One of Tim’s sketches that shows his vision for a different jail.
Tim Martin has now spent 9 weeks in the DC Jail. His sentencing is scheduled for August 22, following his conviction for taking action to compel our leaders to treat the climate crisis like the emergency it is—instead of continuing their murderous plunder of the planet.
Together with Joanna Smith, Tim applied washable red and black finger paint to the pedestal of a Degas sculpture at the National Gallery of Art. Their message: Declare a Climate Emergency. (Fact check: The sculpture was unharmed. So was everyone else.)
Being jailed is a hardship for anyone—Tim included: Recently, the North Carolina Board of Architecture informed Tim they intend to revoke his professional license, citing the conviction for “injuring” government property. We’ll have more to say about that soon.
Through it all, Tim is making his world bigger, not smaller.
He’s:
- Drawing cards for fellow inmates to send to their families—like “32 buffaloes in a prairie of wildflowers” for a cellmate’s 32nd birthday.
- Designing a dignity-centered role play course to help imprisoned people interact with respect—for others and for themselves.
- Reading and engaging deeply—including long, passionate discussions about Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira. (Ask at your own risk—he won’t stop talking about it).
Real change demands sacrifice.
Tim knows it —and he’s living it, with grace and courage.