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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.

Ep. 8: A pre-Super Bowl, pre-Valentine's Day potluck

Ep. 8: A pre-Super Bowl, pre-Valentine's Day potluck

We’re waxing nostalgic this week in The Warming House — remembering how wonderful it is to walk through art museums and hang out with friends, and how that’s changed since the Before Times. We also heard from a pair of pizza delivery pros and a two women organizing a massive mask-sewing effort.
by Nina Moini, Sean McPherson and Tiffany Hanssen

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Ida. B Wells: The life and power of the pioneering journalist

Ida. B Wells: The life and power of the pioneering journalist

Kerri Miller is here with her Thread Must-Read book recommendation.  This week she’s got the story of a pioneering journalist and often-overlooked crusader more Americans should know about.
by Kerri Miller

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'We Came, We Saw, We Left' takes us on one family's gap year adventure

'We Came, We Saw, We Left' takes us on one family's gap year adventure

Dartmouth's Charles Wheelan, author of “Naked Economics,” writes about his nine-month globetrot in 2016 with his wife and their teenagers — offering a refreshing escape during these isolating times.
by Carson Vaughan

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Corky Lee, who spent decades photographing Asian American life, dies at 73

Corky Lee, who spent decades photographing Asian American life, dies at 73

Corky Lee "considered his camera to be a sword wielded against stereotypes and injustice,” longtime friend Renee Tajima-Pena said. “His photos years and decades later continue to arm us and tell our story as Asian Americans through our own lens.”
by Andrew Limbong and The Associated Press

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Actor and author Ethan Hawke: Writing 'Forces You To Think Through Things'

Actor and author Ethan Hawke: Writing 'Forces You To Think Through Things'

Hawke's latest novel is called “A Bright Ray of Darkness.” It's about a famous young actor in a crumbling marriage who immerses himself in a Broadway production of Shakespeare's Henry IV.
by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

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Finalists announced for 2021 Minnesota Book Awards

The field of finalists is set for the 2021 Minnesota Book Awards. The winners will be announced at a online ceremony on April 29.
by MPR News Staff

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'She Persisted,' now in chapter book form, brings history to life

'She Persisted,' now in chapter book form, brings history to life

Chelsea Clinton has turned her “She Persisted” series of picture books into a new series of chapter books, written by prominent kids' authors. The new books really take readers inside historical lives.
by Juanita Giles

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Ask a Bookseller: A kids' graphic novel series — with unicorns

Ask a Bookseller: A kids' graphic novel series — with unicorns

Theresa Woodward of CatTale’s Books and Gifts in Brainerd, Minn., recommends “Phoebe and her Unicorn” graphic novel series, which she has been loving reading with her 6-year-old daughter, Phoebe.
by Emily Bright

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Through grief, Hmong families torn between honoring the dead, keeping loved ones safe during COVID

Through grief, Hmong families torn between honoring the dead, keeping loved ones safe during COVID

In normal times, relatives and friends would gather for days or weeks, cooking side by side and consoling one another as part of the funeral proceedings. But with COVID-19 ravaging through the community, they’re left wrestling with how to plan a funeral that won’t be as big and lavish as they imagined.
by Riham Feshir

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