Degas Climate Protesters Face Five-Year Prison Sentence
Two climate activists, Timothy Martin and Joanna Smith, have been indicted by US federal prosecutors for smearing paint on the protective case of Edgar Degas's sculpture Little Dancer, Age Fourteen (c.1880) at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC in April. The artwork was undamaged, but the museum spent $2,400 on cleanup. The protesters, part of the group Declare Emergency, could face up to five years in prison and fines of $250,000 each. This was the first such art protest in the US, following a trend common in Europe. Declare Emergency, previously focused on roadblocks, explained the tactic shift on social media, stating they targeted the artwork to highlight the suffering caused by fossil fuel companies.
Key facts
- Timothy Martin and Joanna Smith indicted by US federal prosecutors
- Protest occurred at National Gallery of Art in Washington DC in April
- Paint smeared on protective case of Degas's Little Dancer, Age Fourteen (c.1880)
- Artwork undamaged; cleanup cost $2,400
- Maximum penalty: five years prison and $250,000 fine each
- First art protest of its kind in the US
- Group Declare Emergency previously used roadblocks
- Protesters justified action as highlighting fossil fuel harm to children
Entities
Artists
- Edgar Degas
Institutions
- National Gallery of Art
- Declare Emergency
Locations
- Washington DC
- United States