Surveillance footage shows the burglars exiting 990 Benton St. between 11:53 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4 and 1:05 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5. **(Courtesy of Aashawnti Nye)**

Months before their senior capstone exhibition, two Santa Clara University seniors say they were forced to start over after burglars broke into their art studio and stole nearly their entire exhibitions.

The break-in occurred at approximately 11:52 p.m. Feb. 7 at 990 Benton St., according to Santa Clara Police Department records. The case, listed as commercial burglary, was reported shortly before 2 a.m.

The break-in occurred between 11:53 p.m. Saturday and 1:05 a.m. Sunday at 990 Benton St., a university-owned studio space used by art students. The incident was logged as a forcible burglary in the University’s daily crime report.

Police documents state that “unknown suspects stole several pieces of art,” and that no injuries or weapons were reported. An event chronology shows suspects used a tool to pry open the door and that the two males were seen taking multiple pieces of artwork.

990 Benton St. seen on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. The building formerly housed Santa Clara University’s Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

“The building was secure. It was forcibly entered,” said Jacob Malae, the assistant director of Campus Safety Services, adding that the Santa Clara Police Department is leading the investigation.

The theft occurred during a week of temporary access restrictions tied to Super Bowl LX preparations, where the University required ACCESS credentials for most campus buildings. “There’s no real relationship between this break-in and some of the access limitations that were placed on the campus during the Super Bowl,” Malae said, as the burglars used force to bypass the lock.

For Aashawnti Nye ’26, a studio art major, five of her canvases were taken—three of them were completed works for her senior show.

Aashawnti Nye ’26 begins painting her new artwork for her senior show on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026 about four days after her completed paintings made for her senior show were stolen. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

“It’s upsetting, very unfortunate,” Nye said. “But I try to find the positives.”

Nye had been developing the series since September, which featured vibrant depictions of yoga poses inspired by the musculoskeletal system. This was the first time she had created work that felt deeply personal rather than commission-based.

“I literally can’t wrap my mind around it,” she said, describing the moment she learned the pieces were gone.

Madeline Patrick ’26, a pre-med and studio art major, said all five of her large-scale self-portrait paintings were stolen. The works, abstract and color-rich, reflected on womanhood and her time at the University.

“The entire senior show has been put into the back of a car and driven off into the sunset,” Patrick said.

She estimated the value of her art at about $7,450, representing months of labor.

“I keep waking up and remembering that my entire show is gone,” Patrick said. “It still doesn’t feel real.”

Both students said other valuable equipment in the studio—including sewing machines and tools—was left untouched, suggesting the intruders focused specifically on canvases.

The inside of 990 Benton St. as seen on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. Santa Clara University studio art students, primarily seniors completing their capstone exhibitions, use the space as a studio. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Police records cite that the suspects left in a black Infiniti G37 sedan bearing California license plate 8FXN557. The vehicle was later entered into a hot list system, according to the event chronology.

The theft occurred during a week of temporary access restrictions tied to Super Bowl LX preparations, when the University required ACCESS credentials for most campus buildings. “There’s no real relationship between this break-in and some of the access limitations that were placed on the campus during the Super Bowl,” Malae said, as the burglars used force to bypass the lock.

In the days since the break-in, both students have moved their workspaces to another building. The art department has provided replacement canvases, but neither student can recover the hours already spent.

“I’m starting over,” Patrick said. “There’s no other option.”

Nye said she is trying to channel her frustration into momentum.

“I don’t want this to define my senior year,” she said. “If anything, it just adds another chapter to my story.”

The investigation remains ongoing.