Two weeks ago, "B is for Butterfly," a piece of mixed media artwork by Sarah Burch Gordon, disappeared from the wall of Secret Garden Bookshop on Market Street where it was being displayed as part of Ballard's monthly art walk.

Christy McDanold, owner of Secret Garden, said employees looked all over for the piece, even emptying a bookshelf to look behind it, but could not locate it and now believe it was stolen.

Shoplifting has always been a problem for the bookshop, but McDanold said she never thought anyone would steal a painting, an item that doesn't belong to the shop.

"If somebody is going to take something that doesn't belong to them, I guess they don't give another thought to who it belongs to," McDanold said.

Secret Garden will be paying Gordon for the artwork, which was relatively inexpensive at $50, but McDanold said the greater damage is her nervousness about displaying small, easily-concealed art at future art walks and the hesitation artists might now feel about participating.

Gordon said the theft would not discourage her from participating in the art walks.

"I guess it's a risk that artists take, unless their work is too big to be pocketed," she said.

Though she is disappointed that someone would resort to stealing, Gordon said she is somewhat flattered that someone wanted it badly enough to go to that length.

According to the Ballard Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the art walk, the only other reported theft of a piece being displayed for the art walk was at Lombardi's Italian Restaurant on Market Street four months ago.

Michael Harthorne may be reached at 783.1244 or michaelh@robinsonnews.com