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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.

The song that never ends: Why Earth, Wind & Fire's 'September' sustains

The song that never ends: Why Earth, Wind & Fire's 'September' sustains

It begins, “Do you remember?” — and we supply the memories. Dan Charnas tells the origin story of the Earth, Wind & Fire hit that still unites generations on the dance floor.
by Dan Charnas

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Minneapolis begins search for first-ever poet laureate 

Minneapolis begins search for first-ever poet laureate 

Minneapolis is launching its first-ever poet laureate program in partnership with the Loft Literary Center, aiming to infuse arts and culture into the community through educational opportunities, city ceremonies and a civic project.
by Jacob Aloi

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Art Hounds: Shows that forge connections across the table — and across oceans 

Art Hounds: Shows that forge connections across the table — and across oceans 

Sod House Theater hosts “Table.” In Winona, two artists living in Iran and Minnesota use virtual reality and mixed media to share their lives with each other. And Ananya Dance Theatre presents “Michhil Amra: We Are the Procession!”
by Emily Bright

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'Just Breathe' honors stories of health care workers in one hospital's COVID-19 unit

'Just Breathe' honors stories of health care workers in one hospital's COVID-19 unit

Nurse Lisa Kilgard and her colleagues wrote a book to help people remember what the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was like for health care providers on the front lines.
by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

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'Wellness' is a perfect novel for our age, its profound sadness tempered with humor

'Wellness' is a perfect novel for our age, its profound sadness tempered with humor

Nathan Hill's stunning new novel about the stories we tell about our lives and our loves, and how we sustain relationships throughout time, is both funny and heartbreaking, sometimes on the same page.
by Michael Schaub

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This rare Bob Ross painting in Minneapolis could be yours — for close to $10M

This rare Bob Ross painting in Minneapolis could be yours — for close to $10M

The late pop culture icon once said he painted over 30,000 works of art in his lifetime, but it's still rare for an authenticated Ross piece to come on the market let alone one with this much history.
by Emily Olson

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