An Affectionate Tribute to an Artist's Artist. John Walter's documentary provides an intriguing and entertaining introduction to the artist Ray Johnson, focusing on his varied art and the mystery surrounding his death. By Lawrence Van Gelder.

They remembered the time he dropped footlong hot dogs from a helicopter over Ward's Island and the time an admirer sought to buy one of his collages. The prospective buyer said he had $1,000 to spend. Johnson asked $2,000. The prospective buyer offered $1,500. He got the collage. But Johnson had cut away a quarter of it.

[New York Times: Movies]

Art Treasures Shown, but Few Behold Them. Over a hundred artistic treasures from a Spanish province are on display at the cavernous Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, but the exhibition has received scant attention and small crowds.

Among the works in the ambulatory at the back of the cathedral at Amsterdam Avenue and West 112th Street are a remarkable painting of St. Sebastian by El Greco from the cathedral in Palencia; an unusual work by Goya from a convent in Valladolid; a painting by a noted Flemish artist from the tiny village of Castrojeriz; early examples of polychrome statues, richly enameled caskets, ivory statues and notable examples of Castilian art from the Romanesque to the Baroque. . . . By Celestine Bohlen. [New York Times: Arts]

Arts and Letters Daily, a wonderful and dense blog, has folded up its tent due to the bankruptcy of its parent company. A&L Daily will be auctioned off by the receivers. [Boing Boing Blog]

In a Film Festival's Winners, a Focus on Artists at Work. Montreal's Le Festival International du Film sur l'Art will be offering film buffs a sort of on-screen tour of artist's studios and galleries around the world. By Joanne Latimer. [New York Times: Movies]