Is renowned artist Banksy responsible for street art that suddenly appeared in Windsor?

Was the world-renowned, mysterious artist Banksy recently in Wine Country? If so, the only evidence was a piece of street art that was said to have appeared overnight Thursday in Windsor.

Mutt Lynch Winery owner and winemaker Brenda Lynch noticed something new Saturday morning on the side of the Windsor Masonic Lodge building. She discovered an image of a silhouetted girl whose red, heart-shaped balloon is leaving her grasp. At the bottom-right corner was the assumed artist’s signature: Banksy.

“I went to park my car by the Masonic Lodge to unload some wine for my tasting room and I was just gobsmacked!” Lynch said. “I go there regularly and the last time I was there was Thursday and it wasn’t here. I knew exactly what it was.”

She wasted no time in spreading the news of her discovery as she ran over to her tasting room and told the people inside.

“A bunch of people came out and were taking pictures and asking, ‘Is it real? How do you find out? Sometimes he claims it and sometimes he doesn’t,’” Lynch said.

Banksy is considered an influential political artist and is known for often adding a performance aspect to his work. His identity in unknown — though speculation runs rampant.

Neither the police nor a Windsor Masonic Lodge official could be reached for comment on the street art. Whether it would be welcomed or considered unauthorized graffiti on private property is not yet known.

But Beth Henry, executive director of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce, and chamber board member Laurie Scott Shimizu were excited about the potential for a local Banksy piece.

“The town could use this,” said Shimizu, of Mark Shimizu Design in Windsor. “Apparently he posts videos on his Instagram to claim (sightings) but so far there’s been no posting. We have our social media girl on it. … Whether or not it’s real, it’s an exciting buzz thing.”

“We think he’s here enjoying Wine Country,” Henry added. “Windsor is charming like the girl with the balloon.”

Longtime Windsor Town Council member Deb Fudge said she heard about it through a post on Lynch’s Facebook page and quickly recognized the art.

“If he did come through town and that was a mark of his presence here, that would be a thrill,” Fudge said. “Technically it could be called graffiti, but I would call it unscheduled public art. If it is him, and even if it’s not, it’s a positive thing. It’s something that makes you smile.”

There’s no other indication Banksy has been visiting the area, according to social media. He was most recently believed to have been in war-plagued Ukraine, where he allegedly created art last month on buildings from Kyiv to Borodyanka.

While Banksy’s art is just as difficult to pin down as his identity, San Francisco was once home to at least six of his works. The only one remaining is “Bird Singing in Tree” in the Mission neighborhood, able to be seen through a fence at the corner of Erie and Mission streets, according to travel website Lonely Planet.

An unauthorized exhibition, which displayed numerous Banksy works that were bought by individuals, ran from November 2021 to February 2022 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. His work can also be seen in the U.S. in New York City, New Orleans and Park City, Utah.

The Windsor art would be the first Banksy piece in Sonoma County, and if indeed created by the legendary artist, it found an appropriate home next to Lynch’s winery.

She’s an avid fan, who follows the political artist and filmmaker on Instagram, bought a book about him and watched the documentary about him and his art.

“I love that we’re talking about art. I love that people once considered vandals are being recognized as artists,” Lynch said. “This opens the door for me to tell people that this is a kinda cool guy. If we can get people to come out and look at art in Windsor, that would be wonderful.”

You can reach Staff Writer Kathleen Coates at 707-521-5209 or kathleen.coates@pressdemocrat.com.