The artist comes and goes mysteriously, perhaps a stretch, but meant in fun.
ABC
3:33 pm on Wednesday, May 2, 2012
I don't mind this art. What I do mind are all of the lamp posts alond Broken Land and Little Patuxent that are covered in graffitti and the medians at the entrance to the mall that are also covered in graffiti.