BARRIE, Ont. - Police in the southern Ontario city of Barrie say an original painting by a member of the Group of Seven has been stolen from a local art club.
Sgt. Robert Allan says "House of Hills" by A.J. Casson disappeared from a storage area at the Barrie Art Club.
Allan says the theft of the $25,000 pastoral painting, which depicts a farm scene, could have occurred at any time over the past few months.
He says the club has at least 200 members, and all of them had access to the storage area, which he described as "not exactly secure."
He says the thieves made off with the original work, not a digital reproduction that was formerly on display at the gallery.
Casson created the painting while hosting a workshop at the club in 1959 and left the picture behind as a gift.
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