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.

Amid the ICE crackdown: How artists are responding to this moment
How are artists responding to the continued presence of federal immigration enforcement? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a poet, a ceramic artist and a graphic artist about what they’re seeing, feeling and creating in this moment. 
Lady Macbeth as rockstar — Guthrie opens 'Macbeth' with Kiss the Tiger frontwoman 
Meghan Kreidler, best known as the frontwoman of Kiss the Tiger, reflects on her long personal connection to Lady Macbeth and how playing the role at the Guthrie has deepened her engagement with Shakespeare, her own ambitions and the play’s contemporary political resonance.
How Rupert Murdoch created a media empire — and ‘broke’ his own family
Journalist Gabriel Sherman has covered the Murdoch family for nearly two decades. In his new book, “Bonfire of the Murdochs,” he chronicles the protracted public battle for control the family business.
Comic community responds to ICE detention with art for Liam
Comic artists across the U.S. and beyond have launched the #Comics4Liam campaign, creating artwork inspired by 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos’s Spider-Man backpack to protest his detention by ICE and highlight the human impact of immigration enforcement.
‘We can do hard things’: The impact of ICE enforcement on the arts
The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and Renee Macklin Good by federal agents and related immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis disrupted arts and education institutions across the Twin Cities, forcing widespread closures, cancellations, financial losses and safety measures.
Grammys 2026: 10 takeaways from a historic, chaotic night
The Grammy Awards were full of milestone wins, chaotic performances and viral moments, as well as speeches that frequently addressed this moment in American history.
Ask a Bookseller: ‘Begin Again’ by Oliver Jeffers
Timothy Otte of Wild Rumpus Books in Minneapolis recommends “Begin Again” by Oliver Jeffers.
Yes, romance & fantasy novels are political.
Romantasies combine supernatural characters and plotlines with the rush of a whirlwind romance novel, and, in this episode, NPR explores how the politics of some of these books have an effect on politics in the real world.