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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.

New book with Minneapolis roots tells ‘How Black Music Took Over the World’

New book with Minneapolis roots tells ‘How Black Music Took Over the World’

Musician Melvin Gibbs has built a career over decades nimbly crossing genres. He spoke with MPR News host Clay Masters about his new book, “How Black Music Took Over the World,” described as part memoir, part history and part science.
by Clay Masters and Gretchen Brown

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11 new books in April offer a chance to step inside someone else’s world

11 new books in April offer a chance to step inside someone else’s world

The books we’re spotlighting this month don’t exactly radiate escapist good vibes — but they do offer the opportunity to step into someone else's life and get to know their view of our shared world.
by Colin Dwyer

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Civic responsibility after 250 years takes center stage for the U.S. Semiquincentennial celebration

Civic responsibility after 250 years takes center stage for the U.S. Semiquincentennial celebration

A new composition questions how civic responsibility has changed in the U.S. after 250 years. Sunday at Orchestra Hall, “Sing Democracy 250” brings music and the foundation of America together.
by Anika Besst

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Ask a Bookseller: ‘Brawler’ by Lauren Groff

Ask a Bookseller: ‘Brawler’ by Lauren Groff

Maire Wilson of Huxley & Hiro Booksellers in Wilmington, Del., recommends Lauren Groff’s “Brawler.”
by Emily Bright

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‘Stay Alive,’ about daily life in Nazi Berlin, shows how easy it is to just go along

‘Stay Alive,’ about daily life in Nazi Berlin, shows how easy it is to just go along

Historian Ian Buruma chronicles the lives of ordinary Berliners — including his own father — during World War II. “Stay Alive” is about the past, but has powerful lessons for the present.
by John Powers

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