Monster Mash: Louvre is most popular museum; Hockney vs. Hirst

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Popular: The Louvre Museum in Paris is once again the world’s most-visited museum, with a record 8.8-million visitors last year. (Agence France-Presse)

War of words: David Hockney has criticized Damien Hirst for relying on assistants to create his artwork. (The Independent)

Great white way: The average Broadway showgoer was whiter than ever in 2011, with Caucasians accounting for more than 82% of the season’s 12.5-million theatergoers. (Variety)

Exit: Daniel Radcliffe has played his final performance in Broadway’s ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.’ Darren Criss will take over the part, followed by Nick Jonas. (Contact Music)

Extreme action: A radical art group in Russia is claiming responsibility for burning a police vehicle in St. Petersburg on New Year’s Eve. (New York Times)

Please remit: Arts institutions in Boston aren’t happy about a rise in payments they must make to the city in lieu of paying taxes. (The Art Newspaper)

Eclectic: The Spoleto Festival USA has announced its 2012 lineup, which will include a staging of Philip Glass’ opera ‘Kepler.’ (Charlotte Observer)

Bullish: Police in New York temporarily removed the metal barriers surrounding the famous bull statue on Wall Street for the celebration of the artwork’s 22nd anniversary. (New York Post)

Money problems: The Austin Lyric Opera in Texas has sold its headquarters to a local TV and film production company in order to regain its financial footing. (Austin Statesman)

Bouncing back: The National Pinball Museum is expected to open in Baltimore this month after losing its lease at a location in Washington last summer. (Associated Press, via Washington Post)

Worth the money?: A recent study shows that musicians cannot tell from sound alone whether they are playing a vintage classic instrument or one made last week. (Guardian)

Passings: John Buchanan, director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, has died at the age of 58; Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta has died at 80. (San Francisco Chronicle; Associated Press, via NPR)

Also in the L.A. Times: A sculptor in Iraq is aiming to revitalize his old art institute.

— David Ng