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September Auction Planned For Banksy Art Found In Detroit's Packard Plant

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - An auction is planned for an artwork that gallery officials say the elusive British graffiti artist Banksy created at a former Detroit auto plant.

It's listed among works being sold Sept. 30 during a "Street Art" auction by Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, California.

An 8-foot, 1,500-pound section of cinderblock wall featuring the stenciled artwork was removed from the Packard Plant site in 2010. It features a figure of a child holding a bucket of red paint and brush alongside the message: "I remember when all this was trees."

Last year, 555 Nonprofit Gallery and Studios said a sale was planned to expand the Detroit gallery's programming. Officials expect the Detroit mural to go for anywhere between $400,000 and $1 million.

According to Julien's Auctions, Banksy created the Detroit work in 2010 just prior to the premiere of the documentary that would bring him to stardom, "Exit through the Gift Shop." Fingerprints can clearly be seen on the red paint and are the only known examples of what may finally lead to the uncovering of the elusive artist's identity

Banksy is an international figure in street art known for traveling the world and anonymously leaving his signature pieces in public areas.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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