Gripepad will be otherwise occupied for a bit. See you all after the 4th of July.

In my latest column in Crain’s New York Business, I ask, why not a Madame Mayor?

The great fashion photographer Gleb Derujinsky, 86, and his wife Wallis, 72, died in a car crash yesterday near their home in Durango, Colorado. Last June, I published a retrospective Derujinsky’s work in the penultimate issue I edited of Bergdorf Goodman Magazine. View it here. [large pdf alert]

Gawker reports rumors today that Alec Baldwin may run for mayor, and details some of his past flirtations with the idea of public office. His first was actually in 1997, and I covered the aborted candidacy of the future 30 Rockstar for New York Magazine. Jump to Page 38 to read “The Candidate.”

Last week, the New York press predictably annnounced the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s abrupt 25% bump of its “suggested” admission price to $25 (that’s the old price displayed above) without much historical context or critical commentary. Only Louise Blouin‘s feisty artinfo.com hinted that to some, this might spell heartbreak or outrage. This morning, Judith H. Dobrzynski‘s RealClearArts took a stab at the plan, too, reviewing some of the recent history of the entry tariff and wondering why the museum doesn’t institute variable pricing. “Airlines, theater, and many other places have succeeded in using variable pricing, with few or no complaints … Continue reading →

There’s going to be an outbreak of backscratch fever at the CFDA Awards tomorrow night. Read all about it in Crain’s New York Business. Tomorrow’s column, today.