T-R PHOTO BY DORIE TAMMEN From left to right, Cynthia Ragland, Sarah Rosenblum and Jinx Bloom participated in the first book discussion event at the Marshalltown Arts and Civic Center (MACC) on Thursday night. The selection was “Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet.”

The Marshalltown Arts & Civic Center (MACC) is now offering free guided tours of the Fisher Art Museum. The tours are open to the public on the third Thursday of each month at 5:15 p.m. and 6 p.m. Every other month, the public is also invited to participate in book discussions immediately after the first tour.

The first book discussion was held March 20 and was an appropriate fit with the art museum tour. It was “Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet” by Stephanie Cowell.” The book describes the rise of impressionist painting and the love story between Claude Monet and his wife, Camille.

The book was also a timely choice: 38 years ago on March 20, an original Claude Monet painting was stolen from the MACC (then called the Fisher Community Center). It made national and even world-wide news. The painting was valued at $300,000 and had been cut from its frame. It remained missing for a year before being found unexpectedly in a post office drop box in nearby Le Grand. The thief was never found. For more information, see the MACC Facebook page.

The next book scheduled for discussion is “The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession” by Michael Finkel. It tells the story of the world’s most prolific art thief, who accumulated a collection of over 200 works of art valued at more than $1.4 billion. The public is encouraged to read the book and attend the book discussion at the MACC at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 15. The book is available at the Marshalltown Public Library.