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.

Larry Kramer, pioneering AIDS activist and writer, dies at 84
Kramer was a writer with an Oscar-nominated screenplay when his friends started dying mysteriously — galvanizing him to found the Gay Men's Health Crisis, and later ACT UP, to combat AIDS.
How the 'lost art' of breathing can impact sleep and resilience
While researching his book, “Breath,” James Nestor participated in a study in which his nose was completely plugged for 10 days, forcing him to breathe solely through his mouth. "I felt awful," he says.
A memoir reflects on what happens to the 'Fairest' of them all
During a boyhood in the Philippines, Meredith Talusan received positive reactions to the white skin and blonde hair accompanying albinism. She found a different response as a trans woman in the U.S.
Is it a farm or a sculpture park? Both
Fresh produce meets the arts in a planned north Minneapolis installation.
The Thread: Works to celebrate our doctors and nurses
In the midst of this pandemic, we’re acknowledging the risks and the sacrifices being made each day by our doctors and nurses. In this week’s Thread, Kerri Miller offers up a poem, a memoir and a romance novel.
'A Burning' has booksellers talking
“This is a novel of modern India that should be required reading for anyone who reads to seek a greater understanding of the world,” said bookseller Emilie Sommer.