MOBA News Issue # 105

		MOBA News

In This Issue:

October 14, 2012, Issue # 105

•	99% Inspiration + 1% Perspiration = No Sweat

•	Church Disapproves of Artistic Effort

•	Art Thefts on the Rise

•	Winner: New Guest Interpretator

•	MOBA and MENSA

•	News from Other Museums

99% Inspiration + 1% Perspiration = No Sweat

There's an app for that!

This exhibit will mark the launch of the MOBA mobile app developed in conjunction with Toursphere. Visitors to the galleries and fans of MOBA around the world can download the app to their smart devices to see short videos produced by the MOBA Curatorial Staff, who have done extensive research to identify the artist's inspiration for many of the pieces in the Permanent Collection.

Visitors are encouraged to bring headphones to the gallery.

Exhibit opening: Wednesday, October 17, 7pm
Museum Of Bad Art/Somerville
Basement of Somerville Theatre
55 Davis Square, Somerville MA

Directions to MOBA/Somerville

Art Thefts on the Rise

A recent rash of thefts from MOBA's Somerville location has raised concerns about the trustworthiness and moral fiber of visitors to this gallery.

In May, the intricately embroidered piece The Birth of Man by Skidlo was taken. This week, the cheerful portrait, Robert went missing as well as Crying Elvis on velvet. The Elvis piece is not part of MOBA's permanent collection, but is important as an educational tool to illustrate differences between kitsch and sincere art.

The only lead we have thus far is from Friend of MOBA Corey Lindemann who reports seeing two drunks last Friday night in the area between Porter Square and Davis Square carrying two paintings and yelling that they "had art."

If you are the selfish lout who took it, or have information about the pieces whereabouts, please contact: curator@museumofbadart.org.

Curator-in-Chief Mike Frank on Boston's Channel 7 TV.

MOBA and MENSA

Mensa is the organization for people with abnormal scores on certain psychological tests, more often described as the high IQ society. We've learned that a lot of these intelligent people appreciate MOBA.

On November 3, as part of a 3-day Regional Mensa meeting, MOBA's Permanent Acting Interim Executive Director Louise Reilly Sacco will bring a MOBA slide show to Mensa.

If you've been thinking that perhaps you're smart enough for Mensa, learn more here.

Church Disapproves of Artistic Effort


With no previous art experience, 80-year-old Cecilia Gimenez, made headlines for her attempt to restore a 20th-century painting of Jesus Christ. Her efforts have not been widely appreciated. She restored the decaying "Ecce Homo" ("Behold the Man") portrait because no one else would do it. Gimenez insists that the priest knew what she was doing. But the sanctuary's owners, the Santi Spiritus Hospital Foundation, report a stream of visitors wanting to see "Ecce Mono," or "Behold the Monkey" as it's now called by some. Town officials have planned to undo Gimenez's work, but almost 18,000 people have signed an online petition to preserve the post-restoration painting, according to Agence France-Presse. MOBA congratulates the artist for her can-do attitude and her sincere efforts to repair a crumbling work of art.

Winner: New Guest Interpretator


. . A TREE GROWS IN BOSTON . . A young man in an urban setting dreams of life in the country. . . We know he is dreaming of it because the color of his eyes is . . the same color as the sky in the pastoral image. Sadly, this tree . . exists only in his head. The harsh demarcation between the rusty . . urban sky behind his head and the idyllic view of his dreams is a . . harsh indication that they are worlds apart. In desperation, he . . stretches forth his hand to touch the tree. But he will never . . reach it. Congratulations to Sarahlynn Nichols who composed this interpretation. Ms Nichols has won a copy of the book "Museum Of Bad Art: Masterworks" and is allowed, even encouraged, to use the title Museum Of Bad Art Guest Interpretator in all personal and business situations. The next MOBA contest will be announced very soon.

News from Other Museums


PORN MEMORABILIA BECOMING COLLECTIBLE WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Experts say pornography memorabilia and erotic art are becoming legitimate collectibles. "It's an evolving market," said Naomi Wilzig, founder and president of the World Erotic Art Museum in Miami. People are realizing how important erotic art is to own and display. People used to cast it aside as sordid, but are now realizing it's important." Ted McIlvenna, president of The Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco and curator of the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas, said that as pornography becomes more mainstream, people become more comfortable owning part of its history. McIlvenna said many collectors seek items from the past. "I think we're at an interesting moment in the intersection of sex and art," said Ethan Imboden, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of adult toy producer JimmyJane's. "I think there will be more of these intersections that will create collectible pieces. Because of the taboo in the past, they're fairly rare, but as we move forward and [more artists begin] working in this space, I think you'll see more and more interest and an accompanying market." United Press International

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