Pittsburg ? It’s an honor he could do without — someone liked Michael Lasseter’s artwork enough to steal four of his paintings from a gallery at Pittsburg State University.

Lasseter’s work was among 13 pieces of art missing from two galleries.

The art department has offered a $100 reward for information about the thefts. The stolen art was valued at more than $6,000 and was not insured.

University police say they are no closer to solving the theft than they were when it was discovered.

“We have not heard anything. I’m clueless,” said Kale Van Leeuwen, 23. Nine of 31 pieces were stolen from his senior art exhibit in a second-floor gallery in Porter Hall.

“I thought it was a prank at first,” he said. “I thought we would find them in the building somewhere. We looked everywhere, but we didn’t find them. When we started talking to campus police, we knew then it was for real.”

Four of Lasseter’s 24 paintings were taken from a first-floor gallery.

Pieces by international artists in the university’s main gallery were untouched.

One of the stolen paintings had sentimental value for Lasseter. It was of his parents’ farm, and he had been offered $1,000 for it.

“You can’t replace them,” he said. “A painting has its own life. You can never duplicate it, like a photograph. There is no way I will be able to ever replace those paintings.”

Larrie Moody, chairwoman of the art department, said the art could have been taken early April 9, when the building was open but classes had not started.

She said the art department is rethinking security.

“We are taking under advisement a number of ways to secure the building,” she said. “We have reduced the number of hours the building is open.”

The department also is checking into cameras to watch the three galleries.

Moody, Lasseter and Van Leeuwen believe the works were stolen to be sold “because they were very well-crafted, beautifully crafted,” Moody said.

Lasseter said that in some ways he should take pride in the theft.

“My nephew told me that I should be flattered that someone would steal my paintings. I see his point, but it still stinks,” he said.