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.

You actually will be talking about 'No One is Talking About This'
Patricia Lockwood's first novel follows an extremely online woman whose life changes forever when her niece is born with a serious illness — which sounds Hallmark-ready, but Lockwood pulls it off.
Art Hounds: Photography three ways
Tony Duran’s celebrity portraits are on display in Winona; Steve Ozone pays homage to flowers and Chinese vegetables; and Melissa Borman captures female figures as active participants within landscapes.
Aspen Words announces 5 finalists for 2021's literary prize
The $35,000 prize honors fiction that "illuminates vital contemporary issues." This year's finalists deal with everything from Native American land ownership to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
'The Echo Wife' layers sci-fi and murder mystery for a twisty treat
Sarah Gailey's new novel follows a famed geneticist whose husband uses her methods to clone her — and has an affair with the clone. When he's murdered, the two women must figure out to do next.
Women take the lead in fighting ISIS in 'Daughters of Kobani'
Author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon recalls one of the female fighters saying "one, we were never going to let ISIS stand ... and two, we just didn't want men taking credit for our work."
David Pogue on ‘How to Prepare for Climate Change’
Record heat and warming oceans mean life on planet Earth is changing. Science and technology writer David Pogue outlined the scale of those changes and offers advice for how humans can adjust. 
To understand police reform, law professor volunteered to join the force
For four years, Rosa Brooks carried a badge and a gun and worked a minimum of 24 hours a month for the D.C. police — all on a voluntary basis. She writes about her experiences in “Tangled Up in Blue.”
Growing pains: How one southern Minnesota city is taking steps to address diversity, inclusion
As part of the city’s strategic plan, Marshall has formed a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission. Its goal: To launch tough conversations, so that, eventually, the city becomes a more welcoming place for all of its residents.
Ep. 10: The Valentine's Day Industrial Complex
Polar Vortex bringing you down? For episode 10 we did the one thing we in The Warming House are really, really good at: we hunkered. We hunkered down thinking about Valentine's Day!