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Soda Water Grill in Mount Pleasant's Seaside Farms shopping center closed up shop last week. As the owners packed up their belongings, four out of ten paintings that adorned the walls turned up missing.

Local artists Dre and Steve Neff of Painted Palms Art Gallery were invited to hang their work in the new restaurant as a way to not only decorate the establishments walls but to bring exposure to the artists and possibly sell the paintings.

Dre told the Moultrie News that she got a call from one of the co-owners (who could not be reached for this story due to the phone being cut off at the restaurant) that she needed to come pick up the paintings because they were closing. However, when Dre went to the restaurant, four paintings were missing. The owners had no idea how they could have disappeared and questioned employees and patrons, but no one saw them being taken out of the building. One painting did go home with a waitress who said it kept falling off the wall so she took it home for safekeeping. That painting has been returned to the artists.

"The overall the reaction from the owners is that they're sorry they are gone. And what's sad is that no one knows anything," said Dre. "But it's not like walking off with a salt and pepper set. These are large paintings," she said. "I was told that when businesses close sometimes things go missing. But this is a small town. I am hoping they will turn up. It's not like you can go pawn these. It is hard enough to sell them."

Mount Pleasant Police Department officer J. Sawyers investigated the incident but had no leads due to the lack of security camera footage.

Dre said she was notified on Friday, August 20 and within a few hours she arrived to pick up the art work. The total value of the missing art is $1845.

The following is a description of the paintings:

?"Light Within III" - 30" x 40" original oil by Dre Neff - $900

?"Gracie's First Birthday" - 18" x 40" giclee by Steve Neff - $350

?"The Heron" - 30" x 30" original oil by Dre Neff - $595

A reward is being offered for the missing paintings. If you have information about these thefts call the Mount Pleasant Police Department at 884-4176.

(Sully Witte can be reached by emailing editor@moultrienews.com.)