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.

This surprising debut takes readers to a crossroads of empires and cultures
Vinod Busjeet, like his main character, is descended from the Indian workers brought to Mauritius by French and English colonizers. His debut, “Silent Winds, Dry Seas,” reflects that critical history.
Art Hounds recommend a show on the future without honeybees, touring farms and parks
Plus, the Duluth Superior Film Festival highlights diverse Minnesota filmmakers, and the “Creature Comforts” exhibit at Fresh Eye Gallery offers an encouraging space in stressful times.
St. John's Abbey Church gets a pipe organ worthy of its space
For half a century, the St. John’s Abbey Church in Collegeville in central Minnesota has attracted visitors from around the world. Now, after a huge expansion of its pipe organ, enthusiasts say it finally has an instrument to match its modernist splendor.
This book introduces you to the people doing your 'Dirty Work'
Author Eyal Press calls them "jobs of last resort" — slaughtering animals, working in prisons, engaging in remote drone combat. Society needs them but doesn't want to talk about them.
'I love supporting my people'
Craft and maker markets give artists an opportunity to not only sell their work, but to gather with one another. In the Twin Cities, a new group is hosting events meant explicitly to share the work of Black, Indigenous and brown artists. 
'Against White Feminism' is an urgent call to action for solidarity and justice
Although personal anecdotes are included throughout, Rafia Zakaria's aim is not to explore her own pain but to retrace the history of how white feminism has caused unending trauma through centuries.