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.

Here are the nonfiction books NPR staffers have loved so far this year
A deep dive on gossip. Revolutionary history. A meditation on muscle. A closer look at the color blue. And memoirs galore. There’s something for everyone on this nonfiction summer reading list.
Minnesota Shortlist is your weekly curated roundup of recommended arts events from MPR News, highlighting standout theater and music performances, exhibits and gatherings around the region.
Iconic Palmer’s Bar in Minneapolis announces it will close in September
The 119-year-old Minneapolis gathering place and music venue Palmer’s Bar announced on social media late Wednesday that its final day of business will be Sept. 14. Palmer’s dates back to 1906.
Review: The Guthrie’s ‘Cabaret’ is a chilling look at how fascism happens
The Guthrie Theater’s production of “Cabaret” uses its familiar songs and story to show how escaping into entertainment can dull resistance to rising fascism, drawing clear parallels to today’s authoritarian threats.
‘Jurassic World’ needed a restart. Steven Spielberg knew who to call
In the 32 years since penning “Jurassic Park,” Wisconsin native David Koepp has established himself as one of Hollywood’s top screenwriters not through the boundlessness of his imagination but by his expertise in limiting it.