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.

May 31, 2020 10:28 AM

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.”

by Samantha Balaban

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May 31, 2020 10:21 AM

'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.

by Denny S. Bryce

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May 30, 2020 1:39 PM

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."

by Scott Simon

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May 30, 2020 6:00 AM

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.

by Juanita Giles

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May 28, 2020 2:01 PM

'Hollywood Park' compassionately depicts the suffering and struggles of addiction

Musician Mikel Jollett writes of his young years spent in the Synanon cult and how music helped him overcome these dark days, but misses a chance to discuss music as art and the ideas guiding him now.

by Nicholas Cannariato

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May 28, 2020 6:36 AM

Art Hounds: Luke Hillestad's paintings evoke the old masters

Plus, Art Hounds recommend music from The OK Factor and "barn stars" in Montevideo

by Marianne Combs

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May 27, 2020 3:55 PM

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.

by Neda Ulaby

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May 27, 2020 2:07 PM

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.

by Terry Gross

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May 27, 2020 1:57 PM

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.

by Hope Wabuke