Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

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.

Why did the chicken befriend the widow? Find out in this plucky Italian novella

Why did the chicken befriend the widow? Find out in this plucky Italian novella

An older woman living on a remote farm turns to an emotional-support hen for company. Sacha Naspini's newly translated novella is a slim volume, packed with unexpected secrets and epiphanies.
by Maureen Corrigan

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Amid sexual misconduct allegations, publisher suspends shipping of Blake Bailey book

Amid sexual misconduct allegations, publisher suspends shipping of Blake Bailey book

Three former students and a publishing executive have alleged sexual misconduct by award-winner Blake Bailey, with two accusing the author of rape, according to reports. Bailey denies the allegations.
by Elizabeth Blair and Meghan Collins Sullivan

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Art Hounds: Landscapes and memory-scapes

Art Hounds: Landscapes and memory-scapes

Artists and art appreciators this week also recommend a streaming show from Theater Latté Da, which invites artists to perform favorite show tunes outside of their “type” and a retrospective of renowned Duluth artist Carl Gawboy, Bois Forte Anishinaabe storyteller and scholar.
by Emily Bright and Aron Woldeslassie

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
George W. Bush lends his voice to immigrants in 'Out of Many, One'

George W. Bush lends his voice to immigrants in 'Out of Many, One'

The former president's book features his portraits of 43 immigrants — athletes, public servants, business leaders, educators — in an effort to join those saying, "The system's broken. Let's fix it."
by Rachel Martin

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
In 'We Are Bridges,' a writer resurrects her great grandfather's memory

In 'We Are Bridges,' a writer resurrects her great grandfather's memory

In 1904, Cassandra Lane's great grandfather Burt Bridges was lynched. In telling his story, Lane offers her own memoir — and lessons on family and American history for her future child and readers.
by Martha Anne Toll

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Prince fans headed to Paisley Park five years after death

Prince fans headed to Paisley Park five years after death

Paisley Park, where Prince lived and worked, will welcome back a select 1,400 fans Wednesday to mark the fifth anniversary of his death from inside his creative sanctuary.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'At the End of the World,' an elegant and gritty mystery debut

'At the End of the World,' an elegant and gritty mystery debut

Zhanna Slor's debut novel, set in a funky neighborhood of Milwaukee, follows two Russian immigrant sisters on very different paths. one now searching for the other after her mysterious disappearance.
by Bethanne Patrick

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
A daughter grieves her mom, and finds herself, in 'Crying in H Mart'

A daughter grieves her mom, and finds herself, in 'Crying in H Mart'

Michelle Zauner's new memoir, built on her 2018 New Yorker piece of the same name, powerfully maps a complicated mother-daughter relationship cut much too short, with Korean food as a guide.
by Kristen Martin

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Missing travel? This 'irreverent guide' visits Anthony Bourdain's favorite places

Missing travel? This 'irreverent guide' visits Anthony Bourdain's favorite places

"He always made people feel like they belonged," says a former Bourdain producer. “World Travel: An Irreverent Guide” is based on the TV chef's writings and an interview conducted just before his death.
by Neda Ulaby

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'The Light of the Midnight Stars' doesn't shine brightly enough

'The Light of the Midnight Stars' doesn't shine brightly enough

Rena Rossner's YA novel, set in a magical version of medieval Eastern Europe, follows a rabbi and his three supernaturally-talented daughters. Unfortunately the characters never quite come to life.
by Jessica P. Wick

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!