Vancouver police identify couple who poured syrup on Emily Carr . painting

Vancouver police say they have identified suspects who threw maple syrup over Emily Carr’s painting and glued themselves to the wall at the Vancouver Art Gallery over the weekend.

Steve Addison said an investigation is underway and officials will speak to witnesses, review security video and assess the cost of damage.

The Vancouver Art Gallery said in a statement that Carr’s painting “Stumps and Sky” was not permanently damaged.

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It quotes director and CEO Anthony Kiendl as saying that the gallery “condemns acts of vandalism” against works of cultural significance in its care or in any museum.

Kiendl says the gallery supports free speech, but not by suppressing other people’s ideas and artistic expression, or preventing people from accessing those ideas.

Don Marshall, a spokesman for the environmental group Stop Fracking Around, said that the protest was intended to draw public attention to the climate emergency.

Addison said that once police complete gathering evidence, they will turn to Crown’s attorneys to review and approve the charges.

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