– George Clooney Takes on Art Looters: The Oscar winner is currently working on an adaptation of the book "The Monuments Men," which follows a group of art experts hunting art stolen by the Nazis. "I'm really interested in telling the story of how these very unlikely heroes went miles deep into a mine and found all the art and returned it," Clooney said at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. [E!] 

– RIP Art and Book Dealer John McWinnie: The New York-based rare book and art dealer was a champion of artists like Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Matthew Satz, and Jameson Ellis. He died in a snorkeling accident Friday while on vacation in the British Virgin Islands. McWhinnie managed Glenn Horowitz's flagship East Hampton business for eight years before the two founded a joint venture in 2005, a bookstore and art gallery specializing in the history of the 20th and 21st century avant-garde with locations in Manhattan and East Hampton. [Patch] 

– Crystal Bridges Parnership in Jeopardy: An appeals court upheld Fisk University's right to sell a $30 million share in its extensive Stieglitz art collection to Alice Walton's Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas. But Tennessee's attorney general, who opposes the collection leaving the state, may challenge the ruling. [Tennessean]

– Royal Academy Denies Hockney's Catty Comment: David Hockney has issued a statement via the London venue hosting his forthcoming show, stating that he "has not made any comments which imply criticism of another artist's working practices." Last week, Hockney told Andrew Marr in a Radio Times interview that the practice of using assistants to make works was "a little insulting to craftsmen, skillful craftsmen," and, according to the Independent, he confirmed that it was a dig at Damien Hirst. [BBC] 

– Early-Morning Art Theft in Greece: Pablo Picasso's 1939 painting "Woman's Head" and an undisclosed canvas by Piet Mondrian were stolen from Greece's National Gallery early this morning. Police are still investigating if any other artwork is missing. [Reuters] 

– Paris's Musée d'Histoire Naturelle Repatriates Maori Heads: On January 23, the museum will give the heads back to New Zealand. In May 2010, a law was passed in France forcing all institutions with Maori heads in their collections to return them to their country of origin. The restitution will take place at the Musée du Quai Branly, currently holding a large exhibition dedicated to Maoris. [Connaissance des Arts] 

– Art Feels Effects of Global Warming: An annual snow sculpting contest in Nevada has been canceled due to a lack of snow. "We do have a snow machine, but at 60 degrees, the snow won't hold together very long," said a tourism agency rep. [Boston Globe]

– Nicolas Beggruen Sends Collection to L.A.: The billionaire private collector will send several works on long-term loan to LACMA, where he is a trustee. The trove includes pieces by German artists like Martin Kippenberger and Gerhard Richter as well as West Coast artists like John Baldessari. The move means that Beggruen's plan to establish a museum in Berlin are on hold.  [TAN]

– Art Market Going Strong: The art market gave a return of 11 percent to investors in 2011, outdoing return of the S&P 500 index of US equities by 9 percentage points, according to the Mei Moses All Art Index, which is based principally on paintings sold in New York and London. [FT]

– Point for Ryan O'Neal in Defamation Suit Over Warhol: Remember that complicated he-said she-said tangle of lawsuits among Ryan O'Neal, the University of Texas, and Farrah Fawcett confidante Craig Nevius over a missing Andy Warhol portrait of the late Charlie's Angels star? A judge has denied an attempt to dismiss O'Neal's defamation suit against Nevius for suggesting he was the thief. [THR]

– Catch-22 for Magritte Theft: Thieves returned the 1948 René Magritte painting "Olympia" to the Magritte Museum in Brussels last week in exchange for a £62,000 ($78,450) ransom. The work was stolen at gunpoint in 2009 and returned in excellent condition after the thieves realized it was too famous to sell on the black market. [Telegraph] 

– Completing the Spot Challenge: Damien Hirst is offering a personalized Spot print to anyone able to visit all 11 Gagosian locations during his global Spot painting exhibition. Reuters' Felix Salmon drew up an itinerary for an imaginary plutocrat named Pictor Vinchuk, whose five-star journey would cost $108,572. For a slightly more affordable option, try Jennifer Bostic's version of the trip, which comes out to $13,206 for two people. [Reuters, Star Wars Modern]

– Ron Paul at Center of Street Art Battle: A Pop art portrait of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul spotted on Rodeo Drive last week was removed by the city, which owns the larger sculpture to which it was affixed. The street art crew responsible put up more than a dozen more Paul portraits this weekend, and hopes the campaign will embrace the image just as Obama's did Shepard Fairey's "Hope" poster. [Patch] 

– A Mosaic for David Bowie: Ed Chapman has immortalized the Ziggy Stardust star with a mosaic to mark Bowie's 65th birthday. The piece, entitled "Pin Up," is valued at £4,000 ($6,172). [Independent] 

ALSO ON ARTINFO:

Finding the Reason in Mary Reid Kelley's Mad Rhymes About French History

Van Halen Reunion-Tour Teaser Wows Exclusive Crowd

A Wintry Fairytale Wonderland Made Entirely of Paper Opens in Hong Kong

Takashi Murakami Declares War on Cool Japan

These Cartoon Handbags Will Make You Do a Spit Take