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.

For fall, 3 novels where great translations make all the difference
Sometimes, it's not the author you choose, it's the translator. So we've picked three novels where the translation will help you discover new things about the text, even if you can read the original.
Minnesota arts community mourns writer Pamela Espeland
Pamela Espeland, a writer and editor who covered the Minnesota arts scene for MinnPost and the Star Tribune, died on Sunday evening after an apparent stroke, according to a statement her family shared on Facebook.
Need a read for kids? 15 suggestions from booksellers — and kids
MPR recently tapped independent bookstore owners and young readers for recommendations on good books for young people to read right now. Here’s some of the best of what they told us.
Highlights from the Tony Awards, where 'Moulin Rouge!' soared
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” took home 10 awards, including the night's biggest: best musical. “The Inheritance” won for best play, and “A Soldier's Play” for best revival.
4 things to know ahead of the 2021 Tony Awards
The 74th annual Tony Awards will be presented on Sunday night — more than 15 months after they were previously scheduled. But these pandemic Tonys are by no means business as usual.
These unclaimed Afghan studio portraits bear witness to decades of history
In the back rooms of Kabul's photo shops, thousands of photos dating as far back as 40-plus years sit unclaimed. It remains to be seen if these photo studios can survive a new period of Taliban rule.
Ask a Bookseller: Epic fates and myth in this novel set in ancient Greece
To wrap up September’s theme of books for kids, teens and in-between, Rosalind Casey of Books of Wonder in Manhattan recommended “Amber and Clay” by Newberry Medal-winning author Laura Amy Schlitz.
Art Hounds 'hunt' for artists in Rochester
Artists open gallery spaces for the public to explore in Rochester’s Hiding Artists Tour. This week’s Art Hounds also recommend exhibits by Barbara McIlrath and Stuart Loughridge at the Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis, and by Kelly Schamberger at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery in Grand Marais.