Kathleen Folden: $2,991 for bashing "Romantic Cannibals," featuring Jesus receiving oral sex

Remember Kathleen Folden, the Montana trucker with a deep hatred for "Romantic Cannibals," a multi-panel work by California's Enrique Chagoya on display at the Loveland Museum/Gallery? The one who said "God is real" right after she'd taken a crowbar to the piece, which appears to show Jesus receiving oral sex?...

By Michael Roberts

March 1, 2011

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Remember Kathleen Folden, the Montana trucker with a deep hatred for "Romantic Cannibals," a multi-panel work by California's Enrique Chagoya on display at the Loveland Museum/Gallery? The one who said "God is real" right after she'd taken a crowbar to the piece, which appears to show Jesus receiving oral sex?

Well, yesterday, Folden paid for her unusual approach to art criticism -- but not as much as prosecutors hoped.

According to the Loveland Reporter-Herald, a judge ordered Folden to pay $2,991 in restitution. Prosecutors had originally set the price at $6,748 -- "$3,400 for the cost of the piece, $1,825 for the broken frame, both to the insurance company that paid the owner, and $1,523 to the city for counseling and staff time," notes the paper.

Folden is also serving eighteen months probation -- and while she reportedly lost her job after the incident, she's back behind the wheel. Have crowbar, will travel.

Look below to see "Romantic Cannibals" as a whole, including a larger version of the most controversial panel, as well as a video showing protests against the piece that preceded Folden's arrival.

More from our Follow That Story archive: "Saggy-Boob Electric Penis: a video montage."

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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