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.

Moorhead unveils monument to Black civil war veteran
A new monument in Moorhead honors a Black civil war veteran who settled in the new community after the war, raised a family and worked as a barber.
A hard look at gun violence in 'The Bodies Keep Coming'
A trauma surgeon looks at how gun violence and racism and health care intersect — and offers solutions for how we can fix a system that harms so many.
Minnesota professor takes sabbatical, finds joy in waiting tables
When a professor takes a sabbatical, they typically don’t end up waiting tables at a local brewery. For Matthew Batt, a University of St. Thomas associate professor of English, that became his reality. He detailed the journey in his book the “Last Supper Club: A Waiters Requiem.”
Blade runner: Minnesota woman breaks world record by balancing 30 swords on her body
Erin Hunter, a Bloomington, Minn., dancer, broke the Guinness World Record by balancing 30 swords on her body, turning a midlife crisis into a record-setting triumph. She chose this challenge to silence her inner critic and to stand alongside fellow performers at the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee who have also set records. 
Art Hounds: Art meets vinyl
Mazinibii’igewininiwag: Two Woodland Artists exhibit opens at AICHO Galleries in Duluth. Mayo Clinic presents An Evening with Michael Feinstein and a discussion of music’s effect on the brain and memory this Saturday in Rochester. The Da Da Duende Record Club, new this year, offers a quarterly zine and lathe-cut record to subscribers. 
New book shares the story behind Judy Garland's final MGM musical
David Fantle & Tom Johnson wrote, “C’mon, Get Happy: The Making of Summer Stock,” and will share their insights ahead of the ‘Summer Stock’ screening at the Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival.
What’s old is new again: Iconic Rochester sign gets a ‘glow-up’
For more than 50 years, the Kahler Grand Hotel’s neon red sign has lit up the sterile gray skyline of Mayo Clinic’s downtown Rochester campus. Now the iconic beacon is getting a “glow-up.”
A show 'For the People': New Guthrie play focuses on Minneapolis’ Native Community
The Guthrie Theater premiered a play titled “For the People,” highlighting the Twin Cities Native American community. Written by Larissa FastHorse and Ty Defoe, the play was inspired by stories from the local Native community, especially around Franklin Avenue, a hub of Native American arts and culture.