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.

Terence Stamp, British actor who portrayed General Zod in early Superman films, dies at 87
Terence Stamp, the British actor who often played the role of a complex villain, including that of General Zod in the early Superman films, has died. He was 87. His death on Sunday was disclosed in a death notice published online.
Greg Iles, Mississippi author of 'Natchez Burning' trilogy, dies of cancer at 65
Mississippi author Greg Iles has died at 65. His literary agent Dan Conaway said Iles died Friday after a decades-long battle with the blood cancer multiple myeloma. Initially diagnosed with the incurable condition in 1996, he kept his illness private until completing his final novel, “Southern Man,” which was published in 2024.
‘Cabaret at the Guthrie,’ 100 years of Gatsby and the most vital restaurants in MN
MPR News shares a conversation from the “Worth It” podcast, from the Minnesota Star Tribune and Lemonada Media. Get the inside scoop on the Guthrie’s “Cabaret, ”a classic and century-old novel with Minnesota roots, and the Twin Cities’ dining scene.
From antique furniture to odd metal aliens, Gold Rush Days brings thousands to Oronoco
This weekend, the quiet downtown area in Oronoco becomes an antique mecca as hundreds of sellers of well aged and vintage collectables descend on this small southeast Minnesota town for Gold Rush Days, which is taking place for the 53rd year.
‘A Marriage at Sea’ by Sophie Elmhirst
This week on Big Books and Bold Idea, author Sophie Elmhirst joins Kerri Miller to talk about the true story of a British couple who survived more than a hundred days together on the open seas after a whale sunk their boat. Even more amazing: When it was over, their marriage was stronger than ever.
Looking back at the nuclear age of filmmaking
Movies can tell us a lot about what scares us. And ever since the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the fear of nuclear war has reverberated across decades of film.
MN Shortlist, Aug. 15-21: Magicians return, Finnish folk tales in puppetry and more
MN Shortlist is your weekly curated roundup of recommended events from MPR News, highlighting standout performances, exhibits and gatherings around the region.
A photo of her grandmother in moccasins sparked Cindy Godin Hamilton’s artistic awakening
Cindy Godin Hamilton’s artistic and cultural awakening came in her adult years. Now her solo exhibit at the Warroad RiverPlace Gallery includes hand-stitched mittens, mukluks and gauntlets featuring intricately beaded animals and flowers, as well as oil and pastel paintings of Native faces garbed in traditional regalia.
Minnesota booksellers share their favorite beach reads
MPR News reached out to Minnesota booksellers across to the state to get their recommendations on the best beach reads to add to your TBR this summer.