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.

Rare St. John's Bible editions headed to England
It’s been 25 years since St. John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., commissioned the first handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible since the invention of the printing press. Now, rare copies of the Bible will be presented to three institutions in the Church of England.
Ask A Bookseller: 'A Rake of His Own'
In this week’s Ask a Bookseller, Shayne Molt of Indigo Bridge in Lincoln, Neb., recommends the fantasy romance novel “A Rake of His Own” by A.J Lancaster.
Employees at all seven First Avenue music venues unionize
About 200 bartenders, ticket-collectors, and floor managers working at First Avenue’s seven locations moved to unionize. They’re asking for better pay, better training and more notice in scheduling shifts.  
'Unapologetically Indigenous' mural preserved for future generations
Constructed of western red cedar, the mural is monumental in size — 17 feet high and 95 feet wide. The mural was installed on the south face of the Minneapolis American Indian Center almost 50 years ago. The center has been under construction since last winter. 
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.