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.

August 12, 2022 4:00 AM

Ben Percy jumps to the big screen to honor his daughter

After a career of writing science fiction, horror novels and comic books, Minnesota-based Benjamin Percy is trying something new — a coming of age movie called “Summering” about a group of middle school girls.

by Jacob Aloi

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August 12, 2022 4:00 AM

Ask a Bookseller: 'Nettle and Bone' is a twisted fairy tale with horror and humor

Angie Tally of The Country Bookshop describes T. Kingfisher’s novel “Nettle and Bone” as “a deeply satisfying and darkly funny feminist fairy tale.”

by Emily Bright

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August 11, 2022 11:00 AM

How Minnesota shaped mall culture

As the Mall of America marks its 30th anniversary, MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the mall’s vice president and a design critic about the history and evolution of indoor shopping malls.

by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom

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August 11, 2022 4:00 AM

Art Hounds: Puppets, song, stories, laughs and clay

Puppetlab celebrates its 10th year with new, experimental work at Open Eye Theatre in Minneapolis. Stop by for “An Evening of Stories, Songs, and Laughs” in International Falls Saturday evening. And next weekend, the Cannon River Clay Tour offers a chance to see 21 potters at four studios around Northfield.

by Emily Bright

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August 10, 2022 2:55 PM

For some soccer fans, loyalty to home team remains unchanged

It’s not unusual for Mexican fans, even if they’ve lived in the U.S. for years, to remain loyal to their home teams — whether that’s Club America, Chivas or Cruz Azul.

by Vicki Adame

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August 9, 2022 12:00 PM

More Minnesota theaters adapt for people with autism

A theater performance can be overwhelming, and not in a good way for people sensitive to lights, sounds and certain movements.

by Jacob Aloi

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August 9, 2022 10:00 AM

From the archives: How immigration shapes America

We’re teeing up this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas conversation with historian Kelly Lytle Hernandez by throwing it back to 2017. That’s when Kerri Miller hosted a national call-in show called “Indivisible,” and in this episode from the archives, experts Eboo Patel and Tamar Jacoby tackle the question: Is America still a land of immigrants?

by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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August 9, 2022 9:31 AM

Serena Williams says she intends to retire from tennis after the U.S. Open

"I'm turning 41 this month, and something's got to give," Williams told Vogue. She attributed the choice to the competing urges of wanting another child while facing off with the world's best players.

by Bill Chappell

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August 8, 2022 7:02 PM

Pulitzer Prize winning historian David McCullough has died

He wrote acclaimed books about Harry Truman and John Adams, along with the Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Canal. He also was the authoritative voice narrating TV films such as The Civil War in 1990.

by Neda Ulaby