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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.

Comic community responds to ICE detention with art for Liam

Comic community responds to ICE detention with art for Liam

Comic artists across the U.S. and beyond have launched the #Comics4Liam campaign, creating artwork inspired by 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos’s Spider-Man backpack to protest his detention by ICE and highlight the human impact of immigration enforcement.
by Alex V. Cipolle

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‘We can do hard things’: The impact of ICE enforcement on the arts

‘We can do hard things’: The impact of ICE enforcement on the arts

The fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and Renee Macklin Good by federal agents and related immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis disrupted arts and education institutions across the Twin Cities, forcing widespread closures, cancellations, financial losses and safety measures.
by Alex V. Cipolle

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Grammys 2026: 10 takeaways from a historic, chaotic night

Grammys 2026: 10 takeaways from a historic, chaotic night

The Grammy Awards were full of milestone wins, chaotic performances and viral moments, as well as speeches that frequently addressed this moment in American history.
by Stephen Thompson

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Ask a Bookseller: ‘Begin Again’ by Oliver Jeffers

Ask a Bookseller: ‘Begin Again’ by Oliver Jeffers

Timothy Otte of Wild Rumpus Books in Minneapolis recommends “Begin Again” by Oliver Jeffers.
by Emily Bright

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Yes, romance & fantasy novels are political.

Yes, romance & fantasy novels are political.

Romantasies combine supernatural characters and plotlines with the rush of a whirlwind romance novel, and, in this episode, NPR explores how the politics of some of these books have an effect on politics in the real world.
by Brittany Luse, Mika Ellison , Neena Pathak and Corey Antonio Rose

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Former NBC producer tells her own story about Matt Lauer in ‘Unspeakable Things’

Former NBC producer tells her own story about Matt Lauer in ‘Unspeakable Things’

Brooke Nevils was working for NBC at the Sochi Olympics when, she says, she was sexually assaulted by Today Show host Matt Lauer — a claim he denies. Nevils’ new memoir is “Unspeakable Things.”
by Tonya Mosley

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Catherine O'Hara, Emmy-winning comedian of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'SCTV' fame, dies at 71

Catherine O'Hara, Emmy-winning comedian of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'SCTV' fame, dies at 71

Catherine O'Hara, the Emmy-winning actor known for comedic roles across the decades — from Kevin's beleaguered mom in “Home Alone” to the iconic Moira Rose in “Schitt's Creek” — died Friday at 71.
by The Associated Press

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MN Shortlist, Jan. 30–Feb. 5: New dance, live music and cozy getaways

MN Shortlist, Jan. 30–Feb. 5: New dance, live music and cozy getaways

Late January and early February in Minnesota have a way of sharpening the senses. This week’s picks sit right at that edge, where artists question what gets valued, musicians sit with emotional wreckage, theaters make room for inherited histories and winter itself becomes something to savor rather than survive.
by Anika Besst, Alex V. Cipolle and Max Sparber

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