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.

Ep. 15: Friends, not food!
Spring officially sprung this week and things were definitely poppin' in The Warming House. Between the equinox, Norwuz (Persian New Year), #meatlessmarch, NCAA basketball madness, and our very own Great Minnesota Burger Bracket, we were certifiably giddy.
'A Beginner's Guide To America' shows us the States through new eyes
Roya Hakakian was a teenager when she came to the United States from Iran. She says she hopes her book will help native-born Americans see all the small signs of democracy they don't usually notice.
Ask a bookseller: A picture book about recognizing value where others don’t
Zsamé Morgan travels across Minneapolis and St. Paul with her bookmobile, Babycake’s Book Stack. She is excited to spread the word about the picture book “Daisy” by Jessixa Bagley, which was published at the start of March. 
'Firekeeper's Daughter' forges a new path between cultures and genres
A contemplative exploration of existing between two cultural identities meets fake relationship romance meets backwoods thriller in this powerhouse YA debut from Ojibwe author Angeline Boulley.
Talking Volumes: A conversation with writer N. Scott Momaday
Award-winning novelist and poet N. Scott Momaday cultivated a boundless imagination as a boy exploring the vast landscape of the American Southwest on horseback. He joined host Kerri Miller for Talking Volumes: Talking Race, a collaboration between MPR and the Star Tribune.
'Shooting Midnight Cowboy' turns an eye to a dark, problematic masterpiece
John Schlesinger's flawed drama, the only X-rated film to win an Oscar for best picture, made Jon Voight a star and solidified Dustin Hoffman's status as one of his generation's greatest actors.
Art Hounds: An artist sketches on quarantines and social justice
This week’s Hounds also recommend a traveling performance for audiences of one or two, and the “No-Holds Barred” exhibit featuring dozens of Minnesota artists.
Kazuo Ishiguro draws on his songwriting past to write novels about the future
The Nobel Prize-winning novelist says he honed his skills earlier in his career "as a writer of songs." Ishiguro's new book, Klara And The Sun, is set in the future and has an A.I. narrator.
We have much to learn from 'A Place Like Mississippi'
W. Ralph Eubanks' new book examines Mississippi's mighty contributions to American literature, and what writers like Eudora Welty and Jesmyn Ward can teach us about broader national issues.
In Amazon's shadow, an America divided in search of 'Fulfillment'
ProPublica's Alec MacGillis has written an economic history of the country, shaped by stories of people living and working in Amazon's shadow as their home cities and states transform around them.