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.

Fauci's plea 'Wear a mask' tops list of 2020 notable quotes
Also on the list is "I can't breathe," the plea George Floyd made repeatedly to police officers holding him down on a Minneapolis street corner. Several quotes from the presidential campaign appear including Joe Biden telling a student: "You're a lying dog-faced pony soldier."
St. Cloud sidewalk chalk artist spreads joy with masked paintings
An artist in St. Cloud is spreading a little cheer during the COVID-19 pandemic through sidewalk chalk murals of classic paintings — with their famous subjects wearing masks.
In Michel Faber's latest, the disappearance (isappearance?) of the letter 'D'
Faber has created a world in which the letter d is starting to fade, imperiling things like dogs, doctors, dentists — and a girl named Dhikilo, who travels to a different world to solve the mystery.
'Ordesa' is a difficult read — but stick with it
Manuel Vilas' quiet, intensely sad new novel, about a middle-aged man trying to connect with his estranged family while thinking a lot of deep thoughts about death, requires patience, but it's worth it.
Ask a Bookseller: 'Mercy Falls'
Jerry Lenaz of The Cloak and Dagger Mystery Bookshop in Princeton, New Jersey recommends Minnesota writer William Kent Krueger’s mystery novel "Mercy Falls."