HYPE: "An Extraordinary Exhibition"

Those aren't my words. Those are from Roberta Smith, the de facto chief art critic of The New York Times, talking about a new exhibition that opens Sunday at The Jewish Museum, They Called Me Mayer July: Painted Memories of a Jewish Childhood in Poland Before the Holocaust. It's rare to get that kind of praise.

And if told me a week ago we'd be getting that kind of praise, I would have laughed. For weeks, most of us thought this was not going to be a good show. Then, one by one, we got into the galleries and saw just how remarkable the works on view are as a whole. These paintings are by a man who was self-taught and began to work at 73, from memories dating back to before 1934. And he really does bring a lost world to life, in ways that go far beyond the usual romantic notions of the shtetl and that are surprisingly and poignantly gritty and real.

I think, for once, words like "extraordinary" are in order. I hope you come and see. (A reminder that the Museum Mile Festival is on Tuesday, June 9th, in case you are short on funds or time.)

Best Corporate Stadium Name Ever?

The Miami Dolphins have renamed their football stadium. As part of a partnership with singer Jimmy Buffett, it is now named for a beer that Buffett produces with Anheuser Busch. Thus from this day forth, it will be called...

Land Shark Stadium.

Really.

This is of course ironic is you are familiar with the Land Shark sketches on Saturday Night Live waaay back at the start of the show. Luckily, the Internet will make all clear.