Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

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.

Grim Reaper comedy 'Melancholia' is surprisingly uplifting

Grim Reaper comedy 'Melancholia' is surprisingly uplifting

Nicholas Gurewitch scratched images into clay with a stylus for this tale of Death's visit to an analyst — who helps him come to terms with Death Jr.'s lack of interest in the family business.
by Etelka Lehoczky

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'Godshot' author explains how fiction helps us face real-world adversity

'Godshot' author explains how fiction helps us face real-world adversity

"Art can help me ask the difficult questions of myself," says Chelsea Bieker. In her debut novel, a devastating drought in a California town has led residents to put their faith in a cult leader.
by Ari Shapiro

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
The Thread: Lawrence Wright’s 'The End of October'

The Thread: Lawrence Wright’s 'The End of October'

As we continue our look at books to comfort and entertain during this period of social distancing, MPR News host Kerri Miller previews one of her most anticipated reads for spring and summer 2020: a soon-to-be-published novel about a pandemic.
by Kerri Miller

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Daily dose of sweetness: Mpls. neighbors stay connected with social distance singalongs

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.
by Christine T. Nguyen

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Minn. nonprofits serving people with disabilities hustle to stay connected

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.
by Marianne Combs

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
In 'Hidden Valley Road,' a family's journey helps shift the science of mental illness

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."
by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Daily dose of sweetness: Church's new bells ring out, offer reminder of community

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.
by Emily Bright

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Journalist Gloria Steinem on activism, patriarchy and political power

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.
by Kerri Miller and Breann Schossow

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'Lean On Me,' 'Lovely Day' singer Bill Withers dies at 81

'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.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!