Monday’s Art Notes

Mexican artists celebrated the international day of dance in Mexico City on April 29, 2011. Photo by Pedro Gonzalez Castillo/ LatinContent/ Getty Images

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A series of public art sculptures by detained artist Ai Weiwei that depicts different animals of the Chinese zodiac was supposed to be unveiled in Central Park in New York today, but the big ceremony was put off by the mayor’s office due to the announcement of the death of Osama bin Laden, via WNYC.

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The Lady Blunt, an exceptional 1721 Stradivarius violin known for always setting price records at auction, will be sold by the Nippon Music Foundation to support Japan earthquake relief efforts, via BBC.

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Rock musician Kid Rock accepted an award from the NAACP in Detroit on Sunday, but outside the event, people protested the ceremony because of his regular use of the Confederate flag in performance, via Rolling Stone.

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The author of a forthcoming biography of writer Harper Lee insists, despite’s Lee’s protestations, that she did work directly with her and her sister Alice Lee, via The New York Times.

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In late March, Buddhist monks and other Hindu protesters who had been incited by a negative review of an art exhibit in Mumbai of contemporary Tibetan art work, attempted to forcibly remove a work of art they found offensive from the gallery, via ArtAsiaPacific [and with a HT to ARTINFO.

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A report by the NEA says that Americans spend more dollars going to performing arts events than on outings to the movies, though still not as much as on sporting events, via The Associated Press.