DCist hears that the Museum of Modern ARF in Arlington has been vandalized. The gallery’s director, John Aaron, informs us that a number of pieces have been either broken or stolen during the night over the past few weeks. The exhibition “Hand Picked,” developed by participating Art-O-Matic artists, included the display of a series of abstract iron snakes (at right) on the front of the building — two of which were removed.

This was all preceded by a mysterious fire that broke out on the roof on Christmas that was promptly put out by the owner of a neighboring business. This all sounds fishy to us.

It is a sad day for art when thugs [go] wild [on] an installation at a museum and come back to “finish the job.” And a sadder day when press hears about it and says nothing.

… The commitment to risk-taking in art that gets response and alternative teaching and exhibits makes this place unique in the Washington area.

The gallery, which displayed a controversial painting of a semi-nude President Bush (after the City Museum decided to remove it from an exhibition there), had drawn some ire, including the anger of a Republican family out and about in Clarendon who sent Arlington County police to the gallery to investigate. Apparently they found the exhibition to be “demonic, sadistic, obscene and highly unpatriotic,” according to a statement sent to DCist back in October. But all was in order and the police found no reason to shut the gallery down.

(DCist’s Mike Grass contributed to this report.)