Monster Mash: Director named for Eli Broad’s Michigan museum; Michael Jackson photos sell
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Appointment: Michigan State University has named Michael Rush as the director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, scheduled to open in 2012. Rush formerly headed the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University. (Lansing State Journal)
Pop star: A collection of photo portraits of Michael Jackson, taken in Paris in 1999 in part to illustrate the singer’s 2001 album, ‘Invincible, have sold at auction. (Agence France-Presse)
Speaking out: Street artist Blu says he believes that the decision by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles to remove his antiwar mural amounts to censorship. Artist Shepard Fairey also weighs in. (Los Angeles Times)
Applying pressure: The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is the latest art institution to say that it will screen ‘A Fire in My Belly’ by David Wojnarowicz, the video artwork that was recently censored by the Smithsonian. (Minneapolis Star- Tribune)
Ensemble effort: The cast has been announced for the New York premiere of Tony Kushner’s ‘The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism,’ which is set to open May 5 at the Public Theater. (Playbill)
Intimate view: Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘The Ox-Cart’ has been placed under X-rays to better understand the artist and his technique. (The Oregonian)
Dismissed: Actress Thora Birch has been fired from an off-Broadway revival of ‘Dracula’ just before the start of preview performances. (New York Times)
Stepping down: Howard Sherman, the executive director of the American Theater Wing, will be leaving his post at the end of June after an eight-year tenure. (Wall Street Journal)
Thinking outside the box: A young Beijing architect has built an egg-shaped sidewalk house to escape the city’s soaring rents. (USA Today)
Snazzy: The Vienna Philharmonic introduces new concert attire for its female musicians. (Associated Press via ABC News)
Also in the L.A. Times: Art critic Christopher Knight assesses MOCA’s controversial decision to remove an antiwar mural; ‘Black Swan,’ the ballet-themed movie starring Natalie Portman, is nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, including best dramatic picture.
-- David Ng
