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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.

'Aspen Ideas Now': The importance of music and the arts on our brains and health

'Aspen Ideas Now': The importance of music and the arts on our brains and health

Renowned singer Renee Fleming, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, playwright Anna Deavere Smith and opera director Yuval Sharon on the importance of music and the arts.

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In 'Jack,' Marilynne Robinson shows grace is for everyone

In 'Jack,' Marilynne Robinson shows grace is for everyone

Robinson's latest Gilead novel centers on prodigal son Jack, newly released from prison and in love with a Black woman — a crime in 1950s Missouri. But it's not a pat tale of love overcoming racism.
by Lily Meyer

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This 'Bestiary' lives in a family's multigenerational stories

This 'Bestiary' lives in a family's multigenerational stories

K-Ming Chang's debut novel is full of mythical beasts that roam through the lineage and the stories of a Chinese family in Arkansas, stories that come alive and help them endure pain and trauma.
by Ilana Masad

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A Syrian refugee family's resettlement in the U.S. is captured in graphic novel

A Syrian refugee family's resettlement in the U.S. is captured in graphic novel

“Welcome To The New World” begins in 2016 when the Aldabaans arrive on election day — and wake up in Donald Trump's America. Author Jake Halpern began to document the newcomers in a comic strip.
by Deborah Amos

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'His Very Best' calls Jimmy Carter 'perhaps the most misunderstood president'

'His Very Best' calls Jimmy Carter 'perhaps the most misunderstood president'

Jonathan Alter tells Carter's life story beautifully and with admirable fairness — while it's evident that he admires Carter, he treats the former president as a real person, as flawed as anyone else.
by Michael Schaub

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A lead prosecutor on Mueller's team weighs in on where the investigation fell short

A lead prosecutor on Mueller's team weighs in on where the investigation fell short

Federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann says the Mueller investigation was fundamentally shaped by the president's power to fire the team and to pardon key witnesses. His new book is “Where Law Ends.”
by Dave Davies

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'Leave The World Behind' Is A Signature Novel For This Blasted Year

'Leave The World Behind' Is A Signature Novel For This Blasted Year

A family on vacation opens the door of their remote Airbnb rental one night to an older couple who claims to be the home's owners. Rumaan Alam's thrilling novel is about race, class and self-delusion.
by Maureen Corrigan

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