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.

June 19, 2025 9:00 AM

Marking Juneteenth with the Minnesota Orchestra

Black American composers are at the heart of the Minnesota Orchestra’s Juneteenth holiday concert tonight. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with the concert’s organizer and the guest conductor about how African American music is expanding the classical tradition.

by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom

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June 18, 2025 4:22 PM

Dealing with traumatic grief after Minnesota’s recent political violence

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Stacy Remke. She’s a clinical social worker, a teaching specialist at the University of Minnesota, and the author of the book, “The Insider’s Guide to Grief.”

by Cathy Wurzer and Gretchen Brown

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June 18, 2025 3:44 PM

Job Interview: Court sketch artist captures Minnesota’s most prominent criminal proceedings

When camera’s aren’t allowed in a courtroom, an illustrator will be asked to step in. Cedric Hohnstadt has been Minnesota’s go-to courtroom sketch artist for nearly 30 years.

by Lukas Levin

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June 18, 2025 3:15 PM

New books out this week offer catastrophes that at least profess to be just fantasies

The new books publishing this week may get quite heavy, laden as they are with family tragedy, psychopathy and heartbreak — but at least they are fiction.

by Colin Dwyer

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June 18, 2025 3:08 PM

Sexy & Spiteful: The best books to read this summer

Celebrated romance authors Bolu Babalola and Emily Henry return to the show to discuss with Brittany their summer reading recommendations, ranging from spiteful and salacious to sweet and spicy.

by Brittany Luse, Liam McBain, Neena Pathak and Veralyn Williams

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June 18, 2025 3:05 PM

Looking for summertime suspense? Turn up the heat with these 4 mystery novels

Maureen Corrigan recommends four great reads: “El Dorado Drive,” by Megan Abbott; “The House on Buzzards Bay,” by Dwyer Murphy; “King of Ashes,” by S.A. Cosby; and “Murder Takes a Vacation,” by Laura Lippman.

by Maureen Corrigan

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June 18, 2025 3:00 PM

‘Drag is Art’ Minnesotan and first Drag Race winner BeBe Zahara Benet to perform Saturday

BeBe Zahara Benet was the first person to win the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” on the reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race, which has since exploded in popularity.

by Nina Moini and Alanna Elder

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June 18, 2025 1:10 PM

'Classical Queery' series shines a light on LGBTQ+ identities in classical music

YourClassical is celebrating Pride Month with a new series called “Classical Queery” that explores the intersection of classical music and LGBTQ+ identities.

by Nina Moini and Ellie Roth

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June 18, 2025 10:00 AM

Alfred Brendel, the cerebral pianist with a dry wit, dies at 94

Routinely called a “musician’s musician,” the pianist had an atypical career that even he called mysterious. He spent it returning to a handful of favorite composers, with acclaimed results.

by Jeff Lunden

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June 18, 2025 6:37 AM

Anne Burrell, TV chef who coached the ‘Worst Cooks in America,’ dies at 55

TV chef Anne Burrell, who coached culinary fumblers through hundreds of episodes of “Worst Cooks in America,” has died. Medical examiners are set to determine what caused her death.

by The Associated Press

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