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.

Q&A: Author Boyah J. Farah reflects on being Black in America
In his memoir, “America Made Me a Black Man,” Farah tells of what American blackness has meant to him, from his childhood in Somalia to his adolescence in the Northeast — to his return to Somalia.
This is the season for collecting wild rice across northern Minnesota. Ricers have been out in canoes harvesting the crop from lakes and rivers. To preserve that rice, and give it the trademark nutty, smoky flavor involves a process of parching, jigging, winnowing and fellowship.
Ling Ma's first novel predicted the pandemic. Her new collection goes one step beyond
Nothing is just one thing in “Bliss Montage.” Satire swirls into savagery; a gimmicky premise into poignancy. Ma writes with such authority that readers are simply swept along.
Art Hounds recommend fall arts festivals, studio tours and dance
Among the many offerings this weekend, Art Hounds recommend you check out the River Valley Potters Fall Tour in Shafer and Marine in St Croix, the juried art show at the Lakeville Art Festival, and the McKnight Dance Fellows solo performances.
Rondo’s ‘lady of line dance’ keeps community moving
For Tina Jackson, teaching soul line dancing is how she gives back to her community. Her childhood mentors helped Jackson get started as a teacher and over the years she has built a community of dancers from everywhere she goes. 
Mattie Gomez feels directionless after being uprooted from her beloved Minnesota and forced to move in with her new stepfamily in California. So when she meets a girl at her new middle school who looks exactly like her, she’s not sure what to make of it. That’s how award-winning author Anika Fajardo’s new book begins.