Hi, art lovers!

In the last few weeks, I’ve spent way too much time thinking about immersive attractions and 360-degree tributes to the all-stars of the museum gift shop, but there’s one question some light listicle research wound up raising for me: how does an artist — one who’s been dead for ages at that — become so famous they’re basically a brand? 

Conveniently, this week’s news cycle delivered the answer (plus enough tabs to crash my browser), and it’s all because of a Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition that recently opened in New York. A question you might have asked yourself, with or without discovering the existence of the Basquiat edition of Uno: why is there such a boom in Basquiat-branded everything, from skateboards to Barbie dolls? This is one short answer. And the artist’s sisters speak at some length about managing his estate in this podcast. But for more expansive thoughts on the subject, here's a long read that explores the commodification of Basquiat. This audio conversation offers another wide-ranging take, and it also takes a few intriguing tangents, including the potential perks of licensing artwork if you’re an artist who’s still very much alive — not that anyone could ever expect to match Basquiat’s record-breaking auction figures or anything. (Related: here’s why art prices are going through the roof.) Beyond Basquiat, art merchandise is apparently a big financial opportunity for both artists and museums. And about the latter, if you’re a sucker for a museum gift shop, have you ever considered how those places actually shape our understanding of art? Whatever your answer, this list will be very bad for your wallet.

And because we promised you eye candy ...

@hannaleejoshi/Instagram

Ooooooh. Hanna Lee Joshi (last seen here) recently Instagrammed this virtual vase, a collab with Abhishek Dhoj Joshi. Maybe I’m saying this because I spent way too much time reading about artist merch, but I wish it were a real, tangible thing — one that was mass-produced and sold at a reasonable price point for someone on a writer’s salary perhaps.

@rae_klein/Instagram

@suitbyday/Instagram

@foirepapier/Instagram

You've got to see this

Penguin Random House

Harvey Fierstein is a living legend we can all learn from

Follow this artist

@stephanie.temma.hier/Instagram

Got questions? Typo catches? Story ideas?

We're just an email away. Send us a note, and we'll do our best to get back to you.

If someone forwarded you this message and you like what you've read, here's where to subscribe for more.

I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time!