According to the New York Times, graffiti is spreading all across the Untied States, in cities big and small. But why? Marcia Dennis, who heads Portland’s highly ineffective anti-graffiti efforts, thinks she has the answer: “The rush is addictive, and these guys don’t quit. They all think they’re going to end up being fabulously wealthy graffiti artists like Marc Ecko or Banksy or Shepard Fairey.” Well, at least she got the first bit right. (Photo: Terry Frederic/flickr)

Lack of Interest Forces Museum of Bad Art to Close

The Velveteria, the world’s only museum of velvet paintings, has announced that it is closing its doors. Opened four years ago in Portland, Oregon, the museum has earned international attention for its quirky collection of the notoriously kitschy medium, just not enough to be profitable, according to Oregon Live. After closing up shop on January 24th, Velveteria owners Caren Anderson and Carl Baldwin plan to move to Los Angeles, taking their nearly 400 velvet paintings with them in hopes of reopening there. “In Portland, you can kind of do your own thing,” Anderson says. “But I’m craving something more culturally and ethnically diverse. I just crave a bigger cultural base.” |Oregon Live|