Monster Mash: A starry night at Kennedy Center Honors

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Cultural ritual: President Obama spoke at the annual Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday and presented medals to Sonny Rollins, Barbara Cook, Neil Diamond, Meryl Streep and Yo-Yo Ma. (Los Angeles Times)

Masterpiece: Art experts have reclassified a painting that was believed to have been made by one of Rembrandt’s students as having come from the Dutch master himself. (Associated Press via San Francisco Chronicle)

Madge-ical: Cirque du Soleil will collaborate with Madonna on the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show. (Entertainment Weekly)

Canceled: Chinese officials canceled a post-play discussion of L.A. Theatre Works’ traveling production of ‘Top Secret: Battle for the Pentagon Papers.’ (Los Angeles Times)

On the record: James Cuno, the new head of the Getty Trust, speaks with columnist Patt Morrison. (Los Angeles Times)

Odd pairing: An exhibition of Islamic art is coming to Brigham Young University, which is affiliated with the Mormon Church. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Alleged fraud: A European hedge-fund executive is suing a New York art gallery that he says closed its doors one day after he accused it of selling him a phony Jackson Pollock painting for $17 million. (New York Post)

Not a fan: A principal dancer with the Royal Ballet has criticized the movie ‘Black Swan’ as ‘horrific.’ (Bloomberg)

Busted: In Miami, a South Beach hotel owner has been arrested for operating an art fair without the proper permits. (Miami Herald)

Brush with fate: Two paintings that were supposed to have sailed on the Titanic but were delayed and thus saved from destruction have sold at auction. (Daily Mail)

Agreement: Musicians with the Utah Symphony have agreed to a three-year contract extension. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Also in the L.A. Times: Pop-music critic Randall Roberts reviews Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Immortal,’ a tribute to Michael Jackson.

-- David Ng