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.

Deteriorating ice conditions force some Minnesota winter events to pivot
Heavier-than-average snowfall across much of Minnesota this winter has been a boon to a lot of winter sports enthusiasts. But it’s now causing problems with ice conditions on some frozen lakes, forcing organizers of some events to change plans.
Joanna Quinn on her best-selling novel 'The Whalebone Theatre'
This week on Big Books and Bold Ideas, host Kerri Miller talks with the British author whose debut novel took England by storm. “The Whalebone Theatre” tells the story of three children who grow up on a posh seaside estate in the 1920s, and how their imaginations and familial bonds both anchor and inspire their lives.
Ask a Bookseller: Laziness does not exist
Bookseller Whit Robinson of Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia recommends one of her top reads: The nonfiction book “Laziness Does Not Exist” by Dr. Devon Price. 
Anti-fatness keeps fat people on the margins, says Aubrey Gordon
In her new book “You Just Need To Lose Weight and 19 Other Myths About Fat People,” Aubrey Gordon tackles the biases and myths that she says keep fat people on the margins of society.
Fargo art museum podcast connects with Indigenous creators
The Plains Art Museum has been around in one form or another since 1965. It now produces a couple podcasts, including 5 Plain Questions, which poses five general questions to Indigenous artists, creators, musicians, writers, and culture bearers. MPR News host Cathy Wurzer talks with Native American Programs Director Joe Williams, who hosts the podcast.
Femme giants and more rise at the Rochester Art Center 
“Matriarchate” by Nicole Havekost opens at the Rochester Art Center. Also on view is “Proto Language” by Chris Delisle and “Walk With Us,” a juried international exhibition including 16 artists.
Classic rock guitar virtuoso Jeff Beck dies at 78
Guitarist Jeff Beck was among a wave of influential English guitar players in love with American blues. He died on Tuesday, Jan. 10 after contracting bacterial meningitis.
Jeff Beck, guitar god who influenced generations, dies at 78
Jeff Beck, a guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player, has died. He was 78.