Works by Mexican Artists Stolen From L.A. Gallery : Crime: The pieces, valued at $20,000, were to be put on display to coincide with a major exhibit at the county Museum of Art.

While many local Latino artists aspire to recognition during the upcoming landmark art exhibit, “Mexico: Splendors of 30 Centuries,” Francisco Cisneros and several other Mexican-born artists got the wrong kind of attention early Monday morning.

Thieves with a connoisseur’s eye for art broke into La Galeria Iguana in the 600 block of South San Pedro Street in Los Angeles’ Skid Row and stole $20,000 worth of works by Cisneros and four other artists. Among the works were watercolors painted by Cisneros, 33, for a major exhibition in Guadalajara.

“I’m grateful for any kind of attention, but I never expected this,” Cisneros said, shaking his head over the loss. “They took drops of my blood and tears.”

The director of the gallery, Rosario Vigil, said the thefts could not have occurred at a worse time, threatening an exhibition scheduled to open at the gallery Oct. 5 to coincide with the historic Mexican exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

“With the Mexico splendors exhibition coming up, all the Latino artists want recognition,” she said. “I still want to go forward but I probably can’t guarantee the safety of the works at the gallery. The thieves seemed to know which works to steal.”

The historic Mexican exhibit at the Museum of Art, scheduled to begin Oct. 6, has renewed interest in Mexican art and culture in Southern California. Various art galleries have scheduled exhibitions to coincide with the three-month Mexico splendors display, organized with the blessings of the Mexican government. Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari is scheduled to visit Los Angeles next week in connection with the opening at the county museum.

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Newton Street Division said they have few leads. Investigators said the thieves broke in through an iron door and window in front of the gallery sometime after midnight Sunday, taking an estimated 20 pieces of art.

Among the stolen works were 11 pieces by Cisneros, an emigre from the Mexican state of Jalisco. Based on Cisneros’ life in Mexico, the artworks included paintings entitled “A Single Woman,” “Miguel” and “Vida en Muerte.”

Works by Mexican artists Xavier Quijas, Maria Andrade, Alfredo Davalos and Jaime Clayle also were taken, investigators said.

Since the opening of the gallery six months ago, Vigil said, crime in the area has been on rise.

“I still don’t understand why some other pieces of art weren’t taken,” Vigil said. “I just don’t know.”

Cisneros said he hopes his works will be returned safely.