Artist Speaks Out After Public Display Defaced In Takoma Park

TAKOMA PARK, MD — A D.C. artist is speaking out after a woman was caught on video destroying her public display in Takoma Park.

Artist Tenbeete Solomon, who goes by Trap Bob, posted a video on Twitter purportedly showing the woman scraping paint off a picnic bench at Takoma Urban Park. The art display, commissioned by the City of Takoma Park, depicts a Black woman with the word "Justice" above her.

I'm livid. An artist friend of mine confronted + recorded this woman literally defacing my murals because she "doesn't like them" and doesn't believe I was hired to create them. How racist do you have to be to scrape black faces + names off of someone's art? Disgusting pic.twitter.com/wC9DA9Ft1w
— STONA LISA (@TRAPBOB) December 10, 2020

"You have to stop. You can't do this," the friend can be heard saying to the woman in the video. "The city paid her."

"Ah," the woman replied. "I don't believe it."

The incident, according to the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, happened on Thursday, Dec. 10. Authorities said they have identified and spoken to the woman who destroyed the public art display. It is unclear if charges have been filed.

The person of interest in the photos has been identified. Detectives met with the person and a final disposition is pending. We'd like to thank the public for their assistance.
— Park Police MC (@ParkPolice) December 12, 2020