Work doesn’t stop being work because it’s artistic.
If you violate your visa you can get deported, that’s pretty normal globally and does involve an arrest. It’s only exceptional because of the inhumane conditions of detention facilities in the US and because she was arrested immediately instead of being denied entry or educated on the restrictions of the visa. If she presumably told CBP she was intending to violate the visa waiver she probably thought it was acceptable for some reason.
“Why yes customs agent, I am intending to perform work in exchange for money while in the US on a tourism entry permit” -Privileged and naive white tourist used to the Schengen area about to dive face first into a poisoned spike pit that was meant to catch brown people
The problem is the spike pit, not really the person diving into it making headlines because they happen to be a white woman.
Are you sure you’re not thinking of generators? All the popular propane heaters in the US have CO shutoffs. There’s not really a point to using a heater outdoors in the first place unless it’s one of the huge ones that take a 20 pound tank and very obviously shouldn’t be used indoors.