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.

'Sinners' makes history, setting Oscars nomination record
Ryan Coogler’s blues-steeped vampire epic “Sinners” led all films with 16 nominations to the 98th Academy Awards, setting a record for the most in Oscar history. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters showered “Sinners” with more nominations Thursday than they had ever bestowed before, breaking the 14-nomination mark set by “All About Eve,” “Titanic” and “La La Land.”
A Minneapolis band shared a song in progress. Fans took it from there.
Indie pop artist anni xo’s new album “Something Profound” explores topics of love, heartbreak, growing up and queer identity. One of their most memorable moments of the album was leaking it all over social media.
Powderhorn Park in Minneapolis celebrates MLK Day
Art and music filled the halls of Powderhorn Park Recreation Center in Minneapolis Monday for the neighborhood's 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.
Ask a Bookseller: ‘To the Moon and Back’ by Eliana Ramage
Angel Horne of Two Friends Bookstore in Bentonville, Arkansas, recommends the novel "To the Moon and Back" by Eliana Ramage.
Snow sculptures share Indigenous stories at Minneapolis parks this winter
All-female Indigenous snow carving team, Team Kwe, has begun work on a public art installation at four riverfront parks near downtown Minneapolis. The snow sculptures represent the four seasons and share Ojibwe stories with parkgoers. 
Keep an eye out for these new books from big names in January
The new year begins with a host of promising titles from George Saunders, Julian Barnes, Jennette McCurdy, Karl Ove Knausgaard and more. Here’s a look ahead at what’s publishing this month.
Made to mingle: Why your brain is happier with friends
In his new book, “Why Brains Need Friends,” neuroscientist Ben Rein argues that social connection is just as important to human flourishing as exercise and nutrition.
At Stillwater snow sculpting championship, artists reflect a global moment
Artists from around the world descend on Stillwater to carve towering snow sculptures, bringing with them not just tools and technique but the anxieties, ideas and urgency of the moment they’re living in.