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.

Rain or shine, they keep strumming at the Silver Creek International Ukulele Carnival 
An unexpected sight — and sound — was created in the middle of the Lake County Fairgrounds when over 375 musicians joined the annual Silver Creek International Ukulele Carnival for four days of ukulele fun and community.
Talking Gen Z: How young people today use slang
Every generation has its slang. From “groovy” and “far out” to “lit” and “slay.” MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a linguist and a St. Paul poet and hip-hop artist to unpack the slang of 2025.
Settled sounds from old guitars: How Daniels & Baker found joy in the familiar
Twin Cities musicians Jackie Rae Daniels and Nate Baker’s new EP “Amerikinda Minnesorta Folk” showcases some of their favorite numbers and the depth in their rich sound that enhances the duo’s acoustic storytelling. 
Cambridge Dictionary adds 'skibidi' and 'tradwife' among 6,000 new words
The Cambridge Dictionary has added over 6,000 new words including slang terms like "skibidi," "tradwife" and "delulu." Cambridge Dictionary says it uses the Cambridge English Corpus database of more than 2 billion words to monitor how new words are used, how often and in what contexts.
Terence Stamp, British actor who portrayed General Zod in early Superman films, dies at 87
Terence Stamp, the British actor who often played the role of a complex villain, including that of General Zod in the early Superman films, has died. He was 87. His death on Sunday was disclosed in a death notice published online.
Greg Iles, Mississippi author of 'Natchez Burning' trilogy, dies of cancer at 65
Mississippi author Greg Iles has died at 65. His literary agent Dan Conaway said Iles died Friday after a decades-long battle with the blood cancer multiple myeloma. Initially diagnosed with the incurable condition in 1996, he kept his illness private until completing his final novel, “Southern Man,” which was published in 2024.
‘Cabaret at the Guthrie,’ 100 years of Gatsby and the most vital restaurants in MN
MPR News shares a conversation from the “Worth It” podcast, from the Minnesota Star Tribune and Lemonada Media. Get the inside scoop on the Guthrie’s “Cabaret, ”a classic and century-old novel with Minnesota roots, and the Twin Cities’ dining scene.
From antique furniture to odd metal aliens, Gold Rush Days brings thousands to Oronoco
This weekend, the quiet downtown area in Oronoco becomes an antique mecca as hundreds of sellers of well aged and vintage collectables descend on this small southeast Minnesota town for Gold Rush Days, which is taking place for the 53rd year.