I'm sure our regular NewsHour viewers will understand when I say that, first and foremost, we are "news people." One of our goals in starting Art Beat was to make sure we stay on top of the news in the art world even as we offer features and interviews. Our second week has given us a chance to see how that can work. Art Beat writers have posted stories on the problems at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the naming of Elizabeth Alexander as the inauguration's poet and the deaths of entertainer Eartha Kitt and playwright Harold Pinter. (I've always loved the mix of personal detail and social history that comes through in the best obituaries and am a great admirer of those newspaper writers who do it well.)

Speaking of news, we're working on a story for next week on how the economic crisis is impacting arts institutions. And speaking of Alexander, I'll be talking to her Monday for the NewsHour broadcast, and we'll feature her here for our weekly poem. Also coming next week: a story on the Harlem Quartet, including interviews and excerpts from a recent performance, and a conversation I did with sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, whose work is based on natural materials and settings.

Finally, a reminder that if you're still looking for a good movie this holiday (or you're just interested in movies, generally), have a listen to our conversation with film critic and scholar David Thomson.

Thanks for visiting Art Beat and for watching the NewsHour.