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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.

Ask a Bookseller: A novel to spark book club conversation

Ask a Bookseller: A novel to spark book club conversation

Megan Wells of The Willow Bookstore in Perham, Minn. recommended “a beautiful, heartbreaking'“ novel, "If Only I Could Tell You" by Hannah Beckerman.
by Emily Bright

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Free your home and the rest will follow

Free your home and the rest will follow

The Minimalists say a pared-down lifestyle doesn’t just free up space in your home — it frees up space in your life.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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When your book publishes in a pandemic — authors talk about terrible timing

When your book publishes in a pandemic — authors talk about terrible timing

A league of unfortunate writers had their books come out in the height of the coronavirus crisis — there are even several online support groups for authors who published mid-pandemic.
by Neda Ulaby

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Art Hounds celebrate summer performances, and an indoor escape from the heat

Art Hounds celebrate summer performances, and an indoor escape from the heat

Walking Shadow Theatre Co. puts on “Reboot,” a virtual interactive play with puzzles. The Zephyr Theatre’s “Mamma Mia!” uses the St Croix River as a backdrop. Plus, a performance by Minneapolis singer Brooke Elizabeth.
by Emily Bright

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Fascinating, mysterious 'Intimacies' doesn't let readers get close enough

Fascinating, mysterious 'Intimacies' doesn't let readers get close enough

Katie Kitamura's new novel follows an unnamed woman working as a translator at The Hague who works with war criminals — but can readers really know a narrator who remains resolutely unknown?
by Leland Cheuk

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In 'Notes From The Burning Age,' we're the ones on fire

In 'Notes From The Burning Age,' we're the ones on fire

Claire North's new “Notes from the Burning Age” is set far in the future — but the titular burning age is our own, an age of waste and exploitation from which only fragments of knowledge remain.
by Jason Sheehan

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Michael Wolff's third strike at Trump White House has hits and misses

Michael Wolff's third strike at Trump White House has hits and misses

The author has gifts as a writer: a novelistic eye for scene and detail, an ear for dramatic dialogue. His story keeps moving, free of constraints common to courtroom lawyers or newspaper reporters.
by Ron Elving

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'Radha and Jai' is a toe-tapping dance romance treat

'Radha and Jai' is a toe-tapping dance romance treat

Nisha Sharma's new YA novel follows two Indian American teenagers who overcome differing backgrounds to find love while prepping for an important dance competition — a perfect teen movie setup.
by Alethea Kontis

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