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Arts and Culture

MPR News has you covered with news and stories about local art and culture happenings across Minnesota.

Art Hounds: Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what's exciting in local art. You can explore arts events here, or become an Art Hound today.

Art Reviews: Our arts team offers insight on the latest in theater, music, visual arts and more. We explore the breadth of creativity and innovation found throughout Minnesota, offering audiences a deeper understanding of the works and artists shaping our cultural landscape. Read more here.

Art Friend: Everyone needs an art friend. Art Friend is a new segment with our arts team. Art spaces can feel exclusive and art can be confusing, obtuse, and even boring. But, especially with the right context, everyone can be a critic. So let us be your guide- your Art Friend. Listen or read Art Friend stories here.

Our arts coverage is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Ask a Bookseller: ‘Before the Hunt’ by Barry Lyga

Ask a Bookseller: ‘Before the Hunt’ by Barry Lyga

John Shableski of The Otto Bookstore in Williamsport, Penn., recommends “Before the Hunt” by Barry Lyga.
by Emily Bright

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Kate Bowler is not living her best life — and she's OK with that

Kate Bowler is not living her best life — and she's OK with that

Kate Bowler is not here to tell you how to live your best life. She is not going to push gratitude. She doesn’t even believe in the pursuit of happiness — unless you’re looking to be unhappy. But she does think subversive, counter-cultural, breathtaking joy can happen anyway.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Crime novel author says fictional Iowa hit man 'Gerry Sass' is just doing the best he can

Crime novel author says fictional Iowa hit man 'Gerry Sass' is just doing the best he can

Emily Bright interviewed visiting author Tiffany Hanssen about her new crime novel “My Name Was Gerry Sass” in advance of her May 28 reading at Once Upon a Crime Bookstore in Minneapolis.
by Emily Bright

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15 books NPR critics can't wait for this summer

15 books NPR critics can't wait for this summer

A gothic horror tale, a creepy science-fiction romp, a sweeping romance, an intergenerational saga, a book about birds — here are the fiction and nonfiction our critics are most looking forward to.
by Meghan Collins Sullivan

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Author Laurie Hertzel revisits the ghosts of her Duluth childhood

Author Laurie Hertzel revisits the ghosts of her Duluth childhood

What happens when a family doesn’t talk about a tragic death? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with former Minnesota Star Tribune book review editor Laurie Hertzel about her new memoir, “Ghosts of Fourth Street.”
by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom

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Sonny Rollins, colossus of the saxophone, has died at 95

Sonny Rollins, colossus of the saxophone, has died at 95

The legendary jazz saxophonist, who revolutionized the art of improvisation, died Monday at his home in Woodstock, N.Y.
by Howard Mandel

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Tuj lub players want more Minnesotans to give the Hmong sport a whirl

Tuj lub players want more Minnesotans to give the Hmong sport a whirl

Keller Regional Park in Maplewood recently hosted a weekend tuj lub tournament on renovated courts. Tuj lub, a time-honored sport in Hmong culture, dates back thousands of years.
by Phineas Pope

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