Taos, NM — Two artworks that were stolen from the Harwood Museum of Art at the University of New Mexico in 1985 have been found and returned, 40 years after they went missing.
The pieces — one created by Victor Higgins and the other by Joseph Henry Sharp — were taken from the museum in March 1985, at a time when Harwood primarily functioned as a public library with a small museum located upstairs.
After receiving a tip in the spring of 2024, the FBI’s Art Crime Team initiated an investigation in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico. The paintings were discovered and officially returned to the museum on May 12, 2025.
“We are grateful for the cooperation of all parties involved,” said Margaret Girard, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “This recovery underscores the FBI’s continued dedication to retrieving cultural property and returning it to its rightful owners.”
Even though the federal law that makes art theft from museums a crime was not established until 1994, the FBI acted by exploring all possible legal options. Investigators have stated that they have now run out of leads in this case.
On June 6, the Harwood Museum revealed the previously lost paintings to the public at its First Friday event.
The FBI urges museums and collectors to report any stolen artworks to the National Stolen Art File database and to utilize its complimentary Stolen Art App to confirm the authenticity of artworks.
