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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.

Song of the Day: 'Reven' by Beret Finken

A Southern Minnesota-based composer, musician and vocalist with Nordic sensibilities is highlighted in Tuesday’s Song of the Day.
by Cathy Wurzer and Kelly Gordon

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Famed author Jodi Picoult novelizes the pandemic in new book 'Wish You Were Here'

Famed author Jodi Picoult novelizes the pandemic in new book 'Wish You Were Here'

Picoult's pandemic-inspired story focusing on a character stranded in the Galápagos Islands highlights how events can change us — and offer perspective.
by Scott Simon, Mia Estrada, Ian Stewart and Melissa Gray

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'From Staircase to Stage': Raekwon on growing up in N.Y. and the Wu-Tang Clan

'From Staircase to Stage': Raekwon on growing up in N.Y. and the Wu-Tang Clan

In his new memoir, From Staircase to Stage, rapper Raekwon recalls watching as that relatively serene New York City neighborhood rapidly declined, succumbing to the wildfires of the crack epidemic.
by Steve Inskeep and Vince Pearson

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Answering today's problems with yesterday's fairy tales

Answering today's problems with yesterday's fairy tales

Jack Zipes thinks that answers to the major cultural and political quandaries of today can be found in the fairy tales of the past. Host Cathy Wurzer spoke with the celebrated University of Minnesota professor and “cultural excavator” about the history of fairy tales and his new press, Little Mole and Honey Bear.
by Cathy Wurzer and Kelly Gordon

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Homemade and heartfelt gifts cheer both giver and receiver

Homemade and heartfelt gifts cheer both giver and receiver

Do you bake or craft? MPR News guest host Stephanie Curtis talks to people who are making gifts for the holidays as a way to relieve pandemic stress and pass on joy from the heart. 
by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom

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Hanukkah isn't Jewish Christmas. Here's the story of the holiday and why we celebrate.

Hanukkah isn't Jewish Christmas. Here's the story of the holiday and why we celebrate.

Jewish families haven't always given presents on Hanukkah — it only dates to the 1880s. Arthur Levine's kids' book “The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol” imagines a fanciful origin for the tradition.
by Scott Simon

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Mario Vargas Llosa explores 1954 Guatemalan coup in new novel

Mario Vargas Llosa explores 1954 Guatemalan coup in new novel

Harsh Times, set in the 1950s, is historical fiction centering on events of a CIA-backed coup to overthrow Guatemala's democratically-elected government led by Jacobo Árbenz.
by Scott Simon, Isabella Gomez Sarmiento and Mia Estrada

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Merriam-Webster chooses vaccine as the 2021 word of the year

Merriam-Webster chooses vaccine as the 2021 word of the year

The selection follows "vax" as word of the year from the folks who publish the Oxford English Dictionary. And it comes after Merriam-Webster chose "pandemic" as tops in lookups last year on its online site.
by The Associated Press

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'The Ghost Tracks' is heartwarming horror fiction

'The Ghost Tracks' is heartwarming horror fiction

Celso Hurtado's YA horror novel combines a real San Antonio legend with classic elements of YA narratives to tell a story of friendship that explores the possibility of the supernatural.
by Gabino Iglesias

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