Boy Sticks Gum On $1.5 Million Painting At Museum

WFTV-NEWS ^ | 2-28-2006

[Cagey]

DETROIT -- The Detroit Institute of Arts is stuck with having to repair a painting worth $1.5 million.

It has to remove a stain left by a wad of gum stuck on the painting by a 12-year-old visitor.

It happened Friday. Museum officials said the boy was with a group from Holly Academy in Oakland County, Mich., when he took the gum out of his mouth and stuck it on Helen Frankenthaler's 1963 abstract painting "The Bay."

The gum didn't stick to the fiber of the canvas, but left a stain the size of a quarter. Museum experts are researching the chemicals in the gum to decide how to clean the painting.

Holly Academy director Julie Kildee said the boy had been suspended from the charter school and said his parents also have disciplined him.

"Even though we give very strict guidelines on proper behavior and we hold students to high standards, he is only 12 and I don't think he understood the ramifications of what he did before it happened, but he certainly understands the severity of it now," said Kildee.

[CzarNicky]

How did they tell he put gum on it?

[derllak]

Only twelve and doesn't understand.....just how retarded is this kid anyway?

[SlowBoat407]

Holly Academy director Julie Kildee said the boy had been suspended from the charter school and said his parents also have disciplined him.

Hmmm. Where was the discipline before this? When I was 12 I actually knew that something like that was worse than wrong.

[Cagey]

Frankenthaler 's "The Bay".

[Shalom Israel]

I think it's a bum rap. Looks like the canvas was stained before the kid got there:

[Just another Joe]

Oooooooooooooooh, would I get it when I got home!

I probably wouldn't be alive today.

[Renfield]

I sure understood at the age of 12 not to do such things.

[domenad]

I think we have a critic.

[PeteB570]

12??? And didn't know not to stick gum on a painting?


Ok, OK maybe he can do it at home so why not in a museum.

[wideawake]

The 12 year old knew exactly what he was doing. He was intentionally damaging other people's property for a prank.

[End Times Sentinel]

I did a lot of stupid things when I was a kid, and my kids, being innoculated with at least half of my stupid genes do a lot of stupid things too (in fact, I still do a lot of stupid things), but that being said, I just can't imagine being dumb enough to do something like that.  What possesses someone to do something like that?

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[SittinYonder]

Holly Academy director Julie Kildee said the boy had been suspended from the charter school and said his parents also have disciplined him.

This is far worse than breaking a $2 glass fish at the Dollar Store.

You stain it, you buy it.

[new yorker 77]

[Cagey]

LOL!

[Mr. Mojo]

"he is only 12 and I don't think he understood the ramifications of what he did before it happened"

He knew what he did was wrong. ....before he did it.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

It looks like someone already put gum on it.

[SlowBoat407]

I hate to be a peasant, but how could they tell?

[Paleo Conservative]

"Even though we give very strict guidelines on proper behavior and we hold students to high standards, he is only 12 and I don't think he understood the ramifications of what he did before it happened, but he certainly understands the severity of it now," said Kildee.

As if it were acceptable to dispose of used gum in any way except putting it in a trash can. Also, why the hell was he chewing gum at all inside a museum?

[Wolfie]

Perfect commentary on the state of abstract art.