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.

Ask a Bookseller: 'On the Savage Side'
Aden Evosirch of the Winchester Book Gallery in Winchester, Va., recommends “On the Savage Side,” by Tiffany McDaniel. It is based on a true unsolved murder case in rural Ohio where six women, known as the Chillicothe Six, disappeared from the area in 2014 and 2015. Four were later found dead.
3 works in translation: History and literature intertwined
It is easy to act as if fiction and history were separate. But they cannot be completely divided. Jenny Erpenbeck's “Kairos” and Oksana Lutsyshyna's “Ivan and Phoebe” help readers connect with time past.
Forget the cardigan at home, Swifties get bejeweled for second Minnesota show
Plaid shirt days were over as thousands of fans flocked to U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday night in their best dress. MPR News freelance photographer Nicole Neri interviewed several Swifties about the homemade outfits they created for the big day.
Women bootleggers in the time of Prohibition
Journalist and author Jeannette Walls returns with a much-anticipated third novel. “Hang the Moon” follows a fiery young woman trying to maneuver within her own powerful family in Prohibition-era Virginia.
In 'The Fight for Midnight,' a teen boy confronts the abortion debate
Dan Solomon's YA novel ‘The Fight for Midnight’ takes place during former Texas state lawmaker Wendy Davis' filibuster of a bill that would restrict access to abortion. The protagonist is a teen boy.
Scandia, Minnesota's big plans to rebuild iconic water tower barn
The small town of Scandia, Minnesota recently received money from the state legislature toward reconstructing its iconic water tower barn and creating an arts and cultural heritage center in downtown Scandia. Host Cathy Wurzer speaks with Susan Rodsjo, a founding member of the Scandia Heritage Alliance.