Los Angeles Trims Street Artist’s Lawsuit Over Trashed Works

The City of Los Angeles has whittled down a suit brought by David Lew, the street artist known as Shark Toof, but a judge will allow Lew to push forward with a federal claim over the city’s destruction of his works at the Chinese American Museum.

Lew sued the city and the museum in December 2020, alleging a removal crew trashed dozens of canvas sacks Lew painted for an outdoor showcase as part of an exhibition focused on Asian American contributions to hip hop.

Lew brought a claim under the Visual Artists Rights Act, which protects an artist’s rights in ...