Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

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.

Influential poet and bracing critic Robert Bly has died

Influential poet and bracing critic Robert Bly has died

Minnesota poet, teacher and men’s movement founder Robert Bly was a major figure in American literature for decades who criticized the Vietnam War. Bly died Sunday. He was 94.
by Euan Kerr

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!

Comedian Charlie Berens lovingly skewers Midwestern life

You don't have to be raised in Minnesota to know the stereotypes: “Oh, fer sure,” “doncha know,” hot dish — the list goes on. Comedian Charlie Berens told host Cathy Wurzer how he mines his roots in the Upper Midwest for creative inspiration.
by Cathy Wurzer 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!
Former gun industry insider explains why he left to fight for the other side

Former gun industry insider explains why he left to fight for the other side

“Gunfight” author Ryan Busse was once a rising star in the gun industry. But he became disillusioned after Columbine when, he says, the NRA began to use "fear and conspiracy and hatred" to boost sales.
by Dave Davies

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!
Jon Hassler's memoir 'Days Like Smoke' details a small-town Minnesota boyhood

Jon Hassler's memoir 'Days Like Smoke' details a small-town Minnesota boyhood

Long after Jon Hassler’s death in 2008, the memoir that he worked on in his last years is now being published. A celebration of "Days Like Smoke" is planned for next month at the Community Center in Plainview, one of the two small towns where Hassler spent his childhood.
by Euan Kerr

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!
Ask a Bookseller: 'Tiny Americans' follows one family over 40 years

Ask a Bookseller: 'Tiny Americans' follows one family over 40 years

Bob Lingle of Off the Beaten Path Bookstore in Lakewood, N.Y., recommends the novel "Tiny Americans" by Devin Murphy. The book starts in 1978 and follows a family of five over the next 40 years.
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!
Remembering Dave Frishberg, songwriter of 'I'm Just a Bill'

Remembering Dave Frishberg, songwriter of 'I'm Just a Bill'

Songwriter Dave Frishberg reluctantly said “I’m Just a Bill,” the song from the TV show “Schoolhouse Rock,” was his most famous. Frishberg died Wednesday in Portland, Ore., where he’d been living since the 1980s. He was 88.
by Tom Crann and Kyle Shiely

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!
Poetry inspired by a viral photo of drowned migrants wins the National Book Award

Poetry inspired by a viral photo of drowned migrants wins the National Book Award

Photos of a father and his young daughter, drowned in the Rio Grande, underlined the deadly risks of the immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Martín Espada drew on them for his book “Floaters.”
by Bill Chappell

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!

Song of the Day: 'Both Feet Kickin'' by Ron Arsenault

Thursday’s Song of the Day is new music from a southern Minnesota musician, courtesy Ben & Chris from the Keepin’ It Local show at KMSU in Mankato.
by Cathy Wurzer 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!
Border reopening reunites North American Indigenous music scene

Border reopening reunites North American Indigenous music scene

When the U.S.-Canada border closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the North American Indigenous music scene was hit hard. The border reopened on Nov. 8, and George Strong, general manager of KBFT 89.9 FM Bois Forte Tribal Community Radio, told host Cathy Wurzer what that means for Native American artists.
by Cathy Wurzer and Alex Cheng

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!