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.

Publishers sue Internet Archive for 'mass copyright infringement'
The lawsuit filed this week in federal court alleges that the organization, which lends books online for free, amounts to a "piracy site" that has been eluding copyright law for years.
Twin Cities Black artists need broad community support more than ever
As the Twin Cities wrestles with the killing of George Floyd, structural racism and community devastation, artists will be crucial in articulating a path forward. But Black-led arts organizations are chronically underfunded.
Russian-American Masha Gessen sees Putin in Trump, trouble in future
The New Yorker journalist says Putin and Trump were elected president without really wanting the job. They ran "not for president but for autocrat" and did not expect to settle for anything less.
This bedtime book helps kids find their place in the 'universe'
Before he became an astrophysicist, Ray Jayawardhana was just a kid, looking up at the night sky with his father. "I remember being awed," he says. He's written a book called “Child of the Universe.”
'Something To Talk About' is a slow-burn showstopper romance
In Meryl Wilsner's debut novel, a Hollywood showrunner and her assistant are thrust into the spotlight after an innocuous red-carpet moment prompts gossip about a relationship between the two women.
In 'Humankind,' Rutger Bregman aims to convince that most people are good
The historian and author of “Utopia for Realists” says that research shows that "especially in times of crisis, we show our best selves. And we get this explosion of altruism and cooperation."
Say 'Hello, Neighbor' to this charming picture book about Mister Rogers
Our kids' books columnist reports that amidst the messes and fights that result from kids in lockdown, Matthew Cordell's gentle new picture book biography of Mister Rogers has the power to soothe.