‘A stunning update.' Stolen Somerville art has been returned.
Then, early on Saturday morning, he got a phone call, which rang to his voicemail. The caller left a message.
'I can get your paintings returned to you,' it said.
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Fifteen minutes later, Leveille said, a neighbor came to his door and told him she'd seen a man delivering the artworks to his building's lobby.
'I ran down in my pajama pants,' said Leveille, a Somerville resident. 'And lo and behold, both pieces were there!'
His painting, called 'Nissenbaum, midday,' is an oil-on-linen depiction of Somerville's now-shuttered Nissenbaum's Auto Parts.
This painting by local artist Adam Leveille, called "Nissenbaum Midday," was among those recently stolen from a gallery.
Adam Leveille
Both it and the other artwork, a photograph of a local laundromat, were unscathed, he said. The photographer whose work was stolen has opted not to come forward publicly.
Leveille knows he's lucky this tale ended the way it did.
'I think it's rare that stories about art theft have happy endings. Boston
Somerville Police confirmed Tuesday the paintings had been returned but declined to comment further 'as the identity of the suspect remains under investigation,' city spokesperson Grace Munns said in an email.
According to Leveille, the neighbor who saw the person deliver the artworks hadn't realize anything out of the ordinary was afoot. Their building is home to many artists, and it isn't unusual for paintings to be delivered to its lobby.
They can't say for certain if the person who returned the painting was the alleged thief who stole them in the middle of the night back in early January. But Leveille said the neighbor's description of the man who delivered them seemed to match that of the person seen in security footage of the incident released last week by the Somerville Police Department.
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For the artworks' safe return, Leveille credits the swell of media attention that came after he revealed publicly on social media that his painting had been swiped, and received a wave of support from neighbors and other artists in the area.
The footage from the police — which appeared to show a masked person cutting down the the paintings, putting them in a car, and driving away — may have also turned up the pressure, Leveille said.
Security footage appears to show Somerville art theft suspect
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Security footage appears to show the suspect in a small-scale Somerville heist that has puzzled the local arts community.
Leveille isn't sure how to feel about what ought to happen next. He isn't eager to see a suspect charged, especially since they apparently opted to do the right thing.
'I don't know that I want to see him punished, per se, but it's still a pretty violent violation of trust,' he said. 'I'm kind of conflicted here.'
In the meantime, people who have followed this saga closely may soon get a chance to see it for themselves.
Leveille said he is offering his painting up for inclusion in a new, soon-to-open exhibition in the same building as the original one.
This time, it'll be behind glass, said Peter Belford, who sits on the board of directors for Somerville Open Studios, the nonprofit that curated the original exhibit in the building and is now organizing this new one.
The follow-up gallery will be displayed inside an empty storefront and will be visible to passersby outside the building who can peer at it through the exterior window. Some artworks were set to be hung as early as Tuesday evening. It's expected to run through early April, people involved with the exhibit said.
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Belford said he is glad to see the story come full-circle. But the damage is done, he said.
'It doesn't make the incident any less unfortunate,' Belford said. 'They still really put a big crimp in an effort to bring local art to the public and highlight local artists.'
As for what the future holds for Leveille's painting long-term, he said he is still open to selling it, if someone wants to procure it the legal and fair way.
For now, he's just happy the painting's possible return to the gallery might stir up some more interest in local creatives' work.
'I would hope people would come see [the exhibit] just because it's a good show, but I think the kerfuffle and the happy ending is really a nice positive spin on what is otherwise usually a pretty sad story,' he said.
Spencer Buell can be reached at
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