Along with the Little Mermaid, Denmark’s capital city may be losing another local landmark and tourist attraction, but this time, it looks like it’s for good.

The Museum Erotica — a site that’s been a popular stop for travelers just off the Copenhagen’s main pedestrian-only drag since opening there in 1994 — closed its doors on Sunday and has announced that they will remain so until the attraction can secure investors or a new owner. Past exhibitions ranged from subjects such as the life and work of Marilyn Monroe to sex education aimed at younger visitors to racy French postcards and other erotic ephemera from era’s past.

The closure of the bankrupt museum means the 1,500+ artifacts housed therein no longer have a home and will reportedly be auctioned off.

It’s a sad ending for an attraction that once carried the motto, “All you need is love.”

[Source: Closing the Sexiest Museum?]

[Photo: Mulmatsherm via Flickr]

The recent news that Delta cut fares to its Cincinnati hub by up to 60 percent and began offering bonus miles for round trip flights there from major U.S. cities certainly made a visit to this Ohio town more attractive. Here’s another reason to go this spring: The Cincinnati Art Museum’s Surrealism and Beyond exhibition marks the only U.S. appearance of famed Surrealist and Dada works of art from Jerusalem’s Israel Museum.

The show, on view through May 17, features over 200 works from such artists as Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, Salvador Dali and Marcel Duchamp.

It’s a rare opportunity to see works like Rene Magritte’s Le Chateau de Pyrenees (pictured) in person without traveling outside the United States.

[Source: Surrealist Masterpieces Make Only U.S. Stop in Cincinnati]

This weekend, a retrospective exploring the work of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami opens at the Brooklyn Museum. Anime, manga and pop-culture fans will no doubt turn out in droves to see Murakami’s iconic works, which include murals, sculptures and a host of giant, action figure-esque characters (check out Hiropon, a little lady with enormous, milk-spurting breasts). One unusual aspect of the show is a full-size Luis Vuitton store contained within the museum, an artistic extension of Murakami’s collaboration with the company and its creative force Marc Jacobs.

This is one of those rare exhibits that holds equal appeal for fashion addicts, art lovers, anime fans and pop-culture aficionados. Runs through July 13, 2008.

How can a museum tell the story of a subject that is, by definition, top secret? In its recent special section on the state of museums, The New York Times examines that very question as it tells the curious story of the National Cryptologic Museum, which went so far as to forgo an official opening party when it debuted in 1993 for fear media would snap images of clandestine operatives working for the National Security Agency located in the adjacent building. The answer, for now at least, seems to be: slowly and carefully.

Not surprisingly, the museum keeps its exhibits historical in nature, as exploring current topics and events would encroach upon national security initiatives. But breaking Japanese naval codes during WWII, revealing once-secret techniques used in jungle listening stations during Vietnam and Civil War-era code books? All fair game.

Psst! Follow Me and I’ll Show You the Exhibition

Oh, those crazy Poles. Who knew that a recent exhibit showcasing women’s undergarments throughout history would gain the country more recognition than Washington’s recent decision to upgrade Poland’s military forces. But yes, it’s true. And we wish we could go, ’cause there’s something gratifying in knowing that women’s underwear did not simply begin to torture women with the thong’s invention in recent decades. This exhibit shows that it’s always been a bit tortuous! Phew. At least the universe is not tilting wildly out of balance.

But we digress. Poland’s Museum of Industry in Opatowek has garnered more attention than you could fit in the cups of a triple-E bra with its current exhibit From Pantaloons to G-Strings. Among the many items on display are knee-length cotton underpants of yore, corsets and the dumpy cotton underwears that became de rigueur for Polish women during the 1980’s communist regime. In fact, if there’s anything you take away from this exhibit, folks, take away the fact that communism is just plain bad for women’s underwear. Freedom, on the other hand, leads to thongs. Go figure.

Lastly, how hilarious is it that the AP photograph flying around the internets with this story features a little boy skulking through the shadows behind rows of women’s panties? Now that’s some subversive journalism.

Unmentionables on Display in Poland

Heading to the Big Apple this fall for a family trip? The Museum of Modern Art offers fun free activities for families with children ages 11 to 14. Head over on a Saturday afternoon for the The Watch This! Films for Tweens program. Tickets for these international films featuring young protagonists are given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Tweens must be accompanied by an adult.

Then there are the Tours for Tweens held on Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. The tours take tweens and their parents through the galleries and encourage discussion about the modern and contemporary art you’ll see along the way. Tween tours are free, but you should preregister if you plan on attending. Sometimes the tours fill up in advance, in which case, there’s always the wait list. Point being – register early if you have your heart set on a certain weekend tour.

Starting with Riga on Aug. 25, a select number of European cities will be celebrating Notte Bianca (White Night), an event started in Paris in 2002 that turns a city into an all-night party space, arts exhibition and cultural experience. Many museums, shops and other venues stay open all night and feature special performances, screenings and exhibits in celebration of their city’s White Night. If you’re traveling Europe this September, head to a White Nights celebration and pull an all-nighter crash course in the city’s arts and cultural institutions. Here’s the schedule for this year’s celebrations:

Aug. 25 – Riga, Latvia

Sept. 8 – Rome

Sept. 22 – Madrid

Sept 29 – Brussels, Belgium

Oct. 6 – Paris

White Nights Europe

Why, yes. Atlanta. Jim Henson’s family announced yesterday that it will donate his entire collection to Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts. A new wing named for the creator of The Muppets and The Muppet Show is scheduled to open at the center in 2012. When completed, the Jim Henson wing will house as many as 700 pieces of Muppet memorabilia, puppets and ephemera – as well as objects from Fraggle Rock and Jim Henson films.

A special exhibit called Jim Henson: A Man and His Frog is currently on display at the center.

Henson Family Chooses Center for Definitive Collection

On Sept. 29, 2007, you might want to finally check out that museum exhibit you’ve been meaning to see. The fall Saturday has been designated as Museum Day 2007 , an annual event supported by Smithsonian Magazine. On that day, participating museums around the country will be offering visitors free admission with completed Museum Day Admission Cards.

Traveling shoe fetishists have reason to head to the Boston Center for the Arts today for the opening of Canada’s BATA Shoe Museum free exhibit of famous and exotic shoes. On display through July 28th, the exhibit features such vaunted footwear as Marilyn Monroe’s red silk high-heel boudoir slippers (and no, we’re not talking about the ones in the picture!) and unusual offerings like 19th-century shoes worn by the Sioux and Inuit and 18th-century evening shoes. Wish we had a pic of the Marilyn slips, but I suppose you’ll just have to go check out the show if you want to see them.

Exhibition of Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum