Vandalized Minneapolis Museum Billboard Replaced

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A billboard in Long Lake, a suburb of Minneapolis, is as good as new after someone spray-painted clothing and the word "Brrr!" over a nude 16th-century Venus painting.

The billboard was returned to its previous condition over the weekend despite museum officials' urging to leave it up because they thought it was funny. None of the other billboards throughout the Minneapolis area have been damaged.

The advertisement is for the Minneapolis Institute of Arts' Titian exhibit. The museum says it fielded about 10 calls from angry passers-by who said they weren't comfortable seeing nudity outside of the museum.

Museum spokeswoman Anne-Marie Wagener said Thursday she thinks whoever did the graffiti wasn't trying to censor the image, but was probably just trying to be funny.

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