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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.

From the archives: The gift of a garden in troubled times

From the archives: The gift of a garden in troubled times

On this Friday’s Big Books and Bold Ideas, MPR News host Kerri Miller talks with Tamar Haspel about her garden, which Haspel details in her new book “To Boldly Grow.” So we thought it was fitting to bring back a warm and introspective conversation with landscape designer Rebecca Winn for this week’s deep-cut track, where Winn shares how her garden was her restoration after heartbreak.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Knitting through COVID: One Minnesotan's journey

Knitting through COVID: One Minnesotan's journey

Amy Fisher wanted to see if she could visually explain just how bad the pandemic was last year and maybe, if things got better, a record of hope.
by Sam Stroozas

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A good man: Exhibits honor 'Peanuts' creator Schulz on 100th

A good man: Exhibits honor 'Peanuts' creator Schulz on 100th

New exhibits at museums in Ohio and California are celebrating the upcoming centenary of the birth of Charles “Sparky” Schulz, the man who created the comic strip Peanuts.
by The Associated Press

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Author Marie Myung-Ok Lee on her new novel 'The Evening Hero'

Author Marie Myung-Ok Lee on her new novel 'The Evening Hero'

Minnesota-born Marie Myung-Ok Lee mines her own history for a wry new novel about a northern Minnesota doctor who learns his hospital is being closed by the corporation that bought it. That decision upends a previously quiet and controlled life. On this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas, host Kerri Miller talks with Lee about her new novel, “The Evening Hero.”
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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The East African twist on an American staple

The East African twist on an American staple

Ethiopian chef Karima Omer serves what she calls chapati wraps at her St. Paul restaurant. She created the dish almost by accident, but a staple of East African cuisine is now a huge hit with customers.
by Mecca Bos

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From the archives: Dr. Abraham Verghese on his novel, 'Cutting for Stone'

From the archives: Dr. Abraham Verghese on his novel, 'Cutting for Stone'

This Friday’s Big Books and Bold Ideas is a conversation with novelist Marie Myung Ok-Lee. Her new novel, “The Evening Hero,” is about changes in rural medicine, as told through the eyes of a physician who practices at a northern Minnesota hospital. To whet your appetite, we are bringing back one of host Kerri Miller’s all-time favorite Talking Volume conversations, with Dr. Abraham Verghese, practicing doctor and author of one of the great modern classics, “Cutting for Stone.”
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Fresh off a Pitbull tour, Twin Cities jazz artist Lucia Sarmiento returns ready to lead

Fresh off a Pitbull tour, Twin Cities jazz artist Lucia Sarmiento returns ready to lead

Fresh off a tour with internationally famous rapper and singer Pitbull, Lucia Sarmiento is back in the Twin Cities and ready to take the lead as a solo artist. Sarmiento joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about her work in the local jazz scene and her upcoming album to be released this summer.
by Cathy Wurzer, Simone Cazares and Sam Stroozas

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Ask a Bookseller: Groundhog’s Day meets freshman year of college

Ask a Bookseller: Groundhog’s Day meets freshman year of college

Barrett Bloom is a freshman in college having a terrible day. She shows up at her Physics 101 class only to be put on the spot in front of everyone for no reason by her unbearably annoying classmate, Miles. She’s never even seen him before! Or has she?
by Emily Bright

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