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.

The Thread: Three books to read during the GOP convention
The Republican National Convention starts today. For her Thread must-read, Kerri Miller brings us three more books that will make a political junkie out of anyone!  
Transgender, nonbinary artists need a place they can call home
With the announcement that 20% Theatre Company will close in 2021, transgender artists are once again forced to search for venues that will support their work in meaningful, long-lasting ways.
A boy avenges his murdered father, with the help of a magical 'Ikenga'
Nnedi Okorafor found her superpower — storytelling — when she was a teenager. She draws on her own past and her connection to Nigeria in her latest novel, about a 12-year-old finding his own powers.
'Luster' shines with sharp wit and dark humor
Raven Leilani's new novel will make you cringe for all the right reasons. It's an intergenerational, interracial love story with a heart of noir and gallows humor, so honest it will make you squirm.
'Empire of Wild' interweaves mystery and love
Bookseller Nadine Teisberg of Birchbark Books in Minneapolis is recommending the novel “Empire of Wild” by Cherie Dimaline. Teisberg calls the novel an intriguing mystery and a powerful love story, interwoven with Dimaline’s own Georgian Bay Métis culture and traditions. 
Winning the game of love in 'Loathe At First Sight'
Suzanne Park's debut adult novel is a crackling romance starring a young woman trying to make it in the extremely male-dominated gaming industry — can she find love AND a career? Signs point to yes.
'Break It Up' examines the history of secession movements in the U.S.
Author Richard Kreitner tells NPR he didn't write his book as a prescription, but that "if we are talking about the end of democracy in America ... I think we need to have all options on the table."
Art Hounds: Escape from puzzle rooms; stream a play about microaggressions and 'Minnesota Nice'
Microaggressions and “Minnesota Nice” in a streamed stage production, an outdoor multimedia show at Jungle Theater and virtual escape rooms are all on the list recommended by this week’s Art Hounds.