– Peel Slowly and I'll See You in Court: The Velvet Underground filed a complaint against the Andy Warhol Foundation for allegedly infringing the trademark for the Pop artist's banana design, which adorned the cover of the rock group's first album in 1967. The band's founders, Lou Reed and John Cale, said the foundation infringed on the design by licensing it to third parties when it should be in the public domain. [Bloomberg]
– No Good Deed: Punk songstress Patti Smith's plans to perform a private concert at the Chelsea Hotel have been greeted by grousing from current tenants. Smith, a former inhabitant of the hotel herself, said she wanted to "communicate directly" with the current tenants, who have clashed with the hotel's new owner over renovations and eviction attempts. Some have wondered whether the new owner is using Smith as an attempt to make peace, and plan to boycott the show. [NYT]
– Yoko Ono Collaborates With Occupy Wall Street: The Fluxus performance artist (and famed Beatles consort) will create a project based on her earlier work “Wish Tree” in support of the protest movement. Ono has made an edition of 10,000 postcards printed with written instructions “to be distributed nationally by Occupy Wall Street groups.” [Hyperallergic]
– Met Gets Record Attendance: The Metropolitan Museum saw a record 5.6 million visitors last season (meaning the year ending in June 2011). The news will come as no surprise to anyone who saw the lines for "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty." MoMA, on the other hand, saw attendance drop 11 percent, to 2.8 million. [Bloomberg]
– Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum Readies for Grand Reopening: The Boston museum's $118 million Renzo Piano-designed expansion and renovation have been in the works for more than a decade, and staff is scrambling to make everything perfect before the public opening on January 19. The museum shop manager has been pulling 12-hour days every day since Christmas, weekends included. [Boston Globe]
– Luhring Augustine Plans Bushwick Debut: The Chelsea gallery’s hotly anticipated Bushwick space has announced a date for its first exhibition: Charles Atlas’s “The Illusion of Democracy” will open at 25 Knickerbocker Avenue on February 17, and remain on view through May 20. The new outpost includes dedicated exhibition galleries alongside office and storage space. [L Magazine]
– British Museums Up Photography Acquisitions: The U.K.’s major art institutions are vastly increasing expenditures on photography. While the Tate didn’t even record the word “photography” on its accounting sheet in 2006, the museum spent almost £1.5 million ($2.3 million) expanding its collection between 2007 and 2010. [British Journal of Photography]
– Meet MoMA's New Architecture Curator: Pedro Gadanho, a 43-year-old architect, fashioned a "gadfly-like career" as curator, writer, blogger, and teacher (sometimes finding the time to design a building or two). Before beginning his post at MoMA this week, he spoke with the New York Times about his role at the museum and the challenges facing architects today. [NYT]
– Emily Brontë Goes to Auction: A painting of Emily Brontë is set to be auctioned off by the Northamptonshire firm JP Humber. Estimated to sell for between £3,000 and £4,000, it is the second portrait of the famed 19th-century author to be unearthed in the past two months. [Guardian]
– Get Your Craft On: As DIY becomes more popular with younger generations and Chinese purchasing power increases, the arts and crafts industry is experiencing a big boost, according to a new report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. The industry could be worth $40 billion by 2015. [Press Release]
– Wei Wang Wins Future Map Prize: The London College of Fashion grad won the £3,000 award, given by the Zabludowicz Collection to one graduating student included in the college's Future Map exhibition, for her line of luxury ceramic evening bags. [Press Release]
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