Somerville has a well-deserved reputation for fostering and supporting the arts.

Some residents near Foss Park want to change all that. They've hoodwinked a couple of aldermen into asking the state to paint over a mural in the park, claiming that it somehow interferes with their ability to sell their houses.

If you can avoid one Shakespeare production this year, make it ART's "Julius Caesar," Zolok writes:

... Bloated, loaded up with inpenetrable symbolism, rife with robotic acting and glacially paced at a torpid three hours plus, this has to be one of the worst Shakespeare productions I've ever seen ...

Art wars are so much fun, especially when you have no idea who most of these people are but really appreciate some good high-brow vituperation.

Chris and Erin report on an interesting collaboration between two Dot. Ave. businesses to build a permanent sculpture project: Dot Art Clay Station will be installing sculpture in the window of the Dot-2-Dot Café now readying for opening at 1739 Dorchester Ave.

Today a one time opportunity for free viewing of the Symbols of Power Napoleon exhibition and all of the Museum of Fine Arts during the Martin Luther King Day open house
http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/sub.asp?key=15&subkey=2140
http://www.mfa.org/napoleon/
http://mfa.org/press

Wear a universalhub symbol of power... Meet other people at the museum who've read the bits of local interest at http://universalhub.com

Alecia Batson describes going on an audition at the American Repertory Theatre:

... I set my pitch pipe and music on the chair that was available, expecting to read first and sing second, which is what happened, but only after what seemed an eternity of awkward silence in which one looked me up and down, another perused my resume, and the artistic director introduced the reader to me. I felt a bit as though I was up for auction, being judged wholly on my appearance. I couldn't tell if they were waiting for me to take the reins or if I should wait for direction. One of them said, "Okay," so I inquired, "What would you like for me to start with?" One of the two selections was requested, so I performed that with the reader and then I was asked to "sing something", which I did, performing the song I'd been preparing all week. ...

If you're Robert Pettit, you call it art. Pettit, an Allston artist, is trying to add to his 1,000-phone pile for an installation:

... If you have some old phones you want to donate to my project my building is having open studios on the weekend of November 10. swing by and check out my work along with 40 other artists. The address is 119 Braintree in Allston, down the street from the Sports Depot. ...

Pettit's previous cell phone art.

Thomas Garvey: Have the folks singing State Street's praises actually seen the monstrosity Malcolm Rogers is planning to build?

... Admittedly, the State Street moolah will only fund the $500 million monster indirectly - but really, if it was ever appropriate to "starve the beast," this is just such a time. ...

No, not art on the T. Take a look at Leah's Subway Stories collage in ink and acrylic paint on bristol vellum paper.

Tomorrow's First Thursday in Jamaica Plain:

Each First Thursday of the month more than two dozen businesses along Centre and South Streets are transformed into galleries featuring works from local artists. Open receptions at each location, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, offer a chance to meet the artists, enjoy refreshments, and experience JP's fabulous businesses in an entirely new light.