Monster Mash: Van Gogh painting believed to depict brother, Theo; Picasso painting sold for $20.7 million

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Dead ringers: The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam believes one of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings previously thought to be a self-portrait actually depicts his brother, Theo. (Associated Press, via CBS News)

Windfall: A Picasso painting donated to the University of Sydney in Australia has been sold for $20.7 million at auction. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Political protest: Supporters of imprisoned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will hold an hourlong vigil Thursday in New York. (WNYC)

Called off: The Brooklyn Museum has canceled its 2012 plan to host the exhibition ‘Art in the Streets’ from the Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A. (Los Angeles Times)

Charitable cause: A Stradivarius violin has been sold in an online auction for $15.9 million to raise money for disaster relief in Japan. (BBC News)

Uncertainty: The financially troubled New York City Opera has met with unions about the future season. (New York Times)

More canoes: A new outdoor sculpture by Nancy Rubins is turning heads at a Buffalo, N.Y., art gallery. (Buffalo News)

Going: The Surfing Madonna street-art mosaic in Encinitas will be removed and the artist will pay for it. (Los Angeles Times)

Honored: Kristoffer Diaz has won the New York Times’ outstanding playwright award for his wrestling-themed drama ‘The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity.’ (Playbill)

For sale: Universal Music Group is expected to be among the bidders for EMI Group, after the music label’s parent company Citigroup put it up for sale. (Los Angeles Times)

Also in the L.A. Times: Arts giving rose 5.7% to $13.3 billion in 2010.