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.

Drop the puck! Minnesota PWHL star scores a hockey cameo in ‘Inside Out 2’
Kendall Coyne Schofield, captain of Minnesota’s Professional Women’s Hockey League team, voices a hockey announcer in the animated coming-of-age movie opening Friday. For her, it’s another way to elevate the profile of women’s sports.
Samira Ahmed on ‘This Book Won't Burn’
After a family tragedy, Noor Khan is forced to finish her senior year of high school in a small town where she discovers — to her horror — that books are disappearing from the school library.
From Verona to Nogales with a Latino adaptation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’
Teatro del Pueblo’s adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet” integrates Latin American culture, Spanish language and spoken word poetry into Shakespeare’s classic tragedy.
‘Horror Movie’ questions the motivation behind evil acts
Paul Tremblay’s latest tale is dark, surprisingly violent and incredibly multilayered — a superb addition to his already impressive oeuvre showing he can deliver for fans and also push the envelope.
Queenie’s second life on screen gives her more room to grow
An irresistible new Hulu series follows the quarter-life growing pains of a lonely South Londoner. It’s based on a 2019 novel by showrunner Candice Carty-Williams.
‘It’s a loss’: The State Fair Foundation sunsets the Commemorative Art program
The Minnesota State Fair’s Commemorative Art program, which began in 2004 and featured work from 19 artists to expand connections to the arts community and generate revenue, has ended.
Prince collaborator Sheila E. says she’s ’heartbroken’ at being turned away from Paisley Park
Sheila E. figured she’d be welcome if she showed up unannounced at Paisley Park, the studio where the percussionist once collaborated with her mentor and one-time fiancée, the late rock superstar Prince. She was wrong.
What’s a book ban anyway? Depends on who you ask
The term "book ban" is used a lot in media and elsewhere when addressing the rise in challenges to certain books being allowed in schools and public libraries. But is it more political hyperbole or a censorship alarm bell?