In a notable legal development, Joanna Smith, a climate protester, was handed a 60-day jail sentence for defacing a statue at the U.S. National Gallery of Art. This decision came after she vandalized the protective encasement of Edgar Degas's famed sculpture, "La Petite Danseuse de quatorze ans" (Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, 1880), in Washington, D.C. Smith, alongside another activist, executed this protest nearly one year ago, on April 27, 2023.
The incident, which prompted a plea of guilty from Smith in December for causing harm to the exhibit, could have led to a much harsher penalty of up to five years in jail along with a possible $250,000 fine. Instead, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson also mandated Smith to complete two years of supervised release which prohibits her from entering the District of Columbia and visiting any national monuments or museums. Additionally, she must complete 150 hours of community service, with a minimum of ten hours dedicated to cleaning graffiti.
The damage inflicted upon the sculpture, necessitating over $4,000 in repairs, resulted in its removal from public view for ten days. Kaywin Feldman, the Director of the National Gallery, expressed deep concern over the attack, describing it as a threat to the "universal idea that museums matter." He highlighted the sculpture's fragility and historical importance, noting that the incident has "forever jeopardised her stability."
The protest was part of a broader action by the climate group Declare Emergency. Smith and her co-protester Timothy Martin, who faces trial in August, used red and black paint to smear the sculpture’s base and protective case. Their protest coincided with other solidarity actions by climate activists at significant art venues like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Museums globally, particularly in Europe and the UK, have increasingly become targets for climate protesters. These activists have employed tactics such as throwing soup or cake at artworks, gluing themselves to frames, and even attacking protective glass with hammers in an effort to highlight the urgent environmental crises.
Selena Mattei
