Monster Mash: Banksy sightings in L.A. this week; St. Louis Art Museum sues over mummy mask
Stealthy: Was the street artist known as Banksy -- nominated for an Academy Award for the movie "Exit Through the Gift Shop" -- in Los Angeles this week, creating work on walls and billboards in the lead-up to the Oscar ceremony? (Los Angeles Times)
Legal battle: The St. Louis Art Museum has filed a federal lawsuit asking a judge to order that the U.S. government has no claim on a 3,200-year-old mummy mask that officials in Egypt say was stolen from their country two decades ago. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Controversial move: Republican lawmakers in Iowa are moving forward with their plan to sell a Jackson Pollock painting at the University of Iowa valued at $140 million, despite cries of opposition. (WQAD News)
New face: South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa has named a new artistic leader. (Los Angeles Times)
Airing differences: Students and faculty at Gainesville State College met to debate the removal of a controversial artwork that depicted a Confederate flag with hooded Klansmen, a lynching and an angry woman. (Gainesville Times)
SOS: The makers of "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" are reportedly bringing in playwright and comic author Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to revise the musical. (Los Angeles Times)
Cash problems: The planned U.S. National Slavery Museum in Virginia is behind schedule as it deals with financial difficulties. (Washington Post)
Operatic legend: Prince Charles was one of the attendees at a memorial for the late singer Joan Sutherland at Westminster Abbey. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Iconic figure: "Bob Fosse's Dancin'," a tribute to the legendary Broadway choreographer, will bow on Broadway at Studio 54 in the fall as part of the Roundabout's new season. (Broadway.com)
Also in the L.A. Times: a review of "Rock of Ages" at the Pantages Theatre; music critic Mark Swed reviews the English National Opera's production of "Lucrezia Borgia" directed by Mike Figgis; a review of rock star Sting in "Twin Spirits" at the Mark Taper Forum; the Metropolitan Opera announces its 2011-12 season, including a 3-D "Siegfried."
-- David Ng
Photo: An L.A. billboard bears artwork in the style of the street artist Banksy. Credit: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
