K.J.’s gift to the arts: ‘Pie-gate’ inspires sculpture as second trial approaches
Sculpture artist portrays activist Sean Thompson as a messianic figure
Six months after leaving office, former Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is still helping local artists. Well, at least one.
Laura Harling recently completed a 15-by-19-inch sculpture that depicts Johnson and current Mayor Darrell Steinberg celebrating the completion of the Golden 1 Center as activist Sean Thompson approaches with a pie.
In the new sculpture “Let Them Eat Pie,” Harling opts for a straightforward rendering of Johnson and Steinberg, though her take on Thompson has some clear similarities to another longhaired protestor—a rabble-rousing icon descended from the Galilee. “There weren’t many photos of Sean Thompson to study,” she noted. “But I thought he looked kind of Christlike.”
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office failed in its attempt to convict Thompson of felony assault in May, after a hung jury forced a mistrial. Prosecutors have announced they’ll retry Thompson on a lesser misdemeanor.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Harling said of the news that Thompson will go before a jury again. “It’s just Sacramento News & Review - K.J.’s gift to the arts: ‘Pie-gate’ inspires sculpture as second trial approaches - Beats - Local Stories - June 22, 2017:
