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.

Art Hounds: Giant troll tour in Detroit Lakes
Art Hounds recommend a hidden troll hike, the photography of BearBOI and a multi-day bluegrass festival.
John Lee Clark is pioneering an emerging language — and culture
In a culture where people operate at a distance from each other and their surroundings, John Lee Clark advocates for Protactile, a set of practices and language based entirely on touch and designed by DeafBlind people.
This Minneapolis Indigenous Design Camp for teens is the first of its kind in the U.S.
Indigenous teens are participating in the first U.S. Indigenous Design Camp, where they craft architectural models and explore careers in architecture to address the underrepresentation of Native Americans in the field.
For some authors, finding their book on a “banned” list can feel almost like an accolade, putting them right there with classics like “The Bluest Eye” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.” But the reality is, most banned books never get the kind of recognition or readership that the most famous ones do.
Twin Cities author releases children’s books celebrating Haitian language and music
On Saturday Djenane Saint Juste is sharing two children’s books she self-published in three languages: English, French and Haitian Creole, a language she was not allowed to learn in school.
This year’s longlist for the Booker Prize is here
Longtime writers Claire Messud, Percival Everett and Richard Powers join along with three debut novelists.
Robert Downey Jr. is returning to ‘Avengers’ films as a villain in 1 of Marvel's Comic-Con twists
Marvel Studios kicked off its return to San Diego Comic-Con with dancing Deadpool variants and a choir for a panel that included news about the next two “Avengers” films and surprise guests, including Harrison Ford. 
40 years after 'Purple Rain,' Prince’s band remembers how the movie came together
Before social media, the film “Purple Rain” gave audiences a peek into Prince’s musical life. Band members say the true genesis of the title song was much less combative than the version presented in the film.