Big Ears by artist Joe Halko City of BendLate last month, the city of Bend, Oregon, went viral after someone begansticking googly eyes onto public sculptures around town. Many residents saw the googly eyes as a funny diversion, but city officials were less amused. Writing on social media, they reminded residents that removing the googly eyes costs money and that the adhesives could damage the citys public art.Differing opinions aside, the identity of the so-called googly eye bandit was always a mysteryuntil now.A man named Jeff Keith has come forward to take responsibility for some of the unofficial adornments. Keith is the founder of a nonprofit that fights against human trafficking, and the googly-eye gag provided some much-needed levity amid all the heavy stuff he sees at work, as he tells theAssociated Press Claire Rush. Jeff Keith, a nonprofit founder, says he's behind some of the googly-eye pranks in Bend. Guardian GroupKeith launched the Bend-based organization, called Guardian Group, in 2010 and currently serves as its CEO. The 53-year-old has lived in Bend, a city with around 100,000 residents, for nearly 20 years.Keith says he used duct tape to affix googly eyes to two art installations in Bend in early December: one depicting a family of deer called Big Ears by Joe Halko, and a sculpture of a man sitting on a bench calledThe Traveler by Richard Beyer.Hes not taking credit for all of the googly eyesjust some of themand says that he doesnt know who else was inspired by his initial prank. After he learned that the googly eyes had potentially caused damage, he went to the citys offices to come clean.He says he offered to cover the costs of removing the googly eyes, but he tells theNew York Times Simon J. Levien he never heard back.Meanwhile, city officials sent a statement to theOregonians Carlos Fuentes. Keith says he affixed googly eyes to two sculptures in Bend, includingThe Traveler by Richard Beyer. Guardian GroupThe city staff is focused on city operations, wildfire preparedness, council goals and budget development, wrote Jacob Larsen, a spokesperson for the city. Our understanding is that a community member may be interested in recognizing the impact of the googly eyes, but we are not pursuing anything at this time nor are city staff in direct conversations with him.This isnt Keiths first attention-grabbing prank. Every three or four months, when hes finished with his work for the day, he dons an old-man mask and heads out on the town, reports theWashington Posts Jonathan Edwards. While moonlighting as the Banksy of Bend, he tries to do things he thinks will make people smile.In the past, hes also attached leis and hula skirts to some of the citys public sculptures. He also dressed up some figures in wigs and bell bottoms, then added a disco ballfashioned out of a Mylar balloonto the scene, per the Washington Post.Keith also hung up a fake sign announcing that the fast food restaurant In-N-Out Burger was coming to Bend. That 2019 prankalso made headlines, with the company denouncing the sign as a hoax.He pulled a similar fake sign prank announcing the opening of a Voodoo Doughnut, a popular Portland-based donut chain, according to the Oregonian. He says he also attached a cardboard cutout of the late actor Chris Farley to a pole in a roundabout.I spend 50 bucks a month on my pranks, Keith tells the Times. Its about 10 cents a smile because I know how many people hit our roundabout. Its worth it.In December, the googly eyes appeared on eight sculptures in Bends Roundabout Art Route, a path linking 27 art installations in the middle of traffic circles. At the time, city authorities told theTimes Emmett Lindner that theyd spent $1,500 removing the googly eyes. However, they said they were not conducting an investigation or looking for the people responsible.Meanwhile... Oregon's Controversial Googly Eyes | Drain Pipe Cat | Krispy Kreme HackedWatch on While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might give you a chuckle, it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art, city officials wrote in anInstagram post.The googly eyes even got a mention on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.Authorities are upset after someone put googly eyes on various sculptures in the city, Colbert said. Oh, come on, youre gonna get mad about that? Its fun.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Art, Art Crimes, Arts, Cities, Government, Sculpture, Statues