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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: 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' is a feel-good read

Ask a Bookseller: 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' is a feel-good read

Jolie Hughes of Morgan Hill Bookstore in New London, N.H. has a recommendation for people who want a summer read that leaves them feeling good. She points them toward TJ Klune's novel "The House in the Cerulean Sea."
by Emily Bright

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America’s post-pandemic return to the movies

America’s post-pandemic return to the movies

Crowds of people will watch movies on a big screen this summer. But the pandemic fundamentally changed the industry. How will movie theaters, and the movie-going public, adapt?
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Come and get it: Food and drink festivals across Minnesota

Come and get it: Food and drink festivals across Minnesota

Foodies and beer lovers have a lot to celebrate this summer with an abundance of festivals planned across the state. Here's where to find the good stuff.
by Sara Porter

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Author Ashley C. Ford on her debut memoir, ‘Somebody’s Daughter’

Author Ashley C. Ford on her debut memoir, ‘Somebody’s Daughter’

Ashley C. Ford’s debut memoir, “Somebody’s Daughter,” takes readers on an emotional journey of her life growing up as a young Black girl in Indiana with a single mother, an absent father and a heavy family secret.
by Kerri Miller and Ariana Rosas

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Friendship between a woman and a fox leads to transformation in 'Fox & I'

Friendship between a woman and a fox leads to transformation in 'Fox & I'

The very antithesis of a fox-taming tale, Catherine Raven's memoir shows us that we are surrounded by wild animals who make thoughtful decisions and experience joys and sorrows on their own terms.
by Barbara J. King

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How an anti-vice crusader sabotaged the early birth control movement

How an anti-vice crusader sabotaged the early birth control movement

The Comstock Act, which passed in 1873, virtually outlawed contraception. In “The Man Who Hated Women,” author Amy Sohn writes about the man behind the law — and the women prosecuted under it.
by Terry Gross

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Colby angles to be Wisconsin's big cheese

Colby angles to be Wisconsin's big cheese

Colby could become the official state cheese of Wisconsin under a bipartisan proposal at the state Capitol. But some lawmakers have concerns about elevating it above other cheeses.

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Fasten your seat belts: Flight attendant-turned-novelist shares stories from the sky

Fasten your seat belts: Flight attendant-turned-novelist shares stories from the sky

During her 10 years as a flight attendant, T.J. Newman became an expert in guessing drink orders and calming unruly passengers. She drew on those experiences to write the hijack thriller “Falling.”
by Dave Davies

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