Fairey, ICA partying late: Are you sure this is a *Boston* museum?

The ICA is getting up on the downstroke with its Shepard Fairey survey exhibit, opening Feb. 6. The artist's poster of Barack Obama over the word "Hope" became a ubiquitous visual meme of the campaign season, praised almost as much as it was ripped off. Today came the news that the original collage will become part of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, which will be sure to hang it by Inauguration Day. And hot on the heels of that announcement was the press release from the ICA touting Fairey's Feb. 5 artist talk and - wait for it - the artist's DJ gig at the museum after hours on Feb. 6. Yes, from 9 p.m. till 1 a.m., Fairey himself will be spinning sides or at least cranking his iBook to power the dance floor at the museum's latest "Experiment," an evening of "art, drinks, beats and eats." Anywhere else this would seem routine, but on Boston's often staid museum circuit it's practically a jaw-dropper. Tix to the talk are $20 for non-members; the 21+ party is $25. Get yours at icaboston.org or (617) 478-3103.