“Maybe it just took that landmark building to make people wake up,’’ said Susan Stoops, curator of contemporary art at Worcester Art Museum.

No show has had more impact than the current 250-plus-piece exhibition of work by the controversial street artist Fairey. Just last month, attendance passed 105,000, making it the most popular show in the ICA’s 73-year history. That came on the heels of well-received exhibitions featuring Bombay-born sculptor Anish Kapoor and Tara Donovan, who crafts objects out of Scotch tape, plastic buttons, and pins. […] Still, the museum’s third year attendance – up from about 200,000 last year – has helped balance the budget. Increased traffic affects its store, which saw its revenue increase from $838,000 to $1.3 million.

Big Draw (Boston.com)