Monster Mash: Smithsonian chief talks censorship in Los Angeles visit; Eli Broad’s new museum gets more support

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Under fire: The head of the Smithsonian Institution visited Los Angeles on Thursday and offered a defense of his decision to remove ‘A Fire in My Belly’ from the National Portrait Gallery in December, while also admitting that it was hasty action. (Los Angeles Times)

Big bucks: Los Angeles redevelopment commissioners agreed Thursday to spend up to $52 million to build parking and other improvements around billionaire Eli Broad’s planned downtown art museum. (Los Angeles Times)

Climactic: Broadway’s ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’ has a new finale sequence. (Entertainment Weekly)

Title role: Heather Jane Rolff has been cast as the plus-sized protagonist of Neil LaBute’s ‘Fat Pig,’ opening in the spring on Broadway. (Playbill)

Retiring: Melody Kanschat, the president of the L.A. County Museum of Art, will step down from her post in May. (Los Angeles Times)

Suspect: A 27-year-old was arrested Thursday in connection with the theft and vandalism of seven bronze sculptures belonging to the Ratner Museum in Maryland. (Washington Post)

D-list: A look at art created by ‘Jersey Shore’ star Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley. (Gawker)

Also in the L.A. Times: House Republicans have unveiled a plan to end federal arts and humanities agencies and aid to public broadcasting.

-- David Ng