The climate activist who smeared paint near a famous Edgar Degas sculpture has been found guilty of ‘crime against the United States”.
On April 27, 2023, Timothy Martin (age 55) and Johanna Smith entered the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. There, they smeared red and black paint at the base and the glass case around ‘Little Dancer, Age Fourteen’, a sculpture by Edgar Degas which is considered one of the most iconic sculptures in the world. After the act, they sat around the installation in protest and were later escorted out by the police. The two were member of the climate activist group Declare Emergency.
Now, almost 2 years later, a federal jury has found Martin guilty of ‘conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States’. The US Department of Justice also levied charges of causing harm to the National Gallery of Art. The DOJ alleged that the act by the duo led to $40,000 in damages to the Degas sculpture, along with a closure to public for 10 days. It must be noted that Smith had already pleaded guilty in December 2023. She was sentenced to 60 days in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and over $7,000 in fines.
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The sentencing against Martin is emblematic of the tougher stance Donald Trump has taken against exhibitionist climate activism in the country. An executive order passed last month introduced new regulations around keeping the ‘aesthetics safe’ in DC – including restoring monuments and removing graffiti.
