Roundup: Art and Obama’s Cuba visit, the rise of ‘Beast Jesus,’ a piñata with consciousness

An activist artist and President Obama’s historic visit to Cuba. An arts center grows around “Beast Jesus.” And how artists are grappling with the U.S. prison system. Plus, a history of the design of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, unpublished images of African American life and a bizarre film about a piñata. Here’s the Roundup:

— The New York Times profiled Cuban artist and activist Danilo Maldonado (more commonly known as “El Sexto”) in a must-see piece in advance of President Obama’s historic visit to that country. The artist was arrested just before the president’s visit.

— Sort of related: The history of the iconic Che Guevara wall sculpture in Havana’s Revolution Square.

— Hundreds of looted ancient artifacts — many intended for markets in the United States — have been returned to Italy.

— “Beast Jesus,” the 19th-century Spanish fresco that made headlines when a botched restoration left it looking, um, beastly, is now getting its own arts center. Booking tickets …

— Rebecca Solnit has a devastating read on how the view of who “belongs” in a neighborhood changes during the process of gentrification.

— How artists are grappling with the U.S. prison system.

The U.S.-Mexico border wall in Nogales, Ariz.

(Astrid Galvan / AP)

— A history of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and why it will ultimately fail.

— L.A.-based artist Jennifer West has taken over the Kadist Foundation’s Instagram to record sites from her movie memories.

— The week in artist Kickstarters: Robert Irwin wants to build a giant structure in Marfa, Texas, and Tania Bruguera is trying to launch an art activism institute that will undertake projects in Cuba.

— The New York Times is publishing previously unpublished images of African American life. A remarkable project.

— Animation students at Carnegie Mellon re-imagine Eadweard Muybridge’s “Horse in Motion” and it is pretty darn awesome. Kudos to the student who re-imagined it as an abstract painting by Piet Mondrian.

— Durga, Perseus and Beyoncé: A group of high school students wrote an exploration of art and nudity for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Good stuff. Love seeing these kinds of projects.

— A 3-year-old wants to go see Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” at New York’s Neue Galerie, but she can’t because of a policy prohibiting kids under 12. Totes adorbz video ensues.

— Sort of related, but not: Artist’s children, depicted by their parents.

— When place-making doesn’t really make place: The case of the Spot 4MKE in Milwaukee.

— And since we’re on the subject of Milwaukee, there is a proposal for a new arena for the Bucks basketball team — and it looks like a barrel. Though some have likened it to Donald Trump’s hairdo.

— A photographer records the country’s fading Cinderella homes — a style of architecture that first emerged in Downey.

— How a country’s landscape affects its language.

— “Dulce Dolor” (Sweet Pain) is a beguiling, dark-weird short film about a piñata come to life. The use of materials in this is pretty extraordinary.

— And last but not least: Sample questions from the Trump University final exam.

Find me on Twitter @cmonstah.