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.

‘Like looking at the moon’: Old-fashioned radio show brings isolated seniors together
As businesses and families turned to new technology to connect during the pandemic, a Twin Cities choir turned to the time-tested medium of radio to connect residents in senior living communities.
Photographers make kids' wildest dreams come to life
A husband and wife photography team create avant-garde and futuristic shoots for their clients. The couple hopes the portraits transcend the typical images of beauty.
Minnesota music legend Peter Ostroushko dies at 67
Celebrated fiddler, mandolinist and Minnesota music legend Peter Ostroushko has died. He was 67. Ostroushko’s career and range was widespread and eclectic — he appeared on Bob Dylan’s legendary “Blood on the Tracks” album, played with the Minnesota Orchestra and was a regular on A Prairie Home Companion for 40 years.
'Hunt, Gather, Parent' offers lessons collected around the world
NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff found that parenting books she read after becoming a mom left a lot out. When she went through a tough period with her daughter, she traveled the world in search of guidance.
'The Mighty Ducks' coaxes Emilio Estevez back into acting
Emilio Estevez reprises his role as youth hockey coach Gordon Bombay for the Disney+ streaming service's "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers," debuting March 26.
Art Hounds recommend abstracts and stand-up
This week's Art Hounds recommend abstract landscapes created by a Twin Cities artist with the help of his feet, a new stand-up comedy special with magic, and a North Mankato artist’s detailed designs.
Tim O'Brien on late-in-life fatherhood and the things he carried from Vietnam
Now 74, Tim O'Brien didn't become a father until his late 50s. He reflects on writing, mortality and his experiences in Vietnam in the new documentary, “The War and Peace of Tim O'Brien.”
A botched execution leads to a search for answers in 'Two Truths and a Lie'
Ellen McGarrahan was a young reporter for The Miami Herald, when she witnessed an execution that went horribly wrong. She revisits the case of Jesse Tafero in an intense new true crime book.
Drunken driving charge against Bruce Springsteen dropped
The government dropped drunken driving and reckless driving charges against Bruce Springsteen on Wednesday stemming from an incident in November, admitting that the rocker's blood-alcohol level was so low that it didn't warrant the charges.
On 'The Kitchen Front,' 4 women cook their way to victory
In Jennifer Ryan's new novel, set in England in 1942, four women from different backgrounds compete in a cooking contest with a possibly life-changing prize: The chance to cohost a BBC cooking show.