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.

Art Hounds: Beauty from what’s broken
Check out the “Glitch art” from a photographer who also repairs computers. Also, Art Hounds recommend the hardanger fiddle music from Fargo Moorhead Spelemannslag.
When facing loss, embrace change and don't force closure, a therapist urges
Over the last two years, many have experienced a kind of ambiguous loss as we have lived with isolation and uncertainty in the pandemic. Author and therapist Pauline Boss explains how to move forward.
A breakout star of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' hails from just outside Rochester
If you’re a fan of “RuPaul's Drag Race,” you likely already know and love season 13 star Utica Queen. Utica’s creator, Minnesotan Ethan Mundt, joined host Cathy Wurzer to share stories from “RuPaul's Drag Race” and a sneak peek at his exhibition “Homecoming Queen” at the Rochester Art Center.
The global supply chain is amazingly efficient. So why did it break down?
"Americans went on a shopping spree as soon as lockdown started, and we haven't really stopped," journalist Christopher Mims says. His book, “Arriving Today,” goes inside the global supply chain.
In 'The Maid,' a devoted hotel cleaning lady is a prime murder suspect
In Nita Prose's debut, a guest at a fancy urban hotel lies dead and the main suspect is Molly Gray, a devoted member of the cleaning staff who recognizes she has "trouble with social situations."
A live comedy show about basketball dreams developed during the pandemic
Minnesota-based comedian Jon Savitt aspired to be a star basketball player when he was a kid, but instead — he ended up writing a comedy show about his story. He joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about “King of the Court” and what it was like to develop a comedy show during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An 86-year-old organist who fled the Nazis writes his story for the first time
Gerrit Lamain is an 86-year-old Dutch immigrant in Rosemount, Minn., who is sharing his stories — some of them for the first time — in a collection of essays about his life called “Gerrit’s Notes.” Lamain and his daughter, Carla Laetham, joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the project.