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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.

'He just made you feel like he was completely there': An appreciation of guitarist Billy Franze

'He just made you feel like he was completely there': An appreciation of guitarist Billy Franze

Billy Franze, who passed away in April, thrilled cheering bar crowds with Dr. Mambo’s Combo for more than three decades. He’s being remembered as an extremely talented musician and a good-natured soul who helped many other musicians get a foothold in the Minneapolis music scene.
by Brandt Williams

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Former longtime Split Rock Lighthouse keeper on what the job was really like

Former longtime Split Rock Lighthouse keeper on what the job was really like

Lee Radzak was resident site manager at Split Rock for more than 30 years, and is out with a new book about the experience: “The View from Split Rock,” written with Curt Brown.
by Cathy Wurzer

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An emotional play on adoption expands its reach as a graphic novel

An emotional play on adoption expands its reach as a graphic novel

The final product of a successful theatrical script is usually a play — but not always. A St. Paul theater's deeply emotional show about adoption will live on as a 300-page graphic novel.
by Euan Kerr

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Art Hounds recommend visual art that explores science, spirituality

Art Hounds recommend visual art that explores science, spirituality

Nature photographer Nicole Zemple takes “otherworldly” pictures of the forest floor, Fawzia Khan’s embroidery and sculpture celebrate women’s stories, and Anne Pryor paints with scents and her breath.
by Emily Bright

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This family saga finds grace and beauty in ordinary lives, fully lived

This family saga finds grace and beauty in ordinary lives, fully lived

Simon Van Booy's new novel “Night Came With Many Stars” follows several generations of a Kentucky family, their crossroads and choices, their curses and hard memories, their luck and their chances.
by Jason Sheehan

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‘Uno tiene que soñar en grande': La ayuda de mentores, la familia, la pasión y la perseverancia (el “grit”) iluminan el futuro de un adolescente

‘Uno tiene que soñar en grande': La ayuda de mentores, la familia, la pasión y la perseverancia (el “grit”) iluminan el futuro de un adolescente

Edgar Omar Dominguez Casalez está a punto de convertirse en el primero de su familia en ir a la universidad. Su historia, que incluye un mentor, un caballo y la pandemia, dice mucho sobre las cosas buenas que pueden suceder cuando jóvenes decididos en circunstancias difíciles, conectan con adultos que pueden ayudar a guiar sus sueños.
by Kathryn Styer Martinez

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‘One has to dream big': Mentors, family, grit help light a teen’s future

Edgar Omar Dominguez Casalez is on the cusp of becoming the first in his family to go to college. His story, which includes a mentor, a horse and the pandemic, says a lot about the good things that can happen when determined kids in difficult circumstances connect with adults who can help guide their dreams. 
by Kathryn Styer Martinez

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Letters reveal author's strength in a world of destructive noise

Letters reveal author's strength in a world of destructive noise

Akwaeke Emezi's “Dear Senthuran” is a story of transcendence over violence that has marked their lived experience, told through letters to friends, lovers, and public figures — some they've never met.
by Hope Wabuke

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Still don't want to go out? Here are 3 books for an inner journey

Still don't want to go out? Here are 3 books for an inner journey

Everyone's talking about getting out and about now that the pandemic has calmed — but what if you don't want to? Here are three books in translation that'll help you dig into your own life and mind.
by Lily Meyer

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4 books to broaden your Pride Month reading list

There are a lot of Pride Month reading lists out there — so we thought we'd get away from the classics everyone knows. We asked author Akwaeke Emezi to recommend some of their favorite reads.
by Noel King

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