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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.

Art Hounds: Fiber art at MIA, a multimedia premiere in Rochester and surreal sisterhood onstage

Art Hounds: Fiber art at MIA, a multimedia premiere in Rochester and surreal sisterhood onstage

Art Hounds recommend an immersive fiber arts exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, a multimedia film premiere in Rochester and a surreal new play at Mixed Blood Theatre.
by Emily Bright

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Put these 12 eye-opening books on your 2026 reading list

Put these 12 eye-opening books on your 2026 reading list

Want to learn something new in the new year? Check out these deep-dive books from 2025 — nonfiction that will lead you to fresh discoveries about big tech, true crime and the ground beneath our feet.
by Ivy Buck

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Minneapolis event celebrates Indigenous musicians, fashion and expanding tribal radio station

Minneapolis event celebrates Indigenous musicians, fashion and expanding tribal radio station

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe's community radio station will host the Anishinaabe Music and Arts Celebration in Minneapolis, showcasing Native performing artists. The event also celebrates the tribal radio station's upcoming Twin Cities satellite studio. Saturday’s lineup includes musical performances and a fashion show.
by Chandra Colvin

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The best and most surprising Big Book shows of 2025, part two

The best and most surprising Big Book shows of 2025, part two

Picking the best Big Books shows of 2025 was a tall task. But Kerri Miller and producer Kelly Gordon chose their five favorites — plus one surprise — for a year-end roundup.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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'Snow is a giant mirror' — an art exhibition captures the color and quiet of peak Minnesota winter

'Snow is a giant mirror' — an art exhibition captures the color and quiet of peak Minnesota winter

A new exhibition at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum reveals winter as a season of vivid color and quiet beauty, through the eyes of artists who venture into Minnesota’s cold to capture snow not as white, but as a mirror of light.
by Alex V. Cipolle

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