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.

July 3, 2022 9:44 AM

Influential theater director Peter Brook dies at 97

Brook's work ranged from classical star-studded productions to radical experiments in theater. He reinvented “King Lear” and explored the fragility of civilization in the film “Lord of the Flies.”

by Bob Mondello

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

July 2, 2022 7:00 AM

New St. Paul art exhibit challenges what it means to be 'ladylike'

“La.dy.like” offers a deep look at femininity, gender norms, sexism — and who gets to define the terms. Artists Andrea Bagdon and Spencer Gillespie open the exhibit this weekend in St. Paul

by Sam Stroozas

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

July 2, 2022 6:37 AM

Here are the 14 books that NPR staff and critics are loving the most so far this year

Every year, we ask NPR staff and contributors to tell us about their favorite books. From a list of 167 books so far this year, here are the 14 that the most people chose as their top pick.

by Miranda Mazariegos

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

July 1, 2022 12:00 PM

Novelist Jakob Guanzon on the divide between scarcity and 'Abundance'

Can a life be measured in dollars and cents? That’s the question at the heart of Jakob Guanzon’s debut novel, “Abundance,” which follows a father and son living on the razor’s edge of poverty.

by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

July 1, 2022 11:56 AM

Biden will award the Medal of Freedom to Biles, McCain, Giffords and others

The president will present the nation's highest civilian honor to 17 people, who also include Oscar-winning Denzel Washington, the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and soccer Olympian Megan Rapinoe.

by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

July 1, 2022 10:43 AM

Ask a Bookseller: 'The Overnight Guest' is a suspenseful ride

Heather Gudenkauf is both a New York Times Bestselling Novelist and a local favorite at the River Lights Bookstore in Dubuque, Iowa. River Lights bookseller Angela Kircher heartily recommends Gudenkauf’s newest thriller/mystery, “The Overnight Guest.”

by Emily Bright

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

July 1, 2022 10:28 AM

Eight books to enjoy at the beach this summer

From light romance and short fiction to thrillers, here's a list of books that are perfect companions as you retreat to the beach or pool to catch a break from the summer heat.

by Natalie Escobar and Miranda Mazariegos

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

July 1, 2022 12:29 AM

Travel the world without leaving your home with these 10 books

From Lahore's red-light district and the streets of Mexico to a fantastical underwater land of Korean fable, here are some picks that can immerse you in worlds wholly unlike your own.

by Rachel Martin, Miranda Mazariegos and Maureen Pao

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

June 30, 2022 4:00 AM

Art Hounds: Art that asks 'What does it mean to be ladylike?'

The interdisciplinary arts show “La.dy.like” investigates what it means to be femme. Artists muse on the act of walking at an international exhibit tucked in and around the Rochester Art Center. “There’s a Crack in Everything” offers an evening of storytelling and song at Bryant Lake Bowl Theatre in Minneapolis.

by Emily Bright