RISD Museum + Providence Art Club Member Event
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist: An Inside Look with Geoffrey Kelly
Sunday, November 8, 2026 | 3–5:30 p.m.
3 p.m. Program: RISD Museum, Metcalf Auditorium, 20 North Main Street, Providence
4:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception: Providence Art Club, 11 Thomas Street, Providence
Tickets: $15 per person (for RISD Museum and Providence Art Club current members and their guests)
RISD Museum and Providence Art Club members are invited to join us for a special afternoon with Geoffrey Kelly, retired FBI Special Agent and one of the original members of the FBI’s elite Art Crime Team.
In the early hours of March 18, 1990, two men posing as police officers entered Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Eighty-one minutes later, they had stolen 13 works of art—including a rare Vermeer and Rembrandt’s only known seascape—in what remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the art world.
For more than two decades, Kelly served as the FBI’s lead investigator on the case. In his new book, Thirteen Perfect Fugitives: The True Story of the Mob, Murder, and the World’s Largest Art Heist, he offers an insider’s perspective on the investigation and the long pursuit of those responsible.
Rather than a traditional book talk, Kelly’s presentation takes audiences inside the investigation: the leads, theories, challenges, unexpected turns, and pursuit of the 13 “perfect fugitives.” Drawing on his experience at the center of the case, he’ll explore the fascinating intersection of art, crime, and law enforcement—and why the Gardner heist continues to captivate the public more than three decades later.
Following the program, stroll over to the Providence Art Club at 4:30 p.m. to continue the conversation with Geoffrey & other members. Enter through the green door at 11 Thomas Street to enjoy cocktails and light refreshments: Member charge or Credit Card bar (no American Express, no cash). Thirteen Perfect Fugitives: The True Story of the Mob, Murder, and the World’s Largest Art Heist will be available for purchase and signing thanks to our friends at Books on the Square.
Seating is limited and registration is required.