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.

Tina Turner, unstoppable superstar whose hits included 'What's Love Got to Do With It,' dead at 83
She teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age. Turner's manager says she died Tuesday after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland.
Happy Birthday, Bob!
Enjoy a playlist of cuts from the legendary musician, who turns 82 this year.
In 'American Born Chinese,' a beloved graphic novel gets Disney-fied
In the Disney+ show American Born Chinese, Jin is an insecure Chinese-American kid just trying to get through high school when he befriends the new kid in town, Wei-Chen. Wei-Chen is actually a god on a divine quest, and he drags Jin along with him. And the two come to realize they're more alike than they ever imagined.
'XO, Kitty' is a coming-of-age Korean rom-dramedy with heart
The Netflix series XO, Kitty is a spinoff of the hit YA book and movie franchise, To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Anna Cathcart returns as Kitty Song Covey, a teenager with a penchant for matchmaking. The show is a mash-up of genres, including rom-coms, Korean dramas, and coming-of-age tales.
'This is good food': Reclaiming a classic Nigerian dish in Minnesota
Ask just about anyone to tell their personal story, and it’s likely that food will feature at some point. For Nigerian immigrant Uche Irogbu, fufu was a staple of his childhood, and now its a staple of his identity in the U.S.
With new name in Dakota, St. Paul nonprofit pushes Indigenous renaming forward
Lower Phalen Creek Project is now Wakaŋ Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi. The new name means “those who care for Wakaŋ Tipi” in Dakota, referencing a cave currently known as Carver’s Cave but ancestrally called Wakan Tipi. 
Arts Briefs: Miniature golf, Elvis and puppets
This week’s arts briefs include Monkeybear's Harmolodic Workshop, hip hop dance with Cypherside and The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum in Duluth. Also in Absolute Bleeding Edge: folk music with blips and bloops.
Voices across time: Theater Mu ignites intergenerational conversation
Theater Mu is hosting the AAPI Generations Conference, an event celebrating 30 years of fostering Asian American and Pacific Islander theater, promoting intergenerational dialogues, and encouraging inclusive participation.