FBI Art Crime Team founder to talk about international issues of stolen art

EUGENE, Ore. -- (March 11, 2008) -- Lynne Richardson, founder of the FBI's Art Crime Team, will discuss art theft and fraud as it relates to the U.S. and international art markets in a pair of lectures at the University of Oregon on Friday, March 14.

Richardson, who managed the FBI’s National Stolen Art File from 1997 until 2005, will present information from actual FBI cases and her personal career background to highlight the challenges and rewards of her involvement in solving art crimes, which has become a major category of international crime. Guidelines for responding to an incident of art crime and procedures for reporting the theft to law enforcement officials will also be addressed during both talks.

According to the FBI, art and cultural property crime losses are estimated to be as high as $6 billion annually.

Students in the UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts and those in the School of Law will be attending the lectures as a part of their respective classes, illustrating the university’s goal of promoting cross-disciplinary education.

The first lecture will take place from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 249 of Lawrence Hall, 1190 Franklin Blvd. The second lecture is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 142 of the Knight Law Center, 1515 Agate St. Both lectures are open to the public.

Richardson's visit is presented by the Arts and Administration program in the School of Architecture and Allied Arts as part of the program’s teaching and research on international cultural policy and museum studies.

About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of 62 of the leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. Membership in the AAU is by invitation only. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.

Media contact: Julie Brown, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu

Event contact: Betsy Bostwich, 541-346-3639, aadgtr@uoreogn.edu

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