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.

Daily dose of sweetness: Mpls. neighbors stay connected with social distance singalongs
Inspired by videos of quarantined Italians singing and playing music, Minnesotans are stepping out their doors to lift up their voices as a way to maintain connectivity while under Gov. Tim Walz’s stay-at-home order.
Minn. nonprofits serving people with disabilities hustle to stay connected
Arts organizations that offer day programs to keep their clients with disabilities engaged have had to shutter their physical classrooms and spaces. But they’re working to find creative ways to reach out to their clients while fighting to keep their businesses alive.
In 'Hidden Valley Road,' a family's journey helps shift the science of mental illness
Over the years, six of the Galvins' 12 children were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Robert Kolker, who has a new book on the family, says "there is a lot of hope and inspiration in this story."
Daily dose of sweetness: Church's new bells ring out, offer reminder of community
“We want to remind everybody that’s isolated in their homes or apartments that we are one community … and to ring out hope and courage to our community every day until we get through this,” said Westminster Presbyterian Church senior pastor Tim Hart-Andersen.
Journalist Gloria Steinem on activism, patriarchy and political power
Feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem recently joined MPR News host Kerri Miller for a frank and wide-ranging conversation about patriarchy in the past and present; the status of the Equal Rights Amendment today; and what it would take for a woman to hold the office of president.
'Lean On Me,' 'Lovely Day' singer Bill Withers dies at 81
Bill Withers, who wrote and sang a string of soulful songs in the 1970s that have stood the test of time, including " Lean On Me, " "Lovely Day" and "Ain't No Sunshine," has died from heart complications, his family said in a statement to The Associated Press. He was 81.
Want to hear a frank, funny 'Muslim love story'? 'That Can Be Arranged'
In her graphic memoir, cartoonist Huda Fahmy explains how her parents played a role in her romantic relationships. She hopes her book is representation "for people who want to find love in this way."
In 'Hurricane Season,' words swirl wild and dark
Fernanda Melchor's poetic, foul-mouthed new novel sits on the border between crime fiction and horror: A woman known as the Witch has been murdered, and her neighbors want to know who did it and why.